WLP's Web Comic Popularity

[Kris@WLP]

My favorite of the webcomic "I'm More Popular Than You Are" lists is . This particular site ranks not by raw votes or hits, but by the number of hits per update. It's a decent way to at least try to measure number of fans rather than number of votes.

However, since the rankings are VERY dynamic, I'm going to compare by another metric- the number of people who have the comic on their Favorites list. (And incidentally, if you haven't, go register and put the WLP webcomics you follow on your fave list. Go soon. Now would be nice.)

Anyway:

CHOCOLATE MILKMAID - favorite of 93 members

PETER IS THE WOLF - favorite of 71 members

MISADVENTURES OF CHICHI-CHAN - favorite of 45 members

STELLAR - favorite of 14 members

As a comparison, I looked up comics I have on my own favorites list...

QUESTIONABLE CONTENT - favorite of 561 members

PvP - favorite of 510 members

REAL LIFE - favorite of 395 members

SOMETHING POSITIVE - favorite of 337 members

EL GOONISH SHIVE - favorite of 307 members

SLUGGY FREELANCE - favorite of 302 members

GIRLY - favorite of 301 members

SPARKLING GENERATION VALKYRIE YUUKI - favorite of 224 members

WAPSI SQUARE - favorite of 220 members

CRAP I DREW ON MY LUNCH BREAK - favorite of 163 members

QUEEN OF WANDS - favorite of 146 members

KEVIN & KELL - favorite of 134 members

SABRINA ONLINE - favorite of 130 members

SCHLOCK MERCENARY - favorite of 119 members

THE WOTCH - favorite of 110 members

BLUE CRASH KIT - favorite of 109 members

CHECKERBOARD NIGHTMARE - favorite of 109 members

FREEFALL - favorite of 90 members

GIRL GENIUS - favorite of 77 members

LOWROAD - favorite of 75 members

MINE'S BIGGER! - favorite of 64 members

POLYMER CITY CHRONICLES - favorite of 39 members

CHEER - favorite of 35 members

SCANDAL SHEET - favorite of 31 members

SUPERMEGATOPIA - favorite of 29 members

FILIBUSTER - favorite of 17 members

DISASSEMBLANCE - favorite of 9 members*

NAOKO MURAGAMA - favorite of 3 members*

My conclusions: WLP's webcomics aren't at the very bottom, but we're a long, long, LONG way from the top.

Sigh.

* This is a definite injustice. Get on the ball, folks. }:-{D

[ProphetTenebrae]

[CK01]

*fights against temptation to sign up under other email addresses to skew the results for Stellar...*

[Lightfoot]

Pulse - favorite of 12 members.

PeEVEed - favorite of 12 members.

Tifa - favorite of 13 members.

I didn't enter them in, so can't seem to edit anything said about them, or where the links go.



I think it's true that adult comics are much less likely to be read by readers.... but they why is it that in all non-adult comic forums all they seem to do is try to nudge the comic more into the adult area?

[Kris@WLP]

You need to register on the site's forum, contact the admin through those, and explain how they can arrange for their automatic system to monitor for updates. The info's on the site if you go looking for it.

[Toymaker]

I was just wondring about signing up for one of those. Personally, I've never been terribly interested in such things, I liked the comics that I liked, and that was about it- but that was before I was doing comics myself...

So I guess the question is: Are the "I'm More Popular Than You Are lists" actually indicative of anything?

That is to say, do people actually look at them, and/or use them as criteria for anything important, like whether or not to read something?

Random Websurfer 1: Oh, that comic's only ranked #56, I can't waste my time on it...

Does this ever actually happen? If that's the case, then what is there to prevent those that are on top from staying there?

[Kris@WLP]

The popularity lists are a way of attracting more readers- at least, that's their main advantage from a creator POV.

In this particular case, people who favorite one comic on the list are recommended to others- first based on what people who share their favorites are also reading, then by which of those favorites is the most "popular." Other versions simply have Top 100 or so lists which list #1 on the top of the page with huge banner, and so on down to the tiny link for #100.

These lists often also offer paid ad space or "sponsor" links.

[Toymaker]

Hmm, sounds like something I should look into, then, 'specially if it's more than just bragging rights.

[Guest]

Well, I've joined the webcomiclist.com, and there were a double handful of new readers in the first day, so I guess that's a start.

Unfortunately the only people who've favorited CottonFluff Hollow so far are myself and my webmaster...

[Bob King]