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by on April 28, 2024 at 4:54 pm
Posted In: Uncategorized

alepresser:

kbspangler:

Side Quested is parting ways with Webtoons AI is everywhere, and it shouldn’t be. Everywhere we turn, we find that art and text created by humans are now being replaced by programs called “Artificial Intelligence.” We have many thoughts on the investment and development of AI, as well as outcomes of use, but we’ll keep it brief: we will not participate in any venue which permits and promotes these programs. Webtoons, one of the platforms we use for Side Quested, has integrated AI programs into its comic development options. As the Webtoons platform has historically viewed its own living creators as little more than content-generation devices, we can’t say we’re surprised…but we are disappointed.ALT
Starting now, we no longer use Webtoons as a platform for Side Quested updates. We will leave this message up for 60 days as a notification to our readers. On May 20, 2024, we will remove Side Quested from WebtoonsALT
We don’t come to this decision lightly. If you’re reading this, you’ve set out with Charlie as she fought through the swamp…for that first meeting in the tower…for the story of love and adventure that we’ve just begun to tell. But we are telling this story, Ale Presser and KB Spangler, two people who believe that love and adventure are also part of comics as a whole. Comics are a craft in which writing and art improve through time and long practice, of putting your whole heart and mind into the process and learning as you go. We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t love the journey, and we hope that shows in the stories we tell. You don’t–you can’t–replace this with AI.ALT
The story continues at the Side Quested website, the Tapas app, and Patreon (choose the free subscription option if you are in a financial hard spot). Wishing you love and adventure, Ale and KB. ALT

This is the public statement from @alepresser and myself which went up at Webtoons tonight.

Now for some ranting. Just from me, not from Ale—she’s innocent of the art crimes I’ve committed in the past, and boy howdy have I committed art crimes.

Four poorly drawn black-and-white panels from AGAHFALT

This is the first page of my first webcomic, A Girl and Her Fed. I started this thing back in 2006. (I don’t actually need a head count of those reading this who weren’t yet born in 2006. I’m sure you’re delightful and I wish you well in college.)

A full-color full-page panel from AGAHF. It's got human figures with eyes and everything.ALT

And this is the last page I drew in early 2020 before I turned art duties over to Dr. Beer. It’s better, right?

Well, these days, A Girl and Her Fed has pages like this:

I drew this comic for fourteen fucking years because it’s a story I wanted to tell, and I thought webcomics were the perfect format for it. I didn’t know how to draw. I got better through sheer obstinate perseverance and sticking to deadlines as best I could for, again, fourteen fucking years. I sought out a replacement artist when I ran into time constraints and couldn’t do art plus writing anymore; I’m a much better writer than an artist, so I had no problems whatsoever kicking art to the curb.

The first time Ale sent me art that would go up on the website—art I hadn’t needed to draw myself—I literally cried in relief because I had been grinding myself down for, yet again, fourteen fucking years.

So when I read comments from people who say they want to make a webcomic but can’t draw themselves and therefore need to resort to AI, that little line between my eyes gets dangerously deep.

This isn’t like I’m some old dude who’s bitching over student loans getting cancelled after making regular payments. This is me, someone who threw raw art onto the internet like a monkey hurling fresh poo, because I wanted to make a webcomic and the art is part of the process of storytelling via webcomics! I could’ve (arguably should’ve) hired an artist right out of the gate, and that would’ve been part of the process of making comics, too: a partnership between an artist and a writer is also something which grows and develops over time.

For example, after Dr. Beer and I spent two years working on AGAHF, we decided we enjoyed our partnership so much that we set out to make another webcomic! It’s great! It’s got wonderful art and consistent storytelling! You should read it!

Side Quested

But turning art duties over to unaltered images generated by AI because you want to make a webcomic but “just can’t draw” is, frankly, a bullshit excuse. I’m not talking about persons who are physically unable to draw due to disability—I’m talking about people who say they want to make webcomics but simply don’t wanna do the art part.

Friends, if you don’t want to show your entire ass in front of God and country, you don’t actually want to make a webcomic.

A terrible example of an early AGAHF strip. Limited black-and-white art and large text boxes everywhere. It hurts me to look at it.ALT

Do the thing yourself.

If you’re scared, don’t be. Take the plunge. Set a goal of twenty strips and do the thing yourself. If you can already draw but can’t write? Great! Write twenty strips, write forty panels, etc. You might surprise yourself. If you can write but can’t draw? Great! Draw twenty panels and see what happens.

Whatever comes out of it, it’s a thing you’ve done yourself. It’s something new you’ve given to the world, no matter how big or small. Be proud of that. And if you need to partner with someone else to make your comic dreams work? You can do that, too! It’s still a thing you’ve done yourself, and many projects are stronger when done together.

…but maaaaaaaaaybe hire that partner before you’ve busted your own ass for fourteen fucking years. That one’s on me.

Just to finish the ranting: if you plan to make webcomics via AI because you wanna get a share of the money rolling on it, I just want to make very sure you hear me right now:

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS SACRED, WHAT MONEY?

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