Hi friends, mod here.

I want to take a moment to address the issue of low-quality AI-generated content that occasionally gets posted in this community.

While /c/comicstrips hasn’t had a specific rule about this until now, it’s become clear that some AI-generated comics being shared fall well below the standard of quality we aim to maintain. These low-effort posts not only disrupt the overall experience for readers, but they also devalue the hard work of the illustrators and artists who contribute original content here.

Starting today, a new rule is in place:

AI-generated comics are no longer allowed in this community.

Thanks for understanding and helping keep /c/comicstrips a high-quality space for everyone who loves comics.

  • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
    0·
    4 days ago

    I congratulate you on your decision

    However, I do think that people like us are on the losing side. US tech companies are flooding the internet with AI slop and most people in the world are tied up in them and see barely anything else anymore.

    Soon enough we’ll be a tiny minority, but what can you do…?

    • tetris11@feddit.ukEnglish
      0·
      4 days ago

      Many people cook entire meals using the microwave, and many people cook using an oven and stove.

      Yes there’s a lot of quickly processed food out there to feed the masses, but even the masses can tell the difference between a home cooked meal and a microwaved plate.

      We might be the minority with our cooking, but our clientelle don’t want it any other way and thats okay

  • irelephant [he/him]@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    0·
    4 days ago

    While I think Ai can make some cool images, it sucks at comics.
    They look souless, have weird facial expressions and have inconsistent fonts.

    Stick figure comics are far better.

  • Rayquetzalcoatl@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    4 days ago

    Thank you for making this choice, and keeping this community worth visiting. And thank you for the hard work you do in moderating!

  • Bad@jlai.lu
    0·
    4 days ago

    I started by making comics with horribly drawn stickmen in Paint, black and white, no colors, yet they got a positive reaction due to the writing (example of my work 2 years ago).

    Unless you suffer from a severe physical disability, there’s no excuse, you can draw your own comics.

    The best part is while drawing your shitty stickmen, you’ll get better at drawing, learn to represent emotions and actions, develop a style, start to have a visual identity, maybe even get good at it who knows.

    I learned to draw from scratch in my late 30s, two years later I’m doing illustrations for my own games - there’s still a lot of room for improvement, but it proves practice pays off even without tryharding and you don’t need AI to draw your comics for you. You just need to get over your fears of judgement, try your best with the skills you’ve got, and keep doing it on a regular schedule. Slowly, over time, you’ll get better. I promise.

    That’s why I’m always upvoting and complimenting those who are just getting started and can’t draw much yet, but have good ideas and a vision. I’d encourage everyone else to do the same. A lot of people tend to stop if they don’t get positive feedback.

    If you’re considering making AI comics, try drawing them instead. Who cares if it’s ugly, give it your best and share it with the world. You might not get many upvotes, but if your ideas are good enough you’ll get a few comments and the motivation to keep trying, and that’s a lot already. Don’t fret over having no “talent”, I don’t have any either, still can’t draw anything decent with a pen and paper :-)

    • Ofiuco@piefed.caEnglish
      0·
      4 days ago

      The problem is it requires effort, no matter how minimal, and these lazy asses want the free karma and fame without any effort at all.

      • Bad@jlai.lu
        0·
        3 days ago

        I wouldn’t say it’s exclusively an effort issue, there’s pretty legitimate reasons why people don’t draw: fear of judgement, lack of belief in self, anxiety…

        In my case the last time I had fun drawing was in school, until my art teacher repeatedly told me I drew like shit and I just gave up drawing. Thought I’d never be able to draw. Took me 20 years until I tried again. People’s words can have unexpected effects, that’s why I try to be extra encouraging to new artists.

        I can relate to the frustration of really wanting to draw but thinking you can’t do it. I understand why they use the AI drawing generators instead of doing it themselves. I just wish they could believe in themselves the way I did. It’s not easy, but it’s absolutely worth it.

    • Rob T Firefly@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      4 days ago

      You don’t even need the stick figures if you’re especially clever about it.

      There are lots of ways out there to be creative without generating slop.

      • Feathercrown@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        4 days ago

        Fumetti looks interesting!

        Although both of these techniques are harder than drawing stick figures, they could be a more unique style.

        • Rob T Firefly@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          4 days ago

          What’s easy for one person may be hard for another, and vice versa. Folks can find whichever they’re good at and share it.

  • SavvyWolf@pawb.socialEnglish
    0·
    4 days ago

    People say that AI generated art displays a lack of talent, but I think that’s not exactly true.

    This technology steals the work of artists, funnels money into the hands of dictators and megacorps, poisons towns populated by minorities and sets the planet on fire. Defending all of that requires a level of talent in lacking empathy that’s almost admirable.

  • erlend_sh@lemmy.world
    0·
    4 days ago

    Excellent decision! The simplest way to enforce this would be to require all comic strip submissions to include a source link.