All Is Not Well In The Land Of Online Comic Strips
from the fight!--fight! dept
Who knew that the world of comics was such a disagreeable bunch? It seems that there's quite a debate raging about whether or not online comics are a "good thing" or a "bad thing" - which always strikes me as a ridiculous argument. It seems like quite a good mimic of just about any discussion that involves whether something that's moved online is "good" or "bad" - especially when artistic tastes are involved. The old line comic artists are complaining that the content online sucks and that (oh the horror!) they can "cheapen" the comics by adding such things as (gasp!) animation. I can't believe anyone takes these guys seriously.
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Self importance
For the most part, this is just so much verbal masturbation.
My feeling about the web comic is that they will have their own audience. Audiences who were reading these long and involved book comics and who sincerely want to keep reading them will do so, those who would rather read online comics will move there. Some people might even read both! No harm, no foul.
The problem with economic discussions about art is that you are trying to evaluate something in terms that are irrelevant to the core subject.
The purpose about art was never about making sure that any particular artist had enough of an income so that he could dedicate himself to his craft. Art was originally, and should still be, about the art. The pictures, the music, the words. Not about the money.
Yes, artists need money to survive. But artists need to accept that society is not obligated to provide a support mechanism.
I'm not saying that art is not important. It is. What I am saying is that the best art is produced by people who create for the sheer joy of creating. Those people who work all day and then come home and create at night, on their own time, with no expectation of economic reward. Yes, if there are enough people who want the art it might be possible to sell it and make money from it, but that shouldn't be the primary motivator.
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