Webcomic Beacon Podcast
This week the Webcomic Beacon has reached its first anniversary of production, though I am hesitant in using the term “production” considering the amateur quality of the podcast. Don’t get me wrong, I must applaud Fes, Tanya, and his other cohorts in putting out a weekly podcast that focus on webcomics and webcomic topics without missing a single week (though some of those weeks were, in Fes’s own words, spectacular failures). Unfortunately, the WB has not climbed out of its amateur roots and often strays off topic and into inanity. It often feels like Fes doesn’t have a significant plan in mind when each new podcast starts, and instead hopes that his guests will mention something that the podcast can focus on. When it doesn’t, listeners get to hear awkward silences and nervous giggles from co-host Tanya as Fes struggles to find a topic that gets a dialog started.
This is unfortunately a common trait among a number of amateur podcasts (and indeed, WB is better than a number of these hackneyed attempts at creating a podcast). At its roots, a podcast is much like the radio programs of old, such as the Larry Glick radio show from the 70s to early 90s. Glick’s show was eclectic and had an immense variety of content and discussions, something that a number of podcasts have attempted unsuccessfully to recapture. However, Glick did not always have an eclectic show, and he has his roots in traditional radio broadcasting. I remember a story Glick once told on how when he first started in radio, his show was random and fragmented and ended with his being fired. Afterward he focused on traditional radio broadcasting and only gradually evolved his show into the phenomenon it became. While I doubt many of my younger readers will know of Glick, other popular radio talk show hosts likewise have a firm foundation in traditional radio broadcasting which they in turn evolved into their current programs.
This is a lesson that podcasters should take to heart. Rather than start out quirky and random, podcasters should strive for a level of professionalism and then let their podcasts evolve and find its own voice. And professionalism can take several forms. One thing I’ve heard Fes complain about in WB is his hatred of editing the program. This is unfortunate as it is this editing and compacting of material that can help turn a mediocre podcast into something good. A combination of possessing a basic outline and sticking to it, having backup questions to ask guests so the podcast doesn’t devolve into awkward silences and random silliness, and editing out silences and errors in recording the podcast could turn the Webcomic Beacon into one of the better podcasts out there, and one that helps to showcase webcomics as a significant media deserving of attention and interest. What’s more, the WB could more effectively focus on topics that prove useful for cartoonists and fans alike. Without that extra effort, I can only recommend it as a curiosity to listen to if a topic catches the listener’s attention. Even then, the WB will be hit-or-miss in whether you’ll find gems hidden among the dross.
Just laying down a firebreak ahead of time because I can hear the one big complaint concerning this article: you don’t know how hard it is to do a podcast until you’ve done one yourself. And yes, that is true. I’ve researched podcasts and decided I did not have the time, money, or the voice to do a podcast. I have resisted the urging of friends of mine to do a podcast because I know it wouldn’t be up to what I consider to be professional standards. And I realized that the world doesn’t need another shoddy podcast (which mine would be if I created one).
That said, I do think that my suggestions and advice should be taken to heart. Just because podcasts can be difficult to do doesn’t mean that when you do one, you shouldn’t try to make it as professional as possible. The Beacon has potential that has been squandered out of a refusal to do editing of the program and laziness in not preparing a program ahead of time. These are elements that could easily be rectified with just a little bit of effort.
Rob H.
Though I agree The Webcomic Beacon has evolved since podcast #1, possibly loosing a bit of sheen along the way, I must admit I love the casual flavor and energetic conversation. Much like what I envision a group of friendly webcomic artists and fans would have sitting around someones kitchen table with a few beers. As a webcomic artist, I look forward to the weekly chats and insights for the inspiration and enthusiasm to keep going in a very difficult field. The Webcomic Beacon cheers me on, and I cheer them on in return.
Even so, I don’t see how basic editing and some preparation ahead of time would harm the WB, and indeed believe it would be a great benefit to the site. Professionalism doesn’t mean the product has to be dry and uninteresting. Instead, it just means a certain level of quality should be maintained.
Indeed, a small thing like having a checklist beside the computer so Fes could make sure his mike is on and that the show is being recorded could reduce the error factor that appears to be a regular problem with the program.
Rob H.
First off, Tanya is a Co-Host, not a Guest-Host ;)
Also the reason I stopped worrying about the editing is not because I hate it, but rather it takes up so much of my time. The show itself is about 60-90 minutes of recording. Editing requires listening to the whole show again, and running the programs for compiling the show takes up even more time, something a total of 30 minutes for program processes alone. Setting up the blog post and posting the news on certain forums easily takes up 30-60 minutes. Prep time for setting up a show, especially when I got specific guests on, could take another 30-60 minutes, not to mention time for waiting for e-mail replies. I once spent about 6 hours of work for a single show.
ANYway.
Podcasters do not *need* to strive to be professional. The Webcomic Beacon recieves no money (PW ads are nominal and are on several other sites), so it costs me everything to run except for hosting. Time is a major factor, and unless something really bad or big happens, I try to leave the whole show as is as we broadcast and record it live.
I could be more prepared, but to really have the time to really plan something good, I’d probablyt have to cut the show back to 2 times a month, instead of 4…. something I would really like to do to save me some stress.
The Webcomic Beacon is a “Labor of Love” as many would put it. Unless I’m going to start getting payment for doing the show, I can see myself sinking more time into the show. People that already listen love the laid back, “coffee table” type of discussions.
(side note: Again, Podcasters do not *need* to strive to be professional. Neither do any Webcomickers need to constantly push so hard to be better and better. Some people need to realize that there are hobbies and there are professions. Hobbyists are *not* required to live up to professional nor “elitist” standards.)
Still, and very decent review overall, and thanks for reviewing the show! As much as I know how to fix many of the flaws of the show, it’s just not practical at this time… not unless I enlist the aide of others. We’ll mention the review on the next show!
Well, sorry for ranting, but I guess I tend to be wordy.
Also, just to let people know, some better webcomic podcasts include “The Gigcast” and “Webcomics Weekly”.
I respectfully disagree. I feel that even labors of love, be they podcasts, webcomics, review sites, or what have you, should strive toward improvement over time. Indeed, many comics have improved as time goes on – look at your own comic’s artwork when you started, and what you are putting out now. No doubt while it might not be on the level of Mark Smylie’s Artesia or Phil and Kaja Foglio’s Girl Genius, it has still improved from those early strips. (Indeed, Girl Genius has improved over time as well, showing that even professional works can improve over time.)
I would be willing to say that between five and ten minutes of your podcast could be cut if you removed the awkward pauses and extraneous bits. I’d be willing to bet that if you spent 30 minutes before the podcast preparing questions and backup questions and e-mailing a basic overview of what you will be talking about to your guests, that a lot of those awkward pauses would vanish or become unnoticeable.
As for taking six hours on editing and preparing a single podcast… I’ve been there. I’ve had Meta Reviews that took 24+ hours of work rereading the comic, checking links, and writing and rewriting elements of the review before it was good enough to go up. (It’s one reason why Meta Reviews went from weekly to a couple times a year.) Tangents is a labor of love. But I want it to be something that helps readers and cartoonists, because as much as I love Tangents and writing reviews… I love the webcomic field more and want it to grow and improve.
That, and I’m nuts. ;)
As for your ranting… The Webcomic Beacon is your baby. If you didn’t love it enough to defend it… then you’d not be putting it out weekly for a whole year.
Take care,
Rob H.
The small increments of time you give in you example are nowhere near the actual amount of time it would actually take (and HAS taken). I have too many other projects (all of which are a source of financial drains and time drains). I’ve attempted things you have suggested. I’ve done these things several times… it’s such a time drain, especially waiting for e-mails from prospects.
I’ve seriously considered dropping to every other week just so I could have time to prepare better shows, or at least have more time to work on my other projects, as I have too many.
As far as improving, yes, everyone should strive to improve, but people can naturally improve, and should never be held to the expectations of others, to which is assumed typically by elitists and semi-professionals in the field. The Webcomic Beacon is an advocate of the hobby. Do what you want because you want to. Accept advice and crits as they come, but you don’t need to bend over backwards for anyone… Especially those that fiercely give negative crits merely for their own amusement and as a “schtick”. Of course “circle-jerking”, as they say, doesn’t improve anything either ;)
In any case, I do need to cut back on my project commitments so I can put more devotion into them, so they could be better.
It sounds like I’m making excuses, and quite possibly they are. But practically speaking, to improve ANY of my several projects, I need to eliminate… or reduce them in some way.
… Oh, and I gotta stop making more :/
I fixed the guest/co-host bit.
I sense you’re conflicted on this topic, Fes. What you might want to do is consider what you want the Webcomic Beacon to be. If you consider it a personal podcast that talks about webcomics and various things and you’re happy with it as it is, then there’s no need to listen to the advice I’ve offered.
However, if you want it to be an instrument that webcartoonists turn to in striving to improve their own comics and that various cartoonists turn to to talk about their own projects and aspirations, and if you’re unable to finagle your time management to keep up a weekly pace while instituting the changes suggested in valid criticisms, then reducing your update schedule for WB may be your best choice.
The problem is (and I speak from personal experience) that you risk not effectively utilizing that extra time and just letting things slide anyway. Inertia is very difficult to overcome; this is why hiatus is a death-knell for a number of webcomics.
The benefits of instituting the suggested changes is that the WB may very well become an effective and efficient instrument for cartoonists instead of a grab bag of the occasional gem and gravel.
As for negative criticism… there is no such a thing as bad criticism. The increased traffic from people visiting your site from a less-than-positive review is still added traffic you didn’t have before, and some of those people will stay on. It’s a reason why I am reluctant to do a negative review… people will visit the site out of curiosity, so why send the extra traffic their way when I dislike the comic? ^^
Rob H.
I used to spend an hour writing, then two to three hours recording and editing my little two-minute segments, Fes. I try to ensure that anything with my name on it is as good as I can make it.
But, then, I’m old enough to be haunted by the things I tried to float.
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