The challenges of Creating a webcomic

Comics should be obsolete. We live in an age of movies, shows, and endlessly scrolling shorts, full of dynamic and fast-paced storytelling.

And yet, in 2020, I found myself, along with millions of others, coming back to webcomics. Chapter after chapter, I kept reading, always looking for the next story to fall into.

There is something magical about knowing that someone sat down and drew each panel. That they imagined a story and were brave enough to share it. I thought I could do that. I loved illustrating back in elementary and high school. How hard could it be?

Well, it’s now 2025, and I have just finished Chapter 1 of my first mini webcomic, Death and the Doctor. You can check it out on my Stories page.

Here is how I struggled, how I kept going, and how you can do it too.

Digital doodles on a tablet

the hardest part:

Consistency

It is still a challenge, but it is also the most important thing. I started drawing during small moments like waiting in line or sitting through long virtual meetings (don’t tell my boss). However, I found that the most helpful thing has been breaking the task down into stupidly easy chunks and stopping before I get frustrated. For me, this was sketching 2 panels each time I sat down and stopping. For line work, which is more detailed, I dropped that down to 1 panel. This gave me the desire to keep going because I didn't go to the point of exhaustion.

Another thing that helped was tracking how often I drew. I do this in a calendar that tracks all the days of the year. I decided to colour code days when I drew in green and slowly realized I was NOT drawing often enough. This motivated me to time block more drawing in my calendar so I could see green at least twice a week.

The Colour Conundrum

Figuring out how to colour took as long as drawing the entire first chapter. I tried different techniques and studied colour theory, but nothing really clicked.

What helped was letting go of the pressure to get it right. Colour is emotional and intuitive. I ended up learning through trial and error, and by paying attention to how other artists used colour. I still have a lot to learn, but I have already come a long way.

What helped?

Other Creators, Artists and Friends

It was scary to share my work at first. I worried that people would think it was strange or not good enough. But the more I shared, the more support I received. It turns out people were actually interested, even artists outside of the comic world.

Podcasts like The Webtoon Wave helped me a lot. Hearing how other creators got started made it easier to take the leap. Most of them started small, often with messy first drafts and no real plan. They all said the same thing: just begin. It will not be perfect. Post it anyway.

Start Small

One of the best pieces of advice I got was this: do not start with your dream project. Start small.

That is why Death and the Doctor is only seven chapters. I have already learned so much just from finishing one chapter, and I feel more ready to improve, refine my tools, and build the habits I need for bigger stories.

Where to go from here?

I want to tell stories about people who fail, fall apart, and still find the strength to get back up. Not because they have hidden powers or special destinies, but because they make a choice to keep going. My characters are not superheroes. They are people who feel real, so they can inspire real people.

If that speaks to you, welcome.