About Panels

Panels is a community for indie comic creators and readers. Creators build profiles listing their comic projects and post updates on their creative progress. Readers can find new comics and support their favorite creators.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make a profile on Panels?

To build a creator profile on Panels, you need to be recruited by another creator. Creators can recruit anyone by sending them an invite link. Once you're recruited, you'll have access to the Panels creator dashboard where you can build your profile.

How do I get recrutied?

There's a few good ways to get recruited on Panels:

• Ask a creator you know to recruit you.
• Join our Discord and message one of the admins with your work.
• Most importantly: Create good indie comics.

We periodically issue invitations to existing creators who, in turn, invite new creators to list their comics on Panels.

Why are creators recruited?

Having creators take responsibility for those they recruit sharpens the focus on sharing good comics. We also limit invitations, which helps our tiny company scale the site and our support of it. This strategy is imperfect—we know there are many fantastic creators still unrecruited our efforts to grow gracefully are ongoing.

What sort of comics are allowed on Panels?

We don't restrict comics to any genres. We prohibit porn and sick comics. Our values are “Beauty“ and “Truth“. Our motto is “Cursed be the fool who destroys wonder”.

Does Panels cost anything?

Panels is a free service for comic creators. We don't charge for any of our services because we know that the term “starving artist” isn't an exaggeration.

Ok, but how do you plan to support this service if you don't charge?

We plan on adding revenue-generating features for creators in the future: paid subscriptions for subscribers, crowdfunding, e-commerce, etc. Once these features are available, Panels will take a small percentage on transactions. But we will only make money if creators are making money.

Do you allow AI generated content?

The short answer is no.

The long answer is that if an artist is using an ai model trained on their own artwork to speed up their process, then we allow that. Panels fundamentally exists to support craftsmen who love writing and drawing and want to train their eyes, ears and hands to artistic excellence. It's not really for people who believe that can be outsourced to machines.

Do you allow 3d generated comics?

No.

Panels is about promoting the traditional craftsmenship of making comics. Drawing is a fundamental part of that practice. Because of that, we don't promote comics that are made using 3d renderers. If you incorporate 3d models as part of your drawing process, then that's allowed even if it isn't encouraged.

Who made Panels?

Panels is built by Levi Nunnink, the Founder of Morning Metrics. Previously Levi founded Riskalyze (now known as Nitrogen) and Droplr. Levi is also an illustrator at Humanities Studio. He's been drawing for as long as he can remember. He built Panels for his daughter, Lily Nunnink, who's also a storyteller and illustrator.

Beauty. Truth. Comics.

Beauty and Truth are transcendant values. They exist outside of culture, space, and time. They are eternal. By embracing beauty and truth we become closer to the transcendant ourselves. By beholding beauty we become beautiful. By knowing truth we become true.

Comics have a role to play here. If we create comics that are beauitful and true we create something eternal.

Even if nobody remembers them for years, they will reappear in the minds of future creators and people who love truth and beauty.

The ugly, obscene, trendy, and trite will vanish. Lies will fall silent.

Beauty and truth are forever. Armies and mobs, demons and bombs will break against them like water.

Write and draw well, friends.

“Cursed be the fool who destroys wonder”

This phrase comes from the great Alex Toth's final jugement on the state of comics as saw a medium for children descending into nihlism and obscenity. Things have only gotten worse sense.

But there are green shoots in the independent comics world. If you love beauty, truth and comics: Panels is the place for you. If you want to see the re-enhancement of the world: Panels is the place for you. If you want to create wonder, not destory: Panels is the place for you.

Toth's Letter: