In my ongoing reality series, I continue advising Scott Meyer on how to become a syndicated cartoonist. Most recently, I asked Scott to try drawing some strips with three panels and fewer words. That’s the formula for successful syndication in newspapers because newspapers traditionally avoid buying anything else.
Every writer seems to have a natural rhythm. For example, I’ve never written a funny single-panel comic despite numerous efforts. Scott’s natural rhythm seems to be a longer, wordier format than you see in typical newspaper comics. But he and I both thought it was worth testing that assumption.
Here’s a comic that Scott created primarily to test the newspaper size and word count.
[missing image]
I like it, but not as much as his longer form. Compare it to his archive on http://basicinstructions.net/
Still, his short form is funnier than 90% of what you’ll see in the funny pages today, including Dilbert. (I just checked dilbert.com. Today’s Dilbert wasn’t my best work.)
Is being funnier than 90% of other comics enough to be syndicated? The answer is yes, definitely, if the comic is “about something,” such as marriage, or the workplace, or kids, etc. Without that extra demographic hook, it’s a tougher sell. Dilbert wouldn’t have made it without the workplace angle.
Or does it make more sense for Scott to stick with the longer and funnier format and try to grow it online while also trying to convince newspapers to change their ways? You can fit a square peg into a round hole if you have a big enough hammer, but new cartoonists don’t have big hammers. There’s a first time for everything, but it’s a tough sell.
Some of you will say Scott should stick to the long form, keep his artistic integrity, and live a modest life with a modest income. I’ll respect that advice from anyone who quit his job as a high powered lawyer, donated his assets to charity, and found happiness as a barista at Starbucks.
Next step, I arranged for Scott to get some expert advice from my syndication company, United Media. What would you advise United Media to tell Scott?
1. Keep developing Basic Instruction in the short form.
2. Try to sell the long form to newspapers.
3. Team Scott with another artist to do the drawing.
4. Add a theme hook to the strip. Make it “about something.”
5. Distribute the long form online only.
6. Pass.
Keep in mind that syndicates only launch about two strips every year, and they have thousands of submissions to choose from. I doubt any submissions will be as funny as Basic Instructions (99% are dreadful) but some could be easier to sell.