All Things End
Now that megaGAMERZ 3133T has come to an end, I have a question.
What is the best way to leave a finished comic on the internet. In print the question doesn't arise, because reruns are common for popular strips (the Far Side still turns up, as do peanuts and others) and you can buy books which naturally have their own ending anyway (or massive collecters books like the double volume Far Side sitting nearby or the Calvin and Hobbes that I may have to sell a child for).
But on the internet, odds are that most of your audience will turn up at the website. Even if it's finished, shouldn't the site be left in a way that encourages your readers to read through? I guess I'm saying I feel that, after a suitable lapse, the megaGAMERZ main page should begin at the first strip instead of the latest. Any potential new readers (or nostalgic older ones) will be in a perfect place to begin and read through (particularly handy with that new 'remember where I am' thingy so many comics have now).
Obviously this is different to a comic that has stopped due to outside influences, simply having to be left aside by the creator. I know Queen of Wands is doing a director's commentary version, but that too will end eventually.
I'm not aware of many actually finished webcomics. How are they doing it in the wires out there?
posted by The Kea @ 1:54 pm
3 Comments:
I've been thinking about that myself. My current idea is to put it on infinite loop, where it just keeps running over and over, starting every year on June 22 and ending the following june 9.
I thought about putting up a splash page and pointing people to the archive but that feels like it would hide the content. This way, new readers can follow along day by day or dive into the complete archive, their choice.
What do you think?
An infinte loop also sounds like an interesting idea. Keeps the 'illusion' of an updated comic and replicates the rerun nature of print comics, old favourites can be reread and enjoyed.
I think you're right, a splash page would be a block between the comic and readers, just like putting comics 'below the fold' of a webpage makes it a little less automnatic to follow them.
I never would have thought about yearly timing like that, I was originally just thinking over and over.
For it to keep updating on a loop, as you mentioned, Sai Rosenberg, would be a cool illusion to create for the reader. In a Gocomics (nee Ucomics) fashion, they wouldn't have to acknowledge its ending until they wish to. Giving a reader a sense of control like that is, I think, a very powerful motivator to continue reading your other strip/s.
Also, 'The Kea', I enjoy your blog, being in rather the same position as yourself. Keep up the good work, man.
Post a Comment
<< Home