What Did I Learn?

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Lab Bratz by Ed Dunphy and Max Velati.

What is the first thing that strikes you about Lab Bratz? First it's the expressions of the characters and then you appreciate the dialogue. Next you find yourself reading each comic and looking a little closer at the environments. Taken as a whole, I found it pretty amusing with certain bits (like wisecracking lab mice) standing out as very funny. And from what I gather on the 'News' page, they're actually scientists that are creating the comic (or they at least work in science fields.) That helped me appreciate it more.

It also helps explain comic number one and two. I didn't get the joke on the first read through. I can easily see a lab assistant getting stuck counting drips into a beaker... what we non-scientists would call gopher work. The most unexciting and sleep inducing chores you can imagine. All in the name of science.

Lab Bratz is a great comic for the Academic and Sciences audience. It's custom made with its own in-jokes and common jargon which plays to the sense of identity its audience has. The last couple of reviews I've done have all had this quality and it's one I hope to emulate.

Interestingy, it's part of a Science Humor Net Ring. I had thought these rings were all pretty much defunct by now but this one seems to still be working. It's actually functioning like these web rings were supposed to. Related pages of content sharing visitors. Too bad there aren't more like it.

One nice thing about the characters is that they are just representative enough of certain stereotypes that they can be played to or against their type. It also broadens the reach somewhat. We all know people that are dirt poor and filthy rich, inexperienced and veteran, without social skills and wierd hobbies, so you don't have to be a research scientist to appreciate Lab Bratz. These are all people in your workplace and neighborhood.

One more interesting feature is the use of repeated comics with different jokes inserted. That's not only a time saver for the artist but it also creates a special expectation where you focus totally on the joke. Dinosaur Comics is another one that features this repetition. It's also a nice treat for your regular viewers as they are reminded of earlier comics they enjoyed. I may have to try this.

What did I learn?
Do you know who your audience is or who it could be? Are you encouraging some segment of your viewers by playing to their in-jokes and speech patterns? If so, are you then marketing your work in the places where it will be appreciated? Are there features or gimmicks that you can use to drum up interest in your work like you can see in Lab Bratz?

Next week's review: Dresden Codak.

Previous Reviews

Battlegate| Butterfly| Good Ship Chronicles| Evil, Inc.| Madscott| Jefbot| Chronicle| Sheldon| Stardrop| Theater Hopper| Knave| Lullaby| High Moon| Metadawn| Dead Days| PC Weenies| Ask Maridee | Tiny Folk | Gordian Algebra | Starslip Crisis | The Front | Coffee Time Comics | Patches | Little Creature | The Horrible Pirates | Serenity Tales | Crashlander | Girl Genius | This Is Me | Handle With Care | SuperFogeys | Copper | Eskimo Dave | Real Life | Chateau Wonderful | Count Your Sheep | Breakpoint City | Eeekeemo | Boxcar Astronaut | Zip and Li'l Bit | Wally & Osborne | Jump Leads | Dr. Sheep and the Aardvark | Station V3 | Dresden Codak | Lab Ratz | Toyzville | The Boids | Cow and Buffalo | Casey and Scotty | Just Outside | The Pretentious History of Everything | Tia's World | Quirks | Patrick Grey | For What It's Worth | The Sixth Dimension | Max and the Gorilla Goon Squad | Rainbow Orchid | Neko and Neko | Lions, Tigers and Bears | Spacequint | Lessons In Fire Safety | Corrupt Hardware | Enker's Tale | The Surreal Adventures of Edgar Allan Poo | A Rusty Life | You'll Have That | From the Margin | Jitterati

About These Reviews

I love comics and I'm always looking at how I can improve my own work by examining other creators' works. It's such a wildly diverse field that it's not advisable to make sweeping generalizations and ignore special circumstances and subjects.

There's a lot we can learn from one another. And while there are many forums where you might discuss this, I haven't found any lengthy discussion on what we can do to make our comics more successful. There are a few good books on the subject but the aspiring webcomic creator is forced to learn by sheer brute force practice how to adapt his/her personal style to the medium. This is not as efficient as it could be.

Also, there are literally thousands of webcomics but only a handful of places where you can find decent, regular reviews. The focus of my reviews will be on trying to determine what is positive, successful and worth emulating about each comic. You might even get hooked on a given comic you read about here.

You may also wonder where the 'criticism' is and where the negative things about the comics are pointed out. As a matter of fact, I did mention some dissappointing issues with layout and such in my initial reviews. I quickly came to the realization that it's easy for any viewer to know what they like and what they don't. I don't need to call extra attention to the negative. I have, on a few occasions, emailed a webcomic author with a few ideas for improvements but there's no need to make that information public.

I'm not trying to sugarcoat anything, mind you. I just wish to have an open discussion about what good comics do. Hopefully, more voices will join in.