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Webcomics Dissected
ReverendLoki writes "The Webcomics Examiner has a story in their latest issue on The Artistic History of Webcomics, in which they examine and dissect how many of your favorite webcomics have evolved over the years and attempts to discern where they exist in the grand scheme of the webcomics universe. Expect to find some pretty insightful commentary on the likes of Sluggy Freelance, PvP, MegaTokyo, and the ever-present Penny Arcade, as well as others. An excellent analysis on how these comics work." From the piece: "The nerd's enthusiasm and experiences as an 'early adopter' of technological trends is easily translated into a revenue source for new cultural trends like the webcomic. This shows most clearly in the way that the super stars of the webcomic world have fairly consistently been the geekiest of the geekiest -- Penny Arcade, PVP, User Friendly, 8-bit Theatre, and yes, Dilbert."
Everyone Loves Eric Raymond.
WARNING for those of a nervous disposition: BRUCE PERENS IS DEAD.
I for one welcome our new Webcomic overlords.
Pokey the Penguin has been grievously omitted.
these webcomics are so dated, there are so many new ones to consider:
- toothpaste for dinner
- natalie dee
- white ninja comics
- questionable content
- diesel sweeties
-- lol pwned
Dude, I dig those comics.
One of the oldest web comics, yet not on the list. http://www.ibiblio.org/Dave/
Sad.
Oh yeah, well...cockthirsty.
... come in 8-bit format!.. :-P
My favorite webcomic was One over Zero. That thing was crazy!
Webcomics and no mention of one of the greatest??
http://www.leasticoulddo.com/
I really recommend the noob by Gianna Masetti.
http://www.thenoobcomic.com/ (Coral)
Your typical noob in your typical MMORPG.
The part about the fabled orb of power was hilarious (be sure to read the scenes after).
Don't forget about Sexy Losers (DNSFW) and Perry Bible Fellowship (PNSFW). (I am not affiliated with either.)
Posts like these are what makes me read Slashdot. I would have probably never found the article because I'm not generally into web comics. All I read is PA. But nonetheless I found it interesting. Slashdot is how I stay current with all the aspects of geek pop culture, if there is such a thing. Geekdom is very diverse and broad indeed.
EvilCON - Made Famous by
I will never understand the critic mentality. And by that I mean the kind of person that takes a comic strip and totally dissects it so far down to detail that the author is even like "whoa!"
It's a comic. It's funny. Ha ha. It's not a "War & Peace" or "Dante's Inferno". There's only so much thought that goes into these things.
Kurtz from PVP is kind of making that point with his strip today.
Just enjoy the funny drawings, people. You don't have to invent hidden meanings and motives behind them.
-geekd
http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/
IWARS.
People, in general, disappoint me. Politicians even more so.
It's the same everytime... and yet it's not.
http://www.qwantz.com/
IWARS.
People, in general, disappoint me. Politicians even more so.
http://www.schlockmercenary.com/
t
Seriously, you owe it to yourself to read this. Updates every day, complex plot that still has lots of gags, characters you can really appreciate...there's nothing better in the genre.
Also, for all your D&D-based humor needs: http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscrip
http://www.somethingpositive.net/index.html http://www.schlockmercenary.com/ http://www.gpf-comics.com/ http://www.reallifecomics.com/index.php http://www.crfh.net/ http://www.nuklearpower.com/ Random shameless plugs. Read them and enjoy.
Since folks seem interested in link trading, I'll go ahead and plug a buddy's comic: Nercore - The Core Wars.
It starts off with some one-liner comics about sci-fi TV, and after a few strips heads off into an interesting and ongoing plot about a ringworld inhabited by equal parts Shadowrun and equal parts Dungeons and Dragons.
A high pun tolerance would probably be helpful.
Okay, people seem to take this as an occasion to hand out links to their own favorite comics. So, here's a favorite of mine:
http://www.errantstory.com/
It's a rather serious comic (for a webcomic) in a fantasy universe. Interesting world, well thought out story, very good artwork. The best Webcomic I have seen so far.
Also, there doesn't seem to be any mention of userfriendly yet, but I guess that one goes without saying...
If it's so secret, then how come I've never heard of it?
Yeah, Krakow had all those funny jokes...
1) The Snow reference.
2) The secret mecha cowboy project.
Well, two isn't a bad start.
It should probably have just stuck to fan-service.
timecop speaks truth
A lot of the interactive stuff has been modified to run as Flash now, but this guy did some pretty amazing stuff with animated images, javascript and other crazy tricks long before Flash made it easy.
The CB App. What's your 20?
I always liked Slow Wave... they're all write-ups of people's dreams. It's interesting—and often hilarious—to see the oddities that pass through people's minds while they sleep.
Amen to that.
Something Positive is done by R K Milholland, who made a offhand comment in response to some complaints about late updates to the effect of 'if you lot donate equal to my salary i'll quit and work on Something Positive solidly for a year'... and was shortly surprised to see that it happened.
Queen of Wands was done by Aeire, and is currently going through annotated reruns before she starts a new project.
And here's a link for the more traditional geeks... Order of the Stick (I also read this little sci fi epic among the multitudes of comics out there.)
If you like cats :)
http://www.mows.com/
Fantastic one
In short, if you have nothing to contribute, please stop littering Slashdot with even more garbage. +1 Funny doesn't even get you any karma.
http://www.sinfest.net/ is the best damn web comic on the web.
I totally fucking agree. Pokey, despite its sporadic-at-best update schedule, is one of the extremely few comics actually worth reading, especially after seven years of publication. But more importantly, it's pretty much the only webcomic with a fundamentally creative concept behind it. There are tons of dumb webcomics out there with believable characters, consistent and coherent storylines, good graphics, and actual punchlines. But it gets old after a while. (The uninitiated may think I'm being sarcastic, but I swear I'm not. I get jokes, I can see the point, I just don't usually laugh at them. Yet there's something inexplicably hilarious about Pokey, which some people immediately recognize, but which totally eludes most people.) Like the Dada movement, which rebelled against everything art meant to people, Pokey creates its own art form by rebelling against everything mainstream comics stand for. Examples, as above: believable characters, coherent storylines, good graphics, and typical jokes with punclines (or at least attempts at jokes). By swearing off all this, Pokey concocts a truly original style of humour. It irreverently omits everything associated with typical humour, yet it makes its thousands of fans laugh hysterically, episode after episode. Pokey is the anti-comic. Pokey is the Lucifer rebelling against the God of mainstream comics, and offering comic enlightenment to man. No, I take that back, Pokey is God, and The Authors are His prophet, and all those other comics are false idols.
Of course, by now, Pokey's influence is so widespread that people don't appreciate its achievements. It's true. Sure there are a few things that are obviously Pokey parodies or bootlegs, most of them mediocre at best such as the ever-lame Prodley the Puffin, but it truly has affected the collective consciousness of the comic universe. Whenever you see a comic which intentionally lacks a typical punchline yet seems oddly amusing, or which features a recurring but nonsensical pattern, or is simply surreal and beyond explanation, remember that Pokey brought you that. However indirectly, over his seven years in the spotlight, this little pixellated penguin and his poorly-drawn pals in the Arctic Circle have had a profound impact on the world of webcomics. And nobody should forget that. I for one would like to offer Pokey and his pals a grand HOORAY!
Signature.
... if you had said it three years ago, and if the story had something to do with webcomics somehow gaining inordinate power. Better luck next time!
Signature.
I wouldn't go so far as to say Fred needs to be hit by a truck, but I would agree that Megatokyo has serious shortfalls, and I'm not talking about the comic moving too slowly, or not being funny enough anymore, which are artistic issues to which the response is "stop reading" (and I have).
The thing that makes me angry is that MT is Fred Gallagher's full-time job, but he still can't manage better than 10% filler.
qntm.org
It's embarassing for Penny Arcade to be included in the same sentence as UF.
Thanks for proving the grandparent posts' point, spermbreath.
It's so stupid it's hilarious:
My new filing technique is unstoppable
Your hybrid is not saving the environment. Its purpose is to make you feel good about buying something.
I just saw this stuff when cruising toothpastefordinner's latest livejournal image page--
http://www.livejournal.com/users/matthewlovesyou/
I can't quite tell if this guy's serious. But that's why it's funny.
Spamusement: If you don't read it, then you're a worthless excuse for a human being!
Dude. This guy collects spam with amusing subject lines, and he illustrates them in completely unexpected ways. Is that fucking awesome or what?
Furthermore, it's by Steven Frank of Panic, Inc. They make excellent OS X applications. Support him by partaking in his software and/or his funny.
Signature.
It's embarassing for geeks that the 'news for nerds' site considers UF geek humour. Too bad their really aren't any alternate geek communities out there (used to have k5, but now that's a troll site).
I'll plug two comics I work with:
The Wotch - The story of a teenage girl with magical powers and her friends
and
Abstract Gender - Two young boys see life from the other side of the gender divide.
Wow I have wierd friends. (In fairness: I met the latter through the former)
Cyanide and Happiness is one of my newer favorites
http://www.explosm.net/comics/
They're in the middle of two weeks of guest strips though, so you might want to go back a ways before you judge it. Funny, crude humor at it's finest!
http://www.achewood.com/
Read it for a week. You'll fall in love.
How about Sold Out? (Oblig. disclaimer: I know the writer and artist.) It's pretty new to the scene, and the art of the first few comics isn't stellar, but it's getting a hell of a lot better. Plus: it's funny.
Check it out: the archives aren't as long as, say, Megatokyo or Penny Arcade, so you don't need to set aside a whole weekend just to figure out what's going on...
Karma: Oldschool
I suppose I can claim success when others start adding The PC Weenies to webcomic threads on Slashdot, without my shameless plugs. But, until then, I guess I've gotta do it. Hopin' the Slashdot crowd likes it.
The PC Weenies: 11 Years of Online Tech 'Too
http://somethingpositive.net/ Easily my latest fave. I recognize many of my friends in bits and pieces of his characters. Funny that I have never been to Boston or Texas.
Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
I recommend wulffmorgenthaler.com, they even have a fascist blue hippo!
.com/ to get the frames around to reappear)
(remove the fluff after
Real Life
I prefer randomly generated comics like these http://www.randomcomics.netfirms.com/
Go to Schlock Mercenary. The comic has been going daily for over three years now without any missed comics or filler.
the incredible emotion of jack
-dk
Dream with the feathers of angels stuffed beneath your head.
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Lameness filter encountered.
Your comment violated the "postercomment" compression filter. Try less whitespace and/or less repetition. Comment aborted.
Use the Preview Button! Check those URLs!
# lease try to keep posts on topic.
# Try to reply to other people's comments instead of starting new threads.
# Read other people's messages before posting your own to avoid simply duplicating what has already been said.
# Use a clear subject that describes what your message is about.
# Offtopic, Inflammatory,
TAF is a god. leisuretown.com is inspired. and a bit sick. and don't even get me started on the dilbert hole. if you haven't read these, and they don't make feel just the slightest bit uncomfortable you are odd. or maybe i am. i can't tell any more - my sense of reality has been distorted.
I generally agree with you about webcomics generally being pretty lame, although if you look at the comics in a newspaper in any given day, you will find roughly the same level of quality (~10%, per Sturgeon).
PBF is really good, another quasi-web comic (syndicated in alternative weeklies, I think) which is in its league is Tom the Dancing Bug.
As far as web-only comics go, though, Achewood is where it's at. (But you have to put a little time into the archives before its genius becomes clear.) And if you can tolerate jokes about punk rock, Nothing Nice to Say is usually pretty good.
Matthew Skala - of cphack and MoleSter - recently started a daily Web comic called Bonobo Conspiracy. It's pretty geeky.
Webcomics Dissect You! Seriously, though, I think it's valid to study/dissect any art form, however mundane and non-classical. The artists may not agree with such a study, but that doesn't make it unworthy. The creators of the first movies (short little unartistic spectacles) probably wouldn't say they made "art," yet they are still studied as such, and had an important social/historical/artistic impact.
Love so many of these, but for those of us with EQ still on the brain now and then, www.wtfcomics.com is king.
How the heck could you guys miss Hello Cthulhu?
"Giving money and power to governments is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." - P.J. O'Rourke
Perry Bible Fellowship is definitely a great one, but I would have to say the best one I've ever come across was Tastes Like Gravel. Sadly, it's been discontinued for quite a while now, bit it was awesome.
Tony Millionaire is a brilliant artist with a very dark streak. His weekly strip "Maakies" is about a suicidal, alcoholic crow and Uncle Gabby, his monkey buddy.
Main site:
http://www.maakies.com/
Sometimes he goes far afield and does something strange and wonderful:
http://www.maakies.com/archive/m522.gif
Recent, typically morbid example:
http://www.maakies.com/archive/m553.gif
More:
http://www.maakies.com/frames/index.html
The funniest comic I have read in a long time:
Goodbye, foom
And then there are some other funny ones:
Niego
Joe and Monkey
Ugly Hill
I'm a longtime fan of Achewood. It characters are vivid and interesting (like Ray, the millionare playboy cat, and Todd, the drug dealer squirrel), and it also makes really interesting use of the comic medium (for example, Roast Beef, the shy programmer cat, speaks in a smaller font than everyone else). You should definitely check it out. Some choice strips are "Liquor Cabinet Taste Test" and "Keep on Rockin', Roast Beef"
Plug: if you like Achewood, you might also like my webcomic, The Mooches.
Hooray for Pokey!
I've been a longtime fan of Pokey as well. I need to get a Mr. Nutty Warmth Sheath.
My SECOND favorite dadaist webcomic though has to be Listening to 11.975Mhz. I love the Crumb-esque elements combined with the cute girls. XD
You fuckers post so many logs, I could build a cabin.
A log cabin. Made from logs. Chat logs.
It wouldn't stand up in heavy weather, but that's ok,
because no one gives a shit about the chat log cabin.
--- Gabe
all your achewood are belong to us!
The best webcomic I've seen in years is Alien Loves Predator ( Guest stars Jesus too ).
Wonderful stuff.
henry -- the human evolution news relay
Why does Jerkcity never get any of the recognition it so justly deserves? They've published a new comic every single day since August 18th, 1998. And every one of them bursting with quality and tasteful humor. See for yourself. It is without a doubt the best webcomic out there.
And yet, Megatokyo's still one of the most popular comics on the web.
Truth is, people love a good soap opera, which it is. What's more, I don't think they planned a bait-and-switch (start off as one of the better gaming gag comics and become one of the better melodramas), but it never would have become what it is without it.
And that's really the effect of losing Rodney's writing -- a bait-and-switch.
I happen to like MT still. But it's not the MT that I first liked.
Can't seem to find it, link please?
I guess everyone's plugging comics they like?
I would NEVER do that!
*cough* http://www.marachan.com/ *cough*
What was I saying?
Ooh, [Listening to 11.975Mhz] = I like it! Thanks muchly for the linkage.
It is inducing gigglement, and the cute girls make it worthwhile. :D But it does not immediately strike me as brilliant in the same way as Pokey does. 11.975Mhz seems to be more silliness/randomness based. I can appreciate silliness and randomness, but I see some major distinction between that and Pokey's style. Words fail me, however, in actually explaining this distinction. What do you think?
I also recommend Farchie Archie, Spamusement, and Animutation. (The latter is a Flash genre rather than a comic strip, but it's a similar sort of humour.)
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Quite shamelessly since it's my webcomics:
Apokalupsis Webcomics
SCIREV.NET - fanfics,reviews & more
And so, here is my obligatory list of favorite webcomics that weren't mentioned: PhD, Real Life, Applegeeks.
All garbage. Do not read, as I am a human being capable of thought.
Dork Tower by John Kovalic is my must-read webcomic experience. I want my comics to be comical and John makes me laugh on a regular basis.
Slashdot: Where nerds gather to pool their ignorance
Does anyone remember a web comic out there featuring a glob of goo that evolved from the mold in someone's coffee? I used to read it a lot, but I can't remember any of the names, nor where I found it.
"Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
--Dr.W.Edwards Deming
I wouldn't call her a fat sow, but I like how the character she "inspired" is an young adolescent girl.
She's a good enough match with her comic counterpart, IMHO.
;-D
Oh, she's taller than six inches, and has no wings, but the resemblance is there.
The guys behind Penny Arcade, OTOH...
The moment I cum across this, I went bannanas.
Only on slashdot would 'insightful' and 'PennyArcade' grace the same sentence!
My last sig was ridiculed
Not all comic artists want to spend every waking day drawing. Also drawing a comic in pencil with attention to detail when you're somewhat of a perfectionist probably takes a lot more time than the other comics out there. I think he said it takes him like 4-8 hours to draw a single comic? I don't know about you but I find 8 hours of my day to be a lot of time, especially if I have interests in doing other things. Usually my hand starts to get tired within 7 hours of nonstop drawing. Oh and just so you know, the more you draw the better you get, not necessarily the faster you get.
You have to remember that Fred tries to stay present among his fans even though he creates the most popular graphic novel-style comic on the web and has a store to run. I know Seraphim (whom he also has to spend time with) helps him but it still doesn't mean he doesn't have other things to do. Including other artistic pursuits such as another graphic novel he wants to create.
I detect a hint of jealousy in your post, maybe it's because you think you have to work harder than Fred to make less money? Maybe you should quit your day job and do the same thing if you think you could do a better job.
Here's another comic where the artists will not sacrifice the best they can do in quality for speed: http://alpha-shade.com/
The artist there is also doing it full time, and it takes him a lot more work than Fred to complete a single page, even though his brother is the writer.
So, are you suggesting that Fred should post comics when he can't draw at or above his standards because he's either too exhausted to or having a bad day? Personally I'd think you'd appreciate someone trying to bring you the highest quality stuff they can get you, especially if they think you might actually purchase it from them in the form of a book.
http://www.nostalgiazone.com/doc/zine/05_Q2/pixie. html Comics!
I'm not worried how long it takes Fred to do a comic, or how meticulous he is, or his dedication to his fans, or how much money he makes, or anything like that. It's the fact that he consistently fails to meet his own deadlines. He isn't doing his job properly, and if he was working for anybody but himself, he would have been fired by now.
If he can't keep up, then whatever the reason, he should ADMIT that he can't and lower his sights a bit, instead of stringing everybody along. For example, if he went to two comics per week and STUCK to that schedule... well, to be honest, I still wouldn't read the comic, because, as I said, it moves too slowly and isn't funny enough, but I would certainly have infinitely greater respect for him.
qntm.org
In other words you just don't like how he does things. However, he might need to have a set public deadline in order to help with motivation, even if he rarely meets it (he's late a lot more often than he misses comics).
Would you still have greater respect for him if he said, "Comics posted whenever they're done" while sticking to the same release 'schedule'?
As long as he stopped claiming Mon-Wed-Fri, definitely.
qntm.org
This comic frequently ignores the laws of Physics and Biology, but it is hilarious none the less: www.egscomics.com
Don't forget my fav.. Hard Drinkin' Lincoln
http://www.hawknest.com/
For crying out loud, play less GTA.
Amusingly enough, I am 99% sure the story submitter found this article via Penny Arcade.
Story Submitter here, and you're absolutely correct. I did indeed find this linked off of PA, and decided to share it here. Got to find them somehow, right? Though I read PA, I'm actually more of a Sluggy Freelance fan, and was much more interested in the comments about that comic than the others.
Still, I'm sort of disappointed that they didn't comment on Bill Holbrook's Kevin and Kell. We've all seen anthropomorphic comics before, and that's about as close to a mainstream anthro webcomic as you'll find. It is well written, and it would be interesting to see it compared with the mainstream anthro comics, like Over The Hedge, Pearls Before Swine, and others.
The silly side of me would like to have seen them try and analyze the artistic history of something like Partially Clips, just for the hell of it.
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
ExtraLife: http://myextralife.com/
I just thought I'd post my recommendation (as I see many have done), which nobody has yet mentioned. I just consider it to be so unpardonable...
http://www.indietits.com/ (Just hilarious)