moose135
2007-04-24, 09:11 AM
The comic strip "What The Duck" has its 200th strip today. Popular Photography magazine has an article on their website about this quirky little strip that many of us can identify with...
What the Duck Turns 200
Using the grassroots marketing techniques of social networking and a casual approach to copyright, Aaron Johnson has turned a camera-toting duck into a cult-favorite comic character.
By Jack Howard
April 2007
The story goes that Aaron Johnson of Oak Creek, Wisconsin woke up one morning last July and had the idea to make a comic strip about a struggling professional photographer who just happened to be a duck. These first five strips appeared on his band's blog, as filler material while the band's regular blogger, lead singer Carol Kroll, was away for a few days.
Within a few hours, photo-centric message boards such as sportsshooter.com and the PopPhoto.com forums were linking to the original five What the Duck comic strips.
It was meant to be a joke. A one-off. A way to add some fresh content to the band's website during some downtime. That's it. Five strips, then back to band updates.
Then the emails began -- from photographers, both pros and amateurs, industry names and weekend hobbyists alike. Like wildfire, What the Duck burst onto the scene, with its own Web site, an ever-expanding line of WTD-branded merchandise, and a fanbase that continues to grow, both among photographers, the people who love (or put up with) photographers, and a growing readership that is now reaching beyond the niche photography market...
Complete story at:
http://www.popphoto.com/popularphotogra ... s-200.html (http://www.popphoto.com/popularphotographyfeatures/4079/what-the-duck-turns-200.html)
What the Duck Turns 200
Using the grassroots marketing techniques of social networking and a casual approach to copyright, Aaron Johnson has turned a camera-toting duck into a cult-favorite comic character.
By Jack Howard
April 2007
The story goes that Aaron Johnson of Oak Creek, Wisconsin woke up one morning last July and had the idea to make a comic strip about a struggling professional photographer who just happened to be a duck. These first five strips appeared on his band's blog, as filler material while the band's regular blogger, lead singer Carol Kroll, was away for a few days.
Within a few hours, photo-centric message boards such as sportsshooter.com and the PopPhoto.com forums were linking to the original five What the Duck comic strips.
It was meant to be a joke. A one-off. A way to add some fresh content to the band's website during some downtime. That's it. Five strips, then back to band updates.
Then the emails began -- from photographers, both pros and amateurs, industry names and weekend hobbyists alike. Like wildfire, What the Duck burst onto the scene, with its own Web site, an ever-expanding line of WTD-branded merchandise, and a fanbase that continues to grow, both among photographers, the people who love (or put up with) photographers, and a growing readership that is now reaching beyond the niche photography market...
Complete story at:
http://www.popphoto.com/popularphotogra ... s-200.html (http://www.popphoto.com/popularphotographyfeatures/4079/what-the-duck-turns-200.html)