Getting people hooked on GC

[Max]

(I considered necroing an old thread I made on the subject, but the topic is slightly different, so I think it merits a new thread)

So I was wondering what strategies people have developed for getting new readers attracted to the series. For me I have managed to get 5 people hooked on the series by lending the first two books. I personally think reading through a large archive is easier when you have a physical book than staring at a screen.

Since we all want to do our darndest to support Tom, I thought we might have a thread to discuss strategies we ourselves can use to increase his readership.

[imaginaryfriend]

My efforts to get my relatives' and friends' kids hooked by gifting them copies of GC1.1 have met with very mixed results. Some of the younger ones between six and ten just haven't wanted to sit still with the hardcopy so far, though I have high hopes that they will get into it when they're a little older.

Book lending with my college and post-college age friends has worked much better though I don't know how many people I've truly hooked. I'm pretty sure there's one person I know in realspace who's lurking around this forum from time to time, though. I think my batting average with lending books and just giving the link is about the same.

I did buy a Court symbol t-shirt and have been wearing it where there are crowds but it hasn't drawn any questions/comments and no GC fan has recognized it and said so thus far. I suspect people just assume that it's some band or maybe a clothing line logo they don't know. I am planning on adding the web addy and some comment to the effect that "it's a free fantasy all-ages webcomic" across the back. I expect that when I do so and am standing in long lines for tickets/admission that bored people may start checking the comic out on their phones.

So yeah, giving the link out to people you think might be interested is easy and free. And folks: If you have a website, add a banner link!

[Lico]

So far I've just linked a few people the comic. I am getting the books this christmas, hopefully, however. I know a few people I might be more likely to hook with physical books. >:3

[joephlommin]

I've introduced 7 people(i think?). 2 by sending them a link the other 5 by enticing them with glossy pages.

[0o0f]

I've introduced a couple of friends to the comic by sending a link. Could have been better, but hey.

[AluK]

I posted some Gunnerkrigg images, recommendations, Tom artwork, fanart and things I think relate somehow to GC on my tumblr with a link back to the comic. One of the images got over 100 notes - so, at least, 100 people saw the link. How many followed through it and got hooked on the comic I don't know, though.

I also campaign a bit on other foruns (White Wolf, some RPG-related and gaming foruns) and wrote a few reviews on xmarks, Hunch and other sites.

[DC]

I gave my little brother book one (after a friend of mine got signed copies of 1 and 2 for me at a con), and now he's hooked! He even sits patiently waiting for his dial-up Internet connection to load him the page.

[paxjax123]

I've gotten my sister interested in it, and posted the comic on a few forums I browse.
I don't think I've hooked too many people though

[joephlommin]

Happy Hundredth post PaxJax!!!

[paxjax123]

Dec 10, 2010 20:26:51 GMT joephlommin said:

Happy Hundredth post PaxJax!!!

:U That's right! Cheers!

[Miri]

Oh, I love doing this. I'll do this with anything, but with Gunnerkrigg I've been particularly successful. And I don't even have the books! (One of the first friends I got into it does, though. She also ended up cosplaying Reynardine. I think I got her when she demanded to know what this terrible abomination was about.)

Actually, yeah, it's been mostly fanart and cosplay and straight-up bugging people. x) When I went to a convention as Antimony (though the Reynardine was the bigger draw), I sent at least a dozen people away with the link, though I don't know if they ever did get sucked in.

[Mezzaphor]

I started the article about GC over on the TV Tropes wiki, back in 2007. And added references in a lot of other pages. It must have gotten Tom at least five new readers.

I loaned my books to a real life friend; he and his wife really liked it, but they haven't started following the website as far as I know.

[Miri]

Dec 11, 2010 5:20:45 GMT Mezzaphor said:

I started the article about GC over on the TV Tropes wiki, back in 2007. And added references in a lot of other pages. It must have gotten Tom at least five new readers.

It got me! It's also got ten hits on the TV Tropes as a Gateway Drug page, so you know it hooked easily twice that. Thank you. =D

[AluK]

TVTropes is evil. That's all I'm going to add to this topic.

[Lico]

Oh yeah, I found GC via TVTropes.

[legion]

So did I.

[Eversist]

My boyfriend exposed me to this webcomic, and I'm definitely have become more obsessed with it that he is. He's getting me the books for Christmas this year (can't wait!).

Basically, I highly recommend this webcomic to anyone that I know that reads webcomics. I've found that people who don't already read webcomics will be too afraid of the length of the archives... even people who do read webcomics are all "holy crap." I think huge archives are a good thing!

Also, a professor of mine taught an honors class called "Graphic Novels: Form and Practice" for the first time last year. I was in that class, and he did a short portion on webcomics. He really wants to expand upon that section when he teaches it again this Spring semester, and he asked me for a list of webcomics that I thought applied to the class. I picked my top ten, and Gunnerkrigg Court was at the very top of my list. :3 I have a few friends taking that class next semester; I can't wait to see how it permeates.

[imaginaryfriend]

Hmmm... Maybe resurrecting the old introduction thread or making a new one could help indirectly. It might make some new forum members more involved and some lurkers into new forum members; that could make them more likely to recruit others.

[joephlommin]

Yesssss I just hooked another one!

[Max]

Dec 12, 2010 3:59:23 GMT imaginaryfriend said:

Hmmm... Maybe resurrecting the old introduction thread or making a new one could help indirectly. It might make some new forum members more involved and some lurkers into new forum members; that could make them more likely to recruit others.

I was actually thinking of doing that the other day, what with all the new members. I'll take care of it right now.