Which do you think is more important in a comic strip: good artistry or good humor? Can a strip still be reader-worthy if it looks like it's been drawn by a two year old?

http://www.drunkduck.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1265&highlight=writing+art

:D

A comic - be it a strip or a long saga - is rooted in the idea of conveying a message with pictures. If the pictures don't convey the message, the comic will never live up to it's potential.

Sometimes something that looks like it was drawn by a two year old could very well convey a message.

The big joke that people told about super hero comics is the tendency for the hero to say "I'm going to punch you" at the same time the hero is about to punch someone.

This happened for two reasons - either the editor felt that the action wasn't obvious enough or because the writer didn't trust the art to tell the story ... almost the same thing, really.

But what it did was diminish the importance of the picture. The words should add to the picture, not support it. But it doesn't have to be a complex image, just an image that conveys a message.

The best way to test your skills with this is to tell a story without words. Just looks and hand motions and such. If the bare bones of a story can be conveyed, then you're doing pretty good.

art taste is relative. the art only has to be good enough to convey what you want to convey. If it's a lot better then what's needed, that's a bonus :D

Take a look at the newspaper strip Pearls before Swine. It has very dark humor, is very funny, but it is poorly drawn, as the main characters are semi-stick figures. However, as comics in the newspaper go, it is increasingly popular.

In a humor strip, humor is key, but I personally want people to say that my strip is well written and at the least, fairly well drawn.

I prefer humour, but well drawn imagery featuring the dark red, sanguine fluid of life, as well as anything involving internal organs or intestines will also readily attract my interest: For I am a complex and well rounded individual.

Thanks for the insight, Kain. :?

That's true... If I really don't like the art, there has to be something extra to catch my eye or I'm gone forever.

I think many here know of this comic called Userfriendly [userfriendly.org]. The art is not extraordinary, but it's extremely funny -- and it's a very successful webcomic overall.

I think one needs enough art to convey the message -- no more, no less. A humour strip will generally need less art, less detail, than a serious story. Plus you want people to laugh at your jokes, not to drool over your elite drawing skillz.

My $0.02...

I think having good art is important even in humorous strips. Keep in mind that there's a difference between stylized and bad. The best example of what I'm talking about is Shiny Things . In the old days, the author didn't have facial expressions, but then he started putting them in and refining his style. Nowadays it's not the Mona Lisa or anything, but it works a whole lot better than his old stuff.

Of course, art is what you bring to it. Something doesn't have to be beautiful or pleasant to be good art.

Having good art never hurts, but especially for humor strips it isn’t vital. As long as you can get your point across to your audience, your fine. I mean, look at White Ninja . That’s some funny random wackiness.

Podunk U
Which do you think is more important in a comic strip: good artistry or good humor? Can a strip still be reader-worthy if it looks like it's been drawn by a two year old?

white ninja is my inspiration. crappy art sometimes works.

Artwork is just as important as the humor. People want a comic that looks good. Actually, artwork is a way of showing that your comic is good and you put time into it. If you draw it without care, people will either not like your style, or think you're lazy, and won't even read the jokes.

But artwork is just a plus. The meaning of the comic is much more, I guess.

Well, I'm greedy and mean. I'm going with both.

I want great art and great humor. I try to deliver.

Yep.

But I'll take humor anyday.