Comics News
Shane Chebsey Talks New Venture ComicUnity
A New Online Tool For The UK Indie Comics Community
Veteran UK indie figure Shane Chebsey, who has put on conventions in the UK in Birmingham, Shrewsbury and Margate, published indie comics through his own Scratch Comics and run an indie distribution company, Smallzone, has a brand new venture, a social platform called ComicUnity. Tripwire spoke to him to find out more…
TRIPWIRE: What was the genesis of this platform ?
SHANE CHEBSEY: I ran a “Ning” community called Smallzone years ago, which was thriving and had thousands of members. But ultimately Ning became too expensive and I had to shut it down. I always wanted to do something like that again. Then as I saw so many of my fellow creators suffering from their posts being hidden by Facebook and other social media algorithms, it made me realise a platform was desperately needed to give creators a way to always reach all of their followers as well as being discovered by new people. At the same time, I wanted it to be a nice environment for fans to keep in touch and discover exciting new comics.
TW: What is the remit of this platform?
SC: As well as its main purpose of helping independent creators expand their networks and promote their work, ComicUnity is intentionally a politics and AI art free zone It’s intended to promote human creativity and allow those who appreciate it to find the comics they’ll love, all without negative bile and hateful comments.
TW: Who else is involved with this project?
SC: It’s just me for the most part. I have a software engineer giving me some advice and my buddy Sam Morgan has helped me test out the live website, but it’s currently a solo project. I’d love for it to afford help with admin, but right now it’s not making anything as development costs are more than subscription income.
TW: Did you look at anyone else’s projects for inspiration ?
SC: To be honest I created it because I saw a need. No one else seemed to want to do it. Everything else was part of a platform owned by a huge corporation. I wanted to create something truly independent that can’t be wiped away from the host platform on the whim of a bot. I’ve seen so many great Facebook groups just deleted for no good reason.
TW: Talk us through what the platform can offer people who sign up for it ?
SC: Boy, there’s a lot Although the site has only been live for two weeks so some of the features are still a work in progress: We have a marketplace for retailers, publishers and artists where you can buy collectable back issues, small press comics and original artwork. There’s a Comic Shop Locator too. The purpose of this is to promote retailers but there’s also a handy “Indie Friendly” filter on there so indie publishers can see which shops are interested in small press and independent titles. As this directory builds it should be a great resource for new publishers. We have old-skool forums on there too. I always miss those online and I think many of us of a certain age miss them too. So I’m bringing them back Like other social media there’s a personalised feed, tagging and notifications etc. However there’s no algorithm so nothing gets supressed and links can be shared. There’s also an option to see all posts in your feed so you can see more than posts from those you follow. There’s a printers directory being built and an events calendar for organisers to list conventions, signing and workshops etc.
TW: There is a professionals only part of the platform. What can people get from signing up for this part of the platform ?
SC: It costs just £1 a month and is completely optional. It allows members to list items on the marketplace, list their comics shops, printing services and events It also gives access to the pro only forums. I’m also planning more pro features to add even more value for that pound. However, all the core social features will always be free and there will never be advertising drowning out posts from members.
TW: How do you want to keep developing the platform?
SC: One of the new features I’m looking to introduce is an education directory. So professionals who teach skills like colouring, marketing or just about anything else to help comic creators can list their courses giving members access at, hopefully discounted rates This will take quite a bit of setting up, but I think it’ll bring even more value to the platform. I will also be releasing a mobile app to accompany the web app and eventually an internal direct messaging service for members. This will be a big undertaking though and we need more members signed up to make it viable. Basically, I am open to suggestions from members too and there’s a forum where members can post ideas of how to improve the platform. I read them all, and when possible I’ll initiate them as quickly as possible. It’s really important to me that ComicUnity truly serves its members, so I’m actively seeking partnerships with like-minded organisations who are trying to do similar things.
TW: How would you describe the platform in one pithy sentence ?
SC: “Facebook for comics people, but with extra benefits and none of the drawbacks”
Visit ComicUnity’s home on the web to find out more
