Knowledge To Draw From
Statesville, North Carolina
This episode was recorded on site at an Artist Retreat that Dawn, Chris, and Byron attended over the Labor Day weekend of 2023. The event was put on by Adventura Events, and we were joined by three additional artists as we talked about the pros and cons of funding your comics via Ko-Fi, Patreon, and Kickstarter. We also dip into using Fan Art to help promote your own I.P. (intellectual property) and if that's a good idea or not, as well as where and where not to use copyrighted characters in promoting your art at conventions or on the internet. The event went really well and it was great to meet other artists and share stories and tips while having a good time at a great Airbnb home that had a swimming pool, hot tub, phenomenal kitchen, and a living room large enough for all of us to relax. Adventura Events will be doing a similar event again next year, and we'll be there for sure.
We're Back, Baby! Never say never in this crazy world of ours! We are all getting back into our drawing grooves and had a lot to talk about, so we have come back to the old Webcomic Alliance and started up our 13th season! In this episode, Dawn has a big announcement about a new graphic novel she's created. She also delves into the website Ko-Fi, which is essentially a Patreon designed specifically for artists, and it's more than cool. Chris then chats about a new piece of hardware he's experimenting with that will allow him to have a monitor at his table without using an electricity from the comic con. Drezz talks about his successful commission strategy and how it's networking in the digital world. And finally, Byron talks about his comeback to drawing after finding the right ADHD medication. Plus we talk about the "Oppenheimer" film and that slips us into a variety of topics that are hopefully fun to listen to! These are the items and websites mentioned in the podcast: Blerd.com Ko-fi.com ROMOSS 30000mAh Power Bank QQH 15.5" USB portable monitor
After 12 years, we are saying goodbye to the Webcomic Alliance. A sad day is upon us. This will be our final podcast and in keeping with our theme of helping webcomic creators of all types, we chat about the most recent comic conventions we attended and give some input to what is working for us these days, and hopefully you can draw some ideas from our discussions. We want to thank each and everyone of our listeners for sticking with us over the past 12 years as we handled all types of personal and professional issues, especially the COVID-19 pandemic of the past two years which will have a lasting effect on how comic conventions operate.
Podcast #256: We're Boned! COVID-19 and Comic Conventions. Tonight we're talking about dealing with comic conventions and COVID-19. We invited Denis Lachapelle of Wilkesboro Comic Con to join us as they too had to cancel their comic con due to COVID-19 restrictions and issues. With Dawn Griffin, Chris Flick, Drezz Rodriquez, Byron Wilkins, and special guest Denis Lachapelle of Wilkesboro Comic Con.
Podcast #256: We’re Boned! COVID-19 and Comic Conventions. Tonight we’re talking about dealing with comic conventions and COVID-19. We invited Denis Lachapelle of Wilkesboro Comic Con to join us as they too had to cancel their comic con due to COVID-19 restrictions and issues. With Dawn Griffin, Chris Flick, Drezz Rodriquez, Byron Wilkins, and special guest […]
Fan Art by Aron Mason Podcast #255: Using Drawing Challenges to Re-Engage in Comics Tonight we're talking about how to use drawing challenges to re-engage yourself in your art and in drawing your comics. With the hashtag #SixFanArts making the rounds, we thought it would be fun to talk about this challenge. Plus, we talk about the new Facebook page for us "seasoned" webcomic creators called "The Webcomic Panelists." With Dawn Griffin, Chris Flick, Drezz Rodriquez, and Byron Wilkins. Also, a HUGE thank you to Aron Mason for drawing us all as superheroes! Very cool!
Podcast #255: Using Drawing Challenges to Re-Engage in Comics Tonight we’re talking about how to use drawing challenges to re-engage yourself in your art and in drawing your comics. With the hashtag #SixFanArts making the rounds, we thought it would be fun to talk about this challenge. Plus, we talk about the new Facebook page […]
Podcast #254: Saturday Morning Cartoons! Tonight we're talking about the cartoons from our youth that influenced us artists. From the commercials to eating cereal, we explore the whole experience of the cartoons we watched and how they eventually influenced our webcomics. With Dawn Griffin, Chris Flick, Drezz Rodriquez, and Byron Wilkins.
Podcast #254: Saturday Morning Cartoons! Tonight we’re talking about the cartoons from our youth that influenced us artists. From the commercials to eating cereal, we explore the whole experience of the cartoons we watched and how they eventually influenced our webcomics. With Dawn Griffin, Chris Flick, Drezz Rodriquez, and Byron Wilkins.
Podcast #253: Avoiding Con Crud Tonight we're talking about steps you can take to help protect yourself, and others, from catching the dreaded "con crud." In light of the Corona virus spreading, we thought it was a good topic to cover. Just to be clear, we're not medical experts, we're just sharing our personal experiences of attending conventions and trade shows over the past 10 to 20 years. With Dawn Griffin, Chris Flick, and Byron Wilkins. "U Can't Touch Face" by Rocky Mountain Mike on YouTube.
Podcast #253: Avoiding Con Crud Tonight we’re talking about steps you can take to help protect yourself, and others, from catching the dreaded “con crud.” In light of the Corona virus spreading, we thought it was a good topic to cover. Just to be clear, we’re not medical experts, we’re just sharing our personal experiences of […]
Podcast #252: Happy Happy Joy Joy! Tonight we talk about things over the years that have motivated us to keep on drawing, plus a couple suggestions on what you may do as an artist to try help improve your attitude. Plus we learn what an ocular migraine is! With Dawn Griffin, Chris Flick, and Byron Wilkins.
Podcast #252: Happy Happy Joy Joy! Tonight we talk about things over the years that have motivated us to keep on drawing, plus a couple suggestions on what you may do as an artist to try help improve your attitude. Plus we learn what an ocular migraine is! With Dawn Griffin, Chris Flick, and Byron Wilkins.
Podcast #251: Webcomics 10 Years Later. Tonight we talk about the changes in the Webcomics industry in the past decade and how artists, or businesses in general, need to adapt to the changes we're faced with. Dawn, Chris, Drezz, and Byron go over the changes and suggest how to adapt to the changing environment of webcomics.
Podcast #251: Webcomics 10 Years Later. Tonight we talk about the changes in the Webcomics industry in the past decade and how artists, or businesses in general, need to adapt to the changes we’re faced with. Dawn, Chris, Drezz, and Byron go over the changes and suggest how to adapt to the changing environment of webcomics. […]
Podcast #250: The Return of Drezz! Tonight we talk with returning member Drezz Rodriguez! Dawn, Chris, and Byron chat with old member Drezz Rodriguez about his upcoming new comic. We go over things for him to do to rekindle the fire with old fans, and more. Enjoy!
Podcast #250: The Return of Drezz! Tonight we talk with returning member Drezz Rodriguez! Dawn, Chris, and Byron chat with old member Drezz Rodriguez about his upcoming new comic. We go over things for him to do to rekindle the fire with old fans, and more Enjoy!
Podcast #249: Happy New Year! Tonight we talk about streaming and ideas for artists to sell! Dawn, Chris, and Byron start the new year off by chatting about what shows they're streaming on-line, then they talk about ideas that we artists can do for holidays or any time of the year to help bring in some extra cash. Enjoy!
Podcast #249: Happy New Year! Tonight we talk about streaming and ideas for artists to sell! Dawn, Chris, and Byron start the new year off by chatting about what shows they’re streaming on-line, then they talk about ideas that we artists can do for holidays or any time of the year to help bring in […]
Podcast #248: Interview with Chuck Ayers Tonight is a special podcast! Byron and his friend Betty Rider interview legendary comic strip artist Chuck Ayers in his office in Akron, Ohio. Chuck Ayers is the artist behind two famous and nationally syndicated comic strips called "Funky Winkerbean" and "Crankshaft." He sat down with Byron and Betty this past September and chatted about how he got started in the business, progressing from editorial cartoonist to syndicated cartoonist, and his process for drawing his comics. Enjoy! We cannot display this gallery
Podcast #248: Interview with Chuck Ayers Tonight is a special podcast! Byron and his friend Betty Rider interview legendary comic strip artist Chuck Ayers in his office in Akron, Ohio. Chuck Ayers is the artist behind two famous and nationally syndicated comic strips called “Funky Winkerbean” and “Crankshaft.” He sat down with Byron and Betty […]
Podcast #247: Interview with Caitlin McGurk of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum Tonight is a special podcast! Byron visited the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum back in September of 2019 and was able to view the archive collection of materials stored at the museum. It was an overwhelming visit as there was so much to view. Seeing original artwork by classic comic strip artists like Bill Watterson and Charles Schulz was amazing to say the least. Byron then sat down with Caitlin McGurk, one of the curators at the museum, and chatted with her about the museum and what it represents. Enjoy! Follow the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum on Facebook and Twitter too! We cannot display this gallery
Podcast #247: Interview with Caitlin McGurk of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum Tonight is a special podcast! Byron visited the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum back in September of 2019 and was able to view the archive collection of materials stored at the museum. It was an overwhelming visit as there was […]
Podcast #246: Heroes Convention Report Dawn, Chris, and Byron tabled next to each other at Heroes Con this past June in Charlotte, North Carolina! So we decided to record video reports from our booths. So this is a special podcast in video format! There is a standard introduction where we chat about our convention experiences. https://youtu.be/XdUiJZoSTEU Click below to listen to the Audio Only version of this podcast.
Podcast #246: Heroes Convention Report Dawn, Chris, and Byron tabled next to each other at Heroes Con this past June in Charlotte, North Carolina! So we decided to record video reports from our booths. So this is a special podcast in video format! There is a standard introduction where we chat about our convention experiences. […]
Podcast #245: We're back, baby! After ten long months, we have returned! Chris, Dawn, and Byron talk about what happened during the hiatus and what's coming up for the Webcomic Alliance podcast. We talk about the craziness in our lives this past year, plus we reminiscence about the beginnings of our webcomics and how it helped our careers, and finally we talk about getting started doing conventions. Also, beer! PS: Apparently, as an artist, Byron cannot count. We have a total of 245 podcasts with all the different variations we used to have, including our Workshop and Chat podcasts. To make things simpler, we're using one title for our podcasts now and have corrected the total number to reflect all of our podcasts. Carry on. :)
Podcast #245: We’re back, baby! After ten long months, we have returned! Chris, Dawn, and Byron talk about what happened during the hiatus and what’s coming up for the Webcomic Alliance podcast. We talk about the craziness in our lives this past year, plus we reminiscence about the beginnings of our webcomics and how it […]
Sarah Burrini of "Life Ain't No Ponyfarm" Tonight we chat with the one and only Sarah Burrini of the webcomic "Life Ain't No Ponyfarm"! Sarah is from Germany and we wanted to talk about the differences of her market compared to the American Webcomic market. We also discussed how her webcomic has helped her career as well as the challenges of translating a German comic into English. As a special guest, we asked Arne Schulenberg of the webcomic "Union of Heroes" to join in as he is a fellow German webcomic creator and he talks about how he produced his comic as a photo-comic using actors. Click here to visit the Collective of Heroes website that Arne mentions. Click here to buy Sarah's "Nerd Girl" online, and click here to buy Arne's "Union of Heroes" online. Warning: Podcast may contain some language not suitable for all-ages. Byron's Guest Art for "Union of Heroes" Sarah's Guest Art for "Union of Heroes" Chris' Guest Art for "Union of Heroes" Read Byron's original review from 2011 of "Life Ain't No Ponyfarm" by clicking here. Visit the "Life Ain't No Ponyfarm" Facebook page by clicking here.
Sarah Burrini of “Life Ain’t No Ponyfarm” Tonight we chat with the one and only Sarah Burrini of the webcomic “Life Ain’t No Ponyfarm”! Sarah is from Germany and we wanted to talk about the differences of her market compared to the American Webcomic market. We also discussed how her webcomic has helped her career as […]
Art Tips for Comic Creators. Tonight we take a cue from long-time listener Aron Mason and chat about various tips for comic creators. Byron answers questions about his process of creating his comic digitally using Clip Studio Paint, and then Dawn, Chris, and Liz cover tips on line-weight, shading, lighting, and more are covered. Plus a […]
The Year in Review with the Webcomic Alliance. Tonight we got the whole gang together to go over 2018 and how it’s been full of ups and downs. Due to Byron being in North Carolina for four months, we fell way behind on recording podcasts, so we thought it would be nice to chat about what’s […]
F(r)iction Literary Journal and Webcomic Submissions. Tonight we’re joined by Andrew Jimenez, Senior Editor for the F(r)iction Literary Journal who is here to talk about their process for accepting webcomic submissions and what it is they are looking for. With the new website in the process of being launched that will compliment the print magazine, F(r)iction is […]
Branding & Re-Starting a Comic. Guest Stan Brown of the D&D webcomic 10’x10′ Toons joins Byron, Christina, and Dawn as we discuss Stan’s background in doing English Adaptations of Manga comics. Then we chat about how Stan can re-start his webcomic and how to brand himself as an artist. And in honor of our new Supreme […]
Building Your Audience for Webcomics. Guest Marc Copes of the webcomic “Cow Texas” joins Byron, Christina, and Chris as we discuss Marc’s webcomic and tips on getting your webcomic noticed and some “outside the box” thinking of promotions, as well as some software suggestions for the iPad Pro. Marc mentions he uses a drawing package called […]
Building Your Audience for Webcomics. Guest Jeff Langcaon of the webcomic “Henchmen For Hire” joins Byron, Christina, and Chris as we discuss building your audience as a webcomic creator. Jeff is from Hawaii and teased us with the beautiful views and weather, but he also talks about the disadvantages of being a webcomic creator on […]
Building a brand and identity as an indie comic creator. Guests Josh Bakken and Michael Son from Tapas Media come on board to chat about their services as well as the topic of building a brand as an independent comic creator. They talk about how Tapas was created to help creators earn a living doing […]
Solving Webcomic Issues We All Face. Today’s discussion… Writing strong character introductions. In this Long Form Take Over, Christina (Sombulus), Liz (Adrastus), and Robin (LeyLines) tackle character introductions. What key elements do you need to remember when showing a character for the first time? How does an audience connect with a character in a first […]
Solving Webcomic Issues We All Face. Today’s discussion… Antagonists. Christina (Sombulus), Liz (Adrastus), and Robin (LeyLines) are back for another Long-Form Take-Over! Today we’re joined by special guest Mike Gourdin of The Blank Scroll. We’re taking apart antagonists. What kind of villain is right for your story? How can you improve a bad guy character […]
Solving Webcomic Issues We All Face. Today’s discussion… Original Alliance Members Reunion! The old farts return! The original members of the Webcomic Alliance Podcast reunite to relate how being involved in the Alliance has influenced our lives both personally and professionally. Returning to the podcast are Ken Drab and Antoine Gagnon. Drink of the Week: Antoine brings […]
Solving Webcomic Issues We All Face. Today’s discussion… Small Business Tools Chat. Host Byron Wilkins with “Adrastus” creator Liz Staley and “Sombulus” creator Christina Major talk about some Small Business Resources that are available from a variety of sources. From the startup template know as the Business Model Canvas to S.C.O.R.E. the Service Corps Of Retired […]
Solving Webcomic Issues We All Face. Today’s discussion… Special Guest Star Episode! C.A. Morgan from the webcomic The Drako Universe Graphic Novel supported our Kickstarter last fall and chose to appear on our podcast! So Byron Wilkins chats with C.A. about her works, musical talents, and website design tips. We recorded this podcast on a Friday […]
Solving Webcomic Issues We All Face. Today’s discussion… When to start? Christina (Sombulus), Liz (Adrastus), and Robin (LeyLines) are back for another Long-Form Take-Over! Today we’re answering two listener questions: Miri LR Powell asked: “I’d like to hear more about planning and scripting for long-form comics… what you should have before you begin, how much […]
Solving Webcomic Issues We All Face. Today’s discussion… Valentine’s Day Chat Podcast! Byron, Dawn, and Chris spent their Valentine’s Day evening recording a podcast for you! You’re welcome! Get To Know The Alliance Members! What was your favorite toy as a child? What is the oldest thing in your refrigerator? Post your answers in the […]
Solving Webcomic Issues We All Face. Today’s discussion… Special Guest Star Episode! J. Kevin Carrier from the webcomic “Lady Spectra and Sparky” supported our Kickstarter last fall and chose to appear on our podcast! So tonight host Byron Wilkins chats with Kevin about his work, and techniques, then delve into a subject he had questions […]
Solving Webcomic Issues We All Face. Today’s discussion… Looking forward into 2018. It’s a full house! Byron (1977 the Comic), Dawn (Dawn Griffin Studios), Chris (Capes & Babes), Christina (Sombulus), Liz (Adrastus), and Robin (LeyLines) are talking about their plans for the future and we cover a lot of ground. Reducing social media madness, dad […]
Solving Webcomic Issues We All Face. Today’s discussion… Consistency and Continuity. Christina (Sombulus), Liz (Adrastus), and Robin (LeyLines) are back for another Long-Form Take-Over! Today we’re answering two listener questions: Laurie Thomas of Oeclair asks: How much do you or your readers care about consistency of characters over time? I have difficulty keeping my drawing […]
Mini-Interviews for our 7 Year Anniversary Kickstarter! In today’s mini-podcast, Byron talks with long-time comic friend and co-founder of the Webcomic Alliance, Dawn Griffin. We talk about the early days of the Alliance, and delve into Dawn’s answers to the questions we asked each member of the Webcomic Alliance. This interview was done during the […]
Solving Webcomic Issues We All Face. Today’s discussion… When to ret-con? Mike Gourdin of Blank Scroll had some questions for our latest Long Form Take-over about ret-cons and art changes: 1) I have made some pretty drastic changes to my artwork for season 2 of my comic, is this a MAJOR problem or will most […]
Mini-Interviews for our 7 Year Anniversary Kickstarter! In today’s mini-podcast, Byron pulls up a chair with Chris Flick and they chat about changes for Chris since joining the Webcomic Alliance in 2012. Plus they delve into Chris’ many comic con adventures and experiences. We also learn he’s a big Marvel Taskmaster fan. So, get comfy […]
Mini-Interviews for our 7 Year Anniversary Kickstarter! Robin’s chatting with Christina about Etch A Sketch heroes, philosophical questions of machine sentience, the origins of tropes, and our nefarious plans to take over future podcasts for the long-form comic agenda. We’re running a Kickstarter this month and thought we’d do something a little different. For the […]
Mini-Interviews for our 7 Year Anniversary Kickstarter! Robin’s chatting with Liz about how to overhaul a Patreon to work for you instead of working you to exhaustion, Liz’s patent pending shovel workout routine, and if you RT this within 5 minutes the money sloth will grant you great prosperity. It’s true! Just listen to the […]