Winged Wolf Studio » 2009 » May

Official Press Release

KEZ — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:09:00 +0000

I’m posting this early, since I will be out of town tomorrow until the 5th. Any and all webcomic-related sites that care to use it/duplicate it, please feel free (That’s what a press release is for, yes?). We’re getting snazzy over at the ‘Forest, using these technical terms ‘n such. Hyuck.

——

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2009 Applications Now Accepted for Entry to SpiderForest Network

June 1, 2009

The SpiderForest webcomic collective is now accepting applications for entry to the private network until June 24^th. New members are welcomed bi-annually based on an admissions process where current SpiderForest members read, review and vote on each application.

Everyone interested is encouraged to apply, though not everyone is accepted. Application details can be found at spiderforest.net/apply.

Since 2004, SpiderForest has hosted experienced webcomic creators in an environment free of mandatory ads or unoriginal site templates. SpiderForest offers FTP access for the maximum amount of site customization, cross-advertising via the network header, free hosting, a comic creator’s choice of archiving software including the SF original, easy-to-use “ProPanda,” and a diverse array of fellow comics. SpiderForest claims no intellectual or property rights on comics that it hosts.

Current members include the creators of such long-time comics as NAHAST: LANDS OF STRIFE (Alejandro Melchor), REQUIEM (James Roden) and SPECIAL SCHOOL (Andy Mason). New comics welcomed in the previous round of admissions include BETWEEN PLACES (Tiffany M), LIFE’S A WITCH (Samantha Wikan), and SHI LONG PANG (Ben Costa).

Contact:

Ran Jado

webmaster@spiderforest.com

http://spiderforest.com

###

Sooo….who's interested in joining SpiderForest?

KEZ — Thu, 28 May 2009 03:28:26 +0000

Yup! It’s that time of year again when SpiderForest, that wonderful collective that hosts me, opens up its admissions gates to anyone interested in applying! As of yesterday, an “apply” banner has appeared in our rotating header, though really it’s just priming because applications aren’t accepted until the first! They are then accepted until the 24th! (so don’t apply yet, or things go BOOM!)

Our apply page has all of the necessary info, though please feel free to ask questions here! We’ll get a press release out there soon to make it all legit.

My own experience with SF has been nothing but positive. We have a great PHP-based publishing system that’s easy to use and customize in a webpage, FTP access, cross-advertising, and the ability to grow unconstrained by mandatory ads (you can show ‘em if you want, but here, it’s up to you!) or horrible admin areas (*coughDRUNKDUCKcough*) or juvenile comrades (SmackJeeves, I’m looking at you).

I know a lot of people are iffy about places that make you “apply.” I see that “WTF! Why should I have to PROVE myself to you horrible people?! What if I don’t get in I’ll look like a loser and OMG I just won’t try it because rejection hurrrtsss” look on your faces! The fact is, SF is not a free host like Comicgenesis. Not anyone can saunter on in and set up camp. People here are dedicated and experienced, and we want more of the same. We build each other up, based on on what we publish here. And maybe, we’re looking for YOU.

If you’re wondering if you would be a good fit, check out the other comics here. Are you in any of the same niches? No? Well that might be just what we’re looking for as well! If you are writing up your application, find something PERTINENT and INTELLIGENT to say in “why you would make a good addition to SF” field. Don’t bullshit that. Be honest. Maybe it’s “my readership is in the same vein as _______, so I would bring all my readers here to SF, and all the ones you already have would enjoy my comic as well.” Maybe it’s “I notice that you don’t have any horror/macabre/historical fiction/etc comics! I would be the perfect addition to make SF a well-rounded place, instead of just catering to the fantasy/sci-fi crowd!” Maybe it’s, “I realize my comic isn’t perfect, but I’m very dedicated to improving my craft and cultivating my audience. In the long haul, not only would my comic be a great addition, I would be a great addition myself. I’m gung-ho, and interested in taking a big role in your community!”

While I’m in the advice-giving mood, re-read the apply page 3 times before you send yours in. Make sure you include all that we are asking for. For the love of sweet, sweet marshmellows, spell check it. I swear, you may have the most awesome comic in the world, but if I catch a really stupid typo when we as a group read your applications (and yes, EVERY member here reads your application, and casts their vote) I’M VOTING AGAINST YOU. Fair frickin’ warning. (ok, no, I don’t really mean that. I WILL gripe about it very loudly though.)

Treat it like an application to get into a really great school! Would you have a typo on that? NO! Their/they’re/there/thier? Your/you’re/ur? Lol/lolz/lawls? Think about what that makes think about YOU. And don’t give me any “I’m an artist not an edumication writer-person” crap. GET A FRIEND TO READ IT.

Wow, my “advice” session turned into a bit of rant there. Some final things:

No, I will not read your application before you send it in. And any SF member reading this, I recommend you don’t as well. It would be an unfair advantage.

Being a friend of any member here does NOT guarantee you a spot here. Don’t think that it does.

Put you best foot forward, chip-up, and be CONFIDENT. Few things are worse than reading through a self-deprecating, “oh, I know this page isn’t the best, the colors are kind of off and the perspective is confusing, but I want you to know I see that and I’ll do better next time I promise please let me iiiinnnnn!” Your comic can speak for itself, so don’t try to talk over it.

And lastly, if you don’t get in, it’s not the end of the world! Not only are applications kept private, sometimes we get a really great application, and the comic simply doesn’t fit well with what we have. Not getting in is NOT a judgment on your ability, or your comic’s content, or you as a person, or your mum, or your pet rock. Everyone will be notified of their acceptance or decline by June 30/July1. Depends on where you live.

——–

So! Spread the news, tell your friends, come and try out! Sorry if I sound like a total tyrant here. I’m the bluntly honest sort when it comes to things like this, since I’ve gone through so much bullshit myself when it comes to school applications. Good luck!

Sooo….who’s interested in joining SpiderForest?

KEZ — Thu, 28 May 2009 03:28:26 +0000

Our apply page has all of the necessary info, though please feel free to ask questions here! We’ll get a press release out there soon to make it all legit.

Wow, my “advice” session turned into a bit of rant there. Some final things:

No, I will not read your application before you send it in. And any SF member reading this, I recommend you don’t as well. It would be an unfair advantage.

Being a friend of any member here does NOT guarantee you a spot here. Don’t think that it does.

——–

Why and How the Webcomic Community Could Seriously RAWK.

KEZ — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:13:10 +0000

A couple months back, folks on TWCL banded together to bring more attention to this absolutely loverly webcomic Galaxion, by Tara Tallan! This support was not asked for, and indeed, came as quite the surprise to Tara I believe, but was quite a success while it was going! People added her banner to their footers, added her ads to their site, voted for her on TWCL, joined a Facebook group, and even BOUGHT her advertising on other sites. This altruism was quite unheard of, at least it was for me, and I’ve been a part of the webcomic community for 5 years now. I found the whole project quite uplifting, and while I’m waiting for another to start (I know, I know, “Kez, why don’t you START one? Don’t just talk about it!”), it occurs to me how much power other webcomic creators have over where an audience goes. It also occurs how LITTLE and RARELY the popular guys we all look up to bother to link a smaller comic–and when that link does indeed happen, that comic is instantly popular (Case in point: Sarah Ellerton linking The Meek, Strays, Roza, etc. And I’m not saying those comics don’t deserve it–quite the opposite really–they’re just the perfect example. The comic was already great, just undiscovered!).

You guys know I’m not here to bash anyone for not doing something. I’m here to ENCOURAGE all you webcomic creators out there to help OTHER webcomic creators, without expecting anything back. Is it so hard to add a link to a links page? To a news post? To write a sentence about a new comic you’ve discovered that you think people should read? Do you think that if you send your audience to another site, they won’t come back? ‘Cause seriously, it doesn’t work like that! :D

I ran a short survey on my site about how people first discovered The War of Winds. 59% answered “a link from another comic.” So, MORE THAN HALFthe people who took the survey came because someone linked me on another site. This cost me nothing, as opposed to the 18% who selected “from a Project Wonderful advertisement.” The other 20% came from places like TopWebComics and forums I frequent.

These numbers are important because what’s true for me is probably true for the majority of other webcomickers as well: people find your comic by a link from another comic, by a recommendation on the site of someone whose comic they enjoy, or by a blog post somewheres.

There are so many comics out there who deserve more readers than they have, just like Galaxion. We together already have the audiences, and while I doubt the cumulative effect of what was done for Galaxion will happen all too often, the numbers DO add up over time. So this is what I propose:

Add comics you read to your links page. You don’t have to get permission first (UNLESS!!!! you’re M-rated linking a G-rated site. Then get permission first please). It’s the internet. Take the initiative and DO IT. No one except you will mind if your links page has tons of links. If you have to, because you have some OCD tendencies, organize links on separate pages (for example, I have a page for link exchanges, recommended reading and resources), that’s ok. Provide links to the other link pages on every links page.

Give a polite review in your news. You don’t have a shred their work, after all, you’re linking them because you want people to GO there. Try not to say anything bad at all! Tell your readers what you like and appreciate about it. Keep the link up as long as you can!

Stumble/Digg/Redit/etc them. Don’t ask for permission. If you use those things (I personally love Stumble Upon, and it’s one of the few add-ons I have for Firefox), use them for more than just YOUR work! Ever see the movie Pay It Forward? Yeah. Like that.

Use social network sites. If you have a Live Journal or Deviant Art or Blogspot or Twitter account, post about the comics you read. Especially you people on DA who have subscriptions and tons of followers. All it takes is one journal entry!

If you want to start your own campaign like Campaign: Galaxion, follow the fine example set by lonelyfetus, who started it. JUMP IN. Just do it. You’re in charge, and people ask YOU what they can do. Don’t start a thread asking for what you can do or who you should do it for [at an ambiguous time in the future] …because everyone will give you their opinions, or tell you what you’re doing wrong, and that means nothing will get done at all. You can only have one driver in the car at a time; the car crashes otherwise. [please insert appropriate colloquialism here that I could not remember.]

We as webcomic readers/creators have the ability to send our audience where we want. Use this power for good, but above all, USE IT. The SpiderForest collective (I’m a member there) does this indirectly with our top rotating banner. Even being part of the network automatically means a member would recommend you, because you got in. If you have a collective, or are part of one, consider more cross-advertising possibilities.

If you’re a popular comic, getting 5k+ uniques a day, you would be far more loved by the webcomic community if you bothered to link the little guys. They would probably all link you back just to say thanks, even if you took down your link to them (for example, if it was just in the news).

Above all, just help each other grow. We’re all out here spending hours on a hobby that makes little to no money, and readers rarely take the initiative to FIND new comics themselves. Point the way, and they will go.

That’s it from me today. Webcomic website reviews are still coming. Those take a couple hours to write up, so I’m still looking for that time. Trying hard!

Tips for Organizing your FTP

KEZ — Sun, 24 May 2009 18:27:10 +0000

I really felt like WRITING something today. Been doing art stuff non-stop.

A lot of people when they are first starting out with their website, and find out how to navigate their first FTP, and change their site over and over with new images and new pages…often one day sign in an have NO IDEA where anything is. Their images are in the same folder as their webpages. The names of the images and the webpages are random and not indicative of the actual content.

As a person who has built too many sites, both for myself and for other people, here are the tricks I’ve learned to keep things organized and simple, so I’m not swearing at myself as I look for one file amid hundreds of ambiguously named files:

1) Have your webpages and images/other files in SEPARATE directories. It may be simpler to source images in the same directory as the page, but in the long run, you’ll just have a complete mess on your hands. For example, my webpages are in public_html (workspace/webpages, if you’re a ComicGenesis user) and my images are in an aptly-named “images” folder (workspace/images for a CG user.) Some people prefer to use “gfx” or “graphics” instead of images. The name doesn’t matter so long as it’s indicative of what is in there.

2) Use all lowercase for file designations. This is to make it easier for both you and someone checking out your site. For example, my images are “title.jpg” not “Title.JPG,” and my webpages, “not-alone.php” not “Not-Alone.php.” Both pairs are read as separate files (4 files total)! Capitals matter, unless you’ve managed some pretty fancy redirects, in which you probably don’t need to be reading this. Above all, be consistent!

3) Name the files exactly what they are. For example, my menu buttons are named by what it says on the button, e.g., “Home” is “home.jpg” and “Archive” is “archive.jpg.” I take this one step further, since my site has had so many revisions, I name it “09_2_home.jpg.” 09_2_ is the year and month in which I made it. This means I have chronological AND alphabetical order in my FTP/hard drive. It also means I don’t overwrite files that I may need later on. If I end up NOT needing an earlier version, for example, 08_6_home.jpg, I can safely erase it knowing all the 08_6′s are old, and NOT my current version.

4) Put your images in the directory “images/name-of-webpage-they-appear-on.” My images directory directly mirrors my webpage set up. All images that appear on my archive page are in “images/archive;” all images that appear on my world page are in “images/world.” My site is pretty big, and I have a LOT of images. Instead of shoving them ALL into one single images folder, I break it up. That way, if I’m looking for a specific image in my FTP, I know exactly where to start looking. Don’t go overboard with this however, as it CAN lag a site (or at least, so has been my experience). For example, images/world/culture/character/heritage/talon.jpg. That’s just overkill! When that page is loading, it’s going through ALL those directories!

5) If there are spaces in your filename, use a hyphen (-) or an underscore (_) instead, don’t keep it a space. Some browsers still have problems with spaces, so just circumvent that and don’t use them. If you do use them, you get that ugly “%20″ in place of the space, and that’s just fugly. Don’t use spaces.

6) Set up your FTP like your hard drive, or vice versa. This is especially important for Dreamweaver/WYSIWYG users. People new to Dreamweaver keep asking me, “but why do all my images show up as broken?” either on their site, or worse, on their so-called visual editor. I must restrain myself at this stage, because I remember doing exactly the same thing when I first started. I had my images located in a different directory on my harddrive than on my FTP. When building in DW, it sourced the image from that folder on my hard drive, so when I uploaded the page, the image was broken! Well, d’uh! The sources didn’t match up! If you’re sourcing images/world/map.jpg when building the webpage, that source needs to be exactly the same on your FTP!

7) Come up with your own naming Zen. Some files are just tricky to name, and you have bunches that are very close in topic. On my gallery page, I name fan art in the following fashion: thumbnails as “(subject-of-fanart)_(who-made-it-for-me)_pic.jpg,” for example, “ravar_varethane_pic.jpg” and that links to “ravar_varethane.jpg.” Anything ending in “_pic” is a thumbnail.

I name banners in the following fashion: (width)x(height)_subject.ext. For example, “200x40_ravar.jpg.” This keeps it separate for me from “436x60_ravar.jpg,” instead of naming them “banner32″ and “banner33″ or something. At a glance, without using a thumbnail view, I know exactly what it is. And you know where this file goes in my FTP? images/banners. Because it’s on my banners page. :D

Do I champion these specific designations? Pfft, hardly. I do champion you finding your OWN designations. It saves tons of headache as your site and comic grow.

————

More as soon as I can get to it. Uggggg.

EDIT: I can has correct spelling? ugggg.

Who needs a website or art commission?

KEZ — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:18:56 +0000

I do! And I’d commission Sarah Sawyer of The Gods’ Pack in a second if I had the money! I am totally swamped with commissions for the next 2 weeks, and requests keep rolling in from people who have found this blog. If you need a site, or need something drawn, instead of waiting for me, go and commission Sarah! She’s also graduating from college THIS Saturday, and heck, there are just SO MANY JOBS *cough* out there right now. What a wonderful time to get shoved into the real world. So help her out, help yourself out, and commission her to make you somethin’ perty!

Sarah’s commission information can be found here!

——-

Where are my articles? Not joking when I say “swamped!” As soon as I can manage, more stuff here. So sorry folks! I definitely haven’t forgotten, so don’t worry about that!

How Kez Makes Comics, parts 1-4

KEZ — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:04:15 +0000

Digging myself out from underneath the abyss of work guys, sorry. WWS articles are unfortunately LAST on my priorities list since it’s the least-visited portion of the site.

I don’t have a Webcomic Website Review for you today, but I do have a comic tutorial I made over the past 2 days, detailing the creation of my most recent page. There are four parts. Click to enlarge, or view them on my Deviant Art page.

Page I: script, sketch and inking

Page II: flat colors and basic shading

Page III: advanced shading and lighting effects

Page IV: special effects and lettering

More to come. Work first, got bills to pay. This tutorial was made because I promised I would have it up for The War of Winds’ fifth anniversary, which was April 26th. Yay! Five years!