I just realized how similar webcomics and the Mameshiba brand are. It came to me as I noticed that Octopus Pie is under a CC (By-NC-SA) license. I wondered how Meredith Gran made any money off of the comic, or how any webcomic artist made money. And then I realized that they're all Mameshibas.
If you are unfamiliar with these adorable and informative little guys, watch this:
The Mameshiba Project was started by the Dentsu advertising company in Japan. It was an internal project, to see if they could create brand loyalty for a brand that didn't really exist, essentially creating the ads before they had a product to advertise. It was wildly successful, and now they have a whole product line for the little bean-dog things.
This is essentially what webcomics do. Various people have tried to make their comics subscription based, but given the nature of the internet, most readers expect things found online to be free. See the New York Times if you want a high powered example of subscriptions failing for a world-renowned product. So how do you make a living off of something people expect for free?
You merchandize the shit out of it.
But you can't actually do that, because then you're selling out, or something. Webcomics are pretty much by definition indie. There's no big corporation behind anyone putting their drawings online. It's just some person (or people) doing what they love because they want to. And if you try to capitalize on that, people notice.
However, if you're good, your comic creates a brand, much like Mameshiba. Your primary offering is something provided free of cost, but if people love it and you, they will want to buy your merchandise. Our society still accepts that physical items need to be purchased with money, so shirts, figurines, books, etc are all fair game. And if you're Penny Arcade, so are games, conventions, and charities.
Here's what I know about brands: brands are about love. And I think that is a fact that has been either missed or abused by marketers. Whenever I hear "brand loyalty", I imagine a group of execs in some office deep underground drooling with lust for that holy grail of loyalty that will drive a customer to give up their life savings. They feel they can create loyalty, that they can create love, and that their manipulative strings will really produce a lasting relationship.
But like a real relationship, you have to give something back, and it has to be heartfelt. There has to be enough personality that someone can connect with it. A brand is more than what you look like, it's who you are. If you love what you do, and you're really behind it, that is obvious to those who share your values. Know who they are and be true to them, and you'll probably do alright.
So what about Mameshiba, was that just corporate money-grubbing? I don't think so. From what I can tell, it was an experiment. They didn't go into it thinking they were guaranteed anything, so they made something the creators could get behind. Only when they realized that people actually did want some weirdo products did they actually produce them. Webcomics are similar. You put out what you want to create, and hope it jives with other people. If there's demand for merch, you provide it, but you can't just assume your comic is going to be a hit. It has to resonate before it can shake and move.
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