Is This Bitcoin Weekly Comic Crap?

[kiba]

As long as you enjoy doing them, keep'em coming, even if people think it's crap.

Appreciation is nice, but I would like to gather feedback and reasons why some of my comic fail.

[1714151309]

1714151309

[elggawf]

While I won't be near as mean about it as Synaptic and others have been - you really do need to come up with storylines that don't just amount to giant pats on the back, or circle-jerking about the future uses of it. My only problem with that (and where the "constructive" part of my criticism ends) is that I honestly have no idea what you could make a comic about Bitcoin that doesn't involve either patting one's own back or circle-jerking.

Maybe something more technical, explaining how the things work? I think it was your site that had the "eat this carrot" comic which was getting towards what I think would be useful. I guess it's tough to do - explain an aspect of Bitcoin in 6~12 frames, but honestly squirrels dropping bombs on windmills made of fiat currency isn't really helping anything (unless you're speculating on the number of times in a day people will say "what the fuck?") regardless of how awesome the frame with Gavin riding the Alpaca is for those of us in on the joke.

[ottodv]

Not funny:
http://www.bitcoinweekly.com/comics/the-gavinator
http://www.bitcoinweekly.com/comics/bitcoin-mascots

Nearly:
http://www.bitcoinweekly.com/comics/bitcoin-rate
(Didn't quite work, but I feel it could have worked maybe with a different ending).

Funny:
http://www.bitcoinweekly.com/comics/bitsquirrel
(The only one that made me laugh a bit).

[kiba]

While I won't be near as mean about it as Synaptic and others have been - you really do need to come up with storylines that don't just amount to giant pats on the back, or circle-jerking about the future uses of it. My only problem with that (and where the "constructive" part of my criticism ends) is that I honestly have no idea what you could make a comic about Bitcoin that doesn't involve either patting one's own back or circle-jerking.

I should note that bitsquirrel seem to be received well. I think it's a good comic. Also, Joey D's Bitcoin Mascot is also well received. But it's mostly more miss than hit.

Making funny comics is really hard.

Maybe something more technical, explaining how the things work? I think it was your site that had the "eat this carrot" comic which was getting towards what I think would be useful. I guess it's tough to do - explain an aspect of Bitcoin in 6~12 frames, but honestly squirrels dropping bombs on windmills made of fiat currency isn't really helping anything (unless you're speculating on the number of times in a day people will say "what the fuck?") regardless of how awesome the frame with Gavin riding the Alpaca is for those of us in on the joke.

Yes, this seems to be a good pivot. It also works with Bitcoin Weekly's strength which is to be a non-sensationalist essay-driven site.

Even so, what I might implement for the funny comics is the ability to iterate and the ability for audience to give feedback on how funny it is. That way we can keep trying and see which one succeed.

[kiba]

Not funny:
http://www.bitcoinweekly.com/comics/the-gavinator
http://www.bitcoinweekly.com/comics/bitcoin-mascots

Ok. Some people find the bitcoin mascot funny. Reddit likes it.

The Gavinator definitely didn't work well.

Nearly:
http://www.bitcoinweekly.com/comics/bitcoin-rate
(Didn't quite work, but I feel it could have worked maybe with a different ending).

Perhaps, it would be better if the rate goes down.

Funny:
http://www.bitcoinweekly.com/comics/bitsquirrel
(The only one that made me laugh a bit).

I wonder if it would works better without the speech bubble.

[kiba]

Thanks for your feedbacks, guys.

I believe I got two improtant lessons or ideas to try out of this:

0. Avoid false laughter. That's the lesson I got before coming into this thread. Basically, don't aim for the obvious and avoid tired cilche like laughing at the expense of the enemy. Instead make comics that make people laugh even if they were the enemy.

1. This is a new lesson: Implement a rating system and a way to iterate comics. This may increase the cost of maintaining a cartoonist but it could lead to funny comics.

2. Lean on Bitcoin Weekly's strength. Bitcoin Weekly generated interesting technical and economic essays that explore the depth of the bitcoin world. That should also apply to our comics as well.

[Synaptic]

Thanks for your feedbacks, guys.

I believe I got two improtant lessons or ideas to try out of this:

0. Avoid false laughter. That's the lesson I got before coming into this thread. Basically, don't aim for the obvious and avoid tired cilche like laughing at the expense of the enemy. Instead make comics that make people laugh even if they were the enemy.

1. This is a new lesson: Implement a rating system and a way to iterate comics. This may increase the cost of maintaining a cartoonist but it could lead to funny comics.

2. Lean on Bitcoin Weekly's strength. Bitcoin Weekly generated interesting technical and economic essays that explore the depth of the bitcoin world. That should also apply to our comics as well.

Excellent, can your thread be deleted now?

[Raoul Duke]

If you want quality you can start by dumping that shitty self-made script you use for the website and install wordpress(or joomla, or drupal, or) on the server.
Next, get a free theme for you chosen script, i'm sure even the shitiest free theme is better that what you have there.
Next, dump disqus, enough datamining, k?
Last, get someone that knows what a joke is to write the text for the comics.

Was this constructive enough, or are you just going to tell me to GTFO like you did to everybody else?

[kiba]

If you want quality you can start by dumping that shitty self-made script you use for the website and install wordpress(or joomla, or drupal, or) on the server.
Next, get a free theme for you chosen script, i'm sure even the shitiest free theme is better that what you have there.

That have nothing to do with content or the quality of the comics. You just hate the site's look. I agree that the site can be improved and that there are many things to improve in the software, but I am not throwing out the editing process that was core to how Bitcoin Weekly works.

Stylistic improvement can be done easily enough with rails. I just need to get my ass to it.

Next, dump disqus, enough datamining, k?

Meh. I like it. Don't want to maintain a commenting system. Though who care about privacy are already blocking it.

Last, get someone that knows what a joke is to write the text for the comics.

Where would I get this legendary writer? I bet all of them are writing their funny and hilarious comics.

Was this constructive enough, or are you just going to tell me to GTFO like you did to everybody else?

Most of the criticism have nothing to do with the comics.

[Alex Beckenham]

This one amuses me: http://z1x.dk/2011/06/the-bitcoin-comic-002/

[ottodv]

Off-topic: I'd favor dumping disqus. That's a service that tracks you over multiple sites (all those that use it).

On-topic: I feel the comics should have some jokes about ourselves. More introspection.

[kiba]

Off-topic: I'd favor dumping disqus. That's a service that tracks you over multiple sites (all those that use it).

Obviously, there's privacy issue just like google collecting large amount of information about you.

I am not sure how to approach this, except the fact that I would need to export the comments, if at all possible and convert them to the database at bitcoin weekly.

I need to think about the privacy issue a bit more before deciding what's the best course of action.

On-topic: I feel the comics should have some jokes about ourselves. More introspection.

So comics should make recursive jokes about themsleves. I keep that in mind.

[Anonymous]

Kiba wasnt the originator of "the gavinator" term the credit goes to shazow.

http://media.witcoin.com/p/1365/The-GAVINATOR

[RchGrav]

Excellent, can your thread be deleted now?

If you ever eat breakfast with this guy, don't turn your back on him for a second.

He would probably take a crap in your cornflakes.

[Synaptic]

Excellent, can your thread be deleted now?

If you ever eat breakfast with this guy, don't turn your back on him for a second.

He would probably take a crap in your cornflakes.

RELEVANT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I66aySW4le8

[kiba]

Kiba wasnt the originator of "the gavinator" term the credit goes to shazow.

http://media.witcoin.com/p/1365/The-GAVINATOR

I just wrote the joke. I didn't make the character or the money windmill. Obviously bitsquirrel is an invention of Joey D. Though, I applied a modification of bitsquirrel that make them gliding squirrels.

You are free to reuse them as you like. They're public domain.

[mmdough]

Kiba wasnt the originator of "the gavinator" term the credit goes to shazow.

http://media.witcoin.com/p/1365/The-GAVINATOR

I just wrote the joke. I didn't make the character or the money windmill. Obviously bitsquirrel is an invention of Joey D. Though, I applied a modification of bitsquirrel that make them gliding squirrels.

You are free to reuse them as you like. They're public domain.

I made the money windmill, and I was tickled that you wanted to use it. That said, I don't think it worked well in a comic, and here's why:

Symbols and memes are everywhere on the internet, and they mainly work well because they pack a whole lot of information into an immediately recognizable and portable package. The symbol is already the punchline.

You can make comics which use these symbols, but they're bound to end up seeming weak, because they don't have any particular reason to exist. If we recognize the symbols and smile at them, we don't need a comic to remind us of it-- you can just show us the symbol and we'll smile. If you can show us a very original story, or character, or ironic situation, and incorporate a symbol into that, we'll fall out of our chairs. But if you rely on the symbols to carry the weight, it'll fall flat, even on those who understand what the symbol means.

When you're writing jokes for an in-group, you're bound to come up with a lot of crappy jokes for this reason.

My advice (FWIW) would be to not worry so much about making jokes about bitcoins, and focus on making jokes that people who like bitcoins would find funny. If you can make a few nods to the bitcoin community in the process, all the better-- but bitcoin itself isn't that funny.

Also, PS, Synaptic: you're a huge douche. Fuck you bloody with a sharp stick.

[Synaptic]

Kiba wasnt the originator of "the gavinator" term the credit goes to shazow.

http://media.witcoin.com/p/1365/The-GAVINATOR

I just wrote the joke. I didn't make the character or the money windmill. Obviously bitsquirrel is an invention of Joey D. Though, I applied a modification of bitsquirrel that make them gliding squirrels.

You are free to reuse them as you like. They're public domain.

I made the money windmill, and I was tickled that you wanted to use it. That said, I don't think it worked well in a comic, and here's why:

Symbols and memes are everywhere on the internet, and they mainly work well because they pack a whole lot of information into an immediately recognizable and portable package. The symbol is already the punchline.

You can make comics which use these symbols, but they're bound to end up seeming weak, because they don't have any particular reason to exist. If we recognize the symbols and smile at them, we don't need a comic to remind us of it-- you can just show us the symbol and we'll smile. If you can show us a very original story, or character, or ironic situation, and incorporate a symbol into that, we'll fall out of our chairs. But if you rely on the symbols to carry the weight, it'll fall flat, even on those who understand what the symbol means.

When you're writing jokes for an in-group, you're bound to come up with a lot of crappy jokes for this reason.

My advice (FWIW) would be to not worry so much about making jokes about bitcoins, and focus on making jokes that people who like bitcoins would find funny. If you can make a few nods to the bitcoin community in the process, all the better-- but bitcoin itself isn't that funny.

Also, PS, Synaptic: you're a huge douche. Fuck you bloody with a sharp stick.

Y'know one of the things I've learned since interacting with Internet regulars, including personal friends, is that those who use the epithet "douche" are usually prime specimens.

It just seems as though people who use the classics like "dick-head" or the time honored "asshole" are just of a higher caliber of person than those who use "douche."  I mean truly, calling someone a douche is well...kind of goes right along with the personalities that most people consider..."douchebags."

"Douche" is just that sniveling, moist, flabby, pathetic choice of an insult. Like, the insult of choice among...lower people.

Anyway...I mean this is obviously non-topical, but since you paid me the distinct delight of the insult I'd thought I'd share that small semblance of an epiphany with you.

[mmdough]

I didn't call you a douche. I called you a huge douche.

Huge difference.

[error]

I laughed at Bitsquirrel. The rest, not so much. Of course, I understood Bitsquirrel, and someone who hasn't been involved with Bitcoin for several months might not get it.

I guess the best advice I can give is to make the comic accessible to people who aren't as familiar with Bitcoin.