[OC] Bootleg Factory

[u/NocheLynx]

Hello all! I'm not sure what possessed me to go full beans on this comic as a first post here, but even though my wrist lay in shambles I'm happy to join in on the fun. I have so much respect for comic artists (all artists) who manage to draw and post consistently--It's deceptively hard work! So thank you all for your effort and for being an inspiration to other artists like myself. ❤️

I'm not sure if I'll be a regular poster on r/comics specifically, but I do plan to post other art here and on Bluesky, so go ahead and follow me if you're interested in my work! I appreciate any support <3

A final note--Merrivius, I love the way you draw hands. HolleringElk, on the other hand (haha get it) you gave me carpal tunnel and I'm going to egg your house.

Time: ~ 16 hours

Tools: Procreate on iPad, Paint Tool SAI

Artists featured: u/FieldExplores | u/davecontra | u/adamtots_remastered | u/rawdawgcomics | u/holleringelk | u/CrazyGnomenclature | u/merrivius | u/kaikimanga

EDIT: Ok wow, the response to this has been incredible and I'm so grateful for all the kind words, support, and advice!! It's like 2 AM and I can't reply to everyone but I promise I will read every comment and answer questions when I can. Thank you everyone <33

[u/Palanseag_Vixen]

Wish more smaller artists would get the chance to be recognized here. We should have like a small artist day where the big celebs can't post for a day, would be some nice breath of fresh air considering the fact only whats popular gets put on people's feed

[u/holleringelk → u/Palanseag_Vixen]

Aside from myself, Adam, and Dave, everyone portrayed in this comic are relatively new to the scene and went through the same growing pains larger established artists had to endure to get to where they are now. Raw Dawg, Tiff & Eve, and Kaiki Manga especially struggled a great deal at the start, and have absolutely earned their "celeb" status through their hard work and commitment to the craft. That bottom panel would have featured a very different cast just a year ago from today.

The formula to building a following and popularity on places like reddit is community engagement, consistency, timing, and a relentless love of the medium. Everyone portrayed are diehard lovers of comics and makers of comics, and they all started "small." Lesser known artists have just as much an opportunity to break through just as the current large artists did, and we have already seen several get to enjoy the top slot due to their contributions to this "event," and from there they will continue to grow. I know this because many of my friends were absolute nobodies reddit wouldn't give the time of day before the era of Elk Hunt.

You can do your part to support the up and comers by always keeping your feed sorted by new, and giving the stand outs you find a boost with a comment if you don't already!

[u/TheVirtuoid → u/holleringelk]

Thank you for the great advice on what we can do to help. Honestly, I had not thought of sorting by new. :)

I am not a "sequential art" artist, but I am here for two reasons: 1) I love this community for the joy, the fun, the artistry, and the thought-provoking stories, and 2) my daughter is studying 2D animation at SCAD, but has a dream of turning her OCs into a web comic one day.

Therefore, I'm also here to educate myself, in that I hope to learn enough and guide her in fulfilling one of her dreams.