So, I did something dumb.
I’ve been working really, really hard on MC of late. I’ve always worked hard on it, but lately I’ve worked even harder.
I’ve been trying to make the story more interesting, I’ve been creating more new characters and new places in MONSTRU that we’ve never seen before, and I’ve been spending more and more time on the art.
With all of this work, I’ve been trying to find a larger audience for MC. It’s not that I don’t appreciate you early adopters (because I do) but having more readers = more opportunity and success for our business. Advertising revenue goes up, and more folks get turned onto what I’m doing here.
I’ve posted MC strips on some steampunk forums (who tend to read a LOT of pages) and daily on Facebook, on Twitter, on Stumbledupon, and Reddit.
But here’s where I got myself into greedy trouble: I’m a member of a private forum for webcomic creators, and we had a thread where we upvoted comics that we liked, and they could upvote our comics too.
In effect, we cheated. (Even though the number of upvotes that members gave each other was pretty minor. 1-3 votes per day, by my figures.) Our page views and visitation went up, and more people saw our work. Maybe even a few of you found us that way.
This isn’t exactly kosher in the Reddit community. Somebody posted this on Reddit, and it’s caused a shitestorm of hate over there. People are calling for our heads, and generally considering us douche-heads.
And I stand out as one of the larger assweeds.
Why?
Most folks in that thread that post comics 2-3 days a week. But I post a Monster Commute comic 5 days a week.
SO, if you’re looking at the reddit thread you’re seeing MonsterCommute.com listed over and over again. (Once per each day of the week.)
So, I’m kind of embarrassed. I really haven’t done anything like that before, but I was tempted to see if there were other ways for me to show off my work to more folks.
I got greedy. I got impatient. I was dumb.
I won’t be tempted to do it any more.
Instead, I need to focus on making a better comic; one worth talking about.
- Daniel
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Err… I still don’t get it. Some one should tell the internet to relax.
uhh, I hate to nit-pick but isn’t it “And then there was light.” Of course you might want to steer clear from bible verses. Don’t mind me, just doing my little part to help
I’ll admit, I’m not even really sure what all that you wrote meant (I don’t much use sites like Reddit, except if a friend of mine points me that way for a specific item), but keep firmly in mind that it’s just the internet. For every person calling for your head, there are 100 people who didn’t bother to read the thread, they just clicked through to the link. They’ll forget all about it after that next LOLCAT or Double Rainbow hits. Besides, as Ford Prefect said, “#@*% ‘em. You can’t care about every damn thing.” and as J.R. Bob Dobbs has been known to say, “#@*% ‘em if they can’t take a joke.”
You do excellent work here. Don’t be embarrassed to toot your own horn, and don’t beat yourself up for crossing the line. As long as we learn from our mistakes and don’t repeat them, that is enough.
Well, I’m just admitting a mistake; something that I probably should have just left alone, that’s all.
I seconds that.
Hey, you’re trying to get this to a point where it’ll support you and yours…
All’s fair in love, war, & business after all.
By the way, now I have to start digging in the junk bin, I think I have the bits necessary to build a Teslan Torch, Tony Oni be damned!
Yeah, a hand-made (real) Teslan Torch would be fabulous!!!
Could just be the MC fan in me talking…
but I think it’s ridiculous that you are – in effect – being chastised for putting out more quality strips than the ‘competition.’
Let the other artists step up and try to put out a gorgeous strip more than one, two, or maybe three times a week.
In short, keep up the good work, we’ve got your back.
Well, I think that the hate has cooled off some, at least.
I like the rays-of-light effect. Quite sophisticated (for OniOni). Who would have thought that in his dark heart he has the power to bring forth the light of Tesla?
wrt reddit: this too shall pass, but MC will remain
– just get the furnace goblins to shovel the shit into the steam crow’s ever hungry engine after the storm has passed.
Well, if money really equals power, then Toni Oni has it in spades.