For years, cartoonists of all stripes have dreamed about making a living from their comics. But until recently their only avenue of success was through a syndicate or publisher. Now, more and more cartoonists are doing it on their own and self-publishing their comic strips on the Web. This 200-page book from Image Comics takes you through everything you’ll need to take your idea from concept to strip…from strip to hobby…and from hobby to full-time job.

Written by four pros who know the ins and outs of the Web — Dave Kellet (Sheldon), Scott Kurtz (PvP), Brad Guigar (Evil Inc.) and Kris Straub (Starslip Crisis) — “How To Make Webcomics” takes you on a step-by-step tour of everything you need to know to make, post and profit from your online comics.

Also enjoy webcomics.com for related content and community.

Reviewing the Kindle, Mr. Godin drops this nugget:

I think the power is going to continue to accrue to authors with direct connections to readers… that’s the real asset.

We agree completely.

• Chris Onstad at Achewood features an irreverent, but ultimately affectionate, strip explaining the basics of D&D to those who are unfamiliar with it.

• Giant in the Playground imagines Gygax’s arrival in heaven.

• Full Frontal Nerdity thanks Gygax “for saving us all a place at the gaming table.”

• Dork Tower remembers Gygax with an incredibly sweet, earnest cartoon.

• The undie band Uncle Monsterface (which defies description, but in a wonderful, wonderful way) offers a free download of their new song “(thank you) Gary Gygax.” (Via Wired.)

• At the Rooster Teeth blog, Burnie Burns writes: “He was born with a space alien’s last name; he was destined for nerdom at birth. D&D didn’t exist so he had no choice but to invent it.”

• Penny Arcade features an unbelievably touching, and perfectly executed, tribute to Gygax.

It’s easy to understand the outpouring of emotion from the undependents — Gygax was an undie pioneer, creating not just an original work of art, but an original form of art as well. He created D&D out of whole cloth, and he did it himself, releasing the very first editions of the game himself, without help from major distributors. He was almost a godfather to generations of creative types, and the undependent scene wouldn’t be the same without him. Rest in peace, Gary.

The point is — or should be — the relative acceptability of nerdiness is a somewhat recent phenomenon, and the Internet is helping the bespectacled and pallid among us finally convince the world that knowledge is actually pretty cool. There’s a whole slew of webcomics out there celebrating, and not apologizing for, their creators’ love of periodic tables, quadratic equations, obscure art history, and all other kinds of fancy-pants book-learnin’. Here’s two of them:

• XKCD bills itself as “a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language.” Which sounds a lot like my college career. Except for the romance. Also, I failed math. Twice. But even if you score a zero on your AP Calculus test (yes, it happens. Hi! I’m Mike!) you’ll be able to appreciate physicist/artist Randall Munroe’s skewed take on dating librarians, Snapple, and poisson distributions. The XKCD store, temporarily closed, will hopefully return soon, enabling us all to get our fix of “Science: It Works, Bitches!” shirts.

• I’ve written before about Dorothy Gambrell’s brilliant Cat and Girl, but it’s hard for me to say enough good things about this innovative comic strip by the Tucson-based musician and artist. It’s not just because she’s one of the only ones with the guts to say that pirates are “an overworked Internet meme,” but also because of her shout-outs to figures as random as The Captain and Tenille, Count Vronsky, and Jasper Johns. She’s also a leading proponent of geek unity (which, as Girl suggests, could have saved Veronica Mars). Visit her store while you’re waiting for the deus ex machina.

Comics like these have a natural, ever-growing audience: folks who like to laugh and learn at the same time, and who appreciate the work of creators who are hopefully too witty to write a tooth-achingly earnest phrase like “laugh and learn at the same time.” Webcomics are a natural medium for this kind of humor, but you can also see it (very occasionally) on television (The Daily Show, No Reservations), in music (Sufjan Stevens’ history-laden state-themed albums), and — if my financiers come through — even off-Broadway musicals (the hopefully forthcoming Ewing!: The Crazy, Funky Odyssey of America’s First Secretary of the Interior, As Told by Mike). The nerdcore artists and writers of today are refusing to buy into the theory that the world is being dumbed down, and their audiences are rewarding them with not just attention, but ardent fandom.

The nerd revolution won’t be televised, but thanks to the nerdcore webcomic movement (such as it is), it might just be showing up in your RSS feed.

Nice call, Steve. Thank you.

We help audiences (all of us) find, follow, and enjoy the best work from the emerging class of self-sustaining Internet-based artists, aka the Undependents or Undies, who are telling amazing stories within podcasts, video, webcomics, machinima, animation, etc.

As curators, we feature these programs:

• Undependent.com, which focuses on success stories, trends, insights, and practical advice.
• The Undependent Del.icio.us feed, compiling excellent reference material and news;
• The Undependent Twitter feed, a quick spotlight on great new content, merch, and news;
• The Undependent Universe, our living museum showcasing the best Undies. (Thanks, Netvibes).

The Undependent Universe’s Collection continues to grow. It currently includes the following, in no particular order (visit the site for links):

• Webcomics: The Perry Bible Fellowship; Girl Genius; PvP; Starslip Crisis; Sheldon; Evil, Inc.; Piled Higher and Deeper; Wondermark; Unshelved; Dinosaur Comics; xkcd; A Softer World; Cat and Girl; Dresden Codak; AppleGeeks; Ctrl+Alt+Del; User Friendly; White Ninja Comics; and Octopus Pie.
• The Drumbrella Exhibit: Boy on a Stick and Slither; explodingdog; The Creatures in My Head; Diesel Sweeties; Overcompensating; Scary Go Round; Goats; Wigu; as well as RSS feeds from the creators;
• The Achewood Exhibit: featuring all character blogs;
• Videos/shows: Funny or Die; College Humor; The Onion; Heavy.com.
• Others: Penny Arcade; Rooster Teeth Productions; Angry Alien Productions; JibJab; Despair, Inc.; Ask A Ninja; Smosh; Homestar Runner; Those Lil’ Rabbits; Tiki Bar TV; Engrish.com.
• How To’s and News: Fleen; Webcomics Weekly; Comixtalk; Cold Hard Flash; NewTeeVee; Halfpixel; Web TV Wire; Thinking Machinima; Digital Strips.
• Rotating special exhibits highlighting great stuff, and much more!

We hope our programs help you enjoy the Undies more easily and regularly. We live in such an exciting time, eh? Creative expression flourishes, and newly empowered creators keep inventing more ways to delight their fans.

Thanks again, Steve, for your great post and ongoing work. And thanks, too, to all the Undies and especially all the fans who support them. Without you, this revolution doesn’t happen.

Second, check this great interview with webcomicker Aaron Diaz:

Fleen: Your Favorite Faux-Muckrakers Since 2005 » Being A Discussion On Life’s Changing Priorities

Fleen: Does leaving the rent job shift any of your plans forward?

Diaz: If sales remain stable I’ll continue to make a little more than I do at my regular day job, so I still plan to move out to Portland next year. Even if it fluctuates a little bit I still have some side commission jobs that should help supplement my finances.

Fleen: Now that you rely on your readers for things like rent and food, is there a particular level of nutrition that you’re hoping to maintain? Are your tastes modest, or will you be looking to purchase the premium cat chow?

Diaz: It helps to be used to a very low standard of living. I don’t usually eat any meat or expensive things; a few canned vegetables can keep me going for weeks. In general, as long I have an internet connection and running water, I’ll manage.

You gotta admire Aaron’s spirit and commitment. He’s literally banking on the appreciation of fans. After all, creators are not so undependent that they do not need the support of fans. They do, in fact, rely upon it.

When creators thrive by connecting directly with their audience, undependence enables them to retain control over what they say, to express themselves as they choose, to take the audience to wonderful places. All of us in the audience should strive to demonstrate the same commitment that these inspiring creators exemplify.

Get to know them. Tell your friends. Help these creators keep delivering great stuff.

Fleen: Finish this sentence: Leaving my day job and making comics my job makes me feel …

Diaz: Like a Highlander after cutting off another Highlander’s head.

Your Dresden Codak links: store; site; Wikipedia entry; RSS feed.