Sunday, October 14, 2012

Favorite Web Comics

Well... this was originally a forum dedicated to webcomics, but it never quite took off. So, I'm turning it into this placeholder blog instead. At least for now. While I haven't quite given up on the idea of creating a proper webcomics forum, but with bots running rampant on the internet leaving one up that I'm not actively moderating is just a recipe for disaster.

But! If you came upon this site hoping to find a forum, that could still happen. At the moment I just don't have time to dedicate to run it, but if being a forum admin seems like fun to you, please do let me know by leaving a comment. I would be happy to get a new forum up and running with you as admin and moderator, and hopefully a new community could spring up.

All that said, let me also put up a list of some of the webcomics I read on a regular basis: (NOTE: If you begin reading at the beginning, which seems prudent, don't be turned off by the simplistic artwork and storytelling of many webcomics. Most of these folks learned their craft in full view of their audience and as such you'll often find that the early efforts in the archives leave a bit to be desired. But it's my opinion that all of the webcomics below are worth reading from the beginning anyway.)

Multiplex by Gordon McAlpin
With an on-going storyline set in real-time at a movie theater, Multiplex is a pretty engaging read that I recommend to anyone who enjoys movies and doesn't mind a bit of drama mixed in with their humour. It's a lot of fun to see how the Multiplex staff evolve and change as time goes by. In that way it's similar to the perennial newspaper funnies favourite "For Better or For Worse" - although in my opinion Multiplex is better.

xkcd by Randall Munroe
While the artwork is deceptively simple, the observational, factoid based humour of xkcd is the real reason I read it three times a week. Two things you need to know: 1) When you mouse-over one of the strips, you're rewarded with an additional punchline in the form of an alt tag popup. These are not to be missed, and usually make the comic that much better. 2) Don't be surprised if it takes a Google visit to fully understand the strip. Munroe's a sharp guy and doesn't talk down to his audience.

Ctrl+Alt+Del by Tim Buckley
CAD strips come in two varieties: One that follows a more-or-less ongoing storyline of the main characters who share an apartment and a love of video games, and another that's a one-off joke about some kind of current events thing in the world of video games. The latter sometimes make the archives a bit less amusing than they otherwise might have been, but it's still worth beginning at the beginning.

Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik
Arguably the most famous and successful of all web comics, Penny Arcade may not need much of an introduction. I will say that while I understand its popularity among gamers, I don't think there's much there for non-gamers to enjoy. Partly because most of the humour is gaming related, but mostly because almost all the strips are related to current events, and most of the time require a reading of the accompanying news post to fully understand. So, unless you're knee deep in gaming culture, I don't think I can recommend PA. And if you are a gamer, you're probably reading it already. Come to think of it, I don't know why I even wrote this paragraph. Oh, well. It's done now.

PvP by Scott Kurtz
If Penny Arcade is the most famous and successful of all webcomics, then PvP is probably the runner-up. Unlike PA, PvP has a continuing storyline and has a much more family friendly humour. It began as yet another video game web comic, but has since grown into more of an ensemble comedy piece in the vein of many traditional newspaper comic strips.

The Trenches by Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik and Scott Kurtz
A joint project between the PA and PvP guys, The Trenches follows a videogame tester and all the trials and tribulations that follow having such a low paying, repetitious and trudging job. It's probably the worst of the strips on this list, but given its pedigree I keep reading it anyway, hoping it'll pull its socks up. It definitely have potential, and some strips are AAA quality so I'll keep at it for a while longer.

Blank It by Lemuel Pew and Aric McKeown
This is probably the most original webcomic I've ever read and definitely a joy to experience. So why is it at the bottom of the list? Because, like many webcomics before it, it would appear that Blank It is slowly dying. Updates are sporadic at best, and there's a lot of excuses being bandied about as to why comics are not being posted. Basically, the traditional signs of a web comic or blog in its death throes. It's still a worthwhile read though and recommended to anyone who like a bit of quirky philosophy in the storytelling. ...

Well... that's about it in terms of strips I read regularly. There's a bunch more I visit on occasion and I don't feel strongly enough about them to write up a paragraph for each, but here's a bulleted list of the ones I can remember off the top of my head: