Comic Talk, Tips and Tricks

Choosing a Category 0_0
Seira_chan at 10:32PM, Nov. 9, 2007
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I'm starting off a comic, and I got the page all set up and everything, but I don't know what category it would really fit in... Could someone give me the lowdown on all the types of them?

Like, judging from my quick description, it seems like a comedy - but I might end up getting really serious as I go on. It's sort of about real life (a band) but also has fantasy/horror elements in it (zombies, robots, demons, ghosts, etc.) I don't know where it would fit, so I put "other." But I want people to see it, and I don't know if people will find it in "other"... ARG. Or does any of that matter?

Thanks for your help!
http://www.drunkduck.com/Kragsyde/ A metal band vs. the world! ... That and each other.

http://seira-chan33.deviantart.com/ Random rantings and sometimes Kragsyde illustrations! Check it out!
last edited on July 14, 2011 3:27PM
Frostflowers at 1:12AM, Nov. 10, 2007
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I have the same problem - my story is a mix of amateur detective story, school drama and urban fantasy. I filed it under fantasy, because as I get closer to the heavy plot-parts, it's going to involve more magic and things like that, but it could just as easily fit under any other cathegory.

I suppose it depends mainly on where your main plot is going to go - if it's going to be most fantasy/horror, put it there even if it doesn't obviously begin that way, and so on.
The Continued Misadventures of Bonebird - a poor bird's quest for the ever-elusive and delicious apples.
last edited on July 14, 2011 12:31PM
kyupol at 6:07AM, Nov. 10, 2007
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I filed both Brood Knights under "Manga" (even though its debatable if my art style is 'manga'). Since they were conceptualized back during a time period when I was heavily influenced by manga. (loaded with manga cliches too lol)

And MAG-ISA in "spiritual". Though I made it "political" at first... but I was like... meh... its not THAT political.

To help you put your comics in a category, just look at other comics in that category and judge for yourself how much your comic resembles them.
NOW UPDATING!!!
last edited on July 14, 2011 1:25PM
SarahN at 12:46PM, Nov. 10, 2007
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I chose horror for VP even though it's a mix of many things, mainly because the bat icon looks appropriate. XP And plus when people think vampires they usually also think horror.
last edited on July 14, 2011 3:23PM
usedbooks at 1:39PM, Nov. 10, 2007
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Yeah, I had the same problem. My story was kinda a crime drama but with a lot of weird personal relationship issues and violence, but not action and a far cry from noir. "Real life" just seems weird (if they renamed it drama, I might put it there, but the category "real life" has different connotations to me). I put mine under manga. My story and art have manga influences.

I agree with looking at the comics in those genres and seeing if yours would fit among them. That's how I ultimately decided.
last edited on July 14, 2011 4:37PM
Pixie at 5:39PM, Nov. 10, 2007
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Well, I figure just pick what feels right for you. I filed October under Real Life, even though it's basically a mythology story. However, Fantasy seems to cover more swords-and-sorcery style subjects, which mine is definitely not, so... *shrug*. I don't think it matters that much, as long as you don't blatantly disregard the categories, and you're happy with your choice. :)
Alaka-bwee-oop! Old school.
last edited on July 14, 2011 2:45PM
mlai at 7:10PM, Nov. 10, 2007
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IMHO, I file my comic under what I know the average person would think it is, not what I think it should be because I'm The Artiste Formerly Known as Mlai.

Under that criteria, Mag-Isa would be Fantasy + Adventure + Manga, VP would be Fantasy + Adventure/Horror + Manga, and Used Books would be Adventure + Noir + Romance.

I mean, I wouldn't call FIGHT a Western just because it's got a cowboy and I wouldn't call FIGHT_2... hmm there's no history category...

I think we should be allowed to choose more than 1 category to describe our comics.

FIGHT current chapter: Filling In The Gaps
FIGHT_2 current chapter: Light Years of Gold
last edited on July 14, 2011 2:06PM
Seira_chan at 12:45AM, Nov. 11, 2007
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Thank you everyone for the responses!

I forward miai's motion - we need ////'s or +++++++++'s for our categories!

I also forgot to mention this is sort of like manga, but I've been picking up a lot of western influences lately, so I'm not sure if it really looks so much manga-ish anymore...

But yeah, I like the idea of looking around to see what other categories contain, actually. I'm a n00b so that might be my problem.

And SarahN - 1, love your avatar XD! and 2, I might just choose horror cuz the bat WOULD make it look more METAL. Haha. I guess I'm just unsure as if horror means people expect to be scared, or people expect to see zombies, vampires, creatures from the black lagoon. If it's the latter, that's prolly it.

So I'll go check out you guy's stories when I have more time (I need sleep, dang) and poke around some more. I don't have any pages up anyway, so I have a little time to decide. ^_^

Thanks!
http://www.drunkduck.com/Kragsyde/ A metal band vs. the world! ... That and each other.

http://seira-chan33.deviantart.com/ Random rantings and sometimes Kragsyde illustrations! Check it out!
last edited on July 14, 2011 3:27PM
JustNoPoint at 7:29AM, Nov. 11, 2007
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I started out placing my comic in the action genre. I finally decided to do like mlai and just put it in the genre I figured other's would classify it in.

Right now it would be sci-fi, action, superhero... but it changes so much over time.

Me and my friend have been working on another comic together as of late that stars an assassin that uses technology, an assassin that doesn't use technology, a magic wielding monk, and a mummy (darkness slayer)

Don't know if it should go in action, horror, fantasy, adventure... I guess fantasy, maybe by the time we start uploading it we will be able to choose more than 1 category =p

Read "The Devon Legacy".
A full color web comic updating daily on www.comicfury.com
last edited on July 14, 2011 1:12PM
kytri at 10:29AM, Nov. 11, 2007
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I have the same problem. Rift could be fantasy, sci-fi, manga, or adventure easily, plus it contains elements of a handful of other genres but not enough that I'd file it under those categories (e.g. comedy, romance, etc.)
I ended up putting it under manga because I think that's where I'll get the most potential readers.
last edited on July 14, 2011 1:24PM
kyupol at 7:25PM, Nov. 11, 2007
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The 3-class categories would be best.

NOW UPDATING!!!
last edited on July 14, 2011 1:25PM
patrickdevine at 8:20PM, Nov. 19, 2007
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I sort of think of Fantasy as a sort of "catch all" genre. I think of my comic as Steampunk, only Steampunk isn't a genre I can pick. I'm somewhat hesitant to say that it's a Fantasy comic because there are no traditional fantasy elements in it. But there's also nothing SciFi or Horror in it and it's way too contrived to be Real Life. It's not spontanious and weird enough to be Random and it's not funny so it can't be Comedy. So Fantasy is the best fit, but it's still not a good fit.
http://www.iprc.org [iprc.org]
last edited on July 14, 2011 2:41PM
Ziffy88 at 10:28PM, Nov. 19, 2007
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it sounds more fantasy, that is if the whole monsters and stuff are day-dreams then maybe slice of life.

I also have the same problem and I just my story in other. Mine is about a slacker walking into another universe and meeting himself and a friend
last edited on July 14, 2011 5:01PM
mlai at 4:35AM, Nov. 20, 2007
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"Other" sounds like a voluntary banishment of doomed oblivion.

FIGHT current chapter: Filling In The Gaps
FIGHT_2 current chapter: Light Years of Gold
last edited on July 14, 2011 2:06PM
Seira_chan at 1:59AM, Nov. 23, 2007
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*doesn't want doomed oblivion*

Yeah.... I don't want people to get pissed off at me, because the really weird shit doesn't start happening till later. Right now, they seem just like a normal band being formed. Except for the cursed/possessed kid, and possibly a vampire, things aren't too weird - YET.

ARRGH... Fantasy just seems to conjure up images of Final Fantasy or something for me, but I think that's kind of what it is. It was a speech on fantasy & sci-fi that made me think of taking this story and making it more than a slice of life thing in the first place.

Thanks for all the responses! I'll figure it out eventually.

Question: is the 'mood' or whatever thinger really relevant? Is "Random" also doomed oblivion? Eh?
http://www.drunkduck.com/Kragsyde/ A metal band vs. the world! ... That and each other.

http://seira-chan33.deviantart.com/ Random rantings and sometimes Kragsyde illustrations! Check it out!
last edited on July 14, 2011 3:27PM
Broken Minds at 7:46AM, Nov. 23, 2007
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I agree with Mlai about the more than one catagory.

There's just so much of a blend out there anymore. No one ever makes such a hardlined comic that it just sticks to just one or two molds anymore.

That point is further illustrated by just how diverse the community here is.

As it is, I think I have my book listed as Manga which most people would probably sterotype it because the art is a little more simplistic than traditional western art and it's about a samurai.

/shrug
last edited on July 14, 2011 11:35AM

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