Writing for an Audience

In which I contemplate who it is I'm writing for

My buddy Hawkstone recently posted one of our “In The Wings” comics on his stack—a behind-the-scenes look at our creative process:

He brought up our different approaches in creating: He prefers to create with an audience in mind, a sort of “targeted” creation and I have to concede that perhaps aiming for an audience carries with it the possibility that it will hit that audience.

However, I have always firmly been in the camp of “if you build it, they will come.” Every comic I have ever written has been because I did not see the type of stories I wanted to see out there in the wild, and so I wrote for myself, primarily.

To my mind, this does not discount having an audience or preclude finding one. In fact, it is my hope that it would create a new kind of audience, one that is hungry to read the same kinds of things I myself was starved for.

The writing—the act of creation—is for me, and I make no bones about that. But sharing it—desiring an audience—well, that’s The Arts, isn’t it? We make art for ourselves, but our human desire to share it with the world is, in my opinion, innate to us all.

Even My Dear Friend Hawkstone who is perishingly shy about sharing his work in situ wants to share it (albeit from a safe, remote distance).

In my world, superheroes wear jammies, have dogs and a cup of coffee. (Art by Mark & Marvin Marvida)

So then, am I not therefore creating for an audience? I maintain that the answer is still “no.” I really am creating my own world for me to live and play in; I do want to invite others to share it but I’m unwilling to compromise it for that sake.

There is absolutely a trend lately where I’ve seen comics that are more “open”—though I frequently refer to them as “lowest common denominator” works— selling better than my work. And sure, that hurts. I don’t think one can help feeling a little judged when your neighbour’s “Lord Curbstomp” comic, so similar in feel to SO MANY other comics, outsells one’s own; but that brings us to the idea of creative integrity.

My worlds sometimes read like an episode of Friends, having coffee together. (Art by xdangerjazzx, background by Kyohazard Illustration.)

Would I compromise my vision for sales? No. It’s not just that I wouldn’t due to some sort of lofty set of creative morals; it’s more that I couldn’t. I can’t write something I don’t believe in, for some nebulous audience. (Although, hey, Marvel and DC, if you’re hiring, I will gladly prostitute myself for you! Big kiss!) (Working for someone else is different than creating your own thing, but I digress: perhaps I’ll write about this in another post).

So, I’ll keep writing what I want to see in comics. I already have a smallish audience, but it’s growing. Who knows? Perhaps I’ll start a revolution of superheroes who stay at home baking, gay best friends, people who find joy, and sassy Brits in leather pants. There are worse things!

With love,

Michael