This is the introduction to my college thesis titled The Art of Webcomics. It was written for people who did not read comics, who thought comics were for kids, that comics were not a true art form and a waste of time, and who had never heard of the term “webcomic.” So, it was written for the chair of the Honors Department, who thought [as far as I know] that comics were worthless, and who I believe, completely disapproved of me as a student.

Oh yes, please keep in mind, I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Biological Sciences, Pre-Med. Enjoy! (and stick it to the Man every chance you get!) I’ll be posting bits and pieces when I’m working on other articles.

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The Art of Webcomics

by Karen KEZ Howard, advised by Dr. Alisia Chase

ABSTRACT:

Since the inception of comics as an art, it has unfairly received the scorn of those in both the literary and artistic fields.  For the past fifty years, the growth of the medium of comics has been controlled by established publishers who regulate content, style and genre, and who have forced this art to become no more than a business tailored to suit a single demographic. With the creation of the internet, independent comic creators can now circumvent the control of the medium by self-publishing webcomics, the digital form of comics.  Webcomics are proving what the medium of comics is capable of accomplishing by harnessing the freedom, accessibility and communication abilities of the internet.

Part I: An Explanation of the Art of Comics

The turn of the millennium ushered in a new age of cellular phones, laptops and high definition television sets. It has brought the time of globally-connected, near-instant communication, where the collective knowledge of mankind is at the fingertips of anyone who has access to the internet. The technology to communicate on the global scale has effected not only to a different pace of life, but also to the beginning of a new type of art: digital art.  Created only through pixels and light, this new art has many forms, but one in particular is known as the “webcomic.” Defined most simply, a webcomic is a comic displayed on the World Wide Web.

Having existed for over two decades now, webcomics, often called “online comics,” have both their proponents and their critics. Some believe that the webcomic is a new art that takes advantage of the constantly evolving technology of this age.  The webcomic, along with its medium, is never the same for long. For example, the software to make digital art is continually upgraded, and in a sense reinvented, every year.  In contrast, there are those who see little difference between a traditional comic and a webcomic, and believe that it is only the mode of dissemination-the internet-which makes it what it is (and this is an understandable point of view, as some webcomics are merely print comics shown on a screen). Yet, it is the internet’s potential for surpassing what mediums have come before it-particularly with regard to its ability to globally distribute materials and information; it is the power of instant communication regardless of distance, nationality or culture; and it is the exchange between creator and reader that make the webcomic exactly what it is: novel, inspiring, and liberating. I myself maintain that webcomics have a far greater potential than any printed comic because of the technology harnessed to make and distribute them.  Webcomics can reach larger audiences faster, they are free, immediate and easily accessible, and they satisfy the need that every artist, and for that matter, every reader, has: the need to communicate with the other-the creator to the reader, and the reader to the creator. In no other medium than the internet is this two-way communication possible to such an extreme extent, and in every other medium, it is found to be sorely lacking.

This comparison between these two art forms-the digital and the printed-is important not only because after only twenty years such works already challenge the dominance of the print industry, but because of the freedom that the digital medium represents from the constraints of the print business.  Like the advent of the weblog or webcast, the webcomic most likely arose because someone, somewhere, could not publish their memoirs, or broadcast their home-made radio show, or syndicate their comic.  But their need to share a vision, to receive validation for it through communication, and to retain all creative rights to their work pushed these people to find another way.  When the internet was created, and the need to publish through an established printing business was completely circumvented, these people did publish their works, for free, retaining all rights; they started a movement that focused not only on a product, but on the person or people behind the product-on the painstaking, creative process, full of emotion and the willingness to share a project often without monetary return. This is the inherent idea of the current evolution webcomic: that it is free, that individuals matter, that anyone may publish, and that there is no control of published work other than one’s own. These unique qualities, coupled with accessibility, global distribution, and instant communication are what make webcomics culturally and historically significant.

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I’m going to post the thesis in its entirety online as soon as I have the time. It’s long, with special formatting, and a lot of images. The next article up will be on the benefits of being part of a webcomic collective.

Also, my thesis adviser is awesome.  Writing this was totally the best part of college.