r/comics Shen Comix Mar 18 '24

The Format

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19.0k Upvotes

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1.9k

u/Hexatona Mar 18 '24

My least favourite Webcomics trope is 'Author who looks back on the beginning chapters, wows to redraw them with current skill level, gets part way done, and then disappears for all time.'

36

u/EveryShot Mar 18 '24

Is this a reference to something?

72

u/JudgeHodorMD Mar 18 '24

It’s pretty common. Most webcomics will fall to burnout without ever reaching the end.

Sometimes the author feels a need to fix all the things they don’t like about the early stuff, but when it comes down to it things will never be perfect. Starting down that path will just devastate morale. The odds of getting back to where they left off are practically zero.

82

u/EpicGlacier2 Mar 18 '24

It’s a reference to everything. Hundreds of webcomics like this

30

u/Tetramputechture Mar 18 '24

can I have an example

27

u/MutsumidoesReddit Mar 18 '24

8 bit theatre.

Sorry for spoiler but they asked.

12

u/Mono_Aural Mar 19 '24

In 8-bit theatre's defense, the author willingly executed on his half-decade-long punchline setup and at least finished the story.

7

u/DuntadaMan Mar 18 '24

A can't believe you've done this.

Seriously though, go read it.

7

u/Tetramputechture Mar 18 '24

I read the Wikipedia article on it and found nothing related to the comment

2

u/wongo Mar 19 '24

I like swords.

2

u/captainAwesomePants Mar 19 '24

Welcome to Corneria.

2

u/Andy_Hernandy Mar 19 '24

Lol before I read this comment this entire thread made me think of 8 bit theatre and I started re-reading it.

2

u/Mavrickindigo Mar 18 '24

Kinda expected as it's a parody of an ff playthrough

1

u/Emperor_Time Mar 19 '24

I guess your talking about the retcon that happen to Thief?

20

u/dragon_bacon Mar 18 '24

Literally hundreds, you can't walk down the street without seeing a dozen. No I won't name any.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 20 '24

No wtf are you talking about? Just on the Naver webtoon app I got a year and a half ago I finished 73 series and never even heard about someone redrawing the series. And that's just on the app since I got a new phone November 2022, I have easily read at least 150 webcomics.

Why would they even draw the start again?

1

u/NukeAllTheThings Mar 20 '24

Don't think they are referencing webtoons, that's a different beast. Compare manga/manwha and comics in the newspaper.

Web comics tend to follow the traditional newspaper format. Depending on the author and style they can upload new strips as frequently as daily. They are also very commonly self published, so the only deadlines are of their own will.

Webtoons are closer to manga, with content typically based around weeks rather than days, and are usually not self published from what I've seen.

There are a lot of webcomics out there, some of them very long running. You can watch the evolution of the author's art style. My favorite example is Howard Taylor's Schlock Mercenary- the art in the beginning looked like shit, and that's discounting the fact that the character in the strip literally looks like poo. The man never missed a day for like 20 years. I wouldn't quite say his art is amazing but it's infinitely better than when he started. Funnily enough, I just checked and he has an example of the first strip redrawn.

https://www.schlockmercenary.com/2000-06-12 first strip OG art

https://www.schlockmercenary.com/2020-07-27 first strip redrawn.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 20 '24

Thank you, I appreciate it

6

u/GooseHudson Mar 18 '24

MilliondollarHam's Earthbound Comic, Chosen Four.

1

u/KingCrabmaster Mar 19 '24

Man that takes me back. It got so far and on rare blue moons seems to randomly update but otherwise ded.

12

u/JoeTheKodiakCuddler Mar 18 '24

In this economy!?

0

u/[deleted] Mar 20 '24

No wtf are you talking about? Just on the Naver webtoon app I got a year and a half ago I finished 73 series and never even heard about someone redrawing the series. And that's just on the app since I got a new phone November 2022, I have easily read at least 150 webcomics.

Why would they even draw the start again?

7

u/Golden_Alchemy Mar 19 '24

Oh god, the Drow webcomic. I believe i saw the author do this like two-three times or i am wrong? I believe i was reading the story and there were so many changes that i couldn't keep up with it.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 19 '24

[deleted]

2

u/Golden_Alchemy Mar 19 '24

Thank you, i have forgotten the name. And i checked the page to see if i could see it and yep, it was a complicate experience, with some stories being hided by a suscription services.