--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The secret to a successful webcomic is to…" description: "\"“The secret to a successful webcomic is to trick people into believing they will only get all the jokes if they read regularly. By the time they realiz..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/charlie-jane-anders-14361_success_the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-t_929676.jpg" --- # The secret to a successful webcomic is to trick people… ![“The secret to a successful webcomic is to trick people into believing they will only get all the jokes if they read regularly. By the time they realize there are no jokes for them to get, they’ve invested too much time to quit, and they can’t admit they’ve been duped,” said Kevin. “There is a…” quote by Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/charlie-jane-anders-14361_success_the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-t_929676.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/charlie-jane-anders-14361_success_the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-t_929676.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/charlie-jane-anders-14361_success_the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-t_929676.jpg) > ““The secret to a successful webcomic is to trick people into believing they will only get all the jokes if they read regularly. By the time they realize there are no jokes for them to get, they’ve invested too much time to quit, and they can’t admit they’ve been duped,” said Kevin. “There is a whole art to creating nonexistent jokes that appear to go over everyone’s head. It’s much harder than creating actual jokes.”” [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A webcomic succeeds by making readers think they’re missing jokes, so they keep reading despite realizing there are none. **In simple terms:** Webcomics hook readers with false promises of hidden jokes. Key Takeaway Design content that creates curiosity and commitment. Themes engagement psychology media Mood cautious analytical Type advice observational When to use this quote - marketing strategy - content creation - reader retention - online publishing Key Concepts commitment bias illusory humor audience retention Questions to Reflect On - How can creators balance intrigue with honesty? - What ethical lines are crossed in such tactics? A Different Perspective Readers may feel manipulated, leading to distrust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [Not Going Out's jokes were based on the American mentality in terms of how often the jokes appear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/not-going-out-s-jokes-were-based-on-the-american-mentality-in-terms/) [Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/) > [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/) [Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. That's why I have to give all that I can, and at least produce something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-wouldn-t-want-people-to-laugh-at-me-that-s-why-i-have-to-give-all/) [Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) ## More by Charlie Jane Anders > [“greatest natural disaster in America’s history. The storm’s supermassive fetch, hurling the already-swollen ocean onto land. High winds and twenty inches of rain shredding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/greatest-natural-disaster-in-america-s-history-the-storm-s/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [People really don't understand the technology they're using. It's been talked about a lot. Apple products in particular are designed in such a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/people-really-don-t-understand-the-technology-they-re-using-it-s-been/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“He was practicing active listening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/he-was-practicing-active-listening/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“kids shouted, “Larry, Larry, Quite Contrary!” and held him underwater, and threw him out of the airplane early, and forced him to do improv…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/kids-shouted-larry-larry-quite-contrary-and-held-him-underwater-and/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“As Dorothy J. Heydt famously said, the eight deadliest words for any work of fiction are 'I don't care what happens to these people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/as-dorothy-j-heydt-famously-said-the-eight-deadliest-words-for-any/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“The sheer volume of bad news had gotten beyond anybody’s ability to process into a narrative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/the-sheer-volume-of-bad-news-had-gotten-beyond-anybody-s-ability-to/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“A society that has to burn witches to hold itself together is a society that has already failed, and just doesn’t know it yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/a-society-that-has-to-burn-witches-to-hold-itself-together-is-a/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“Now Laurence felt self-conscious. People should not see him having a crazy argument with his Caddy—with Peregrine. He hustled away from the beach, away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/now-laurence-felt-self-conscious-people-should-not-see-him-having-a/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“The not-understanding was worse than anything else, it was like a mystery and a wound that couldn't heal and an unforgivable failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/the-not-understanding-was-worse-than-anything-else-it-was-like-a/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“What was it?” Serafina wandered off to look at yogurt-covered pretzels, probably annoyed at him for talking on the phone. Her long fingers lifted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/what-was-it-serafina-wandered-off-to-look-at-yogurt-covered-pretzels/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [If you're a writer, you don't serve genres. Genres serve you. Like, if you're writing a science fiction story set on a spaceship, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/if-you-re-a-writer-you-don-t-serve-genres-genres-serve-you-like-if/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“When Laurence was old enough to do what he liked, he would be old enough to understand he couldn’t do what he liked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/when-laurence-was-old-enough-to-do-what-he-liked-he-would-be-old/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“ONE DAY THE Singularity would elevate humans to cybernetic superbeings, and maybe then people would say what they meant. Probably not, though.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/one-day-the-singularity-would-elevate-humans-to-cybernetic/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“LAURENCE AND SERAFINA went to an organic burger place, locally sourced, etc., and Serafina talked about her emotional robots. “You won’t believe the heuristics.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/laurence-and-serafina-went-to-an-organic-burger-place-locally-sourced/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [“It’s not a serious project,” Laurence said as they crossed Castro Street. “Milton doesn’t think the human race will still be here in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/it-s-not-a-serious-project-laurence-said-as-they-crossed-castro/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) [Explore all 47 Charlie Jane Anders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) ## More Comedy quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. That's why I have to give all that I can, and at least produce something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-wouldn-t-want-people-to-laugh-at-me-that-s-why-i-have-to-give-all/) [Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/) > [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/) [Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) [Browse all 19,795 Comedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The secret to a successful webcomic is to trick people into believing they will only get all the jokes if they read regularly. By the time they realize there are no jokes for them to get, they’ve invested too much time to quit, and they can’t admit they’ve been duped,” said Kevin. “There is a whole art to creating nonexistent jokes that appear to go over everyone’s head. It’s much harder than creating actual jokes.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlie Jane Anders" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-to-trick-people-into-believing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-to-trick-people-into-believing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/charlie-jane-anders-14361_success_the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-t_929676.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/charlie-jane-anders-14361_success_the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-t_929676.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bd/charlie-jane-anders-14361_success_the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-t_929676.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The secret to a successful webcomic is to trick people into believing they will only get all the jokes if…” — Charlie Jane Anders", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charlie Jane Anders", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The secret to a successful webcomic...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-to-trick-people-into-believing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/the-secret-to-a-successful-webcomic-is-to-trick-people-into-believing/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```