How Not to Run a Webcomic is a series of deliberately bad comic strips, drawn by different artists, all making examples of how not to write, draw, and otherwise run a webcomic (though much of the advice could apply to stories in general). Each section focuses on different aspects of writing and artistry, showing off the common failings of webcomics with commentary on how they can be avoided.
Currently completed, (with 'How Not to End a Comic') and can be found here.
Provides examples of:
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Commonly invoked while making a specific point about what's wrong with the comic. The use of Breaking the Fourth Wall is itself also put under scrutiny.
- Cliché Storm: Invoked.
- Cut and Paste Comic: Although at one point the commentary points out situations where cut-and-paste is acceptable, such as here.
- Infinite Canvas: Shows a few examples of how to use it wrong, as seen on this page.
- Lampshade Hanging: If the comic isn’t out-and-out Breaking the Fourth Wall to get its point across, it’s likely doing this instead.
- Orphaned Series: Addressed numerous time in How Not To End A Comic.
- The author himself saw it coming, and decided to give it a proper finale with this chapter.
- MS Paint: Used extensively and greatly mocked.
- Sprite Comic: The commentators have a particular distaste for these.
- Stylistic Suck: The whole point of the comic is to deliberately show and exaggerate common webcomic faults.