Webcomics as a Phenomenon

ef18d4613e32fabdd15213821ead69b8Anyone visiting this website is either a certified webcomic devotee or at least interested in the comic medium. As a phenomenon, webcomics are huge; there are many thousands of them to choose from. This begs the question: how did they reach this amazing level of popularity?

Comic Culture

In the UK, the adult demand for comics and graphic novels is not as obvious as it is, say, in France or Belgium, where large sections of bookshops are taken up by them. In many parts of the world, comics are not something that people leave behind with childhood. Rather, they are an accepted art form, and many an adult household owns a dedicated library for them.

The Internet Factor

The rise of the Internet brought with it a ready-made audience for budding writers and artists. Self-publication became easier. Finding agents to represent or sell work took less effort. Webcomics appeared on the Internet as early as the mid-1980s, but their popularity really took off a decade later, when the Web became widely available and providers started offering more browsing velocity..

Unbound by the censorship or whims of publishers, web comics have brought new diversity to the comic world. They allow a freedom of speech that is more problematic in physical publications like the satirical French paper, Charlie Hebdo. Webcomics often feature adult topics and adhere to all types of political or religious affiliation. That they stand for freedom of speech largely accounts for their success.

Dedicated to Their Art

Despite the power of the Internet as a sharing platform, only a relative few webcomic creators make a full-time living. Even they must be canny about it, with revenue coming from various sources such as crowd-funding websites, merchandise or advertising space. Successful webcomic creators share a great love of their art, first and foremost, and that is reciprocated by their fans.