Dealing with Online Fandom.

by Gary Walters

I often get asked, as a comics professional, how I deal with fan's enthusiam and lack of enthusiam. How do you generate interest and excitement from your fanbase, which lead to sales? How do you learn to both give the fans what they want and still keep something for yourself? Where do you draw the line? What I've learned (and this (along with some other trade secrets) is what I tell my prefessional comic book writer friends) is to just give the fans whatever they want. Because, when you get down to it, you owe them. And should give them anything. If you don't, they may loose interest in your product, and without their support, it's back to working in a parking garage.

I've had fans ask me anything and everything. "Whats the exciting secret behind your upcoming character Even Steven?" "What behind the scenes secrets do you know about other comic book professionals?" "Can you loan me twenty dollars?" Lots of questions, to be sure. But that just means your stories are touching lives and turning those touched into fans.

So, the first issue: story spoilers and secrets. When it comes to story secrets, the way I see it, if you can't trust Internet comic book fans, who can you trust. So, as long as they promise to still buy the issue when it comes out, I'll let them know whatever they want. It's not like they won't guess, anyway. As a former comic book fan, I can tell you, their pretty damn smart. And we've pretty much figured out all of the old comic book gimmicks anyway, like the whole "dead character isn't really dead thing" by now. The only comic character I know that stayed dead was that eskimo in G.I. Joe.

Same rules applies to behind the scenes secrets. Who hates who? Who attacked who? Who wrote a letter to the editors of a company blasting another writer? It's all good and fun. Knowing who called another comic writer a "worthless prick" brings fandom closer together. It's all about creating a community, you know? Fans deserve to know which artist called his editor a "sodding ponce" and which weirdo writer tried to use voodoo magic on the head of another company!

Now, when it comes to money, the way I see it, your money came from the fan to begin with, so, if they need it back to pay a debt, or for alcohol or something, if it helps them out and keeps them your fan, then do it. Particularly if saying no leads them to say something like "Man, I thought you were cool." You need your fans to think you are cool. that's how they stay your fans. So if they need money or need you to buy them booze, if they left their ID at home, for instance, help them out. Keep them happy. I draw the line however, at buying them cigarettes. But I'll do it if I have to.

Now the best way to create a fan network is to start one of those Internet messageboards for yourself. Fans love those! I've started plans for my own creator-owned website, complete with messageboard. I solicited a lot of feedback from my growing online fandom and they had some great ideas for URLs. One noted how I was an advoacte for the comic book writer being the stronger of the two in the comic book writer/artist relationship and suggested the URL www.theComicWritersPenisStrong.com, a play on "the pen is stronger than the sword". Another thought I should create a real short easily remembered acronym, something that stood for "Comics as Literature", but www.CLit.com was already registered, unfortunately. Maybe I'll just go with the name of my comic book publishing company, like Marvel or DC do and buy the URL www.GaryWaltersComicsPublishingLimitedLLCOnline.com. It's a hard decision and one you have to live with forever. So its very daunting.

Once you have the URL, you need to build a messageboard. Which look very complicated. I imagine you need to get up on HTML. I don't know where busy comic book writers like Mr. Bendis and Mr. Millar also have time to learn HTML, but they have good sites to model your own comic book site on. I'm sure when the time comes they would be happy yo give a new comic writer some HTML tips. HTML stands for HyperText Marking Language and is used by computers to build web sites. Like Millarworld.com and BrianBendis.com, which is called jinxworld. I'm not sure why it's called jinxworld. But it certainly hasn't jinxed Mr. Bendis with his immense succes at Marvel comics (Marvel.com).

Now some comic professionals choose to not have a web site. They feel you need to carve out a space for yourself where you can find some time alone, away from your fans. This is incorrect. And I suspect writers who feel this way may quickly find themselves fanless. As you are everything to your fans, just as your fans should be everything to you. By keeping mysef open, I've met so many amazingly awesome fans since I've become a comics book professional. Smurfbamfer492, CyclopsEricTheRed75, MannaMannaPartyHat, and so many others, without you it would be hard to sustain myself through the trying times that come from being a true artist and creative individual. I dedicate all my future success to you, my fans and also my best friends!



Read Volume 1, Issue 9 of The Tricks of Turning Pro.



Discuss this article in our forum.