Patronage is a term for individuals who gain financial aid or supports from an organization or individual. Historically, arts patronage have supported many famous artists to continue pursuing their careers. How does modern comic artists survive in the market? The key term is patronage. However, this patronage is not relying on few rich people but on broad online audiences.
I'm a big fan of Webtoon since three years ago and notice how the app starts to grow in global markets with English Japanese, Mandarin, Thailand, Vietnamese, French, German versions. I'm very intrigued how an online webcomic can expand its markets overboard.
Webtoon is designed to display the equivalent of a comics panel in a vertical scroll on both the website and the app. It allows readers to consume free access to comics' weekly updates and ask consumers who want to read ahead purchase the artwork.
Purpose: Readership
It's important to establish readership when it comes to online reading. Webtoon allows anyone to post comic content for free (under the monitored for decent standards, violence, etc). This is very connected to what we learned in Minecraft about building a community with players. In Webtoon, it allows readers to share their artworks or get patronage for their artworks.
References:
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/81073-webtoon-builds-an-audience-for-webcomics.html
I have also discovered the world of Webtoons three years ago and it is amazing to see how they have evolved during those years! By creating a community that is easy to join and relate to; these authors prosper and branch off to different things as they get more popular. There are ADs of some of these webtoon series as well as merch for some of the popular ones such as "Castle Swimmer" that my friend proudly wears to school from time to time. With all these exposures, these artists can attract more people to commission for their artwork and reach broader audiences. This comes at a very high cost though as once you become a regular author that updates weekly, the stress of having to finish a chapter each week strains the body and the mind. I know this from seeing a lot of my favorite authors having to ask for a leave or a hiatus that can last up to a month on average. Either from hurting their wrists or the trouble of maintaining their schedules; most writers on webtoon don't have it as their "main job" or their career. Webtoon is a great place for people to experience what it is like to become an author and do it as a hobby but to become a professional in the field and have it as your main source of income would be quite difficult than it seems.
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