# What do you look for in a comic?



## teacupdolly (Feb 4, 2015)

Ah, sorry if this is a repeat. 
As a webcomic creator and fan I'm just entirely curious of what garners attention of readers.

So what keeps you reading?


----------



## Gator (Feb 4, 2015)

humor
and story arcs that have some end in sight rather than dragging out endlessly forever


----------



## Red_Lion _ (Feb 4, 2015)

Humor, decent artwork (not a requirement if the content is good enough), something that doesn't become a long, repetitive, drawn out saga with ten chapters worth of content that could be more effectively condensed into one.


----------



## Maugryph (Feb 4, 2015)

I know most would say the graphic style. I know that is first thing a person will look at. But if the story is dull, no amount of awesome artwork will save it.


----------



## Gator (Feb 4, 2015)

come to think of it, i don't even really care if the artwork is good, as long as i can still tell what's going on.  pretty pictures are just a bonus (though sometimes they actually distract from the story more than they add to it, just depending on how it's all done).  i will say, though, that good panel structure and readability are important.  if i need arrows to tell me which thing to read next, then you're probably doing it wrong.


----------



## MaximizedNOVA (Feb 4, 2015)

Humor and/or a decent plotline. I don't wanna pick up a comic and attempt to read an entire page that makes me go "wtf, what the hell is going on?" Making me read the page over and over again till it doesn't retain any sense anymore. (kinda like when you read a single word over and over).


----------



## Maugryph (Feb 5, 2015)

Uncle Dis said:


> come to think of it, i don't even really care if the artwork is good, as long as i can still tell what's going on.  pretty pictures are just a bonus (though sometimes they actually distract from the story more than they add to it, just depending on how it's all done).  i will say, though, that good panel structure and readability are important.  if i need arrows to tell me which thing to read next, then you're probably doing it wrong.



I agree. Story is king. If the story is boring, flat, redundant, etc. Nothing will save it.


----------



## Zeitzbach (Feb 5, 2015)

Decent art required for sure.
Unique characters.
Unique story.
Does not rely on fan services.

Waifu and husbando...


----------



## Deleted member 93706 (Feb 5, 2015)

Passionate storytelling
Decent art
Well-developed character personalities
Skillful use of emotion


----------



## Ieono (Feb 5, 2015)

-Amazing attention to detail, especially in the artwork and continuity

-Ridiculously dynamic characters that get tons of development

-Original (as you can get in this age) plot that cleverly uses intrigue, but doesn't pull twists out of its ass all the time.


----------



## WideEyed (Feb 6, 2015)

- A visually appealing art style that works to convey characters' emotions, establish a setting, and fit the general feeling of the story. It has to be flexible enough to leave room for experimentation, but not so flexible that it comes off as overwhelming to the reader and gives the impression that you don't entirely know what you're doing.

- Three dimensional characters. Don't build a character around an existing archetype; give them a personality. What makes them the way they are? How did they grow up? What are their long-term dreams? What keeps them motivated? You know you have a good, fleshed-out character when the reader can accurately imagine how the character would react in any given situation.

- Don't try too hard to make it like the comics you like. It's great to have a wide variety of influences, but remember that this is your comic. It should accentuate who you are as a person. Influences are secondary. This might be a bit difficult if you aren't introspective by nature, but it's necessary if you want your comic to truly stand out.

- Participate and communicate with your audience regularly. Not only does it make it easier for new readers to connect with your comic, but it also helps build a strong, loyal reader base. That's what's so great about sites like Deviantart and Tumblr; they break down the imaginary wall between the creator and the audience, and make the experience of creating a story fun for everyone involved.

- Don't shove in fanservice. Too many people think they need to do this. It's a cheap ploy used only to rack up a few empty views, it doesn't add anything productive to the story, and shows that you're not very secure in your perceived creativity. If I really wanted to wack off I'd browse for porn, not read your comic.

- Good world building. You don't have to be writing an elaborate Tolkienesque fantasy story to come up with an interesting world for your characters to interact in. What's the history of the city your story takes place in? What are the current trending bands, video games, movies, clothes, etc. What different places do the different social groups hang out at?

That's all I can think of at the moment. You know... things like that.


----------



## Bonobosoph (Feb 6, 2015)

Humour, I love comedic comics.


----------



## Rascally Bandit (Feb 6, 2015)

You've got to have a way of hooking people into the story and wanting to read each page. Likeable characters and setting and a sense of travel/adventure help. It helps to have an established sense of humor to bring people in (generally if it's irreverent and kinda dark, it is better distinguished). The art style, generally speaking, is not as important as the former two but if the first two are good and the art style's good then I know it's a winner

Also, be friendly with fans and take on their suggestions.


----------



## abdullah80 (Mar 5, 2015)

it depend on the comic if its worth continuing to see, some of comic are long and aimless but rarely you find a good one and they suddenly end, makes you want to see more of it, i personally do like to read comic that make the reader turn pages in interest to know how it will end and find your self at 3am wandering how the hell the time fly fast hahaa.


----------



## Jambalaya (Mar 31, 2015)

Story above all else.  The art can be stick figures for all I care as long as the story is engaging and original. Graphics mean very little, I have seen beautifully rendered comics that I abandon because of the atrocious dialogue and terrible cliche/trope laden story. I cannot stand the webcomics that rely on established franchises and intellectual properties. I want originality or at the very least a creative twist that breathes new life into old ideas.


----------



## mutants (Apr 7, 2015)

Good consistent story, decent art, characters that aren't boring, drama, and action. If a comic has even 3/5, I'll read it.


----------



## DarrylWolf (Apr 7, 2015)

Truth is, I've been reading through an almost-complete collection of Furrlough, the Furry magazine that ran from 1991-2009 and I have to admit that the diversity the editors spoke of is impacting my decisions as I read these comics. Furrlough avoided the traditional tights-and-briefs superheroes in any of its comics and came up with some original content as they accepted comics from a wide variety of artists. Early memorable contributions include _Zaibatsu Tears, Here Comes a Candle,_ _Jack Salem _and _Tobias Wah _Am I the only one to remember those comics/


----------



## Logan Who (Apr 12, 2015)

For me it's a less common priority...  colour.

It adds lots of character, and purely black and white comics sometimes get rough to read (especially larger panels).
It may be a serious amount of work to not only regularly think of comics and draw them, but then hve to colour them too... but its worth it, every little stroke of colour.


----------



## Dryskale (Apr 28, 2015)

Definitely story and character driven stories. There have been tons of comics I've abandoned because the plot stagnates or the characters just never evolve. One of my favorite reads is Sequential Art and Better Days, the characters are interesting enough to make me want to read on, even during the long stretches between postings.


----------



## hup2thepenguin (Apr 29, 2015)

Art style gets attention. Good story and characters keep it.


----------



## Getta (Apr 29, 2015)

Related question to the OP's, but I'm curious where people find their comics. Do most people just sort of stumble across them, or do you look to sites like TPW and The Belfry to see what's out there?


----------



## hup2thepenguin (May 15, 2015)

Good art to start. If the art gets bad, then it's not really fun to read anymore. Like The Walking Dead comics changed a lot in art style and it got really sloppy as time went on, so I stopped reading it. No point in following a comic if you can't tell the characters apart anymore. I think furry comics have the advantage of unique character designs since characters are often different species.


----------



## GeekRaptor (Jun 15, 2015)

looking for Drama and Dialogue


----------

