Sex Sells

[dmh_3000]

So on my webcomic Living With Insanity, I've been making jokes based on my own attempts to get into doing comics full time. On the most recent page I made a joke about pandering to become popular:



And today, the website has had more hits than it has ever gotten before.

Now I don't plan to make a habit of doing this, but I will admit that the allure is very tempting. And hey, the previous artist never let the fan service get subtle. Whenever I said a woman was in a night gown, underwear or skimpily dressed, he always drew her naked, so it's not like I wouldn't be turning an all aged comic into porn all of a sudden, but I was hoping to not have to stoop to this level.

I wanted to get some opinions from other creators. When it comes to pandering, do you encourage it or discourage? And why? Because you like drawing/writing nude moments? Because you want to be known for more than sex? Or some other reason?

[Newt]

As a reader, I will say that not all nudity or sex in comics is pandering, and the difference is usually obvious.

If you look at, say, Love and Rockets, there's way more X-rated stuff than in any mainstream comic, but it's part of the stories and part of the overall theme of the comic. Some comics, though, seem to throw in that sort of stuff as a gimmick with little or no relation to the rest of the comic. I'm inclined to dislike the gimmicky stuff, but other readers may not care.

As a creator...well, I can't say much, because I'm not much of one. I am gestating a story based on Greek mythology, which puts me in a quandary. Mythology is very attractive to "young adult" readers. It's also very violent and sexual. These facts are probably related, but they pose a problem regarding how graphic and explicit I should be.

The other, more personal factor for me is my own squeamishness, not about depicting sex, but about letting others know I am depicting sex. Do I want to make comics that I hope my family and coworkers will never read? I dunno.

[fritzthefox]

Sex sells, without a doubt. The real question is whether or not you want to attract young males in search of endorphins, or readers who are interested in what you have to say?

[CHWolf]

All I know is that you should edit in your actual stats for the last panel.

[Magnus]

I have been wondering if there actually is any story in Zenescope's books, or is there just pictures?


:M:
www.magnus-aspli.com

[rendergee]

Originally Posted by Magnus

I have been wondering if there actually is any story in Zenescope's books, or is there just pictures?


:M:
www.magnus-aspli.com

They are actually covers only, the story inside barely touches the content showed in the cover and they artist are usually less experienced than the cover artists. Hey that's an old formula that still works, Big Name Cover+fairy tales+T&A = Fame and Money.

[dmh_3000]

Originally Posted by rendergee

They are actually covers only, the story inside barely touches the content showed in the cover and they artist are usually less experienced than the cover artists. Hey that's an old formula that still works, Big Name Cover+fairy tales+T&A = Fame and Money.

They actually go full nudity on some of their con-exclusive books.

[Magnus]

Sorta like the Hooters of comics?

Picked up a girl at Hooters once, actually...

Carry on.


:M:
www.magnus-aspli.com