One of the biggest banes of newer cartoonists (I include myself in this category) is that we have to battle with “slots” in newspapers if we want to get into print. Of course, we’re competing with other tried-and-true revenue builders such as Pearls Before Swine and Dilbert.

That being said, the print form of newspapers has begun to perform rather poorly as of late. People… ironically… are beginning to read their news online more often now than not. But even so, news published on the internet isn’t called webnews. And the comics that these newspapers published when on the internet aren’t called webcomics.

Since these newspapers are struggling in the print department, they are finding it harder to “risk” newer artists and publications. From a business standpoint, I can understand why this is. From a cartoonist’s standpoint, it can be frustrating and disheartening.

I amused myself a while back by looking up “how to publish your comic strip” in Google. I came up with several “How To”s that said things like…

1. Build a Portfolio.
2. Show your portfolio to an editor.
3. Congratulations! You’re published!

Anyone who has tried to get into print knows that this just isn’t true. Perhaps getting into your high school newsletter or a ‘zine, but not into the larger publications. Which reminds me of the Zingerding strip dealing with syndicates and form letters…

So what do we do in the interim?

Well, do you draw comics? Then you’re a cartoonist!

Time for a silly exercise! Want your comics to be in print? Well, I’ve got a simple solution for that too. Click File>Print and select “Ok”. Walk over to your printer. Guess what? You’re a printed cartoonist!

Okay. What’s the difference between amateur and pro? I like to remember golf when it comes to this. What’s the difference between an amateur golfer and a pro golfer? The pro gets paid.

So what do you need to do to consider yourself professional? Sell something. Doesn’t matter what.

Okay, time for another silly exercise. Take that printout. Tell your friend that you want to sell it to him for a penny. He’ll laugh, but hopefully when he realizes you’re serious he’ll give you a penny. Hand him the strip. Congratulations! You’re a professional cartoonist!

Comics ARE an art form, yes. I read several good comics on the internet. Just as much as I read others such as Dilbert and Peanuts. Hey – Schultz won a Pulitzer prize for his strip!

Zingerding is very inspired by Scott McCloud’s theories. Part of his mission is to elevate the view of all comics as an art form. We’re doing our part for the comic strip itself.

I have learned to dislike the term through experience. Once, when asked what I did as a hobby, I mentioned that I published a daily webcomic. People tilted their heads in confusion, while others brushed the thought away. “Just another webcartoonist.” Now, if asked what I do when I’m not programming computers, I simply inform them that I am also a professional cartoonist. Nods and soft murmurs of approval tend to follow. It’s quite an interesting distinction.

The whole concept ties in with what Scott McCloud stated in his book Reinventing Comics… “comics [remain] relegated to non-art status by conventional wisdom” (pg. 3). It is my opinion that this same “conventional wisdom” is what relegates comics published in digital form as something less than a comic.

In that same context, a friend sent me a message the other day. He said “I need to figure out how to get you to write more [stories].” At first I thought nothing of it – clearly he wanted me to write more fiction. But then, not long thereafter, I responded “Isn’t my comic considered writing?”

I have seen many artists with equal or greater talent than many professionals in the field. I have dedicated much of my free time to the art of comics and graphical storytelling. Comics are an art form, just like painting or sculpting or writing a novel.

My appeal to the masses is this: Comics are art. Treat them as such.

And yet to jump in, the barrier to entry is an important point. As a whole it’s just less likely one finds bad print comics because there is so much at stake. Judgments have been made before the consumer even gets a chance! The largest possible audience targeted. Not much left to chance. Sure there are charity cases, as long as they are supported by big names, like Peanuts. I didn’t have to search far for that example.

I have a webcomic. Yup, I called it so. Because without the “web” part, I can assure you, you would have no chance of seeing the comic part. It’s not popular, and not that great. Its surely one tiny reason Zingerding doesn’t like what has happened to the word “webcomics” and I’m OK with that. If my comic somehow sullies the other great comics like Penny-Arcade or PVP-Online, it was bound to happen. Guilt by association. I apologize for my contribution to the problem.

Great comics will always be great. However delivered. And the other comics? Now you get more of a chance to read them, on the web!