This is an idea I first got from a stand-up comedian (I wish I could remember who). Although this idea mostly works for comedic purposes, I can't help but feel that there is some truth to it. Today, for example, I realized that it has relevance in terms of artistic quality. In comics, there is a saying that good writing makes up for bad art, but bad art can't make up for good writing. I only agree with this a little bit.
I am a strong advocate for good drawing in comics. I think that comics with amateur or poor quality art will have a much harder time being liked by people. Lar DeSouza's art in Least I Could Do and Looking For Group is beautiful and both are very popular comics. I will admit that the fact that they both have great writing does help.
However, I also look at comics like Toothpaste for Dinner and White Ninja, which have low quality art and unimpressive writing, yet are incredibly popular. How can such a glaring exception make any sense with the standard belief? This is where my idea comes in. Although they are exceptionally low in quality, they are still exceptional.
And that really is the heart of the matter. The point is to stick out. The only true failure is never sticking out above the sea of mediocrity that exists in any field. If William Hung can get a record contract for being the most spectacularly bad singer ever, anybody can do it.
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