About Creating Comics, Handy Links, How to Join, Hive Basics and More! (last edited 5/8/20)
Greetings, and welcome to the Creating Comics community on Hive! This post is a "living document" that will be updated regularly to serve as a first destination and resource for those getting to know the Creating Comics community or Hive in general. It is currently "under construction", so please pardon the mess as I work to bring more sections and information online.
What is Creating Comics?
Creating Comics is a community on the Hive network that focuses on... creating comics! I figured simpler was better for the name. Within that definition it's wide open territory, welcoming of a variety of disciplines, forms, and levels of skill. If you're a writer, penciller, letterer, editor, publish comics, graphic novels, webcomics, create for fun or create professionally, this is a spot for you.
It's a little space on the web to network with likeminded individuals, share tips, tricks, knowledge, and resources, promote your work, seek collaboration and feedback, and in general give and receive support.
There are already a number of excellent and growing communities on Hive with focuses on comics and art, such as OnChainArt, Sketchbook,and Comic Books fan/pro. However when creating a comic, it's always good advice to create the comic that you would want to read; and the same goes for this community. I decided to create the community that I would want to use.
What areas Creating Comics will thrive in remains to be seen, as they'll evolve naturally with the community. I see it as a place to ask for advice, or offer some; sharing that book or tutorial you just went through that absolutely blew your mind. Share the work of under recognized artists, or ask for critiques of your own work. Promote your project as it approaches completion and maybe secure some collaborators or extra funding. This community has a wonderful potential for real impact, as it's built on the "magic" of Hive.
So, What is this "Hive" Thing?
There are a lot of technical jargon buzzwords I could throw in here when talking about Hive, but I'm going to avoid them as much as possible, because what's always mattered the most to me is the potential that I see in Hive.
Hive is a decentralized open-source blockchain. That's those weird words. But what do they mean in practicality?
To many, Hive will appear like a website; part social media, part blogging... something akin to Reddit or Tumblr. In reality, Hive is many websites and applications. It is an open database from which anyone can pull information, and they do! Developers around the world run a variety of websites, applications, and games utilizing the Hive blockchain as their backend infrastructure. Right now I'm posting this on Peakd.com, one of the Hive based websites that I prefer... but it's instantly being shown on at least a half dozen websites and mobile applications that leverage Hive. These can vary in format, style, and content; some choosing to specify what they show very narrowly, like Inkito, a newly emerging webcomics application built on Hive. There are video sites like 3Speak, streaming sites like Vimm, and even fitness trackers like Actifit; all powered by Hive! A single Hive account carries seamlessly across all these sites and applications.
There is no CEO of Hive. There is no Hive corporation. The network is run by people from all over the world, who are elected by the Hive members. No one can shut Hive down unilaterally, just as no one can delete your account, content, or community. While traditional social media is corporate, this new method is more of a co-op.
There's other buzz words to be had... like web 3.0, tokenization or the "attention economy." Hive is at the forefront of those movements. But what does that mean to you? There's a reason traditional social media is worth hundreds of billions of dollars, it derives its value from the attention and content of its users. Hive does that too, but without a centralized ownership structure, that value all flows back to the users themselves. Participating on Hive earns Hive tokens in a variety of ways. Again, comparing to better known media... think of it like "karma points" on Reddit. The big difference is that Hive tokens have a real world value. They are traded on exchanges, similar to how you would buy and sell stocks, and with a little effort can be converted into "real world" cash.
All of this can be so revolutionary to comic creators. When I first started on my Hive journey almost 4 years ago, I was amazed. Of course, I was the type to get excited when I'd earn .50 cents a month from the Google ads I placed on my website pages... so earning that from posting and interacting on a social media platform was a breath of fresh air! I could see that if this caught on, and achieved mass adoption, it could be a "one stop shop." From a single account and online identity I could interact with a Fiverr type site and hire collaborators, promote a project on social media style sites while raising funds in a fashion similar to KickStarter or Patreon... all with no middlemen, no gatekeepers, and virtually no fees.
The technology is improving day by day, and more applications and use cases are debuting at an increasing rate. No sugar coating it, Hive can currently be clunky and has a steep learning curve... but it's so worth it because in the end it's yours.
In the near future I'll provide links here to supplementary posts featuring some of the highlights of my Hive experience, and a more in depth guide on the culture and economics of Hive. Suffice to say though, I'm a huge fan and in my eyes Hive is the real deal. I've met some amazing folks here and the foundation exists of a truly revolutionary comics and art community. Now I just want more great people to support and content to explore. So... you interested?
Interested in Joining the Creating Comics Community?
If you already have a Hive account, it couldn't be simpler. Simply head to our main community page and click on the subscribe button.
If you're new to Hive, the first step is getting you an account! Hive is unique in that it is not centrally owned and controlled. Every account on Hive is capable of directly creating new accounts. Once created, your account is yours to keep. There is no one who can delete or close your account. As such, accounts have an inherent value and there is a cost to creating them. Think of it like registering a website domain.
https://signup.hive.io/ has a listing of various ways to join, some free and some with a minimal cost that may ensure the most privacy and speed of registration if you so choose. Currently the option through the Esteem application seems to be the preferred and easiest registration method. This will also guide you to download the Esteem application which is a great desktop and mobile app for Hive, but you can use any interface of your choice, such as Peakd.com or Hive.blog following account creation.
The Creating Comics community is also happy to create accounts directly for interested creators through the resources of community founder @bryan-imhoff. If you're a creator looking to acquire an account, please feel free to contact me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter at the links following these important notes!
Before creating an account, please note the following!
- Your account name can not be changed, choose wisely!
- No one else sees your password, not the website or the person creating your account. If you lose it, you'll be locked out of your account for good. There is no password recovery feature, so take special care. You may be confronted with a master password and a series of "keys." Save everything to be safe! Even if you don't understand it now, you will later! We'll get you all squared away and educated once you're in!
- If acquiring an account directly through Creating Comics/@bryan-imhoff, the social media profile you request a Hive account through will be briefly reviewed after which you'll be messaged a unique invitation link. Rest assured, this is not meant to screen for "talent" or ability, all levels are welcome. We're simply looking for even a minimal interest in comics displayed somewhere on a public platform... as both those aspects are quite pertinent to being a part of Creating Comics on Hive!
- Once you've registered for Hive through the provided link, your account will then be officially approved and active! You'll also be delegated a bit of Hive Power to ensure you have a smooth starting experience and a bit of a head start! I'll share more information on just what that means in an upcoming Hive Basics post for the community! If you've joined via another signup option (such as Esteem), please introduce yourself at your earliest convenience, so I can assist with any questions or support.
If you have any questions prior to joining, feel free to reach out to @bryan-imhoff through his other social media channels.
- https://www.instagram.com/bryanimhoff/
- https://www.facebook.com/bryantheimpimhoff/
- https://twitter.com/imhoff_bryan
- email: bryanimhoff@spottyproduction.com
- Discord: bryan-imhoff#6416
More information to follow soon!
(last edited 5/8/20)