Thread "Warning people about the nasty stuff without spoiling everything, and hammering it point home too." in forum "Comic Talk and General Discussion *"

Posted at 7:04PM, Apr. 24, 2020

I'm currently working on a new series that I want to be full of sex, violence and monsters. Thing is, I like to have characters to go with these bouts of rip and tearing, and in the first three three issues are planned as set up before kind of, sort of, going into Urotsukidoji territory.

Okay, that's hyperbolic but I plan on taking advantage of the adult rating as much as the TOS (and "good taste", there is some things I won't do) allows, but as stated I want to introduce the characters and build up the world a bit before going into the gore.

Thing is, how do you warn the readers of what's coming without spoiling what's coming, while at the same time to let them know that there is some serious stuff coming up?

I don't just mean guts, kinks and tits but some serious character subjects like child soldiers, types of trauma, abandonment issues and so on even when not shown on screen.

Posted at 9:04PM, Apr. 24, 2020

Why do you want to warn people?

Posted at 2:04AM, Apr. 25, 2020

Rumors, news accounts. Have the troubled world always be in the background never stopping the parade of horror, while the characters grow in the foreground.

Posted at 6:04AM, Apr. 25, 2020

I agree with bravo. You can use some foreshadowing too.

Season one of the series "I'm Not Okay With This" has a jolting and extremely graphic climax. But viewers are somewhat prepared for it because of the foreshadowing and gradual amping up of the forces involved. It's still shocking. But some bloody noses, an animal's death, chaotic property damage, and plenty of foul language at least lets the audience know what kind of ride they are on.

Posted at 1:04PM, Apr. 25, 2020

You could include your warning inside the Short Description (appears in searches) when you start the comics. You could also include a warning in the Author’s Comments section on the front page, but sometimes people don’t read those. The other option is to include the warning inside the front cover page art.

Posted at 8:05AM, May. 3, 2020

Many stories begin with a short prologue that sets the tone and the setting, then there is a big scene cut and the story starts from another point.
For example suppose I want to write an horror story about satanists, but the story starts with a guy who lives a normal life and only very slowly becomes embroiled with the satanists. If I start woth the normal guy having a normal life for, like, 30 pages, people who are interest in horror stuff will just stop reading, and people who are interested in slice of life stuff will then disappointed when later the story becomes a hrror story. But if I start with some bad guys (whose face is not shown) killing a victim in the woods for a satanist ritual, then cut, title, and I start presenting the main character in hs normal life, people interested in horror will likely wait a bit knowing where I want to go. You could do something similar with the Urotsukidoji-like stuff.

Posted at 12:05PM, May. 3, 2020

Considering you have an A rating, people are warned just by that, that they're entering at their own risk. If you want you can just elaborate on the A rating a little, with something like a trigger warning, or an 18+ notice "for issues of trauma/violence/gore/various sexual situations" and you're a-ok: proceed as you like, without further concerns. Unless it's foreshadowing you want to do, that is a different (and art-related, rather than a warning related) matter.

Posted at 12:05PM, May. 4, 2020

Furwerk studio wrote:

Thing is, how do you warn the readers of what's coming without spoiling what's coming, while at the same time to let them know that there is some serious stuff coming up?

I don't just mean guts, kinks and tits but some serious character subjects like child soldiers, types of trauma, abandonment issues and so on even when not shown on screen.

I have a rather sensitive chapter coming up for my second comic, so after I post the chapter's cover I plan on posting a warning page, letting people know the subject that the chapter will involve and let them know that they need to do what is best for their mental health/well-being, so if they can't handle this type of content then to turn away.
Just be polite, even though you have an A rating, I would still give a general topic warning, maybe you don't want to spoil the content, but trust me, some people might appreciate the warning on the type of content and it might help them be prepared for the subject ahead.
If they get smacked in the face with it they might get hugely turned off.

Also I would suggest putting it in the short description of your comic, just say something short and simple like "WARNING: SENSITIVE TOPICS" or something of the sort. At least if they hover over the comic image when you update or if they find you, they'll see there topics that's beyond "guts, kinks and tits"