Not really. I've just started a comic that I have a definite ending in mind for; it's called Hideout. My other comics could go on forever and are intended to be serial in fashion.

How many of you are working toward a conclusion and how many are seeing where it takes you?

If you plan on being "done" at some point, do you know exactly what event will mark it as finished?

When reading others web-comics in the comic book/story category, do you have a preference for stories feeling self-contained or unlimited?

Din Krakatau IS done, all the pages are uploaded at this point, they just need to go live.

There'll be a series of loosely connected sequels (n b&w, so I'll probably restart Din Krakatau in b&w and continue with the other volumes under a unified title), but each one is going to be written as a book, with some ending in mind.

Same with some of my other projects, although I do have two or three that could go indefinitely. But I'm more leering towards drawing the entire thing in a short period of time and then have it update online on a regular basis, so it'd probably be written without an ending in mind, but I wouldn't publish it until it is done.

Which in the end would result in the same thing anyway.

I don't like to make anything with a completely concise start and end upon its creation. What I'll do is set up a skeleton of events in the meanwhile, as I feel stories are better defined by their journeys than their conclusions. It also helps me stay interested, because I get the enjoy the story fresh. Otherwise, it might strike me as a chore.

Heh... I don't think I like the feel of comics with a definite ending, as most of the ones I read don't even feel finished once they are. Millennium has an ending, but it also has a sequel that I plan on developing once all of Millennium is written. LOVEFEAST could literally go on forever and ever and probably will be really long. I'm not even thinking of how it ends yet, lol.

One day I'll make a few concise, short comics though, since those hone your storytelling abilities, and I have ideas. (Even LF's prequel script is kind of long now... not intentional)

I think the idea of a comic ending feels foreign to many of us who grew up on DC and Marvel fare. While we accept that a novel has an ending, we expect Spiderman and Batman to continue on forever. How a story ends really doesn't matter as much as how a story is told. For a long time I would rush through novels and comics, desperate to find out how they end. It took a while, but I realized that I was cheating myself. The ending is irrelevant to the story as a whole. The problem with a comic with no imminent end is that lack of ending can alter the quality of the story, it can get stale. In DC/Marvel this problem is solved by passing characters to different writers and artist who may re-think the characters and story entirely, such as what Frank Miller did with Batman. This isn't often the case with webcomics. We all know of one or more comics that really should have ended about fifty pages ago. They may still be good, but they're getting tired. My comic has no planned end, but I started it with the expectation that I will end it when I have to (which very well may be at the end of chapter 1)

Used Books is meant to run more like a TV series. I have endings for each story arc (some longer and others shorter), but I usually already have the next storyline in mind before I finish the arc's conclusion. I might end someday, but I want to make sure I finish up whatever story arc it is. I prefer not to have a "completely conclusive" conclusion, as the story runs more like "life" and would allow me to continue or branch off canonically if I so choose.

Gelotology is a gag strip, so it isn't intended to have any story at all, let alone a conclusion.

When I'm reading a story, I need to have conclusions of some sort. I don't want to be dragged along *forever.* So I prefer the story be either self contained or comprised of episodes that have closure for story arcs along the way.

Almost everything I produce these days is designed to end within ten pages, because I just don't have the attention span to keep on something for 500+ pages. It makes it kind of hard to share stuff, but it keeps it fresh and interesting to me.

I know exactly how and in how many issues Paranormal Activity will end. Though it's subject to change. The current arc I didn't think would run as long as it did (four issues I think?) so it wouldn't surprise me that as I write each issue, it springs on me unexpectedly long or short parts that will alter the issue lengths.

But yes, I have the ending planned.

I have the ending to PSS ending written down, although its conclusion won't happen for another four or five years, some of my other comics could go on forever.

Engine has a definate ending, but I have strayed quite a bit lately, adding new sequences that have popped in my head by "devine prodding." These sequences were never initially planned, but have made the story all the richer in my opinion.

Age of Ends was supposed to end in 8 years, but with a few problems arising, it might be 11.

As for Living With Insanity, I don't want it to end. I want to keep going long after Penny Arcade and Sinfest have stopped. And I want to have at least 4000 comics in my archives before I quit. Don't know why I picked that number, it just seemed like a good number.

But yeah, that's when I'm stopping.

parkbenchbook
Not really. I've just started a comic that I have a definite ending in mind for; it's called Hideout. My other comics could go on forever and are intended to be serial in fashion.

How many of you are working toward a conclusion and how many are seeing where it takes you?

If you plan on being "done" at some point, do you know exactly what event will mark it as finished?

When reading others web-comics in the comic book/story category, do you have a preference for stories feeling self-contained or unlimited?

Its better to have an end in sight rather than just keep a comic going and going until you just get bored of it and stop and then its without an ending.

I agree-- even if its a long sprawling serial, it needs to have story arcs that eventually end, even if only to begin again. I think it helps to, when you're writing, to know where the story is going.

As for myself, Mastorism does have a definite ending... way off. It will take two arcs to get there, and there will be a gap in story time between the two (which will probably be open for later stories if I so choose).

Ah yes, Mil has about 12 arcs... LF has a whole bunch of storylines planned, and that's why I like it so much. I could probably end it after a particular arc, or I could create more arcs to further flesh out characters or introduce new ones and continue having fun... it's great. (Now if I would get a move on and get both out of their prologues!)

Yeah, I started American007 with the thought of making sure it had a good ending to round out the whole series. There's about 11 or so arcs 'till the story is done.

Both of my comics have endings. The Faction will end sooner than my other, Deadfingers. I do however, feel DF's ending was a little more planned out than The Faction's though. Infact, I made the ending right around when I started the project :p.

I've had an ending for Despotize planned out for some time now. It might take a few years to get there but I'm dedicated.

I know the EVENT that will end Salt the Holly, but I haven't scripted or outlined quite that far yet. It'll be a while yet before the end is reached.

Powerjeff seems very random most of the time....and for the most part it is in its humor. however there is a central plot underneath all the chaos that begins to unfold in chapter 3 and 4. there are also a lot of different story arcs for many of the characters. and everything will eventually boil over into a....hopefully humorous....climactic ending.

since i'm still early on in the uploading the pages, there is still room for "new" random stories to be added. and i also suppose the ending could be changed as well, by the time i get there, i could throw out the pages that are already penciled.

but that would be the plus side to a random comedy adventure serial. i could make changes to things or change my original plot and it could still be funny (sic) and make sense.

i do think it is okay for a story to have an ending in mind when being written, or written in its entirety before penciling begins. otherwise, like it's been said, the story just keeps going, and while there can be some exciting moments of action or hilarious hijinx.....for the most part it just gets stale after 300 pages or so of the same ole same ole. (megatokyo comes to mind)

finally completing it, driving the stake in its heart, and ending it, opens doors for new comics and new projects and new adventures! we all are very talented writers and artists and new projects are exciting to me...to see what kind of tale could come next!

I like comics that have endings. Makes me feel like I'm reading with a purpose. It's especially great when they actually have good endings.

I think it all depends on the type of story you have. I definitely have an ending. I think knowing your ending beforehand can keep you focused on where exactly you're trying to go. I know how it ends, I'm just figuring out how to get there.

With Due East, I know at some point, it will end. I just don't know when or how that will be. There's still a lot of territory to cover. B)

With Off Hours, there is a definite ending and I know how and approximately when that will be (although I'm not telling, as that's half the fun)!

I enjoy working both angles of it. A lot of it has to do with the inspiration for the comic -- did it come as a beginning/middle/end story or as an open-ended idea?

I start all my comics with the ending in mind (haha, and by "all", I mean "both of them" ). I like knowing I won't be drawing the same thing forever. I got damn restless during Atavism's last year or so.