Are you ever sitting there, working on your comic like a good little boy or girl when someone comes up to you and says, “what's that” and you go “my comic” and they go “let me have a look” and you go “sure” and then after a short pause they say “I don't get it”. What does this do to you? Do you think that this is a fair comment and it shows that you need to work on your comic some more, or do you just think that person is a moron?

Depends on who the person is.

Well, are people supposed to get it? If it's meant to be entirely surreal/ absurd/ nonsensical, then I reckon that's par for the course. If not, then it might mean you're not communicating your point effectively. I tend to take all feedback seriously. I don't mind if they don't think I'm funny. But if they don't even know what I'm tryin' to say, then that's a problem.

But it also might be because they're a moron. That's been known to happen, too.

Most people that don't actually take the time to read my comic, of course, won't understand it.

The people I show it to in real life mostly don't understand it either, simply because it takes a little bit of thinking to put the pieces together. Even though it's not that hard lol!

But, it's all good.

To be honest if one person having never read your comic and have not heard a single thing about it arent likely to understand a random strip pulled out of it especially if its in the middle of a story or action sequence or dialogue, with most comics you need to start at the beginning so i wouldnt worry too much, Ryus krew isnt surreal but it's not a comic you can just jump into i dont think

Saillestraife
To be honest if one person having never read your comic and have not heard a single thing about it arent likely to understand a random strip pulled out of it especially if its in the middle of a story or action sequence or dialogue

Lemme say first that I think Pineapple's comic (in addition to bein' quite funny, IMHO)does make sense page to page.

Now I'm just talkin' rhetorical: I don't mean that one ought to be able to get the entire gist of your comic in a single strip or page; I mean more that it's troublesome when Joe Schmoe off the street takes a look at a page, and can't tell what the characters are supposed to be doing or saying. They don't need to be able to understand the entire story, just what's happening on that particular page. Or else they won't keep reading. :)

I would ask why and if their reasons for not understanding something were valid, I would go back and change it.

Feedback is important, Prank bring a good point because asking questions is the best way to get a complete feedback, not just a part of it like “ I don't get it ”.

Hyena H_ll

Saillestraife
To be honest if one person having never read your comic and have not heard a single thing about it arent likely to understand a random strip pulled out of it especially if its in the middle of a story or action sequence or dialogue

Lemme say first that I think Pineapple's comic (in addition to bein' quite funny, IMHO)does make sense page to page.

Now I'm just talkin' rhetorical: I don't mean that one ought to be able to get the entire gist of your comic in a single strip or page; I mean more that it's troublesome when Joe Schmoe off the street takes a look at a page, and can't tell what the characters are supposed to be doing or saying. They don't need to be able to understand the entire story, just what's happening on that particular page. Or else they won't keep reading. :)

Naw, thank you. Now I feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

I think a lot of the time it has to do with your sort of humor and what you think is funny. What I think is funny, (while you might understand the joke), you may not think it is funny. Everybody thinks differently. I also think that to some degree intelligence is required when reading a comic. Although I know that mine is pretty basic, it does get a bit complicated when it comes to talking about the different mythologies. I'm sure other people have this problem, if not understanding a joke, then understanding the comic in general.

erm, i think your comic is very good pinapple unfortunatley i was referring to Ryus Krew, Ryuthehedgewolfs comic, sorry I should have qouted him!

Now i feel bad!

well, i've kinda gotten used to people saying that about Putrid Meat. at least people that are reading for the first time. it'll kinda bother me for a second but i stand back and look at the way i write it and realize that's just kinda of the way it goes.
i think a lot of more episodic stories go that way, especialy the long running ones. the situations a character goes through tend to evolve more and could stray ALOT from the original story arch.it gets harder to describe a story by saying “it's about this character trying to do this.” and i think when it gets hard to do that, it confuses people. and Heyena's gotta good point, it's pretty impossible to tell what's going on in a comic judging from a few pages.

I know what your talking about. I do most my drawing at work, because I don't like to do real work their it just pisses me off. People are always wanting to see my new comic then when I show it to them they say they don't get it or tell me I should have the cow doing something else. Bugs the hell out of me. Luckily I draw my comic for me and the 5 people who read it. My sense of humor is warped and demented and my therapist says no really understands me. But she will try and understand for 20 dollars a visit 3 times a week. Jk

machinehead
But she will try and understand for 20 dollars a visit 3 times a week. Jk

$20 a visit!?! Man, you must have the best health insurance ever!

nah, he just pays some bum in the alley, i know cuase i see the same guy, right machine?

I think some people just have aptitudes that allow them to grasp certain topics, concepts, and ideas better. It's harder for them to leave their area of expertise or comfort.

Of course, some people are just lazy in the brain and want things spoon fed to them.

Thankfully, most of the people who've looked over my comic with me present have found it funny. Then again, I've only shown it to people who have very similar mindset as me.

PIT_FACE
nah, he just pays some bum in the alley, i know cuase i see the same guy, right machine?

Wait, you go to Skidmark Sam too? For a homeless guy he is very inciteful. People who crap their pants usually arn't that judgemental.

That's why I always lock the doors and put my window shades down giving the impression that I'm doing something far more incriminating than a wacky ol' strip.

And if someone somehow stumbles upon my comic and asks, “What's that?” I simply reply with a phrase that has ended all conversations since the dawn of time… “Your mom!”

I've had that comment on Gelotology before, and I'm honestly fine with it. Some of the strips have specific references that only people with science backgrounds will “get.”

I test my comic concepts (before I draw them) out on my parents and my sister. If it doesn't work, I'll alter it as I see fit. I also try to view Gelotology from a non-science perspective and try to make the strips enjoyable on a few levels. If they aren't, it doesn't bother me. I just do a more generalized strip for the next week so that those readers have something to enjoy too.

Prank
I would ask why and if their reasons for not understanding something were valid, I would go back and change it.

This is what I do. If someone mentions something that doesn't work, I engage it into a conversation to find out exactly what's not making it work. I then keep it in mind and try to fix it when continuing the comic series.

I actually show my comics to my husband before I post it. If he laughs, then I know it's worth posting. If he looks at me funny, I try again. He's like my own personal focus group. I love discussing joke ideas with him, too.

lastcall
I actually show my comics to my husband before I post it. If he laughs, then I know it's worth posting. If he looks at me funny, I try again. He's like my own personal focus group. I love discussing joke ideas with him, too.

THAT is a beautiful thing and makes me smile ^___^

machinehead

PIT_FACE
nah, he just pays some bum in the alley, i know cuase i see the same guy, right machine?

Wait, you go to Skidmark Sam too? For a homeless guy he is very inciteful. People who crap their pants usually arn't that judgemental.

did'ja know he's a fortune teller too? he told me i was gonna have a pool and then he spit in my hand, so now i think i have Anthrax.

Since I don't write “funnies”, I don't really bother testing jokes on others (they're usually spontaneous things that just pop up as I write. If htey work, great, an extra feature), but I try to pay attention to storytelling. It's important that every panel, page, pose, angle etc. convey exactly what I want them to. Not necessarily drawn perfectly, but telling what I want it to tell.

Overall, other than a scene or three, I didn't have any problems with that so far.

Couldn't really say since I avoid drawing attention to myself.

But if I get the odd ‘I don’t get it' comment I'll likely ask why.

It hasn't happened to me before.

PIT_FACE

machinehead

PIT_FACE
nah, he just pays some bum in the alley, i know cuase i see the same guy, right machine?

Wait, you go to Skidmark Sam too? For a homeless guy he is very inciteful. People who crap their pants usually arn't that judgemental.

did'ja know he's a fortune teller too? he told me i was gonna have a pool and then he spit in my hand, so now i think i have Anthrax.

Oh well he made me do some other things, some dirty dirty things I don't want to talk about except in therapy. But at least that explains my herpes.

If someone wants to see my comic I try to find one that's easy to understand. I don't give them ones with character jokes or one in the middle of an arc. That's why, a lot of the time if they don't get the joke, I think they're a little bit thick.

machinehead

PIT_FACE

machinehead

PIT_FACE
nah, he just pays some bum in the alley, i know cuase i see the same guy, right machine?

Wait, you go to Skidmark Sam too? For a homeless guy he is very inciteful. People who crap their pants usually arn't that judgemental.

did'ja know he's a fortune teller too? he told me i was gonna have a pool and then he spit in my hand, so now i think i have Anthrax.

Oh well he made me do some other things, some dirty dirty things I don't want to talk about except in therapy. But at least that explains my herpes.

self traumatizing therapy, now THERE'S a million dollar idea.

i don't show my comics to anybody in the real world ! half the time i don't even look at them when they are finished

lothar
i don't show my comics to anybody in the real world ! half the time i don't even look at them when they are finished

I look at my own comic, but same with lothar, I don't show my comic to anyone. I feel like you have to be a comic person to “get it” anyway, which is something hardly any of my friends are (some are though!).