# Why advertise for a defunct webcomic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips\ **Created:** [November 11, 2024, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-advertise-for-a-defunct-webcomic/1010072 "2024-11-11T07:19:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-advertise-for-a-defunct-webcomic/1010072/1 "2024-11-11T07:19:02Z")
I read the webcomic _Dumbing of Age_ on a regular basis. I did so today and I was surprised at a new ad they have on their page. It an ad for the webcomic _Go Get a Roomie_. The reason this surprised me is _Go Get a Roomie_ is a defunct webcomic. The creator ended the story almost a year ago and the website is just an archive of old strips. I suppose keeping the archive in existence is a fairly minimal cost. But somebody had to pay for that ad I saw. Why did somebody decide this was a good investment of their advertising budget? There’s an issue of opportunity cost. The money that was spend on this ad wasn’t spent on an ad for another webcomic that is still being published. Or spent on some other need. ---
**Author:** ![CorpusNeptune](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corpusneptune/32/17561_2.png) [@CorpusNeptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CorpusNeptune)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-advertise-for-a-defunct-webcomic/1010072/2 "2024-11-11T07:21:38Z")
Could be perhaps trying to glean interest for their already created works to gain an audience for new comics in the future? That’s my best guess anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-advertise-for-a-defunct-webcomic/1010072/3 "2024-11-11T07:31:59Z")
I feel in that case they’d be better off buying ads for the new comic. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-advertise-for-a-defunct-webcomic/1010072/4 "2024-11-11T07:50:21Z")
Are there ads at the archive? That might generate some revenue if there are enough visitors. I mean, you’re probably not paying your rent with income from a defunct web comic, but maybe it’s beer money from something that’s just sitting there. ---
**Author:** ![Xocomil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xocomil/32/14927_2.png) [@Xocomil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xocomil)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-advertise-for-a-defunct-webcomic/1010072/5 "2024-11-11T08:14:29Z")
It may be indirect advertising for the print versions of the comic which are currently being sold. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-advertise-for-a-defunct-webcomic/1010072/6 "2024-11-11T14:48:44Z")
You say it’s a new ad and, since I don’t read the webcomic, I wouldn’t know for sure but I have seen current running comics display ads for defunct comics before. I just assumed it was an ad-swap that never got updated, pre-paid ad or some other “We just never took it out of rotation” type event. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-advertise-for-a-defunct-webcomic/1010072/7 "2024-11-11T15:42:45Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I suppose keeping the archive in existence is a fairly minimal cost. But somebody had to pay for that ad I saw. Was the ad on a sister site, so that it was an in-house ad? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-advertise-for-a-defunct-webcomic/1010072/8 "2024-11-11T23:50:15Z")
I think a lot of webcomics join ad collectives, where they all advertise for each other, possibly without money ever even changing hands. With the informal nature of these, it’s easy to imagine a defunct comic staying in the rotation. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-advertise-for-a-defunct-webcomic/1010072/9 "2024-11-12T04:59:37Z")
Also, what is meant by “defunct”? Is the story complete? Because new readers find webcomics all the time even after their story is completed - I’ve introduced multiple people to _Digger_ way after it finished, for instance.