Pull The Plug

Mar09
by T. Andrew on March 9, 2010 at 7:45 am
Chapter:

This comic was hard to make and publish, because the up-shod is admitting failure. I launched a podcast last spring after reading Podcasting for Dummies and figured, “I can do this”. I have the gear,  and I’ve always had a dream of being a DJ – albeit spinning records, not scratching them.

Lessons learned:

  • It Takes Two  -
    Going solo on a podcast is something not ordinarily done; even though some podcasts I’ve tried listening to overdo the in-jokes, silliness, and giggling – it seems another host to “play off” is the norm
  • Marketing -
    “If you build it, they will come”. No they won’t. Not without marketing and advertising. And I didn’t. So the traffic was always anemic.

Here’s a very recent webcomic by Chris Eliopoulos that – out of sheer coincidence – sums it up pretty well: Misery Loves Sherman.

To quote the great Rodney Dangerfield:

To give you an idea, the first time I quit comedy, nobody even knew I quit.

So, my first effort at podcasting is on indefinite hiatus. Here are podcasts I currently favor:

Webcomics Weekly by the authors of How to Make Webcomics. These guys have the clout to put the podcast on hiatus, and when they come back – people care.

The Lightbox – Illuminating Webcomics This one is a new favorite on the play-list. Straight-talking, no-nonsense tips from practicing webcomic artists Chris Flick and Matt Stout, hosted by Rob Chandler.

The Granddaddy of all: Art and Story with comics creators and teachers Jerzy Drozd and Mark Rudolph. I’m a big fan, and there’s a gem in every show.