Have you checked out The Red Devil at Tapastic? Our pulp inspired series has been updated and page 16 was added earlier today.

I have no problem telling complete strangers about my webcomics. It's fun talking to people I've just met about our titles at Champion City Comics. I'm very proud of the work we've accomplished at Champion City Comics during the past four years. Creating this site has put me in contact with some wonderful and talented people and I am truly grateful.

However I do get frustrated when someone I've known for a long time and has been following me on Facebook and/or Twitter asks me, "What's that comic book thing you do?" That's something of a slap in the face because sometimes I get the feeling that some people I know feel they are too smart or too cool to read comic books, graphic novels, and webcomics. I post information regarding my work to my Facebook and Twitter accounts, so I know my family and friends have the opportunity to see my work.

I understand that not everyone is a fan of comic books, graphic novels, and webcomics. However, you'd expect close friends and family members who are not fans to at least take a look at your work.

There are family and friends that are very supportive of my webcomics. My wife and kids are big fans of comic books and my work at Champion City Comics. I didn't want this post to become a pity party post, but I'm curious if any other comic book or webcomics creators have experienced similar problems.

I'm on vacation until next week. Have a great weekend!

I am looking for webcomics creators who can attend GrandCon a gaming and comics convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The event organizers have agreed to a webcomics panel and they asked that I have three or four more creators on the panel. GrandCon is scheduled from September 20th to 22nd at the Prince Conference Center located on the campus of Calvin College. The webcomics panel is currently scheduled for Saturday, September 21st, and contact me at if you are interested in being a member of the webcomics panel. 

Aaron Schutz is a professor and a writer that created the Doctor Death charcater. He has provided me with plenty of great writing tips, and one of my favorites is his pet peeve regarding "The Suddnely Appearing Giants". This is Schutz's explanation:

In a well known fantasy series, giants appear half-way through the third book. And it turns out that all the characters in the books knew about giants, while the reader had never heard of them (obviously because the author invented them only half-way through book three). Don’t do this. This kind of clumsy world-building can shatter the illusion that the world the characters are in has any solidity of its own. If you want to add something later, figure out a way to weave it in earlier, or don’t add it.

This is something that I remind myself of when I'm developing a synopsis for a story. If there is going to be an encounter down the road with a radiocative gorilla then make sure you at least hint to the fact that there might be a radioactive gorilla. Yes, I'm still writing about radioactive gorillas.


TonyDoug Wright is the author of two webcomics titled The Red Devil and Day 165. Do him a kindness and check them out.

When you are working on your comic book or webcomic script, make sure that all of the characters you develop serve a purpose for the story. Your characters must move the plot forward and keep the story on track. I've read one too many comic books and webcomics that feature characters that serve no purpose whatsoever in the story. If you want a radioactive gorilla in your story then find a very good reason to have it in your story. It sounds cool, but I want to believe that it is necessary to have a radioactive gorilla.

Let's take a look at pages one and two from Dr. Death vs The Zombie below:

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Our main character, Dr. Death, is in a convenience store trying to buy some beer, but they are out of his brand. This was not the first time they were out of his beer, so he decides to go to the counter and complain. This will not be an easy task because there is an unhappy customer at the counter yelling at the clerk because her credit card was declined. While Dr. Death is in line, his powers pick up the adrenaline rush of a bad guy that has just entered the store.

If the beer was in stock and the counter was not occupied by a bitchy customer then Dr. Death may have missed his chance at encountering the bad guy. Dr. Death is my main character, but the others moved the plot forward for the reader. As a writer, it doesn't hurt to think about having these characters appear again in the story as long as it moves the plot forward. Maybe I want the bitchy lady to show up once more and have Dr. Death think, "Oh no! Not this lady again." I know some of you are thinking I should have her eaten by the radioactive gorilla. It wouldn't work, but now you've inspired me to write Dr. Death vs The Radioactive Gorilla. 


TonyDoug Wright is the owner and editor of Champion City Comics. Read his webcomics The Red Devil and Day 165 because they're awesome. 

I recently read a post where a webcomic creator was debating answering a negative comment left by a reader. My personal opinion is to not answer negative comments from readers because they are baiting you to answer their posts. When that happens then you appear to be too sensitive for this business.

Comments sections are a necessary evil in the world of webcomics. I know creators dread the anonymous comments, but most feedback does help the creator improve their writing and/or artistic abilities. Also, I have been told by more than one expert in the webcomics community that people tend to read webcomics that allow comments.

A bad comment is hard to shrug off at times. I introduced Phoebe and Eddie, a webcomic, to a webcomics forum and it was pretty much ripped to shreds in the comments section. Like an idiot I went into the comments section swinging away and it only made me look foolish and too immature to survive this business. That was truly a learning experience.

I've learned to not comment when someone leaves a negative comment. I know this sounds like something you hear in a cheesy public service announcement, but you can learn from mistakes without attacking your readers. 

I need to get some writing done for The Red Devil and Naira. The Red Devil has gained a following at Tapastic and I have a feeling that Naira will be a popular webcomic there as well. I have also decided to get back into the blogging game with my other site, The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Five months ago I decided to put The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll on hold and focus on some webcomic projects. I feel I have the time to balance the webcomics and The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll site. Wish me luck. 

I check the statistics for Champion City Comics daily to see what posts generate the most traffic. This was a good day for numbers, but I found it strange that a majority of our hits came from people doing Google searches for 'Champion City Comics'. The majority of our traffic comes in via Google searches for webcomics, adult webcomics, or original comics. It's nice to know people are looking for us by name, and I hope it is for a good reason.

I am updating our military themed webcomic Day 165 at Tapastic later this evening. Comics From The Edge will be updated at Tapastic on Friday.

I'm currently working on three webcomics scripts and am suffering a major case of writer's block. I'm even having trouble thinking of what to write for this daily update. I updated our webcomic The Red Devil at Tapastic, so click here to read our totally awesome action packed story. 

Last week I mentioned that we are turning our science-fiction mini-series Naira into a weekly webcomic series that will be posted at Tapastic and DrunkDuck. Victor Pozzi is the artist for Naira and last week he sent me his design for the cover, which is posted below, and it looks fantastic. If you are a fan of the Golden or Silver Age of Comics then you are really going to enjoy Naira. We are getting close to a release date so stay tuned to Champion City Comics.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Somebody will hate your webcomic. They'll hate the title. They'll hate your artwork. They'll hate your writing. They'll hate the colors you use. They'll hate the fact that it is in black and white and not color. They'll hate the type of digital lettering used in your panels. They'll hate the lettering you did by hand. They'll hate it because you have to scroll down on the web page to read the webcomic. They'll hate it because you have your webcomic at a site that hosts webcomics. They'll hate it because it is Manga. They'll hate it because it is not Manga. They'll hate it because it features zombies. They'll hate it because it features vampires. They'll hate it because it does not have zombies OR vampires. They'll hate it because you make Dungeons & Dragons references. They'll hate it because you made fun of Dungeons & Dragons.

Haters gonna hate and the haters are everywhere. When someone decides to dump a bunch of hate on your webcomic then just ignore them because hating is toxic. There is a difference between constructive criticism and bringing someone down to feel superior.

As a webcomics creator, I have done my best to not be a hater. There are times when I see a webcomic that does not appeal to me and I'll pull out my Haters Club card because their webcomic had five thousand page views in one day while my webcomic had five page views. "How the hell did they do that?", I'll think to myself. Instead of hating on the webcomic, I've learned to see what they did to get the five thousand page views.

Do they have their own site dedicated to their webcomic? Do they have their webcomic hosted at a variety of sites? Do they advertise at other sites? How do they use social media to grab new readers?  Do they attend conventions? Do they have a podcast? Did they sell their soul to the devil?

Stop hating on other people's webcomics and see what they are doing right as creators.  



Tony Wright is the owner and editor of Champion City Comics. Check out his webcomics Day 165 and The Red Devil at Tapastic. 

I decided to make a list of sites I use to promote my webcomics.

1. Facebook - I've created a group page for Champion City Comics which can be found here, but I've joined some group pages dedicated to webcomics and they have been helpful in promoting my webcomics. Overall, Facebook has been a great site to use for promoting webcomics and developing professional contacts.

2. Twitter - I recommend all webcomics creators use Twitter to promote their webcomics. Twitter and Facebook bring in plenty of traffic for my webcomics. You can follow me at @TonyDougWright.

3. Reddit - On a bad day Reddit brings me 1 pageview, but once in a blue moon I can get 2,000 pageviews in a day. Reddit is a tough crowd to win over, so good luck.

4. Linkedin - It's a place for professionals to develop contacts, but it has generated some traffic for my webcomics.

5. Google+ - This site seems to be the Betamax of social media. I still post my webcomics updates at Google+.

6. The Webcomic List - Join the forum and introduce your webcomic to the members. They can be a tough crowd, but they do have some very helpful members.

7. Comic Vine - They have a general forum, but nothing really dedicated to webcomics. If your webcomic is a pop-culture webcomic then you could take advantage of forums dedicated to Marvel or DC characters.

8. Comic Book Resources - I've used their forums to promote webcomics with some success. The INDEPENDENT forum is where I post my webcomics announcements.

9. Comic Related - This was the first site to promote Champion City Comics and I will use their forums to promote webcomics.

10. Digital Webbing - You can promote your webcomics in the forums, but this is a good place to find an artist or a writer.

Tony Wright is the owner and editor of Champion City Comics. Check out his webcomics Day 165 and The Red Devil at Tapastic. 

Day 165 is a gritty and intense war tale written by Tony Wright with pencils, inks, and lettering by Giovanni Ballati and colors by Joe Haemmerle. I've included an embedded image below of the latest page for you to check out, but you can read Day 165 at Tapastic by clicking here.

The Red Devil, our action-adventure webcomic, has been updated at Tapastic. Take a peek below at the latest pabel. The Red Devil was written by Tony Wright with pencils & inks by Erik Roman with colors & lettering by Joe Haemmerle.

I am very pleased to announce the return of Naira, a science-fiction tale by Tony Wright, Victor Pozzi, and Magnus. Naira first debuted at Champion City Comics on July 26, 2010 and was published by Twilight Star Studios as part of an anthology series.

Naira is the tale of a scientist from Earth who is sent to A-1166, a remote planet, to study an indigenous plant which has the potential to cure some of the most devastating diseases. Naira, the scientist, discovers that the planet is in the midst of a clash between the heroic Jardo and the evil Mhor.

We are currently redeveloping the series, but ou can read the original Naira below.



The new version of Naira will be in a strip format and will be featured at Tapastic, a webcomics site. Take a peek at the artwork by Victor Pozzi and get ready for a new and improved Naira.

Click to enlarge

My wife is a big fan of home decor blogs. She will usually show me images from those sites because they will use a paint color in a room that sparks a painting vision in my wife's head. A few weeks ago she showed me a blog that featured a picture of a paint color that she wanted to use in our kitchen. As I looked at the blog I noticed the author had posted a message that stated she was quitting the blogging game because nobody read her blog and nobody commented. Big mistake.

A good way to lose readers is to complain about nobody reading your blog. When I was a disc jockey for a college radio station, there was a sign posted that read, "DO NOT COMPLAIN ON AIR ABOUT THE FACT THAT NOBODY IS LISTENING. THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE LISTENING THAN YOU REALIZE." I spent a summer at that station and these three guys would call in with requests. There were moments where I felt like I was doing all of this work for three people. I did follow the rules as stated on the sign and didn't complain on air. A few months after finishing the show, some people I knew would tell me, "Hey! I heard you on the radio over the summer." People were listening to me on the radio. People are reading your blog, so don't complain.

Just because you start a blog doesn't mean you're going to get a million hits in one day. I'm under the impression that rookie bloggers believe a large number of people will magically find their blog.

You need to get the word out about your blog and you need to connect with other bloggers who blog on the same topic. Champion City Comics is one of many blogs dedicated to webcomics and it has taken me four years to develop a steady readership. I've created professional relationships with other bloggers who have given me some valuable advice. Most importantly, you have to be consistent with your blog. You can post every day or once a week.

When you post that you're shutting down the blog because nobody is reading then you have pretty much enraged the majority of your readers and readers remember the names of blog quitters. Nobody goes to a blog to read your pity party post.

People are reading.

Tony Wright is the owner and editor of Champion City Comics. Check out his webcomics Day 165 and The Red Devil at Tapastic.