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Comics Escape a Paper Box and Evolve to the Web
securitas writes "The New York Times' Sarah Boxer takes a look at the evolution of comics from paper to the Internet and asks: 'It's drawn and it's written, but is it still comics?' She cites Scott McCloud's Reinventing Comics '...in which he argued that the future of comics is on the Web.' Also cited in the article are Copper by Kazu Kibuishi, found on boltcity.com and The Discovery of Spoons by Alexander Danner and John Barber, found at twentysevenletters.com, as well as several others. The article links to an angry attack by Gary Groth of Fantagraphics against McCloud and his views in Reinventing Comics."
Whoops, minor correction. Should have had a dash in that URL... penny-arcade.com.
Start a happiness pandemic
I'm not surprised to see this article here, but if you click here you'll find a good disection of the piece. Here's a small snippet that summarises the post:
Boxer's research would barely qualify for a Freshman Comp essay, much less a piece of journalism in a newspaper of record. She seems to have drawn her information off of several Comics Journal articles, read Understanding Comics and Reinventing Comics, and looked at the Web Cartoonists Choice Awards.
Well, at least she dipped her toe into webcomics before declaring it a failed experiment.
I found that blog post (yes! It's a blog post! Oh noes!) much more interesting (and informative as well as correct) then the actual news paper article itself.
Nuff said.
On the other hand, I believe having real comic books published online would be a boon for the industry.
They have for quite some time now. They're certainly nothing new (unless by "real" you meant the many rehashed comics from the 1930s.
If DC/Marvel had a decent online presence and started making original comics again, Keenspot and the rest of the webcomic industry would be hard-pressed.
I can see them having an online presence before they start actually make original comics. But even if they did do both, I just can't see them handling the sort of comics I've come to enjoy, so I doubt very much Keenspot would be threatened by them.
There is a new genre of comics appearing that are both digital and portable like this outstanding one that's specifically aims at the Sony PSP. Some of them (like this one) are also have a Creative Commons license so readers are positively encouraged to remix it.
most of the webcomics i've read aren't remotely funny, interesting or worth the webspace
You're right. this is so derivative unlike those original paper comics. And yet, you read them. They must be doing something right.
how many fucking comics do we need about, some loser with some stupid talking furry animal. along with all those stupid chars that you couldn't care less about?
Oh I agree I don't know how anyone could care about these characters
of course don't forget the utter lack of good artwork for most of them Agreed. These hacks should be shot for the good of man-kind.
Theres also lots to read about the creative process, which has relavance to us hackers, hew shows it as a multly level thing. Where you can focus on details, form, structure etc.
Overall one of the best books I've read.
There are four sorts of people in the world: fools, lunatics, idiots and morons. - Umberto Eco, Foucaut's pendulum.
web comics have been around for years. Comics like PennyArcade and Ctrl+Alt+Del are pretty successful and have strong followings. I would have to say that the New York Times is running this is story several years to late.
http://www.questionablecontent.net/
e =1
http://www.dieselsweeties.com/
http://www.catandgirl.com/
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/
http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php
http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=631
http://www.bobandgeorge.com/Archive/Apr04.php?dat
There must be a way to just "slip" these into the discussion, but why bother? What's the good of an article ranting about webcomics without finding new, good web comics?
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