Bored Panda reached out to Xibang again to find out more about his work and recent creations. First, we asked what are some of the most rewarding aspects of being a comic artist, and what keeps him motivated to continue creating. The artist told us: “I find engaging people very rewarding, so as long as my comics get a response, I'm encouraged to keep creating. It's nice to see your work being accepted by strangers all over the world, even if they crop your name out sometimes. But that's the internet.”
Next, we were wondering how Xibang’s art style has evolved over time, and what factors influenced these changes. We learned that: “I think my art style has become slightly more minimalistic? I've also attempted to make comics with more color. I grew up with black and white comics mostly, so making comics with color is out of my comfort zone. But a lot of my favorite webcomics are great colorists, so I try to push myself.”
Asked how he manages to balance the creative aspects of his work with the business side of things, such as marketing and promotion, Xibang shared with us: “Honestly, I'm really bad at this - that's why I call myself a hobbyist. The real professionals are better at reposting and gaming the social media system. I just draw comics and post them on every platform I have access to, and move on to the next thing. I rely on luck and the strength of the comic itself for it to spread. Early on I tried boosting my posts, but it felt pointless since I'm doing this mainly for fun. Also, I ended up with a bunch of bots following my page, which annoys me up till today.”
We also wanted to know the artist’s opinion about what makes a good comic, and what are some common mistakes that artists should avoid. Xibang explained: “In MY opinion, a good comic is anything that the artist enjoyed making for themselves. I think comics that copy and pander don't have much staying power, but that's just me. Some common mistakes in my opinion:
First, using unintelligible font for your text: even Comic Sans is better than fonts that are hard to read.
Secondly, too many colors: learn some color theory, or limit yourself to colors from one preset palette. Colors set a mood and can attract or repel an audience. That being said, some people have a unique and natural color sense, so if you like what you see, you do you!
Then, only posting on one website: just post on every image website you can, the communities are so separate you'll have some unique visitors on each site.
And finally, dwelling on your posts - whether or not a comic does well, move on to your next thing. Dwelling on how well or poorly your comic is received usually doesn't help inform your best work. Just make work you are happy with!”
At the end, we asked how the artist stays up to date with current trends and developments in the comic industry, and how he sees the industry evolving in the future. Xibang answered: “I don't really? But posting on different sites constantly does give you a sense of how things are going. I think we are going to see a lot of creators becoming more empowered to do their own thing, either through subscriber-based patronage or self publishing. A lot more niche comics will flourish due to the ease in which new communities can be formed around content. But also, it can make it hard to stand out as a comic creator. Just do your own thing, you are the only audience you have to please, the rest of the people are a bonus.”
