Getting Ripped Off? There's an App for That!

As iPhone apps (and similar software for Blackberrys and Android phones) become more popular, it's only logical that we're going to see more and more of them that try to use our content to make money for a developer.

If you find that your comic is being aggregated into a third-party developer's app without your approval, here are three ways to address the problem quickly and effectively.

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Washington Post's "America's Next Great Cartoonist" Contest

Update: The America's Next Great Cartoonist site has posted a FAQ that promises that participating cartoonist's rights will remain with the original creator and that the Post will only use...

"...images and words on washingtonpost.com, in our print products (e.g., The Washington Post and Express), in our mobile products, and in promotional materials related to the contest.  We will not use your entry cartoons in any other way without your advance permission."

However: To the best of my ability to ascertain, the legal terminology in their terms and conditions remains unchanged (and has a timestamp of MAY 7, 2010 3:52 PM).

Well, once again, someone tries to act as a gatekeeper to a wide-open field. This time, it's the Washington Postwith its clone of Amazon's Comic Strip Superstar contest.

The pitch

It is with considerable regularity that Comic Riffs gets mail (of both the snail and "e-" variety) that beseechingly inquires: (a) "Dear Sir -- how do you become a better cartoonist?"; or (b) "Dude -- how do you make a career out of cartooning?"; OR (c) "If you have even a shred of smarts, fella, read the enclosed cartoons and tell me precisely how soon you plan to syndicate me -- got it?"

Got it. Because Comic Riffs tries to respond to as many of these as we can. Yet routinely over the past couple of years, we've wondered: Is there a better way on the blog to aid, abet and honestly inspire aspiring cartoonists?

Finally, we all here think we've hit upon a better way -- a way that starts today. Ready? Here's the official spiel (and please, save those questions till the end):

You may be funny -- but do you have what it takes to crack the funnies?

Starting today, The Washington Post launches "AMERICA'S NEXT GREAT CARTOONIST" -- a contest that allows readers who are aspiring comic-strip creators to submit their portfolios by June.4.

The prize? Well, besides national exposure, the 10 finalists will see their work put to a reader vote -- and also will receive critiques from such celebrity judges as "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau, "Pearls Before Swine" creator Stephan Pastis, Jerry Scott (creator of "Zits" and "Baby Blues") and "Cul de Sac" creator Richard Thompson, as well as Post political cartoonist Tom Toles and Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten (co-creator of the comic "Barney & Clyde"). And the winner's work will be published for a month -- in print and online -- in The Post.

The contest will be hosted by The Post's Michael Cavna [yours truly] on his cartoon blog, "COMIC RIFFS" [again, at your service], where you will find more information. And a Post jury will cull the entries to 10 finalists. For full rules, voting and directions for uploading entries, go to the contest site: "AMERICA'S NEXT GREAT CARTOONIST."

So sharpen your pencils, sharpen your comic minds -- and draw for a chance to be crowned America's next great cartoonist.

There -- any questions? Please feel free to post them in the Comments field below; or to e-mail us at: comicriffs@washpost.com.

So watch this space regularly as this contest unfolds. And for those who plan to enter: Good luck!

Sound familiar? The offers of national exposure... celebrity judges... reader voting...

Why, the Washington Post has a big, ol' vat of success and they're going to slather it all over one, lucky recipient. And it could be you.

Enough preamble. Let's check out those terms and conditions, shall we?

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Color Schemer

If you're like me, you feel completely awkward when it comes to adding color to your comic. After all, finding two hues that harmonize is difficult. But harmonizing enough colors to make a pleasing scene? That's a color-theory challenge that has eluded me for almost a decade. It doesn't help to read about the old-time animation colorists who point out that sometimes they'd use purple for a tree trunk because it made the scene better.

When I start trying to turn tree trunks purple, I know I'm in over my head.

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Interview for AOL Small Business

AOL Small Business interviewed Chris Onstad, Matthew Inman and me for a story about how webcartoonists are making a living.

"We cartoonists are pretty pragmatic creatures," says Brad Guigar, proprietor of Webcomics.com (www.webcomics.com), a professional membership organization, and creator of several online comics, including Evil Inc. (www.evil-comic.com/). "When the syndication/publishing route failed to yield a significant profit, many of us turned to self publishing on the Web and found out we could use the developing technology to replace the old print-based delivery systems. Heck, many of us found we could do better financially [self-publishing] than by trying to move through syndication publishing channels."

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Friday Archive Dive: What About Long Form Comics?

 Today's Archive Dive takes us to January 27, 2009, when we discussed how much of the general discussion here at Webcomics.com can be directly applied to long-form comics on the Web.

Evidently, it's all in the translation. As part of the comments to an earlier post about the webcomics-related panels at New York Comic Con, Scott wrote:

I know that so far the most successful webcomics have been the gag-a-day strips, but I wish there could be more representation for long-form comics stories. The new Diamond rules are going to drive many long-form creators to the web, and I think we could all benefit from some discussion specific to our situation.

That's a topic that we've heard before, as people have commented on the How To Make Webcomics book and our Webcomics Weekly podcast. And now that it's appearing here at Webcomics.com, I'd like to take an opportunity to share some thoughts. Although much of the talk and advice presented here -- by us and submitted to us -- tends to center around humor comic strips, every bit of the information we're sharing can be easily and logically extrapolated to a long-form comic being published on the Web (regardless of whether it's humor or drama). For example, some of the central keys to webcomics success that have been identified include the following...

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