On 11/11/11,
Homestuck entered
Act 6 (of 7). This follows
an explosive 13-minute finale to Act 5, which brought down its host
Newgrounds on the day of its unveiling and was released with
a fantastic companion soundtrack. In the two and a half years since it was created, Homestuck has become a full-blown epic, approaching the length of War and Peace, but with hours of
accompanying animation,
several interactive games, a
loop machine, and a baffling 19 soundtrack albums, ranging from
VG-inspired soundtrack to
jazzy mood music to
solo piano to
parody kids TV show soundtrack. It also has an obsession with
Nic Cage and
Betty Crocker, and comes with a metawebcomic called
Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff which is in and of itself pure gold. Intimidated? You probably should be! But it's hilarious, epic, and surprisingly addictive, so if you've got nothing else on your plate, you can either
start from the beginning, or, if it seems too daunting, you can learn...
[more inside]
posted by Rory Marinich
on Nov 17, 2011 -
66 comments
Why people like digital comics: you can charge for them, and they look pretty on an iPad. Why people like webcomics: they're free. - Warren Ellis looks at
The Broadcast Of Comics.
posted by Artw
on Oct 11, 2011 -
14 comments
David Malki!, of the "illustrated jocularity"
Wondermark, has released
Wondermark Kinetic. It's a series of ad-libbed, paper-puppeteered videos in an approximation of his usual, surreal style. (If you're unfamiliar with what that style is, he conveniently keeps a list of
his own favorite strips.) I particularly like how a story slowly emerges from the rough start of
this one.
[more inside]
posted by gilrain
on Sep 30, 2011 -
2 comments
Scott Kurtz draws and writes one of the Internet's oldest webcomics,
PvP. He launched it in 1998 and, since then, has won two Eisner Awards and a Harvey Award for his work. Scott has been a trendsetter for webcomics before, infamously (and frequently controversially) brash in defense of its business model, especially in the face of criticism from old media. Today, he announced that he will be
selling product placement in his strips, starting with an arc focused on
Magic: The Gathering. This is a webcomics first. Will it prove a boon to the financial success of artists, or a burden on the freedoms they've won? Or will it catch on at all beyond PvP?
posted by gilrain
on Jul 22, 2011 -
75 comments
"The first Gallery dedicated to artists lying behind cinema, comics, video games masterpieces… and who creat [sic], to entertain, the most significant icons of our time." The gallery has previously featured exhibitions from
webcomic artist
Scott Campbell,
H.R. Giger,
propaganda-style Futurama posters, Superman penciller
Tim Sale,
sketches from
Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and
filmmaker Sylvain Chomet.
[more inside]
posted by kagredon
on Apr 30, 2011 -
5 comments
"Another nagging idea which slowly grew from a whorl in the tub to a Pacific gyre was that, as I wrote piece after piece, it seemed like I was just imitating myself, if that makes any sense. I had always prided myself on not being formulaic (say, Monday jokes and lasagna jokes), so this presented a grave problem. I have always wanted Achewood to be something that didn’t exist before, including earlier versions of itself. ... Like a sparrow birthing a clenched human fist, Achewood must be reborn in strange ways over time to achieve this ideal."
Chris Onstad announces an indefinite hiatus to the popular web comic
Achewood. [more inside]
posted by codacorolla
on Mar 21, 2011 -
137 comments
In 1989, Bill "Calvin and Hobbes" Watterson gave a famous address at Ohio State U.'s Festival of Cartoon Art:
"The Cheapening of the Comics" (transcript). Twenty-two years later, successful webcomic artist Dave Kellett (of
"Sheldon" about a boy and his non-imaginary talking duck, and
"Drive" a sci-fi comic with a convoluted premise and funny aliens) offered a new-generation response at the same venue: "The Freeing of the Comics" (YouTube part
1,
2,
3,
4,
5). While Watterson told how and why newspaper comics were (and are) dying, Kellett explained how webcomics can (and do) replace them (although not necessarily for Watterson).
[more inside]
posted by oneswellfoop
on Mar 11, 2011 -
28 comments
Jessica McLeod draws incredibly cute, funny, awesome cartoons. Cartoons about educated pigs, space rabbits, bad yetis, and rude flowers. You should be warned, they are
very cute.
Mungo Bean: Adventure Pig!,
Book 2,
Book 3 Part 1,
Part 2
Bad Yeti,
Yeti Party
Space Rabbits:
In Space,
Planet Of,
Battle for the Planet Of,
Tea With A
Miscellaneous comics:
The Indefatigable Miss Manners,
Working Class Elf,
Ghost Farm
She has a webcomic,
Activities For Rainy Days [more inside]
posted by JHarris
on Dec 30, 2010 -
10 comments
Charitable Thoughts About Bedbugs from the new standard for random web infographic funnies,
Lunchbreath. Since his last appearance
here, LB has also offered useful lifestyle advice about
Craigslisting,
Home Security,
Maslow's Hierarchy,
Inadequacies,
Designer Portfolios and
Greenwashing, as well as less practical content about
Business Lumberjacks,
Underachieving AT-ATs,
Cow Stomachs and
Moose Lips.
But if you prefer a daily format that resembles a conventional comic strip but contains 3-to-5 times the punchlines, may I recommend
Bug, which has recently covered
Snappy Comebacks,
Thrill-seeking,
Fezes,
Optimism,
Home Security (yes, related to Lunchbreath's piece),
Looting (also semi-related) and
Graverobbing.
OR if you just want some single-panel pop-culture in a distinctive style, say
Hello With Cheese. Now you can't tell me webcomics are totally boring for at least two weeks.
posted by oneswellfoop
on Dec 10, 2010 -
9 comments
Draw Brandon Draw is a web comic by Brandon B. that follows short, surreal story arcs. The current arc (which seems to be shaping into something more sustained) is about psychics living in a closed community called "The City". The comic itself is mostly work safe, but the current blog content is Not Safe For Work.
[more inside]
posted by codacorolla
on Dec 5, 2010 -
4 comments
New England Webcomics Weekend was this past weekend in Easthampton, MA. It brought together many top names in the art of webcomics -- a form that may have at last grown distinct from its print-comics progenitor. A fine excuse to introduce you to (or remind you about) the sites of these hilarious, daring and innovative artists. Hyperlink omnibus enclosed...
[more inside]
posted by damehex
on Nov 9, 2010 -
18 comments
PORTRAIT-DEX! Cartoonists create Pokémon self-portraits, with all three evolved forms. Featuring, among other fine artists,
Scott Kurtz (PVP),
Box Brown (Everything Dies, Bellen!),
Anthony Clark (Nedroid),
Aaron Diaz (Dresden Codak), and
Steve Wolfhard (Cat Rackham), who also runs the project.
posted by Gator
on Oct 27, 2010 -
13 comments
Caring about something is about taking the pain and the joy. The pain is hard. Taking the pain, facing it, dealing with it are the ways I think we can show we really care. That we know we care. --
Bob, the story of a dog.
posted by Gator
on Sep 18, 2010 -
16 comments
From 1979 to the end of the '80s,
Sam Hurt produced a strange and wonderful little
comic called
Eyebeam. I'm very happy that the
entire archives are up, as well as
later additions. About the drab but sometimes very weird life of the eponymous character, the comic addressed a wide range of topics, including
the decor of Chinese restaurants,
wearing the wrong clothes to work,
beach gidgets,
job security,
male answer syndrome,
not-quite-vegetarianism and
time travel. It managed to be pretty
wise while still being
funny. Just don't take it too
literally.
posted by jiawen
on Jun 18, 2010 -
20 comments
So the webcomics institution
Scary Go Round has
ended. No need to cry, because John Allison is now bringing us the new sexiness that is
Bad Machinery. It's the story of two schoolgirl sleuths and three schoolboy investigators, attending Griswalds Grammar School in Keane End, Tackleford. Start
here.
[more inside]
posted by The Devil Tesla
on Oct 28, 2009 -
30 comments
