Webcomics (also known asonline comics orInternet comics) arecomics published on the internet, such as on awebsite or amobile app. While many webcomics are published exclusively online, others are also published inmagazines,newspapers, orcomic books.Webcomics can be compared toself-published print comics in that anyone with an Internet connection can publish their own webcomic. Readership levels vary widely; many are read only by the creator's immediate friends and family, while some of the most widely read have audiences of well over one million readers.[1][2][3] Webcomics range from traditionalcomic strips andgraphic novels toavant garde comics, and cover manygenres,styles, and subjects.[4] They sometimes take on the role of a comicblog.[5] The termweb cartoonist is sometimes used to refer to someone who creates webcomics.
There are several differences between webcomics and print comics. With webcomics the restrictions of traditional books, newspapers or magazines can be lifted, allowing artists and writers to take advantage of the web's unique capabilities.
The creative freedom webcomics provide allows artists to work in nontraditional styles.Clip art orphoto comics (also known asfumetti) are two types of webcomics that do not use traditional artwork.A Softer World, for example, is made by overlaying photographs with strips of typewriter-style text.[6] As in theconstrained comics tradition, a few webcomics, such asDinosaur Comics byRyan North, are created with most strips having art copied exactly from one (or a handful of)template comics and only the text changing.[7]Pixel art, such as that created byRichard Stevens ofDiesel Sweeties, is similar to that of sprite comics but instead uses low-resolution images created by the artist themself.[8] However, it is also common for some artists to use traditional styles, similar to those typically published in newspapers or comic books.
Webcomics that are independently published are not subject to the content restrictions ofbook publishers ornewspaper syndicates, enjoying an artistic freedom similar tounderground andalternative comics. Some webcomics stretch the boundaries of taste, taking advantage of the fact thatInternet censorship is virtually nonexistent in countries like the United States.[4] The content of webcomics can still cause problems, such asLeisure Town artistTristan Farnon's legal trouble after creating a profaneDilbert parody,[9] or theCatholic League's protest of artistEric Millikin's "blasphemous treatment of Jesus."[10]
Webcomic artists use many formats throughout the world.Comic strips, generally consisting of three or fourpanels, have been a common format for many artists. Other webcomic artists use the format of traditional printedcomic books andgraphic novels, sometimes with the plan of later publishing books.
Scott McCloud, an early advocate of webcomics since 1998,[11] pioneered the idea of the "infinite canvas" where, rather than being confined to normal print dimensions,artists are free to spread out in any direction indefinitely with their comics.[12][13] Such a format proved highly successful inSouth-Korean webcomics when JunKoo Kim implemented an infinite scrolling mechanism in the platformWebtoon in 2004.[14] In 2009, French web cartoonistBalak describedTurbomedia, a format for webcomics where a reader only views one panel at a time, in which the reader decides their own reading rhythm by going forward one panel at a time.[15] Some web cartoonists, such as political cartoonistMark Fiore or Charley Parker withArgon Zark!, incorporateanimations orinteractive elements into their webcomics.[16]
The first comics to be shared through the Internet wereEric Millikin'sWitches and Stitches, which he started uploading onCompuServe in 1985.[17][18] Services such as CompuServe andUsenet were used before theWorld Wide Web started to rise in popularity in 1993. Early webcomics were often derivatives from strips incollege newspapers,[citation needed] but when the Web became widely popular in the mid-1990s, more people started creating comics exclusively for this medium. By 2000, various webcomic creators were financially successful and webcomics became more artistically recognized. Unique genres and styles became popular during this period.
The 2010s also saw the rise ofwebtoons inSouth Korea, where the form has become very prominent. This decade had also seen an increasingly larger number of successful webcomics being adapted intoanimated series in China and Japan.
In March 1995, artist Bebe Williams launched one of the first webcomics collectives,Art Comics Daily.[19] Newspaper comic strip syndicates also launched websites in the mid-1990s.
Other webcomics collectives followed, with many launching in the next decade. In March 2000,Chris Crosby, Crosby's mother Teri, and other artists foundedKeenspot.[20][21] In July 2000,Austin Osueke launchedeigoMANGA, publishing original onlinemanga, referred to as "webmanga".
In 2001, the subscription webcomics siteCool Beans World was launched. Contributors included UK-based comic book creatorsPat Mills,Simon Bisley,John Bolton, andKevin O'Neill, and the authorClive Barker.[22] Serialised content includedScarlet Traces andMarshal Law.
In March 2001,Shannon Denton and Patrick Coyle launchedKomikwerks.com serving free strips from comics and animation professionals. The site launched with 9 titles including Steve Conley'sAstounding Space Thrills, Jason Kruse'sThe World of Quest, andBernie Wrightson'sThe Nightmare Expeditions.
On March 2, 2002,Joey Manley foundedModern Tales, offering subscription-based webcomics.[23] The Modern Tales spin-offserializer followed in October 2002, then camegirlamatic and Graphic Smash in March and September 2003 respectively.
By 2005, webcomics hosting had become a business in its own right, with sites such asWebcomics Nation.[24]
Traditional comic book publishers, such asMarvel Comics andSlave Labour Graphics, did not begin making serious digital efforts until 2006 and 2007.[25]DC Comics launched its web comic imprint,Zuda Comics in October 2007.[26] The site featured user submitted comics in a competition for a professional contract to produce web comics. In July 2010, it was announced that DC was closing down Zuda.[27]
Some creators of webcomics are able to do soprofessionally through variousrevenue channels. Webcomic artists may sellmerchandise based on their work, such asT-shirts and toys, or they may sellprint versions or compilations of their webcomic.[28] Webcomic creators can also sellonline advertisements on theirwebsites.[29] In the second half of the 2000s, webcomics became less financially sustainable due to the rise ofsocial media and consumers' disinterest in certain kinds of merchandise.Crowdfunding throughKickstarter andPatreon have also become sources of income for web cartoonists.[30]
Webcomics have been used by some cartoonists as a path towardssyndication innewspapers.[31] Since the mid-1990s,Scott McCloud advocated formicropayments systems as a source of income for web cartoonists, but micropayment systems have not been popular with artists or readers.[32]
Many webcomics artists have received honors for their work. In 2006,Gene Luen Yang's graphic novelAmerican Born Chinese, originally published as a webcomic onModern Tales, was the first graphic novel to be nominated for aNational Book Award.[33]Don Hertzfeldt's animated film based on his webcomics,Everything Will Be OK, won the 2007Sundance Film Festival Jury Award in Short Filmmaking, a prize rarely bestowed on an animated film.[34]
Many traditionally print-comics focused organizations have added award categories for comics published on the web. TheEagle Awards established a Favorite Web-based Comic category in 2000, and theIgnatz Awards followed the next year by introducing an Outstanding Online Comic category in 2001. After having nominated webcomics in several of their traditional print-comics categories, theEisner Awards began awarding comics in the Best Digital Comic category in 2005. In 2006 theHarvey Awards established a Best Online Comics Work category, and in 2007 theShuster Awards began an Outstanding Canadian Web Comic Creator Award. In 2012 theNational Cartoonists Society gave their first Reuben Award for "On-line comic strips."[35]
Other awards focus exclusively on webcomics. TheWeb Cartoonists' Choice Awards[36][37] consist of a number of awards that were handed out annually from 2001 to 2008. The DutchClickburg Webcomic Awards (also known as the Clickies) has been handed out four times between 2005 and 2010. The awards require the recipient to be active in theBenelux countries, with the exception of one international award.[38]
Though webcomics are typically published primarily on the World Wide Web, often webcomic creators decide to also printself-published books of their work. In some cases, web cartoonists may getpublishing deals in whichcomic books are created of their work. Sometimes, these books are published by mainstream comics publishers who are traditionally aimed at thedirect market of comic books stores.[39] Some web cartoonists may pursueprint syndication in establishednewspapers ormagazines.
The traditional audience base for webcomics and print comics are vastly different, and webcomic readers do not necessarily go to bookstores. For some web cartoonists, a print release may be considered the "goal" of a webcomic series, while for others, comic books are "just another way to get the content out."[40] Webcomics have been seen by some artists as a potential new path towards syndication innewspapers. According toJeph Jacques (Questionable Content), "there's no real money" in syndication for webcomic artists. Some artists are not able to syndicate their work in newspapers because their comics are targeted to a specificniche audience and would not be popular with a broader readership.[41]
Many webcomics are published primarily inEnglish, this being a major language in Australia, Canada, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Cultures surrounding non-anglophone webcomics have thrived in countries such as China, France, India, Japan, and South Korea.[citation needed]
Webcomics have been a popular medium inIndia since the early 2000s.Indian webcomics are successful as they reach a large audience for free[43] and they are frequently used by the country's younger generation to spreadsocial awareness on topics such aspolitics andfeminism. These webcomics achieve a large amount of exposure by being spread throughsocial media.[44]
In China,Chinese webcomics have become a popular way to criticize the communist government and politicians in the country. Many webcomics by popular artists get shared around the country thanks to social networks such asSina Weibo andWeChat. Many titles will often becensored or taken down by the government.[citation needed]
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