The New World

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The internet boom brought about many challenges to the traditional industry. What was previously printed media has been replaced with the online media. Adapting to these challenges is not an easy task especially if the traditional pen and paper has been your most trusted companion for the last 3 decades. This was the major challenge facing the comic and cartoon industry around the world.

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In the past, Malaysia was a booming industry for printed comics and cartoons. Amongst the famous names are

I remember vividly waiting for the next 'Gila Gila' magazine to hit the newsstand and to purchase it. It was a booming industry in the 80s. However the shift in consumer habits as a result of the internet and subsequently the invention of social media has changed the cartoon and comic industry in a significant way.

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Death of the Printed Media

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Not all cartoonist and comic artists are internet savvy. Many still rely on their sketch book, pen and pencil. The idea of leaving behind hard copies was a little hard to swallow. With social media, not only has printed media taken a terrible blow, but there is an introduction of an entirely new system that is non reliant on subscription and advertisement.

The next question that crept in to the traditionalists is how then does one derive an income? These artists are just like you and me with mortgages to pay and stomachs to feed. As a result of this paradigm shift, many talented artists have left the industry.

While it is true that the digital age has welcomed a new breed of artists, those who are as familiar with digital art and the social media flourished. Works that are no less mesmerizing than the traditional canvas.

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(example of digital art that has been flourishing since the late 90s)

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Evolution Taking Place

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Charles Darwin had it right. Evolution is an inevitable creature of the nature. One has to either evolve or face the risk of extinction. In a frantic search for a viable alternative, many has turned to freelance work such as doing caricature work or progress to other industries such as advertisement whereby creative input is highly valued.

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This is a sad turn of event as it will eventually mark the decline of the cartoon and comic industry.

Today we have the steem blockchain that has it pool of rewards for content creators. This is the perfect gateway for these artists that are struggling to overcome this change. The world of content creation has now been made simple. The author does not fix a rate to his work. If it is well liked, the readers themselves will choose the reward.

It is also a 'trustless' system. The artist does not have to worry about non payment or getting paying subscribers. The entire effort could be placed into the more important aspect of drawing which is content creation. Some time can be spared for engagement and if there are room for more income, an artist can look into curation rewards.

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Self Sustaining System

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The very reason why @sireh and myself (@perennial) started this industry boils down to the decline of the printed media and the viability of marketing creative content online through a system that pays. The Steemit Platform seems to fit this bill perfectly. It resolves the artists' community through the following windows:-

i) Paid though an automated and systematic platform;
ii) Transparency of entire process;
iii) Active participation from audience through engagement (critical evaluation); and
iv) Simplicity of process.

One of the most compelling characteristic of the Steem Blockchain is individual effort can be rewarded. One does not have to find the backing of a strong company to lend credence to the work that is published. It is merely the work itself that is being evaluated. The second strongest characteristic of the Steem Blockchain is the fact that it is your peers, your followers and members of your community that determines the value of your work. There is no room for manipulation.

(@abgmie and our cartoon legend from the Gila-gila Magazine Mr. Jaafar Taib)

It is our simple wish that with this community carrying the tag #steem-cartoon, the artists will have a good field day and devout their time to entirely content creation. In other words, evolution will not make us a creature of the past. We have evolved.