Blank It Comics

Listen (I say that to make sure you’re paying attention), all webcomic sites are poorly designed for one specific reason. No, it’s not because of the fold. Listen (remember, when I said that before?).

To travel through the archives of a webcomic, you need a “next” button and a “previous” button. That way, you can travel back one strip if you missed it, or travel forward from a point with ease.

What you do not need is a button to the very first strip ever made prominently displayed on every single page. You don’t need it! How many times in your life have you clicked that “first comic” arrow on purpose? It should only be once! So, why is it wasting space on every single page of your site?

I know we’re fighting convention here. And I know it’s confusing. We’re up against a decade of bad design here. On the Blank It front page, in big friendly letters to the right of the “previous” button, we have a link that says “Lost? Click here to start from the beginning.” And that’s it. It isn’t there on every page of the archives. It’s right there on the landing page, for your convenience.

And if you really really really need to get to the beginning from another page, there’s a small “first comic” link in the left hand gutter on every page.

But you don’t need a “first comic” button right next to your “previous” button on every page. Who decided this? Where are they now? Rolling in their button money, I bet. Just a tool of the button conspiracy.

So let’s change it up. Let’s get rid of these extra buttons that nobody needs. We can do it together! Webcomic artists, this is a movement. Let’s join together and finally eliminate these lumbering dinosaurs of navigation.

Phorums? That’s not how you spell “forums” at all, but no matter. We have some forums, and they are sparsely populated. Like we’re expanding west into a land of sod houses and big woods. What we need are some colorful characters, maybe a troll or two, and some lurkers. You know, the forum essentials.

So here is this post, for those of you who hate clicking on the top navigation bar. You can find the forums by clicking on any of the forum links I have put in this post. Phorum. I mean, forum. For who? For U! M.

Last week, Lem informed me that I should write something here. Now, at the end of this week, I have gotten around to it! Now let’s talk about yesterday.

Yesterday I wrote Lem an email with details on where our story and characters are going next. It’s contains nothing we’ve ever discussed, it was oddly specific, and you would assume I was on drugs if you were reading it. But you know what? I’m way too paranoid to take drugs. Stop assuming.

I’m pretty excited about where everything is going. But you might ask yourself, where do you keep all your drugs? Listen, there are no drugs. Here, I will detail my thinking process and where I come up with my ideas.

Really, there isn’t much detail. Most ideas clear from the mist of my brain while in the shower or driving. In the shower, all washing suddenly stops. My eyes kind of clear out and I stare blankly at the floor until the idea grows some defined edges. While driving, a CD needs to be playing. I can’t have a DJ yacking when something is taking shape. It also helps to be leaving work. My suffocating creativity likes to kick it into high gear after the cubical is left behind.

There is your (un)interesting peak behind the magic. I’ve seen so many hands cut off in the shower, it isn’t funny.

Maybe it’s a little funny.

The Blank It gang (all two of us (can two people be a gang?)) has been all over the place in recent weeks.

For one, we went to Fallcon and met a lot of comic fans and creators. It was a great time. I know I should be listing a lot of names of people we met and their websites, but this is an off the cuff post. I would need to go back to my records for anything so in depth. At any rate, thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth. Meeting smiling faces was nice.

Secondly, Lem and I participated in the Teen Read Week at the St. Paul public library. By “participate,” I mean we were on a panel with a handful of comic artists and writers. Lem took charge. I clammed up. It was weird. Overall, it was nice to talk to teens interested in creating comics. Or talk at them. It was a panel, after all. Everyone on the panel was…I keep saying “nice” and “great.” Everyone on the panel was super to meet. Meh, that’ll work for now.

What is our next event? Dunno. I guess we’ll continue to work hard making a comic for the internet. There is some crazy stuff coming up. Continue to spread the word of Blank It to your friends and family. And feel free to email us. We’re happy to chat.

I told Lem I’d write something here today. I have written other failed posts which were either too detailed or too inane for viewing. I will attempt to split the difference and see if that helps. I will also try to start a sentence without “I.”

We (hooray) are, roughly, at the halfway point of our “2,000 daily readers” goal. Only 1,000 more daily readers before we start publishing Blank It three days a week. That’s 50% more nonsense per week! If that isn’t incentive, I don’t know what is. Actually, I do know what other incentives would be. But they are illegal. I’m just saying, I’m not a dummy who can’t think of other incentives.

There, a short and beautiful post. Marvel at the meandering conciseness!