Webcomics and thoughts thereupon

Webcomics: I read many.

Overcompensating, Rice Boy, Dresden Codak, Nedroid, Dead Winter, Bad Machinery, Questionable Content, Something Positive, Wondermark, Hark! a Vagrant, Dr. Mcninja, A Softer World, Dinosaur Comics, Cyanide & Happiness, and xkcd.

That seems like a lot, but it only takes up 15 minutes a day, three times a week. Which is less than soap opera or Britain's got Star Idol Factor viewers would spend on their nonsense, and is (mostly) done intelligently and tastefully, and with real talent.

Anyhoo, enough of me getting defensive.

What I wanted to say is this: of the comics I read, some have passed their respective heyday. This is not to say that I don't enjoy them, or that the output of these writers and artists is sub par (in fact many of what these individuals produce is excellent)


The most prominent examples are xkcd, A Softer World, Dr. Mcninja, Something Positive and Questionable content.

These webcomics just used to be better! For example, Dr Mcninja peaked at Punch Dracula. Why? Look at the title. Punch. Dracula. I rest my case? No, but it is very good. read it and find out!

Something Positive peaked when 3 of the characters were trapped by crazed catgirls on a cannibalistic orgy of death and fangirlism at a comicon, and where assisted by Wil Wheton. One of the funniest storylines ever. One of the reasons I'd state this as the peak is that [SPOILERS - text now in white] one of my favourite characters in the strip, a midget called Pepito, is killed and mostly eaten by the catgirls.

I used to find ASW hilarious. From clever wordplay to black humour, the strip, as I read through the back catalogues, never disappointed. Even now when I hit the "Random" button, the older strips make me laugh in a way the new ones never do.

XKCD: the 1337, The Race and Journal storylines. Check them out.


I'd recommend all the comics I've listed - as I said, just because I'd say they'd peaked, this doesn't mean I don't think that they are, in most cases brilliant.

If you're after great art, I'd recommend Rice Boy or Dresden Codak.

If you would be more interested in a quick laugh, that may often be thought provoking, read any of the following: Overcompensating, Nedroid, Wondermark, Hark! a Vagrant, A Softer World, Dinosaur Comics, Cyanide & Happiness, or xkcd.

SP and QC are slice of life comics, following the cast as they go about their lives. The former I'd place well below the latter in terms of writing, art, and content quality.

Dead Winter, Bad Machinery, Doctor Mcninja are serialised webcomics, though this is about as far as the similarities go - though DW and DM have both featured Zombies (the former almost exclusively), as did BM's predecessor, Scary Go Round. WARNING: BM contains children...




SF