Jul 29 2009
Introductions and Webcomic Round-Up
Hello there.
My name is Ryan, or as I call myself here–The Softcore Nerd. Why such a handle? the five of you may ask. Well, I must be honest and confess that I’m no video game geek, movie/music snob, otaku, or any of those caliber of nerd. But I’m nor slouch either. I reside in the limbo of nerd-dom, taking nibbles of knowledge from various subjects that pique my interest without indulging myself with one main course.
That’s really what to expect form this blog: a mish-mash of commentary from a wide array of subjects and memes. Do you like movies? Music? Books? Webcomics?
Cuz I do.
Okay, enough of the chit-chat crap.
I want to start with a post that would help show you what kind of a person you’re dealing with, what subjects would be covered and how. What better way than a review of webcomics? Target audience, indeed. (But hey, it’s not the only thing I like to talk about).
Webcomics are certainly a guilty pleasure of mine. Is it really something you can just tell someone about when you’re trying to talk about yourself? Is it something they would understand? I JUST CAN’T TAKE THAT RISK (at least, with a cute girl).
That’s why I have a blog.
Webcomics I really, really look forward to reading when they update
Penny-Arcade
(to view the full size comic, just click on the picture)
For me, this is what started it all. It was the summer of 2004, and I was bored as hell. I was perusing through the bookmarks of my family computer, and noticed the folder called “Comics,” which my brother would sift through every day. I decided to look through it (hoping it wouldn’t scar me for life) and clicked on the first bookmark: Penny-Arcade. I’ve never looked back. It was my gateway drug, and still the standard I hold all other webcomics up to.
Penny-Arcade is the ultimate gaming comic. It covers games, the gaming industry, gamers, and everything in-between, but even if you don’t care about that stuff, it is still a prime comic for anyone’s interests. I’ve been hooked by Jerry Holkins’ (Tycho) writing, essentially. I have a penchant for sharp writing, and his work can be described as no less than webcomic literature. I even find myself reading through his news posts to soak in the sweet syntax he seeps out from his fingertips onto his keyboard. Mike Krahulik (Gabe) is no slouch either. He is constantly changing his art style, challenging himself and creating something entirely unique. If you just jump from year to year (perhaps even month to month) in the archives, you can see the how much the comic changes over time.
With an archive ranging well over 10 years worth of material, it’s almost futile to read through it all. Fortunately, you don’t really have to in order to appreciate the newer updates. Sure, you may be out of the loop when it comes to recurring flashes of brilliance like Twisp and Catsby or The Cardboard Tube Samurai, but even without a sense of background for those characters the comic shines. Chalk it up to the creators.
Also, they seem like pretty awesome guys, which is a plus. I mean, what other webcomic has its own gaming expo and charity that raises hundreds of thousands of dollars?
One warning to add: there’s a lot of cursing…I mean, a LOT.
Maybe it’s just the movie nerd in me, but I LOVE Joe Loves Crappy Movies (when you love something that loves, it’s a wonderful thing). It’s such a great source of movie news and reviews, and from someone that’s just your average Joe (no pun intended…okay, maybe a smidge). Joe Dunn is also fantastic when it comes to the forums, always active and friendly. And much like Penny-Arcade, his art style has come a looong way as well. Really, it’s amazing how good his renditions of celebrities and characters are nowadays.
The other comics on DigitalPimpOnline (which has probably the best tagline ever) are pretty awesome too, with a couple of them drawn by Joe as well. His updating schedule is rather sporadic, but it’s cool.
Dinosaur Comics is one of the most brilliantly written webcomics out there–because it has to be. It uses the same six panels every time, but with new text inserted (and it is a REALLY text-heavy comic). As one of the comic’s guest comics explains, it’s really like a sonnet, exercising an incredible creative capacity within a very strict form of expression. Ryan North not only seems like a pretty awesome dude, but also a well-educated one. He often writes about the subtleties of language and literature, quirky historical facts, and interesting scientific, religious, and philosophical theories and inquiries. It’s really enlightening as much as it is hilarious.
Try to tackle the immense archive…IF YOU DARE!!!
It was tough to find a strip that captured the purely brilliant mania that is Dr. McNinja, but I think this does it nicely. How was there never a doctor/ninja character before? How could we have gone so long without it? Well we’ve been with one since 2003, so if you felt a strange, mysterious tingle that year, it was probably the day Dr. McNinja was first put down on paper.
This comic will absolutely amaze you. There is so much over-the-top action, so many insane plots and characters, and very clever and ridiculous dialogue that you can’t help but get sucked in. With every chapter, you will ask yourself, “How the hell is Chris Hastings gonna top THAT???” And then he does.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
SMBC is one of the best shock-comics out there. Not in the sense that it’s disgusting or disturbing, but that Zach Weiner knows exactly how to use a sharp twist to generate a laugh. Oftentimes he’ll just draw a single, innocent picture, and the caption will horribly change your perception of it in an hilarious way. I think out of all the comics I read, SMBC understands best the notion of comedic timing. And it’s also pretty awesome that it updates every day.
If anything, Kate Beaton (next to Ryan North) has the most educational webcomic out there. Oftentimes I find out something I had never even remotely heard of before, with the extra treat of it being presented to me in very funny way. The writing is often simple yet effective, peppered with little details only a studious (or obsessive-compulsive) historian would know, and the art style is unique and complimentary to the humor. Of course, it concentrates mainly on history and literature , but also takes some jabs at some random topics and even herself (”conversations with a younger self” has to be one of the most creative, even therapeutic ideas in webcomics).
Also, I guess I have a tiny crush on her?
A Softer World
A Softer World is another contender for the best webcomic writing out there. Joey Comeau, who received a degree in linguistics (and it certainly shows), knows exactly what to write and when to write it; he uses the spacing and the panels of the comic to convey a sense of timing, whether for comedic or dramatic purposes, that greatly hightens the impact of his writing, which is something you can often see utilized on television by a good actor or comedian. He translates so well these principles of writing and presentation into the comic strip medium that I feel such a feat alone merits my praise.
His partner in crime is Emily Horne, whose photography brings Joey’s words to life (or is it the other way around?). The quality of her work is outstanding, and her arrangement of her photos for the comic always seems so intrinsically wonderful. She makes me wish I took more photos (and perhaps know what the hell I’m doing).
What I really enjoy about the comic is its range of moods. It can be humorous (and normally is), but can also be terribly tragic, philosophical, inspiring, and even childish. I often find myself reflecting on A Softer World, perhaps rereading the text or looking at the pictures again to pick up on any subtleties I may have missed the first time, subtleties that may drastically change my understanding of a particular strip.
Even other sections of their site are worth browsing through. Emily’s photojournal “i blame the sea” gives you a look at the original photos from which the comics originate, as well as photos that don’t appear in the comic. Joey has a fantastic and absolutely hilarious set of writing called “Overqualified” (which has actually been collected and published) in which he writes fake cover letters to job openings that he peruses. The most interesting aspect of it (which Joey has ceased for a quite a while now) is that he used to actually mail in these ridiculous cover letter, mostly to give those who read them a good laugh.
A Softer World paved the way for photocomics, though I doubt anyone could ever come close to it.
It was nigh impossible to find a particular strip that summarized the Octopus Pie experience, mainly because it is an all-encompassing experience. It isn’t often you’ll find yourself laughing uncontrollably after a strip (though I certainly have on occasion), but you won’t find one that is dry and boring either. Meredith Gran’s writing sucks you in, and you become enamored with her characters and their lives. You feel that you know what to expect from them, yet their actions and situations always seem fresh, and even the annoying foibles of some characters grow on you. The art is unique and fluid, never seeming rigid or dull, and Meredith always changes the panels around to fit her storytelling and the range of motion required. Overall, this is a very solid comic that just about anyone can enjoy. It’s like a TV sitcom except…good. No wonder I’m always excited to read the next strip.
One warning: lots of cursing and some nudity.
There is no other way I can introduce this comic than to present the beginning. You have to start from the beginning. And then you will not stop. With the simple premise of a couple expecting a child, Rene Engstrom creates an incredibly shocking and enjoyable emotional rollercoaster, with twists and turns that would put a Spanish Soap Opera to shame (not that I watch them…). One day, I should count the number of times I’ve gone from absolutely despising a character to loving them dearly, and then despising them again. Everyone has their virtues and their faults. Bottom line: these are complicated characters! I very much liken the feeling I get from this comic to Meredith Gran’s Octopus Pie, except more like the supercharged version of it. Like many other webcomics, the art style progresses immensely over time, becoming something unique and very fitting for the story presentation.
As much as I love this comic, there is a BIG warning that I have to attach: it contains strong language, nudity, and some rather explicit sexual scenes. But I can’t really blame Rene because she’s Swedish, so our brash American criticism has not effect on her.
Don’t let the art fool you–this is another webcomic that I highly consider a contender for best writing. John Campbell’s art actually reflects his comedy perfectly: an incredibly simple approach that veils the seriousness and complexity of life that is addressed in the comic. If I were to make comparisons, I would think that Pictures of Sad Children and A Softer World are very much alike in their subject matter and style of writing, addressing profound (and sometimes scary) trains of thought with perfectly paced text and simple yet brilliant choice of words.
Oftentimes if you stop and think about a single panel from one of his strips by itself, it ranges from not being funny at all to downright horrifying. Campbell uses juxtaposition of these panels along with the assumption that something funny is supposed to come out of it. Or perhaps I’ve completely misunderstood his approach, and I’ve been laughing this whole time at something he’s actually trying to present as serious. Kind of like Kevin Smith’s movie Clerks.
Another note on the writing (cuz, y’know, I haven’t said enough about it), the progression of intensity in each strip (to generate comedy, in my opinion) is absolutely brilliant. The first strange/wacky moment in a typical PFSC strip is enough to serve as a punchline for lesser comics out there, but Campbell keeps bumping up the intensity more and more, setting up the punchline in the last panel that either brings the momentum to a bang or a whimper, but never kills it. Like Zach Weiner from SMBC, Campbell understands the importance of comedic timing, but utilizes masterfully the long form rather than the short. Definitely one of my favorites out there.
Well that’s it for my round-up of comics I look forward to most when I fire up my computer. The next time I write about webcomics, I’ll write about the comics that I just can’t stop reading for the life of me (i.e. the ones I’m addicted to)
Take care!
