Webcomics give back

The internet is a miraculous thing. We're still discovering the multitude of ramifications from the dissemination of information over a world-wide network. It's changed the way we communicate and is currently changing whole industries all over the planet. This seems to be most prevalent in the arts (although print news might debate that point.)

Before the digital age aspiring artists had difficulty displaying their work to larger audiences. After the advent of the internet, film makers, painters, and writers can now transmit their pieces across the globe. The best (or luckiest) of these can even transition online popularity into real-world success.

I've been a fan of online comics for the better part of this decade. Their emergence impacted the print medium by offering free content to comics’ readers online. As with any kind of art, most of what appeared on the internet is schlock. Many of the comics look like they would have appeared in your high school paper.

A handful, though, are very good. Comics like Penny Arcade, Ctrl-Alt-Del, and PVP Online have such a large following that the artists are able pay their bills creating these free strips. As a result, these creators remain closely in-tune with their audiences. There is a more direct relationship between artist and fan, since the money usually doesn't go through an intermediary.

As a result of this closeness between creator and consumer, some big projects have come out of this online world. Since 2003, Penny Arcade has run a charity called Child's Play that gives toys to Children’s Hospitals all over the world. They've raised just under $5 million to date. Both Penny Arcade and Ctrl-Alt-Del have a convention for fans every year.

Now, it appears that the webcomics community is taking matters one step further. I just read this post on the comic Least I Could Do:

Never does a day pass when Lar and I don't realize how fortunate we are for the careers that we have. The fact that we are able to spend 12 hours a day doing something that we love, and that it sustains us and our families, never ceases to amaze.

I have always been vocal about my beliefs regarding a career in webcomics. It takes a great deal of work and dedication, a greater deal of luck and a myriad of other ingredients to make it work, but it CAN work. A career in this field is a viable option. Like anything else however, an education would provide a huge leg up.

Because of that, and our desire to help others break through, we have decided to create The Rayne Summers Webcomic Scholarship, at The Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont.

The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) offers a two-year course of study that centers on the creation and dissemination of comics, graphic novels and other manifestations of the visual narrative. Experienced and internationally recognized cartoonists, writers, and designers teach classes. The school is located in historic downtown village of White River Junction, Vermont, in the old Colodny Surprise Department Store.

Beginning in the fall of '10, we will be covering the full tuition for the selected applicant. The applicant who, I might add, is working towards a career in webcomics. Over the course of the next 5 years, we plan on adding 1 student per year, thus by 2015, the Scholarship will be putting 5 students through the program per year.

This scholarship will be managed by Blind Ferret, though there will be heavy involvement from others in our field, in the form of a board of Directors and a selection committee.

It seems that the webcomics community is now recruiting us to join their ranks. I was awed to read that Lar and Ryan thought to use their success in this way. I'm going to keep my eye on this one.