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Web-Based Comics

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the boneless-chicken-ranch dept.

Lumpish Scholar writes "The Chicago Tribune (no registration required:-) has this long awaited article on Web-based cartoons and cartoonists. (A couple of Web-based cartoonists put together the recent Berkely Breathed interview, as reported here.) The Trib article mentions some of my favorite online cartoons: Kevin and Kell, College Roomies From Hell, and Helen, Sweetheart of the Internet (now in dead tree syndication and online here). Other sources: Keenspot, hosting service for forty online strips; Planet Cartoonist's list of the top 100 online comic strips; a similar list from Big Panda; Yahoo!'s same-day-as-the-papers strips; King Features; Comics.com, home of Dilbert (a.k.a. Dilbert.com), Peanuts (Snoopy.com), and other United Media comic strips, and cartoons from the New Yorker; Plan 9 Publishing, bringing online comics to dead trees near you; oh, yeah, and let's not forget that other online strip." I just wish Gary Larson would come back.

171 comments

  1. Too many links by ishrat · · Score: 1

    Ya, I understand the good intentions involved but I had to read this post 5 times over.

    --

    There's always sufficient, but not always at the right place nor for the right folks.

  2. Sluggy Freelance by Kletus+Cassidy · · Score: 5

    How could they do an article onWeb comics and leave out Sluggy Freelance. That's the funniest and most innovative of the online comics I've seen and I've read most of the ones they listed.

  3. electric sheep by gruntvald · · Score: 1

    Electric Sheep (www.e-sheep.com) have some interesting and unusual strips online, but suffer from infrequent updates, and delays. Jwz (www.jwz.org) has a list of other online comics. I'd love to see archives of old comics online - wouldn't it be fun to read original Superman, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Dan Dare etc. online? What about early 2000AD? One of my gripes with online comics (probably my only one, since I got broadband) is that they seem intent on re-inventing the medium, rather than telling ripping yarns.....

  4. penny arcade by redhotchil · · Score: 2

    don't forget penny arcade!
    ©o,,o©©o,,o©©©o,

    1. Re:penny arcade by DaHat · · Score: 1

      I agree, PA is the only online commic I read

      --
      Help Brendan pay off his student loans
    2. Re:penny arcade by CommanderTaco · · Score: 1

      As long as we're talking about penny arcade, you can't leave out Better than Penny Arcade, by the one and only jeff k. of somethingawful :)

  5. I see a noticable lack of the one true comic(tm) by bmetz · · Score: 2

    http://www.yellow5.com/pokey/ and since pokey is updated about once a month these days, keep an eye on: http://www.bitterfilms.com/anesthetics.html for pokey-meets-redmeat fun.

    --
    What did you eat today? http://www.atetoday.com/
  6. sinfest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    here

  7. Don't forget... by Ron+Harwood · · Score: 4

    Dr. Fun, Goats, Bob the Angry Flower and Too Much Coffee Man.

    --
    BlackNova Traders
    1. Re:Don't forget... by Hanno · · Score: 2

      And Keith Knight and Carol Lay (Yay!)

      ------------------

      --

      ------------------
      You may like my a cappella music
    2. Re:Don't forget... by jugglingfencer · · Score: 1

      After Y2K Go Nitrozac!

      --
      Busco a alguien que me quiera como yo la quiera.
    3. Re:Don't forget... by Ben+Wolfson · · Score: 1

      Or Pokey the Penguin...

    4. Re:Don't forget... by Temporal · · Score: 2

      And Sluggy Freelance (long, complex, and interesting story arcs, which are hillarious to boot), Penny Arcade (extreme funny), Player vs Player (more fun(ny) with gaming), Sinfest (offensive and funny), and Adventurers (hillarious -- but only if you play console RPG's)! There are so many awesome web comics!

      ------

    5. Re:Don't forget... by webrunner · · Score: 2

      Thanks for the link, by the way.
      ----

      --
      ADVENTURERS! - ANTIHERO FOR HIRE - CARDMASTER CONFLICT
  8. Missing the best one... by tristan+f. · · Score: 1

    If you want a truly excellent example of an online cartoon -- especially one that takes full advantage of its medium -- check out Leisure Town. Technically brilliant, it's also hilarious and pretty much a work of art.

    I warn you though, it can take a while to really get into it. But stick with it, check out some of the older ones, and you won't be sorry.

    -tcf

    Full Disclosure: I have the same first name and nearly the same set of initials as the author of Leisure Town, but I can only wish I was capable of such brilliance ;-)

    --
    Hi, I'm a pretentious cock who will make some gay comment about ignoring AC posts here.
  9. Web Toons by synclayre · · Score: 1
    There are more cartoons on the internet than I know what to do with... some are merely reprints from newspapers, but then you have all these online-only strips... it gives me a headache to think about trying to read more than a few of them. I think Ill just continue reading UF and call it good =)

    Syn

  10. The web is reinvigorating comics. by Heidi+Wall · · Score: 3
    Picture this. It is 1970. You want to be a comic drawer. You do it in your spare time, and perhaps do your comics for a couple of fanzines and so on. You have an art degree - you are well qualified. What options do you have? Your only real option id to start sending your portfolio around all the major magazines/comic books/ newspapers and so on, in the hope of being accepted for one. However, this is a competitive environment.

    Today, however, you can set up your own page and appeal to the viewers directly. If you are succesful, you have your own cult of fans and people start taking notice in the serious press. The web has created an alternative career path for the aspiring cartoonist - even if you are unsuccessful, you can still be noticed and get your work out there.

    Also, the freedom from commercial pressures means that todays comics are much more innovative than they once were - the cartoonist is free to create whatever he wishes, without interference. The modern comedic tradition, informed by Saturday Night Live, Monty Python and other such surrealist shows means that the modern comic can be downright bizarre.

    This all holds fairly well with the subversive traditions of the comic. The web is reinforing those traditions and bringing them to the fore more than they were.

    This is a golden age for comics - they are being reborn.
    --
    Clarity does not require the absence of impurities,

    --
    /* And you'll never guess what the dog had */
    /* in its mouth... */
    --Larry Wall in stab.c from perl
    1. Re:The web is reinvigorating comics. by RayChuang · · Score: 2

      I absolutely agree! :-)

      Comic strips like Kevin and Kell, Sluggy Freelance, MegaTokyo, and several others could not exist in the world of the syndicates because they often have subjects that the syndicates would reject outright as either "violating standards" or too obscure.

      It really is a rebirth of the comic strip.

      --
      Raymond in Mountain View, CA
  11. Best comics ignored? by Levine · · Score: 1

    The best online comics somehow escaped mention. Without a doubt, Penny Arcade and Friend Bear are the two funniest comics around these days. Userfriendly? That piece of junk was, in my opinion, never funny. Dumb jokes about the same computer shit every week? No, thanks; PA has that category in the bag.

    Hell, even CC vs. CC is better than some of this crap :) I never understood why some of this stuff got so popular - maybe I'm spoiled.

    Cheers,
    levine

    1. Re:Best comics ignored? by Levine · · Score: 1

      Friend Bear is most definately NOT a rip off of Pokey the Penguin. Friend Bear makes funny jokes. Pokey does not. Friend Bear alludes to things that it takes a bit of intellect to figure out. Pokey does not. Friend Bear's characters, situations, and language let you know that the author has an idea of what's going on, whereas Pokey is just a leap into a frying pan of random sayings and half- or quarter-funny jokes without a single thing to tie it together.

      I'm not saying Pokey isn't good - it is - but Friend Bear is better (and also NOT a rip off). If you'd visit the site you'd figure that out - it's under the FAQ section. Hell, it IS the FAQ.

      Cheers,
      levine

    2. Re:Best comics ignored? by toriver · · Score: 1
      Userfriendly? That piece of junk was, in my opinion, never funny. Dumb jokes about the same computer shit every week? No, thanks;

      User Friendly speaks to those who have grown up and started working in the industry,

      PA has that category in the bag.

      PA speaks to those who haven't grown up, and spend their time playing games.

      There is no comparison.

    3. Re:Best comics ignored? by CaseyB · · Score: 1
      User Friendly speaks to those who have grown up and started working in the industry,

      Pfft. "You're just not sophisticated enough to appreciate the depth of User Friendly.", huh? User friendly is NOT FUNNY. It gained some sort of fame because it was the first online comic that had 'slashdot' subject matter, and now it somehow manages to beat that sad horse for another strip week after week. But it would never, ever stand on it's own merit.

      And don't even get me started on the most pathetic part of the site.

    4. Re:Best comics ignored? by Levine · · Score: 1

      User Friendly speaks to those who have grown up and started working in the industry

      So this means everyone who works in the industry is a zombie-faced miscreant without a hint of a sense of a humor in their body?

      User Friendly is just plain not funny.

      Cheers,
      levine

  12. Can you Americans take anything seriously ? by Lord+Hugh+Toppingham · · Score: 1
    As an outside observer, viewing things from Her Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain i'm often amused by the way Americans never seem to take anything seriously. Its as if they never grow up past "high school" (as I believe secondary education is known over there).

    Here in the United Kingdom, we find it helpful to restrict our use of humour (note the 'u') to those occasions where the social situation would deem it to be appropriate.

    From watching many films (I believe you call them 'movies') about the USA it amazes me that even your police officers seem to joke while on duty, even sometimes with the very criminals they are supposed to be arresting!

    The American 'culture' fascinates me, but I don't know how you all cope. It just seems to juvenile and self-obsessed to me.

    Comics (be they online or printed matter) are simply another facet of the perpetual adolescense of the American nation. Grown adults reading childrens comics, and nobody thinks there is anything abnormal about this ? Let me tell you in England, such a person would be viewed as very eccentric (possibly even mentally disturbed). I have never been to America, is it really as childish as it sometimes appears from 'Across the pond' ? Someone please tell me it 'ain't so' :-)

    1. Re:Can you Americans take anything seriously ? by ffsnjb · · Score: 1

      Well, if you wanna bash the US...

      We may laugh a lot and not have a rod shoved up our collective asses, but at least we have decent teeth.

      --
      "Why do you consent to live in ignorance and fear?" - Bad Religion
    2. Re:Can you Americans take anything seriously ? by Lord+Hugh+Toppingham · · Score: 1
      You're just jealous because we have toothpaste and dentists.

      And apparently so does the UK But you are probably one of those inward looking Americans with no concept of the world beyond your doorstep. Did you know only 10% of Americans hold a passport ? I am thankful :-)

      The fact that we are not so self-obsessed that we have to have all our teeth capped to fit in with some American 'ideal' just shows that along with manners, breeding and culture, we have something else too. Its called individualism. In my country, it is not nescessary for a 15 year old to have plastic surgery simply to fit in with her peers. We are just not as shallow as Americans. (Or at least the ones I have seen on TV).

    3. Re:Can you Americans take anything seriously ? by Heidi+Wall · · Score: 1
      Speaking as an American, I must say that I agree (surprisingly). American culture is juvenile, and it is self obsessed. However, this is what gives it its vigorous creativity - other nations just cannot compare.
      • The people of Britain have cjaracter, but little personality. This means that they are good at being brave, at striving and succeeding against the odds. They have character and depth and complexity. However, they are often very boring, except where they rebel, when they are more entertaining than anyone (hence the British penchant for comedy).
      • Americans have personality, but very little character. We Americans are not good at dealing with the swords and arrows of outrageous fortune. However, we are good at appealing to people on a Prima Facie basis, as we have plenty of personality and have no concept of embarrassment or reserve or humility. Americans make good seaside entertainers, though they can be tiresome dinner guests after a while.
      The lesson we learn from this is that we should combine our strengths. The tough and stern absurdity of the British combined with the weak but adorable characteristics of the Americans would create and ideal space team, for a mission to Mars. The British would do all the exploring and heroic stuff, and the Americans would deal with the media and financing and entertainments. They would also be good at making sure the mission actually worked, without crashing. This combination would make it a sure success.
      --
      Clarity does not require the absence of impurities,
      --
      /* And you'll never guess what the dog had */
      /* in its mouth... */
      --Larry Wall in stab.c from perl
    4. Re:Can you Americans take anything seriously ? by waterbiscuit · · Score: 1
      Whilst I imagine many of your comments are along these lines from the nature of your nick and signature, I would have to say such a narrow minded viewpoint is not in any way helpful to promoting the ideas our British nation puts forward.

      Granted, the concept of adults following a child's cartoon strip somewhat fanatically seems immature. However if you cannot generalise all cartoons to be written for children. Userfriendly for example is most certainly not directed at children. It is for the "hardcore geek", that is, you.

      It seems a pity that a nation such as Great Britain is let down and classed as pompous due to persons such as yourself giving such a narrow minded viewpoint. Admittedly, I realise much of what you have to say is written with a dry sense of humour, however we have become a respected nation for our tolerance and acceptance of the "other person's point of view". Perhaps you should look beyond the first few links, and note that not all cartoons are for children. We ourselves have cartoons in the broadsheet newspapers. One surely cannot expect a five year old to understand a cartoon such as this one's political slant and humour.

    5. Re:Can you Americans take anything seriously ? by look · · Score: 1

      Actually, considering our latest Mars missions, I would suggest leaving the "landing without crashing" part up to the British.

  13. So many.. by derf77 · · Score: 1

    With so many cartoons out there, why do so many of them suck? For starters we have: Dave, Cathy, Family Circus and Spiderman! I mean, if these people just looked around they could find some good cartoons like Penny Arcade, Sluggy Freelance, and some of the stuff on Keenspace, like MacHall. I'm sure there are a bunch of starving comic writers who are dying for syndication while a lot of cartoons that really suck are being published.

    --

    Douglas Adams

    1952-2001 :(

  14. The Daily D�d� by Malicose · · Score: 1

    Tom Winkler's doodie.com can't be missed!

    1. Re:The Daily D�d� by Demanufacture · · Score: 1

      I can't believe you haven't mentioned the two best comics on the web: Spacemoose (I wish Adam Thrasher would update it) and classic Needle & Thread

      --
      --- "When you're strange"
  15. Pathetic Geek Stories by Beowulf_Boy · · Score: 1

    The Best Comic strip of all time! Pathetic Geek stories

  16. Randy Glasbergen by egor+duda · · Score: 2

    I enjoy his site (www.glasbergen.com) for almost a couple of years now. He's posting a new cartoon each day, and sometimes his pieces are really good.

  17. Don't forget by ffatTony · · Score: 1

    RedMeat. My favorite and one of the most bizarre comics. ffatTony

  18. Get started quickly in online comics by rickward · · Score: 1
    Lowpass.net, home of Three Reasons, has a comic strip creator for those of us who can't draw.

    http://www.lowpass.net/stripcreator

    But please, no "all your base are belong to us" strips.

  19. Re:I see a noticable lack of the one true comic(tm by ffsnjb · · Score: 1

    Pokey rocks.

    Also, I'm drunk!

    --
    "Why do you consent to live in ignorance and fear?" - Bad Religion
  20. Don't forget Bobbins! by SpinyNorman · · Score: 2

    http://www.bobbins.org/

  21. Cat-Enema by Beowulf_Boy · · Score: 1

    Really funny Comic Strips
    Cat Enema!

  22. bad boys of computer science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    bad boyz of computer science

  23. Lets not forget the multitude of manga based comic by jandrese · · Score: 3

    There all all kinds of comics out these days where the art and story exceed anythign you will find in the newspapers:
    Sinfest
    Explotation now
    MegaTokyo
    And for the 18+ crowd: The Thin H Line
    Of course I'd never expect a major newspaper to carry anything positive about the Thin H Line. :)

    Down that path lies madness. On the other hand, the road to hell is paved with melting snowballs.

    --

    I read the internet for the articles.
  24. Dont forget Fooker and Ki in Gpf-comics. by cOdEgUru · · Score: 2

    I found gpf-comics which is about a group of geeks at a small software company. With regular snide remarks against Microsoft and other references and the usual geekiness makes it quite interesting.

    --
    Rapid Nirvana
  25. Why do you think we're so great? by karmawhoredetective · · Score: 1

    Because we have a sence of humor try it you'll Like it!

  26. You missed the best ones! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1
    Your list of links has no mention of PvP, Sinfest or Penny Arcade.

    LOL, that other online comic looks like it was created by a pre-schooler. ;p~

  27. What, no Sluggy? by Greyfox · · Score: 4

    Can't believe you missed Sluggy Freelance Seeing as how it's an option on a slashbox and all. That's www.sluggy.com for you goatse.cx paranoid.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:What, no Sluggy? by Phrogman · · Score: 2

      No kidding. Sluggy is an awesome cartoon. I am highly addicted to it, and enjoy it far more than userfriendly to be honest.

      --
      "The first time I got drunk, I got married. The second time I bought a chimpanzee, after that I stayed sober" Arian Seid
    2. Re:What, no Sluggy? by RayChuang · · Score: 3

      I'm surprised that Sluggy Freelance was not mentioned, either.

      Remember, Sluggy Freelance has been around since August 1997, a veritable old-timer in terms of online comic strips. I believe it came out about the same time as the first User Friendly strips.

      The only major online comic strip older than Sluggy Freelance I know of is Bill Holbrook's KEVIN AND KELL, which (I think) was originally distributed on CompuServe a little bit more than ten years ago.

      --
      Raymond in Mountain View, CA
    3. Re:What, no Sluggy? by salyavin · · Score: 1

      Dr. Fun claims to be the oldest (Don't know if it's true though).

  28. Comics from my past... by bbaskin · · Score: 1

    SpaceAgeComics is run by an old friend of mine and has a variety of comics, old and new, from the Austin area and then some. If you visit, tell the editor I sent you...

    Bryan Baskin

  29. Duh by Apreche · · Score: 1

    Mega Tokyo, Bad boys of Computer Science, and Neo Baka. Duh. How can you leave these guys out? These are the only 3 web comics I read religiously. And I bet if half of you /.ers read the bad boys of CS from the beginning you will realize that the bad boys are just like you. They are so much like me and my friends it's scary.

    --
    The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
  30. Re:I see a noticable lack of the one true comic(tm by ffsnjb · · Score: 1

    So reading Great Expectations is supposed to be better than reading Pokey?

    Politics suck.

    Pokey is not poorly illustrated. :)

    HOORAY!

    --
    "Why do you consent to live in ignorance and fear?" - Bad Religion
  31. Best place for dead tree comics online. by eschatfische · · Score: 5
    It's impossible to beat the Mercury News' online comics personalization engine. Most of the dead tree comics out there, only the ones you want to see, same day as the papers, in color! Free registration required, as they say.

    I love web comics, but the problem I have with them is that I don't read them on a "daily basis" like the dead tree comics, so the ones with an ongoing storyline or character development lose a lot of their "flow." I like the "one day at a time" feel of something like Doonesbury or the kickass newcomer The Boondocks. When you read 'em all at once, it just doesn't feel right to me.

    Other great online strips: the ones at Salon, especially Tom the Dancing Bug and Story Minute. And how could I leave out the deranged genius which is Space Moose!

    The world hasn't been the same since Word.com got destroyed by their fish-oil selling masters. However, if you Google long enough, you'll find the old archive of Maakies still online.

    Eschatfische.

  32. Everything Jake by Eloquence · · Score: 2
    Well, here's a plug for one of my favorites. It's developing into a really weird storyline, but I like the drawing style. Read it from the start to appreciate it. Many of the other ones I like (ThinHLine, Sinfest) have already been mentioned. Oh, and I don't know if it qualifies as an online comic, but Exploding Dog is neat. I go for the emotional stuff.

    And if you really have too much time, check out The Bench, a comic by the readers. Reading the backlog will take you a few years, though.

    Now, to the people who have Paypal accounts, start giving something back. A dollar won't hurt you, but it'll help them.

    --

  33. Gary!!! by grovertime · · Score: 2
    Seriously, where is Gary Larson? I think we at the slash followed by the dot should make a concerted collective effort to get him to come out of retirement to at least pen one more gem poking fun at the bleary-eyed, squirrly, odd open sourcers.

    Great moments in science: Einstein discovers that time is actually money. (Larson)

    1. what the?
    --

    1. great comedy company.

  34. Re:Lets not forget the multitude of manga based co by thetzar · · Score: 1

    Don't forget some of my favorites:
    Penny Arcade
    The Parking Lot is Full
    Pope Alien

    And many others that just don't pop into mind now.

  35. WHat?! No Scott McCloud?! by LionKimbro · · Score: 2

    I have a hard time respecting an article on web based comics that doesn't even mention the work of Scott McCloud, easily the person who has put the most thought and effort into the web as a medium for comics..!

    Go check out Scott McCloud at once. The article we just read is under-researched.

  36. Oh no! by IKEA-Boy · · Score: 1

    I'm seeing an obvious lack of Joeheads here.
    Warning: not for the faint-hearted.

  37. obComic Plug by ruin · · Score: 2
    I've read a lot of online comics, and I've gotten tired of most of them. It's really difficult for a comic to remain fresh and funny over a long period of time.

    Exception: Superosity. Chris Crosby is a freaking genius.
    --

    --
    share and enjoy
    1. Re:obComic Plug by ChrisCrosby · · Score: 1

      Thanks!

      I also co-founded Keenspot and Keenspace (and came up with the names). Didn't get mentioned in the article, though... *sniff*

      Your Pal,
      Chris Crosby

      --
      Your Pal,
      Chris Crosby
      Check out my daily comic strip, SUPEROSITY!
    2. Re:obComic Plug by locoluis · · Score: 1

      Obviously, you don't read CRFH or Avalon.
      --
      Luis González M.

      --
      --- Sueños del Sur - a webcomic about four young siblings
  38. Penny Arcade by RestiffBard · · Score: 1

    uh..hmm... What about penny-arcade. The news posts alone are worth the visit.

    --
    - /* dead coders leave no comments */
  39. [insert subject here] by John+Campbell · · Score: 1

    Here's a few good ones (I'll leave out the obvious links to Sluggy and stuff, and those that I've seen people mention already.):

    Nukees
    Acid Reflux
    Snail Dust
    Avalon
    Bruno
    Waiting For Bob (currently on hiatus)
    Clan of the Cats
    It's Walky
    Irritability

  40. Netcomics by nurikochan · · Score: 1

    People might be interested in checking out the Netcomics project at sourceforge, which downloads comics daily. (Note: I am one of the developers, and this could be considered as a shameless plug...but it's on-topic...)

    Check it out at http://sourceforge.net/projects/netcomics

  41. Subversive comics by el_chicano · · Score: 2

    For politically subersive comics you can't beat Lalo Alcatraz's work. His cartoonista.com has some of the most politically incorrect cartoons found on the net. Lalo's more general political satire site at pocho.com is also hilarous...

    On a more serious note, Brazilian artist Latuff has some political cartoons critizing the handling of the Zapatista uprising by the Mexican government (in Spanish).
    --
    You think being a MIB is all voodoo mind control? You should see the paperwork!

    --
    A man who wants nothing is invincible
  42. 3 good comicstrips... by rinkjustice · · Score: 1
    I recommend the always unsettling The Parking Lot is Full, Sam Brown's brilliant explodingdog and the strange urban comicstrip called diesel sweeties where Clango the robot gets it on with the ladies! Worth digging into the archives.
    You can check them out here.

    --
    SEO Copywriter. Just Say ON
  43. On-line cartooning by chipuni · · Score: 1
    According to a number of friends of mine who do on-line cartoons, it takes about two hours to do a good daily strip, and about four or five to do a Sunday strip.

    That's a lot of time invested.

    Although some enterprising companies like Plan Nine have been selling dead tree editions of some of the best on-line comics, that's still very low wages for a lot of artwork.

    I provide you this challenge: how could an Internet cartoonist make money from their website?

    --
    Never play leapfrog with a unicorn. Or a juggernaut.
    1. Re:On-line cartooning by Angerson · · Score: 1

      I create a weekly strip called Angerson.com and, like your friends mentioned, it takes anywhere from two to five hours to create a single strip. That is a lot of time invested and I can't imagine how these guys (and gals) create these strips everyday. After a while it engulfs your life. And with little reward.

      Sadly, there really is no money to be earned from such a venture. I can always have hopes of being syndicated (not going to happen) and I already do the advertising thing but with only 4000 hits a month I usually earn around a dollar. Not exactly a living.

      The only reason to create online comics is because you enjoy doing it and others enjoy your work. In the end appreciation is our only incentive.

      --
      DigiSquid Design.
  44. Great Comics On the Web by LionKimbro · · Score: 2

    I should have included this with the last email... These are awesome links.

    First, some from electric sheep, a very socially conscious, interesting, and humerous collection of comics.

    • The Guy I Almost Was - everyone who works with technology and OpenSource/Free Software should read this, to get a sense of how some of our idealistic roots came.
    • Rush Limbaugh Eats Everything - Rush Limbaugh does Reality shows, and decides to eat... The LAST Spotted Owl.
    • The Jain's Death - An insightful and beautiful story on a Jain's lives.
    • Overheard at a Rave - A cute story about a daughter who takes her father to a rave with her.

    Here are two Scott McCloud links. Scott McClouds greatest works, unfortunately, are not online: Understanding Comics, and Reinventing Comics. Get them at a comic store near you, or at BarnesAndNoble.com. Here's some of his online work, which are of exceptional quality:

    • I Can't Stop Thinking! A meta-comic, also by Scott McCloud. Very interesting ideas are expressed here.
    • Scott McCloud's "Hearts And Minds" - not my favorite online comic, but a good taste of Scott McCloud's web form, doing things that could *NEVER* have been done in print. (Such as the falling scene in Week 3.)

    Finally, Unicorn Jelly, for those who love science, mathematics, and anime. Be sure to check out the alternative time lines, and the powers of ten map of the universe of tryslmaistan.

  45. What abotu Sinfest? by lowe0 · · Score: 1

    It's extremely funny. The author didn't give it enough credit, imho.

  46. Interesting site by Cheesemaker · · Score: 2

    there are a few interesting comics online at http://sequentialcomics.com/index2.htm

    The print version has some of the most interesting themes I've seen in a long while. I don't remember what exactly is on the web version

  47. Yay for Leisure Town! by Mr.+Adequate · · Score: 1

    QA Confidential has to be one of the greatest things I've ever read, on the web or off.

    There's also some pretty funky stuff on Weird Ass Comics.

  48. One word: syndicates by BeanThere · · Score: 5

    The syndicates have done to comic strip art what the record companies have done to music. Family Circus is to comics as Boyzone is to music.

    A worthwhile read is a speech given by Bill Watterson (creator of Calvin and Hobbes, who would not "sell out") called The cheapening of the comics.

    1. Re:One word: syndicates by K8Fan · · Score: 2
      Family Circus is to comics as Boyzone is to music.

      It's not as if the net hasn't tried to help this situation. The classic Dysfunctional Family Circus would take a normal, horribly unfunny Family Circus image, delete the original banal caption and invite visitors to add their own caption. The best of these, chosen by editors (people who had submitted many funny captions) would be added. This went on for 500 cartoons before Bil Keane's lawyers shut it down.

      --
      "How perfectly Goddamn delightful it all is, to be sure" Charles Crumb
    2. Re:One word: syndicates by BeanThere · · Score: 2

      It's not as if the net hasn't tried to help this situation

      Yes, it does seem that the Net has been slightly more useful for cartoonists than it has for musicians. Dilbert is probably one of the most well-known examples - none of the syndicates wanted to publish his original Dilbert submissions, so he published them on the Internet. The syndicates were interested after Dilbert became a success.

    3. Re:One word: syndicates by ChrisCrosby · · Score: 1

      That's not true, actually. DILBERT was syndicated by United Media (aka United Features Syndicate) in 1989, and all it took was one submissions package in the mail. DILBERT didn't appear on the web until the early 1990s. The web played a part in its success, but its expanded focus on office-related humor was probably a big factor, too. If you look at the first few years of the strip, Dilbert spends much less time in the office than he does today. The office humor market was a niche he was able to fill on the comics page.

      Your Pal,
      Chris Crosby

      --
      Your Pal,
      Chris Crosby
      Check out my daily comic strip, SUPEROSITY!
    4. Re:One word: syndicates by BeanThere · · Score: 2

      Strange, I remember reading something about the history of Dilbert done by Scott Adams (I think it used to be on the website but I can't find it.) He tells how he submitted to a number of major syndicates, all of which (including United Features, as I remember) rejected him. He had scans of the comic strips he submitted, as well as the responses from the syndicates, some of which said 'the humour is good but you should hire an artist'. I couldn't remember all the details, but I saved it somewhere. It definitely did not, though, just "require one submissions package". I'll have to see if I can locate that article. My netscape in Linux seems to hose itself whenever I go to dilbertzone.com.

    5. Re:One word: syndicates by ChrisCrosby · · Score: 1

      I think you're confusing his magazine cartoon submissions with his syndicate submissions. He submitted DILBERT as a one-panel gag cartoon to magazines but was rejected by all (see here), so he tried submitting it to the syndicates as a comic strip and was picked up immediately by United Media (see here). He was rejected by every syndicate but United Media (see here).

      Your Pal,
      Chris Crosby

      --
      Your Pal,
      Chris Crosby
      Check out my daily comic strip, SUPEROSITY!
    6. Re:One word: syndicates by BeanThere · · Score: 1

      Ok, my mistake. Sorry about that.

  49. Newpaper Syndication = Holy Grail ? by Isaac-1 · · Score: 2

    This is exactly the kind of article I would expect in a newpaper, implying that web based comics are just there to try to become newspaper comics. Ike

  50. What, no T&R? by ajf · · Score: 1

    Why no mention of Triangle and Robert?

    --

    I miss Meept.

  51. Re:And let's not forget... by BoySetsFire · · Score: 1

    Sinfest is the best! Slick is my hero!!!

    --
    "One man's "magic" is another man's engineering."-- Robert A. Heinlein
  52. What about foxtrot? by Zipper123 · · Score: 2

    What about foxtrot? www.foxtrot.com great comic

    1. Re:What about foxtrot? by PurpleBob · · Score: 2

      That's a print comic which happens to be published on the Web after a two-week delay. I hardly think that counts.
      --
      Obfuscated e-mail addresses won't stop sadistic 12-year-old ACs.

      --
      Win dain a lotica, en vai tu ri silota
  53. UNTITLED.GIF by Tom7 · · Score: 2

    Maybe you will like the very strange untitled.gif , part of the comic soviet of underground keenspot-rejects?

  54. Left out of the list: by gunner800 · · Score: 1
    There's a hot gothic lesbian at Cool Cat Studio, and Elf Life is one of the few that has nothing to do with computers.

    (blatant plug) And of course Sweaty Bullets is the worst of all because I draw it.


    My mom is not a Karma whore!

  55. Another Comic by FrdPrefct · · Score: 1

    Another online comic that's starting out, and is good is www.whoopkadang.com.
    It's updated weekly.

    Check it out!.

  56. Big Blue Room crisis by Alien54 · · Score: 2
    Ack!

    I go out into the Big Blue room to be retro, and do some shopping in this place called a store, and when I get back, what do I see?

    Anyhow, my two bits of webbased strips:

    Sabrina -(mirror here) - Life as a dedicate Amiga user, etc.

    Vinny The Vampire - Almost everyone is a hollywood classic monster of one sort or another. But other wise it is a more or less "normal" world.

    Supermegatopis - the worlds largest open air insane asylum

    FreeFall - Space Opera Lite

    GeekComics - 'nuff said

    --
    "It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
  57. Re:I see a noticable lack of the one true comic(tm by geekster · · Score: 1

    What saddens me is uptight people like you. Sorry for dragging our "culture" down.
    I do enjoy doing the oh so "important" stuff too, but that doesn't mean i wanna be super serious all the time, lighten up.

  58. REALLIFE by n0vacane · · Score: 1

    http://www.reallifecomics.com

  59. Comics and XML by jmac · · Score: 1

    This might be a good spot to subtly mention my ideas about "ComicsML", a collision of digital comics and XML.

    http://www.jmac.org/projects/comics_ml/

    I'm of the opinion that XML can help web-based cartoonists, both spare-time amateurs (like myself) and professionals trying to make a living, in lots of ways, inlcuding self-syndication, accessibility, and content management, and further help open up the road for a lot of the future technology standards that'll have to take hold, such as micropayments, before digital comics can enter the state Scott McCloud dreams of in "Reinventing Comics".

    J
    MacOS Open Source

    --
    jmac
  60. Exploitation Now! by Glytch · · Score: 1

    Calling all perverts, calling all perverts, go to Exploitation Now! Who knows, you might even find a story in there. Well, probably not, but there's lots of pretty artwork.

  61. Re:'sence' ? by karmawhoredetective · · Score: 1

    spellling is for loooosers

  62. Cartoon topic search. by gadwale · · Score: 1

    Sometimes, life imitates art and brings back a deja vu feeling.

    During a recent seating reorg at my previous company, I was reminded of a certain Dilbert strip where management was actually playing a huge game of chess with all the employee cubes! I coudn't find the actual strip anywhere, so I tried the website and even sent a few emails, but received no reply.

    It would be nice to have a search engine for comic strips where one could search by theme or incident. Userfriendly has something basic where you can lookup plot lines. I'd be willing to pay a couple of bucks to have the right strip at the right time!

  63. Whatever happened... by grappler · · Score: 2

    Anyone know what happened to the Dilberito? I never have seen one at a convenience or grocery store. Did that fail?

    --
    Vidi, Vici, Veni
  64. Clever javascript comic strip creator by Gray · · Score: 2

    Comic Strip Creator

    You just entry your text, pick your chracters and backgrounds and pow..

    Sadly, doesn't work in Netscape though.

    1. Re:Clever javascript comic strip creator by Ryano · · Score: 2

      "Sadly, doesn't work in Netscape though."

      Nor does it work in MSIE on the Mac, apparently.

  65. Goats Rules by Darkfred · · Score: 1

    This is the only comic that I read a few strips and had to go back to the very beginning. The best web-based comic I have ever seen.

    It should have been included in the list in the article but unfortinutely it does not qualify as a serious strip because it is so bizarre. Or so the author was told bvy the syndicates, but you must check it out. If you like monty-pythonish weird humor

    --
    ----- 70% of all statistics are completely made up.
  66. Schlock Mercenary by sensate_mass · · Score: 1
    Schlock Mercenary is a definite winner. Very funny, and the artist includes real science in every strip. Also potty humor.

    --
    --- Submission is feudal.
  67. comics by wht · · Score: 1

    I can't believe not one person mentioned PvP. Also, Angst Technology and Dork Tower are worth reading on occasion.
    And kudos to the people at NetComics (mentioned a little higher up), found this prog a few weeks ago, very nice...

    Walter H. Trent "Muad'Dib"
    Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe, IMHO

  68. British Humour by Darkfred · · Score: 1

    Ok i know this is an obvious troll but I will respond anyway. This guy has some sick idea of american humour, but he completely forgets that the worlds most wacked out humour always comes from britain.
    case in point Monty Python, a naked man playing a piano.
    The second point of course is that most of the american tv he sees is SUPPOSED to be funny, (but rarely is the way british tv can be at times, God i love the wacky accents)

    --
    ----- 70% of all statistics are completely made up.
  69. I'm Going to Hang Myself by LionKimbro · · Score: 1

    I'm going to friggen hang myself because the best comics in the world are being ignored in favor of Pokey.

    Alas, cruel Slashdot, I knew you well.

    Whatever.

    Augggghghhghghgh! I'm SUFFERING!!!

  70. LOPOW by Fizzer · · Score: 1

    For the not-so-faint-of-heart, keenspot has a great "List Of Potentially Offensive Webcomics". Classics such as SpaceMoose, and Celebrity Car Wash figure prominently. Also contains links to the newer low brow comics on the web.

    On a completely different note, here are my personal faves: Penny Arcade, Sluggy Freelance, Exploitation Now!, MegaTokyo, Red Meat, HotenDotey, and Jerk City.

    I am sure I forgot a couple of my regulars, but these are the major ones.

    --
    --------------- "Well HELLO MR FANCY PANTS! I've got news for you bub, you ain't leadin' but two things, Jack, and
  71. PVP? by maj1k · · Score: 2

    come on, people! check out PVP, my favorite online comic besides penny-arcade.

  72. Online Comic Strip Downloader by penguinboy · · Score: 3

    My program, dailystrips, automatically downloads web comics so that you don't have to visit several different websites.

    1. Re:Online Comic Strip Downloader by Lumpish+Scholar · · Score: 3

      My program, dailystrips, automatically downloads web comics so that you don't have to visit several different websites.

      There are sites that do this via CGI, too. I deliberately didn't mention them in the submission, because they short-circuit whatever ad revenue these artists are making.

      I'm not saying you don't have the write to write or use such scripts. I'm saying there's an ethical decision to be made here.

      --
      Stupid job ads, weird spam, occasional insight at
    2. Re:Online Comic Strip Downloader by Chester+K · · Score: 2

      There are sites that do this via CGI, too. I deliberately didn't mention them in the submission, because they short-circuit whatever ad revenue these artists are making.

      I did something like this a while back, it's still around, but it's fallen into a bit of disrepair since I don't have the time to update the scripts much anymore. Last I checked, it correctly indexed 70 or so comic strips.

      You sign in with an account, and it keeps a list of strips you want to "subscribe" to, and it remembers the last time you've read each of them. When you log in, it presents a link directly into the archives of each of your subscribed strips for every new strip since the last one you read.

      It's ad-revenue friendly, since it doesn't bring over the images, it links you to the full archive page, ads and all.

      --

      NO CARRIER
  73. no jerk? by d3nt · · Score: 1

    the fact that there is no jerkcity on this list clearly invalidates the efforts of this journalist. what a sham.

    --
    there's more than one way to do it, but your way is wrong
  74. Online Comics by de+Selby · · Score: 1

    My two favorite online comics are "explodingdog comes to earth" and "the parking lot is full."

    http://www.explodingdog.com/
    http://www.plif.com/

    1. Re:Online Comics by Have+Blue · · Score: 1
      Heh.... Well, you've found one of the other readers from before keenspace... Me.
      Same here. I've been following this guy since RED :)

  75. star in the comics... by joshua_doesnt_know · · Score: 1

    Hey what about comic style chat? (sorta) ok im a troll... sorry... but maybe check out my sig link

    _joshua_

  76. If you like Far Side, then try Dr. Fun! by antdude · · Score: 2

    http://www.ibiblio.org/Dave/

    :) I believe his cartoons are online only and he still makes new ones!

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    1. Re:If you like Far Side, then try Dr. Fun! by sdo1 · · Score: 1

      Any comic that routinely features head in a vat jokes is A-OK in my book!

      --
      --- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
  77. Bruno by Caffeinated · · Score: 1

    I was disappointed to see that Bruno wasn't mentioned in the article either. It's like Love & Rockets compared to the X-Men and Superman -- there's nothing else like it, and mainstream newspapers could really use it. In the entire history of comics, has any other strip had the title character decide she was fed up, chain a cinderblock to her ankle, and jump off a bridge? Not that we all don't wish Sally Forth would...

    - - - - -

    --

    - - - - -
    automatictaxistopelectriccigarettelovebaby
  78. Does Larson have Far Side cartoons Web site? by antdude · · Score: 2

    I could never find official Web site. Does he have one with his cartoons or is it only on hardcopy prints? Thanks.

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  79. KeenSpot also hosts KeenSpace by strredwolf · · Score: 2

    KeepSpot doesn't hold 40+ comics, it hosts hundreds through it's KeenSpace service! I'm hosted there myself.

    --
    WolfSkunks for a better Linux Kernel
    $Stalag99{"URL"}="http://stalag99.keenspace.com";

    --

    --
    # Canmephians for a better Linux Kernel
    $Stalag99{"URL"}="http://stalag99.net";
  80. No Red Meat? by L3WKW4RM · · Score: 1

    I can't believe there's not one mention of Red Meat anywhere. One of the funniest I've found online....twisted sense of humor required.

  81. Unconventional Comics Rock by D_Gr8_BoB · · Score: 1
    Here, here. Also, be sure to check out The Parking Lot is Full and The Thin H Line, two other great comics that will never be mentioned on anyone's top 100 list ever.

    Warning: Not for the easily offended.

    1. Re:Unconventional Comics Rock by Mojojojo+Monkey+Inc. · · Score: 1

      Thin H Line is almost always ranked in the top 10 comics on Big Panda. I remember reading TPLIF a while ago, but haven't looked at it in a while... too "angsty" for my tastes.

  82. Quite good manga-style comic by Masa · · Score: 1
    My personal favourite:

    Life on Forbez

    Life on Forbez is humoristic comic with well-written story.

  83. Maakies by caffeineboy · · Score: 1

    You can also just go to maakies.com.

    Tony Millionaire's comics are all there and you can buy the originals too.

    --
    +++ ATH0 +++
  84. It may not be a comic strip... by SmellMyTeenSpirit · · Score: 1

    but www.explodingdog.com is just about the funniest site I have ever encountered. No, it's not about dogs, it's a guy who draws stick figure pictures to titles people send him.

    --
    "Cornflakes are not the innocent critters they seem"- Sterling Morrison
  85. User Friendly??? by Krilomir · · Score: 1

    What happened to User Friendly? I used to read it when I had time for comics, now I really don't read any of the comics out there. I'm surprised now one has mentioned User Friendly already. Is it dead? Is it bad compared to the rest? There was a time when a good joke in User Friendly could make it as a news post on slashdot... must've been years ago :)

    1. Re:User Friendly??? by MustardMan · · Score: 1

      it's both still kicking and gaining ground. And, oh yeah, it's also mentioned in the /. article, linked as "that other comic"

  86. Trib's listed strips; more of my favorites by Lumpish+Scholar · · Score: 2

    The Trib picked a few strips as a survey of the field. No such list would get everything good. The links I added were meta-sites and mega-sites, not individual strips.

    Having said that, here are some more that might appeal to fellow Slashers:

    o Goats: nominally a couple of Web developers, mostly about ... oh, never mind, just read it. PG-13; your mom might not like it.

    o Freefall: A captain of a starship (that's only flown once in the history of the strip), his robot sidekick, and his furry engineer. SF meets Dilbert in a kindler, gentler way.

    o GPF: life at a software development company with an unfortunate name.

    o Help Desk: life at the tech support desk of a software megacompany named Ubersoft (with products such as Nifty Doorways and Tactile Basic).

    (The last two recently had a crossover, a pretty common occurence in online strips.)

    o Acid Reflux (previously here): vaguely-D&D-ish strip about a young god trying to restore the universe her sister abandoned.

    o Mega Tokyo: a couple of American gamers stranded in Japan.

    o Real Life: a couple of American gamers who know they're comic strip characters.

    o Schlock Mercenary: light SF strip.

    All have complete archives back to the first strip, so you can catch up at your leisure. Enjoy!

    --
    Stupid job ads, weird spam, occasional insight at
  87. Web comics and alien abduction by Lumpish+Scholar · · Score: 2

    Anyone know why so many Web comics have alien abduction themes? I've seen it in Kevin and Kell, College Roomies From Hell, Cool Cat Studio, and maybe Alice. Roomies, now known as It's Walky!, is now entirely about aliens. What gives?

    --
    Stupid job ads, weird spam, occasional insight at
    1. Re:Web comics and alien abduction by Steve+B · · Score: 1

      It's a fairly common pop-culture trope that can be used to justify almost any weird thing the writer needs.
      /.

      --
      /. If the government wants us to respect the law, it should set a better example.
  88. Moderate this one up! by GlobalEcho · · Score: 2

    Moderators, please moderte the above up. Scott McCloud's thoughtful books on comincs are amazing, and arefascinating even to non-fans.

  89. Jerkcity, dammit! by metaph0r · · Score: 1

    No mention of Jerkcity, either. What a half-assed article this was. The Chicago Tribune's really gone downhill since I was a kid. Yeah, Jerkcity's not exactly classy or sophisticated, but even they get a couple good shots in at UF and other stupid web comix. (Start with the oldest ones and work your way to the present. :)

  90. PlanetCartoonist's Top 100 list... by Chester+K · · Score: 2

    ...apparently doesn't have much turnover at all. My strip was #2 on the list six months ago when I removed the link to vote for me on the list from my site, and today I'm still hanging in there at #8, despite no votes in the past six months.

    I still bring 9 to 10 thousand hits a day to my site, but something tells me if you can go six months and only lose six places in the list, there's a lot of dead strips in that "Top 100".

    --

    NO CARRIER
  91. red meat! by kawaldeep · · Score: 1

    http://www.redmeat.com/redmeat/current/index.html

    --
    replace 'berserkeley' with 'berkeley' to respond via email.
  92. politicalcartoons.com by Speare · · Score: 2

    A daily collection of political cartoons from around the USA, and also some world news, can be found at politicalcartoons.com.

    --
    [ .sig file not found ]
  93. MAchall is great by Unstablist · · Score: 1

    I've been reading it since BEFORE it was at keenspace, and I'm willing to bet I am one of the few to do that. Machall's writing is pretty good, the comic 'apologies to drew' is funny, but it is loosely based on my brother who shares an apartment with Matt Boyd. I wish it were updated more often. -The Unstablist

    --
    Maniacal Advantage A comic hosteed on Keenspace.
    1. Re:MAchall is great by Bachman+X5 · · Score: 1

      >I've been reading it since BEFORE it was at >keenspace, and I'm willing to bet I am one >of the few to do that. You're one of about 100 people or so. Everybody at the bungie.org HL server loves MacHall. The upcoming story arc is gonna rock. ^_^ - Bachus

  94. How could you leave out... by Digital_Fiend · · Score: 1

    Penny Arcade?!

    Maybe they didn't mention it because Penny Arcade is only funny if you're a (relatively) hardcore gamer..

  95. You forgot TUX! by poet · · Score: 1

    Hello,

    Post-Apocolyptic -- dastardly deeds with mother gates and Commander Tako... http://www.linuxports.com/TUX

    --
    Get your PostgreSQL here: http://www.commandprompt.com/
  96. You forgot www.cagle.com by Utopia · · Score: 1

    You forgot Cagle.
    One of the best and most addictive cartoon site
    I have ever seen.

  97. phpComic by Trolocsis · · Score: 1

    for all of you comic nutz out there: http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/phpcomic/

    An opensource PHP enabled online comic strip parser. Sourceforge is currently down, but check back later.

  98. why not a daily comic publication? by RAruler · · Score: 1

    A lot of people enjoy comics, some read the papers solely for the comics. Why not create a daily publication of comics only?

    ---

    --

    --
    Insert Witty Sig Here
  99. Don't forget ParodyCheck! by BitwizeGHC · · Score: 1

    ^_^

    --
    N4st0r, trixx0r h0bb1tz0rz! Th3y st0l3 0ur pr3c10uzz!
  100. Re:I see a noticable lack of the one true comic(tm by Cuthalion · · Score: 1

    I hadn't seen the bitter films web comics, but they did a short animation for the most recent Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted animiation festival called Rejected. It was in a similar style, but, IMO, a good 20% funnier still than the web comic!

    --
    Trees can't go dancing
    So do them a big favor
    Pretend dancing stinks!
  101. Re:Lets not forget the multitude of manga based co by 0xdeadbeef · · Score: 1

    Yea, whatever. Please keep your tentacle rape drawings to yourselves.

    --
    Bush's assertion: there ought to be limits to freedom

  102. Re:FP? by Aunt+Mable · · Score: 1
    What... no Spacemoose?

    -- Eat your greens or I'll hit you!

    --

    -- Eat your greens or I'll hit you!

  103. You forgot one! PvP! by Fanmail · · Score: 1

    Let's not forget my personal favorite, PvP!

  104. hulagaglgl by underwhelm · · Score: 2

    There is only one online comic worth reading. I try to read it aloud every day (along with several back-episodes) to my girlfriend. I rarely amuse her, but any self-respecting, easily amused geek will find something to enjoy.

    --

    I don't need large brains to have a good time.

  105. Online Comics by mushoo · · Score: 1

    Well... The main reason that syndication doesn't happen much to web comics is either because the syndicates want things to be very 'public oriented' which PA and other comics, such as Sinfest, sorta aren't. Everyone likes them, but no one really wants their kids reading them. The other thing would just be that the comics don't want to censor themselves to make money. Most people have another job (take Piro over at Megatokyo, he has a day job and draws the comic every monday wednesday and friday.) The webcomic-folk (for the most part) do the whole shpiel because they like doing it, not because they want to make loads and loads of money from it. Heh.... Well, you've found one of the other readers from before keenspace... Me. Yeah, we always have trouble getting ian to update and such, but often college gets in the way a bit. We're moving to Machall.com soon, with much better scripts and such than what we've got a keenspace, so things should run smoother. So Matt actually got a camera and was able to get the Crocodile Hunter there to annoy your brother? ;) -MuShoo (Mac Hall Webmaster)

  106. Space Moose by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1
    When I atended the University of Alberta in the mid-nineties there werer plenty of people who slammed our university paper for being too juvenille. It wasn't professional for sure, but just scanning the 5 postings that made 4+ status I find both Bob the Angry Flower and Space Moose referenced, both of which were started there.

    Space Moose has got to be one of the best comics ever put down on paper. The level of humor and daring is amazing, and my only regret in promoting the site to this broad audience is that all the great Edmonton humor will be missed by readers from elsewhere. Anyway, here are some definite highlights from the archives :

    Calvin and slobbes

    Happy Birthday Miranda

    Look at me!

    RumpleShithead

    The Lesions aren't Herpetic

    The prof has a boner

    Head's up ladies

    I wan't my $100 back

    We want to join a frat

    and of course, Antlers of the Damned and The Fellatio Barn

    these are all highly offensive and represent only a small portion of the great collection online. Also the scans suck so you should buy the book.

    1. Re:Space Moose by johnycanal · · Score: 2

      How could you have missed the classics on how to manage a business. These give Drucker a run for his money. Recruiting
      Motivating
      Managing

      --
      http://metamuscle.com - Better Bodies Through Hypertext
  107. If you're disappointed that Watterson's gone... by CJ+Hooknose · · Score: 2
    http://ozyandmillie.org/ is a great replacement for those who crave a "Calvin and Hobbes" fix. I'm surprised that the article didn't mention it--despite the author's comments about getting syndication, it's almost as mainstream as "Kevin and Kell" and should appeal to anyone who liked Watterson's stuff. Ah well, they couldn't mention every strip that's worth reading, and that strip just recently moved to Keenspot. The early strips are a bit uneven, but everything from series 5 on is definitely worth your time.

    I know I'm not alone in getting more laughs out of 9 or 10 online strips than I get out of an entire page of newspaper strips. Sure, they might be worried that "Sinfest" or "Sluggy Freelance" might offend some people, but as recent MTV/network TV events like "Jackass" and "Survivor" show, the people at Huge Media Coproations know that offensiveness sells. Bah, let them ignore the goose that's laying golden eggs... I'll be viewing webcomics every day and buying merchandise from the ones that are really nifty.

    --
    Give a monkey a brain and he'll swear he's the center of the universe.
  108. Penny Arcade n' Slashdot by Tantrum420 · · Score: 1

    Tycho and Gabe Rule but they need to watch out for the ./ effect. http://www.penny-arcade.com/slashdot.shtml What I really like to see in webcomics are the crossovers and cameos. How many webcomics have CmdrTaco and CowboyNeal been in? ...How many will they be in? T

  109. Sabrina Online! by lanner · · Score: 1

    Here is my favorite strip, Sabrina Online

    The modern strip location;
    http://sabrina-online.com/

    The old strip location;
    http://www.coax.net/people/erics/Sabrina.htm

    And, the author's website. He is an Amiga fan and has some cool Amiga art;
    http://www.compsoc.net/ericschwartz/

    1. Re:Sabrina Online! by Skuld-Chan · · Score: 1

      Its also one of the oldest online comics :). I think its still made on the Amiga.

  110. I'm surprised... by Hwatzu · · Score: 1

    ...that I haven't seen Ozy & Millie mentioned, yet. It's something Bill Watterson might have drawn, had he chosen to use foxes instead of a boy and a stuffed tiger. Sinfest and PLIF are good, too, but I recommend O&M highly.

  111. Tech cartoon by slapout · · Score: 1

    How could a discussion on slashdot leave out www.badtech.com ? It's a cartoon about life at a game development company.

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    Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
  112. A couple I read everyday: by jlrowe · · Score: 1
    I read these everyday, weekends included:

    The Shoe Archive

    User Friendly the Comic Strip

  113. Other Strips by ackthpt · · Score: 2
    Others which have been on the web for some time:

    Alex's Restaurant

    Bruno (which has been on the web for at least 5 years)

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    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  114. Obscure but good by OpCode42 · · Score: 1
    Life on Forbez is pretty cool. The author is taking a break at the moment, so it'll give you a chance to read through from strip #1.

    Its quirky and took a bit of getting into, but looks as if its going to be great. Lots of potential.

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  115. Leisuretown, leisuretown, leisuretown! by skryche · · Score: 1

    Bizarre (but not tiresome), beautiful, funny. I love it. You should too.

    www.leisuretown.com

  116. Last but not least, PCC! by gmezero · · Score: 1

    ...I can't belive it didn't get linked to already, but don't forget the "The Polymer City Chronicles" which runs both at Game Zero and at MPOG.

  117. WebComics.com ... by slashkitty · · Score: 1

    While there are lots of sites out there, this one hosts more then almost any other... http://www.webcomics.com

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    -- these are only opinions and they might not be mine.
  118. You forgot... by SatanicPezDispenser · · Score: 1

    Jackie Reaper's House of Treats. It sucks.
    --
    Writhe your naked ass to the mindless groove.

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    Writhe your naked ass to the mindless groove.
    http://www.jackiereaper.com
  119. dont forget about the bench by BrookHarty · · Score: 1
    I really like TheBench at http://www.thebench.org

    Seems offline, maybe server maintenance.. But google had it cached.
    http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:www.thebench. org/+thebench&hl=en

    1. Re:dont forget about the bench by BrookHarty · · Score: 1

      UPDATE* I was told www.thebench.com is being moved. So you can still access it at http://www.kofightclub.com/

    2. Re:dont forget about the bench by BrookHarty · · Score: 1
      Ok, another update. Use the IP till its moved..

      The Bench -> http://210.54.249.232/

  120. Toonbots by Jennybork · · Score: 1
    It's a comic that isn't a comic, often featuring the disembodied heads of dead communists, and written entirely in Perl. And it has its own Jihad.

    http://vivtek.com/toonbots

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    "Cunda astratta montose eargrets gutt nos veratoos canda amantos canda..."
  121. Here, here! by CAIMLAS · · Score: 1
    Don't forget Penny-Arcade! How could you forget PA! *gasp*

    *sniff sniff* Still, I feel a great sense of loss and sadness. Nobody seems to have mentioned Bill Waterson, hero of every hyperactive child of the 80's and early 90's. *sniff* Calvin and Hobbes is missed, indeed.

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    CAIMLAS

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    ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
  122. Sluggy Freelance by CloudWarrior · · Score: 1

    More because I'm bored than because I actually believe anyone will follow the link, read my magnificent comic - Pete the Carnivorous Plant.

    I thank you.

    Nah, on second thoughts, sluggy is much better. Go there.

    CloudWarrior .o. "I may be in the gutter but I look to the stars"

  123. Try Odd Jobs Re: Americans take anythingseriously by oddjobs · · Score: 1

    Yeah, I'm shamelessly plugging my comic, but it is a serious mystery cartoon that's gotten a lot of good reviews from people associated with the genre. It's also featured at Thrillingdetective.com. It is a cartoon for adults by an adult. The cartooning medium can be used for sophisticated storytelling, and I think I'm one of the people doing just that. Give it a try at http://oddjobs.keenspace.com Now Tuesdays and Thursdays, but soon M-F Regards, Tim Broderick http://oddjobs.keenspace.com

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    Someday, all jobs will be Odd Jobs
  124. underground comics by zerOnIne · · Score: 1

    it's amazing to see just how many webcomics are really out there.
    a little while ago i helped start up a new comic with an artist friend of mine: Better Living Through Mind Control (the mainstay of Mad Ink). While it took a good bit of work to get the site up and running (learning php from scratch for one thing), it was more effort to keep it going... the comic is on hiatus at the moment, because zac (the artist/actual-talent) is currently being tossed around by the US Marine Corps... not to mention the fact that since he's without computer at the moment, and the last set of artwork seems to have been lost in the mail or something... (obligatory plug: you can still read through the archives!)
    i'd like to applaud the ever-venerable Penny Arcade for their efforts of exposing the world to otherwise unknown comics. the page mentioned in the article doesn't really count any of the *big* sites out there (at least that i noticed), but it's good to see the odd little sites get mention.
    Viva Underground! (or something)
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    09
  125. 'Cause sometimes, you just have to spam, blatantly by MOSFET · · Score: 1

    I invite all readers of this nonsense to go read Blue Neon. It's got 200% of your U.S. RDA of pure wierdness.

  126. What about After-Y2K and Joy Of Tech? by Derci · · Score: 1
    I can't believe that nobody mentioned those strips, done by the adorable Nitrozac.

    There was used to be a link to After-Y2K on ./ - I can't understand how come nobody mentioned her. Oh well.

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    -- The ballad of arrivederci
  127. Humanoid animals by Derci · · Score: 1
    I don't like humanoid animals, like Sabrina or Funny Farm. I think the only exception is FreeFall - maybe because the genetically-uplifted wolf there doesn't look too human.

    What's the point in drawing an entity that looks almost like a human, and has a pair of breasts, but also has the head of an animal? Wouldn't it be simpler just to draw her as a human?

    I've got no problems with talking animals, though.. although Bun-bun is evil and I really hate him.

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    -- The ballad of arrivederci