What? Book review on a webcomic review site? Well honestly, I've been trying to work on an article about comic names since, um, March, and I can't get it to work. So I need something else. Plus, I like this book and I want to expose it to you. So here you go:
Book Review: Silver by Edward Chupack
I've never read Treasure Island. Hell, the most I know about it comes from, of all things, Muppet Treasure Island. So it didn't occur to me that the book named "Silver" was related to it immediately. What attracted me was the black cover with the skull and crossbones. Then I read the tag line:
"My Own Tale, As Written by Me with a Goodly Amount of Murder."
Oh I had to buy this.
This is the purported autobiography of the quintessential pirate, Long John Silver, but if you think this is merely a retelling of the Stevenson's classic, you are very wrong.
The book starts by instantly dropping you into "Talk Like a Pirate Day: The Book." It's not as BAD as you might think, but you instantly know this is a pirate writing about pirate things. To read a book like that is so, different that it instantly hooked me.
The story is just what it says on the cover, the life of Long John Silver, how he got his name, and how he became a pirate to start, a story that began when he was like 12 or so. So yeah, Treasure Island is not going to show up for a LONG while.
What really stands out is the sheer realism of the piece. It's historical, rooting itself in history and setting of the period. While I'm not as versed in pirate matters as I could be, it does feel very real, and the impossible never seems to occur. I think the author took pains to make sure that what he wrote didn't seem to be pulled out of his ass, and set up each encounter and event as much as possible.
That said, he takes a great many liberties with the source material. The Treasure Island part of the book is most certainly NOT Stevenson's story, not by a long shot. Oh, they share characters and rough situations, but for the most part it is a completely different story, one that rolls better with the rest of Silver's story. At the same time, it is still the climax of the tale, and maintains it's importance in the grand scheme of things.
But if this were just a simple "autobiography" and retelling of Treasure Ilsand, it likely would only be just decent as a book. What makes it wonderful is that it's actually a mystery book, all built around the search for treasure. The mystery is presented as a series of clues and ciphers Silver sprinkles throughout his telling of his life.
In the end, the mystery is not WHERE the treasure is, but WHAT the treasure is. History buffs will likely catch on quick, but those like myself, likely won't. That doesn't really matter in the end, as Silver walks the reader through the clues step by step, like he's teaching it, and it turns out he is, after a fashion.
And the tag doesn't lie either, Silver kills a ton of people in this book, and speaks on murder and it's commission frequently and with loving detail. Still, none of this ever comes across as superhuman. He's smart as all hell, that's for sure, but often he doesn't seize on certain clues or acts until it's nearly too late. Once he knows, though, he plans quickly and executes just as well. The fact that he is captured at all is a mystery never really detailed beyond a certain point. He's not perfect, that's for sure, and it keeps him very human, and very interesting.
I happened across this book in the bargain section of Barnes and Noble, so if you happen to come across it, I recommend it. I suspect those who have read Treasure Island will be thrilled at the references that can be found, but fans of the original will be disappointed in the reworking of the original piece. For those of us who haven't read it, though, Silver is still damn good and enjoyable.
Next time, something to do with webcomics, I hope.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Newspaper Comics #6
When I started this string of articles, there were four comics that stood out as being most influential on webcomics. The first two are Peanuts and Garfield, and I have already covered those. The next two are probably more influential in the long run, even if their lifespans were far less than the first two.
Which brings us to today's comic. This comic was so influential that it spawned many imitators in newspapers, let alone the innumerable attempts to replicate it in webcomic form. In my paper alone there are at least 3 comics that can be called imitators, though each isn't nearly up to task for one reason or another. Amongst the webcomics, I have continued to hunt for a replacement for this comic, but only one has ever truly come close, and it has been dead for a long, long time now. What comic could do this? The Far Side.
Gary Larson's The Far Side is not unique in terms of it's format, the single panel strip, but it's content is so different from what was found in strips before or after it that it remains a cultural milestone and practically unforgettable. The uniqueness of the Far Side starts with the sheer lack of any regular characters. Oh there are animals, especially cows, that all look the same, even the people often look the same, but none are given a name and are adjusted, as needed to fit the joke.
And the jokes were the reason for this lack of a regular cast. While I don't have a picture perfect memory, I can't remember a single joke outright replicated only by changing a few words or lines (maybe a trouble brewing comic or two). There are no running gags, aside from the afore mentioned cows I suppose, so each strip is different. The result is what many call 'surrealistic' humor, but I just call funny as hell. The unexpected became the norm with Far Side, and in the process it became memorable.
The Far Side was only published for a mere 15 years, starting in 1980, and yet is deep in the memories of many of the current crop of webcomic artists (the younger ones discover it early on anyway). This creates a long standing influence as people try to replicate the experience with their own work. The problem, of course, is that the Far Side had no set rhythm or beat, each strip was often very different from the previous one and with no characters to speak of, finding that element that made the Far Side great is, well, damn near impossible. What it was, of course, is that Gary Larson has one hell of a twisted sense of humor and could spin almost anything into a joke, a talent most people do not have.
In newspapers, as I said, there are many imitators that try to latch on to some element of the Far Side thinking it will replicate it. Of the three in my paper, one latches on to puns, another goes for the "weird" angle and the third kind of goes it's own path, but you can still see the influence. The latter of the three is the best because it doesn't try to stick to whatever formula the Far Side is supposed to have, but still goes for the surrealist bent that Larson used. At other times it replicates the last of my four most influential strips, but that's a subject for another time.
In the webcomic world, only one comic has ever managed to match the Far Side in my eyes: The Parking Lot is Full. It does the same thing the Far Side does, but never actually replicating the same joke twice (well, except for the last string of strips, but there was a joke of a different color). It is still the first webcomic I ever read (and reviewed) and I still hold it as the standard that all comics must meet. At the same time, it's still not quite as good as the Far Side. I think it's the edginess that fails it in the end and the forced messages, something the Far Side never really got into.
Aside from PLiF, comics like Cyanide and Happiness and Edible Dirt come closest to the Far Side, but each never quite gets there, each going more for shock and edginess than even PLiF, and that was already beyond the Far Side. Still, that doesn't mean others haven't tried to replicate the Far Side, and likely will continue to do so. It is truly one of the great comics of all time, and it's influence will be felt for years to come.
I'm not sure what comic I'll do next time, but it certainly won't be my most influential comic because, well, I like holding on to those. Of course if you haven't figured out which one it is, you need to smash your head against a wall for a while, because at this point it should be obvious. Until next time kiddies.
Which brings us to today's comic. This comic was so influential that it spawned many imitators in newspapers, let alone the innumerable attempts to replicate it in webcomic form. In my paper alone there are at least 3 comics that can be called imitators, though each isn't nearly up to task for one reason or another. Amongst the webcomics, I have continued to hunt for a replacement for this comic, but only one has ever truly come close, and it has been dead for a long, long time now. What comic could do this? The Far Side.
Gary Larson's The Far Side is not unique in terms of it's format, the single panel strip, but it's content is so different from what was found in strips before or after it that it remains a cultural milestone and practically unforgettable. The uniqueness of the Far Side starts with the sheer lack of any regular characters. Oh there are animals, especially cows, that all look the same, even the people often look the same, but none are given a name and are adjusted, as needed to fit the joke.
And the jokes were the reason for this lack of a regular cast. While I don't have a picture perfect memory, I can't remember a single joke outright replicated only by changing a few words or lines (maybe a trouble brewing comic or two). There are no running gags, aside from the afore mentioned cows I suppose, so each strip is different. The result is what many call 'surrealistic' humor, but I just call funny as hell. The unexpected became the norm with Far Side, and in the process it became memorable.
The Far Side was only published for a mere 15 years, starting in 1980, and yet is deep in the memories of many of the current crop of webcomic artists (the younger ones discover it early on anyway). This creates a long standing influence as people try to replicate the experience with their own work. The problem, of course, is that the Far Side had no set rhythm or beat, each strip was often very different from the previous one and with no characters to speak of, finding that element that made the Far Side great is, well, damn near impossible. What it was, of course, is that Gary Larson has one hell of a twisted sense of humor and could spin almost anything into a joke, a talent most people do not have.
In newspapers, as I said, there are many imitators that try to latch on to some element of the Far Side thinking it will replicate it. Of the three in my paper, one latches on to puns, another goes for the "weird" angle and the third kind of goes it's own path, but you can still see the influence. The latter of the three is the best because it doesn't try to stick to whatever formula the Far Side is supposed to have, but still goes for the surrealist bent that Larson used. At other times it replicates the last of my four most influential strips, but that's a subject for another time.
In the webcomic world, only one comic has ever managed to match the Far Side in my eyes: The Parking Lot is Full. It does the same thing the Far Side does, but never actually replicating the same joke twice (well, except for the last string of strips, but there was a joke of a different color). It is still the first webcomic I ever read (and reviewed) and I still hold it as the standard that all comics must meet. At the same time, it's still not quite as good as the Far Side. I think it's the edginess that fails it in the end and the forced messages, something the Far Side never really got into.
Aside from PLiF, comics like Cyanide and Happiness and Edible Dirt come closest to the Far Side, but each never quite gets there, each going more for shock and edginess than even PLiF, and that was already beyond the Far Side. Still, that doesn't mean others haven't tried to replicate the Far Side, and likely will continue to do so. It is truly one of the great comics of all time, and it's influence will be felt for years to come.
I'm not sure what comic I'll do next time, but it certainly won't be my most influential comic because, well, I like holding on to those. Of course if you haven't figured out which one it is, you need to smash your head against a wall for a while, because at this point it should be obvious. Until next time kiddies.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Nothing this week
Been scarily busy with other things. I'll have something next week, I promise.
In the mean time, Alpha Luna has started updating again. I like comics that come back from the dead.
In the mean time, Alpha Luna has started updating again. I like comics that come back from the dead.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Wild Webcomic Review 106 - 110
Something good is another set of old reviews. Yeah, I've been lazy this week.
January 11, 2007
106. Sorcery 101 - Thanks to caerbrigit for pointing this one out. It's a modern day meets the creatures of the night (vampires, werewolves, etc) type strip, and it does it pretty well. It's not deadly serious most of the time, but tries to make it clear that certian things are serious (even if they aren't taken that way at the time). What I find most refreshing is that it is an alternate Earth, so she (the artist) doesn't have to shoe horn our world into it. Give it a whirl at least, I'm still reading it.
TODAY - It's not bad, but I'm not sure if I'm really enjoying it as much as I was earlier. I don't know what exactly changed, but I almost think of it as an obligation rather than something I enjoy. That means it's this close to being removed form the read list, but not yet. Not yet.
107. Haru-Sari - Thanks to kodein for this one. I've had this one sitting in my bookmarks for the longest time, and in fact it was only the other day that I actually sat down and read it. Why? I'm turned off by most manga style comics. Aside from a few (Errant Story among them), they generally don't attract me at all. I'm kind of sorry I feel that way because I almost missed out completely on this one. It's less straight up Japanese style than most, and it's actually, well, good. I found myself drawn in, which is rare. I'll be reading this one for a while.
TODAY - The on going mystery of what the hell is going on keeps me coming back. Eventually it should end, eventually, but until then, what an strange trip. Not going anywhere.
January 22, 2007
108. The World Explodes - There are three stick figure type comics in this batch to review, and, well, this is the worse of the lot. Worse than that even. It tries to be funny, in an extremely crude way (NSFW, BTW), but it fails, repeatedly. It's the kind of things preteen boys come up with while trying to figure out if they're gay or not. It's not funny, it's not entertaining, and it's not worth your time. I know I swore I would read more bad comics, but damn.
October 11, 2008 - What a change. This comic is still very NSFW, but the difference between when I first read it and what it is now is amazing. And it comes in the form of two words: Story arc. That's right, he turned this mess of a comic and gave it a story, starting with a play on a fairy tale, and things went up from there. I don't think I've ever had a comic go from the bottom of the list bad comics and get right into my regular rotation, but this one did it. The latest story isn't that great, tried to include too many characters I think, made it too epic, but even so, it is still worth reading now. Sick, isn't it?
TODAY - It's dead, even BEFORE the re-review went up, it was dead. Didn't know it at the time. It's a bummer, actually, even the last story was fun and interesting, but I think perhaps the artist had the same thought I did: It was too epic, there was no way to match it again. Still, I'm glad I went back to this one, still worth it.
109. Cyanide and Happiness - Everything The World Explodes attempts to do, Cyanide and Happiness manages to do in a spectacular fashion. It's funny, primarily, and that alone makes this comic worth the energy. Yeah, sometimes the jokes fall flat, but when they hit, they're great. It's simple, fun, and generally mindless. Go, read, enjoy. Be happy.
TODAY - They've done some videos, animations, and those are JUST as funny as the actual comic. I've even seen this comic IN book stores, in book form of course. It deserves it, this comic is one of those great, silly, stupid comics that you simply must read.
110. A Divine Dramedy - Within the first 10 or so strips, the three main characters get their heads chopped off. Two of them have it done twice. It's alright, they're dead already. Maybe it's because I just got done reading it, but I really enjoyed this comic, probably more than I should have. The art is wonderful in my eyes, the humor is spot on, and the whole thing is just, I don't know, great would be a good term. Perhaps it'll wear off, but I'm thinking it won't.
TODAY - This one is the one I am most embarrassed about. Don't get me wrong, the comic was pretty good, but not as good as I seem to be saying in the review, and I'm embarrassed by that. Which doesn't matter because it's MIA. The artist still has a site (linked) but the comic itself is gone. No idea where it went. Perhaps I should be happy about that, but I'm not sure.
Anyway, enough of this. Let us move on. See you next week kiddies.
January 11, 2007
106. Sorcery 101 - Thanks to caerbrigit for pointing this one out. It's a modern day meets the creatures of the night (vampires, werewolves, etc) type strip, and it does it pretty well. It's not deadly serious most of the time, but tries to make it clear that certian things are serious (even if they aren't taken that way at the time). What I find most refreshing is that it is an alternate Earth, so she (the artist) doesn't have to shoe horn our world into it. Give it a whirl at least, I'm still reading it.
TODAY - It's not bad, but I'm not sure if I'm really enjoying it as much as I was earlier. I don't know what exactly changed, but I almost think of it as an obligation rather than something I enjoy. That means it's this close to being removed form the read list, but not yet. Not yet.
107. Haru-Sari - Thanks to kodein for this one. I've had this one sitting in my bookmarks for the longest time, and in fact it was only the other day that I actually sat down and read it. Why? I'm turned off by most manga style comics. Aside from a few (Errant Story among them), they generally don't attract me at all. I'm kind of sorry I feel that way because I almost missed out completely on this one. It's less straight up Japanese style than most, and it's actually, well, good. I found myself drawn in, which is rare. I'll be reading this one for a while.
TODAY - The on going mystery of what the hell is going on keeps me coming back. Eventually it should end, eventually, but until then, what an strange trip. Not going anywhere.
January 22, 2007
108. The World Explodes - There are three stick figure type comics in this batch to review, and, well, this is the worse of the lot. Worse than that even. It tries to be funny, in an extremely crude way (NSFW, BTW), but it fails, repeatedly. It's the kind of things preteen boys come up with while trying to figure out if they're gay or not. It's not funny, it's not entertaining, and it's not worth your time. I know I swore I would read more bad comics, but damn.
October 11, 2008 - What a change. This comic is still very NSFW, but the difference between when I first read it and what it is now is amazing. And it comes in the form of two words: Story arc. That's right, he turned this mess of a comic and gave it a story, starting with a play on a fairy tale, and things went up from there. I don't think I've ever had a comic go from the bottom of the list bad comics and get right into my regular rotation, but this one did it. The latest story isn't that great, tried to include too many characters I think, made it too epic, but even so, it is still worth reading now. Sick, isn't it?
TODAY - It's dead, even BEFORE the re-review went up, it was dead. Didn't know it at the time. It's a bummer, actually, even the last story was fun and interesting, but I think perhaps the artist had the same thought I did: It was too epic, there was no way to match it again. Still, I'm glad I went back to this one, still worth it.
109. Cyanide and Happiness - Everything The World Explodes attempts to do, Cyanide and Happiness manages to do in a spectacular fashion. It's funny, primarily, and that alone makes this comic worth the energy. Yeah, sometimes the jokes fall flat, but when they hit, they're great. It's simple, fun, and generally mindless. Go, read, enjoy. Be happy.
TODAY - They've done some videos, animations, and those are JUST as funny as the actual comic. I've even seen this comic IN book stores, in book form of course. It deserves it, this comic is one of those great, silly, stupid comics that you simply must read.
110. A Divine Dramedy - Within the first 10 or so strips, the three main characters get their heads chopped off. Two of them have it done twice. It's alright, they're dead already. Maybe it's because I just got done reading it, but I really enjoyed this comic, probably more than I should have. The art is wonderful in my eyes, the humor is spot on, and the whole thing is just, I don't know, great would be a good term. Perhaps it'll wear off, but I'm thinking it won't.
TODAY - This one is the one I am most embarrassed about. Don't get me wrong, the comic was pretty good, but not as good as I seem to be saying in the review, and I'm embarrassed by that. Which doesn't matter because it's MIA. The artist still has a site (linked) but the comic itself is gone. No idea where it went. Perhaps I should be happy about that, but I'm not sure.
Anyway, enough of this. Let us move on. See you next week kiddies.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Touching Base # 4
Ah, another Touching Base, because I don't want to post an old review but I don't have the energy to do a full update. I love my laziness!
I'm removing Chugworth Academy from the read list. It hasn't updated since September, and shows no signs of doing so again. I'm holding out hope that No Rest for the Wicked will updated before October (12 months after it's last update) and then that will be shuffled off too. I'm also FINALLY removing 8-Bit Theater from the read list. The comic is done, so it's time to go. Back to Earth hasn't updated in several months, and I'm tired of waiting for it. Unlike Chugworth or NRftW, I'm not that invested in it, so saying goodbye doesn't bother me as much.
I'm also moving Elsie Hooper to the Hiatus category. I think it's dead, but I'll give it a bit longer before it goes away forever.
Moving day for a lot of comics, actually. Errant Story switched to a twice a week schedule, so I'm moving it to T-Th-S. City of Reality finished up it's first 3-day a week chapter, and it actually worked pretty well in the end, though the time reset thing could have been done better I think. No matter, I'm moving that to M-W-F. Templar, Arizona, The Meek and U.F.O. are also going over to the Weekly branch, they update too rarely to justify being in the more frequently checked categories.
The Wotch finally updated again, with another guest artist. Why now? No idea, the news posts haven't been updated since December. Zebra Girl is moving off Keenspot, and is building a new site to boot. The Pain (which hasn't had a proper update in months) is apparently going to have a new website as well. Get rid of the frames!
I mentioned possibly revamping the blog here a few weeks ago. The idea is to expand the scope from just webcomics to cover other things, like movies, TV series and such. I haven't decided to do that yet, mostly because it would entail more work. We'll see though. Hell, I can't even get the time to finish filling in the current blog stuff.
Well, that's about it. Nothing earth shattering, but hopefully I'll have something good for next week. Until then kiddies.
I'm removing Chugworth Academy from the read list. It hasn't updated since September, and shows no signs of doing so again. I'm holding out hope that No Rest for the Wicked will updated before October (12 months after it's last update) and then that will be shuffled off too. I'm also FINALLY removing 8-Bit Theater from the read list. The comic is done, so it's time to go. Back to Earth hasn't updated in several months, and I'm tired of waiting for it. Unlike Chugworth or NRftW, I'm not that invested in it, so saying goodbye doesn't bother me as much.
I'm also moving Elsie Hooper to the Hiatus category. I think it's dead, but I'll give it a bit longer before it goes away forever.
Moving day for a lot of comics, actually. Errant Story switched to a twice a week schedule, so I'm moving it to T-Th-S. City of Reality finished up it's first 3-day a week chapter, and it actually worked pretty well in the end, though the time reset thing could have been done better I think. No matter, I'm moving that to M-W-F. Templar, Arizona, The Meek and U.F.O. are also going over to the Weekly branch, they update too rarely to justify being in the more frequently checked categories.
The Wotch finally updated again, with another guest artist. Why now? No idea, the news posts haven't been updated since December. Zebra Girl is moving off Keenspot, and is building a new site to boot. The Pain (which hasn't had a proper update in months) is apparently going to have a new website as well. Get rid of the frames!
I mentioned possibly revamping the blog here a few weeks ago. The idea is to expand the scope from just webcomics to cover other things, like movies, TV series and such. I haven't decided to do that yet, mostly because it would entail more work. We'll see though. Hell, I can't even get the time to finish filling in the current blog stuff.
Well, that's about it. Nothing earth shattering, but hopefully I'll have something good for next week. Until then kiddies.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Summer Wild Webcomic Review
IT'S A NEW REVIEW! HORRAY!
Yes, that's right, I got a new batch of reviews for you guys. It's only been, um, five months. That's actually a bit ahead of my normal curve, actually. So, let's get started, shall we?
206. Romantically Apocalyptic - Welcome to the end of the world! Hope you don't go mad, though if you do, at least have fun with it. This is a bizarrely beautiful, funny, and twisted comic that should be read just because. That said, there are only 24 strips as of this writing, so it's kind of short, but each strip feels positively epic in scale. Apparently they're trying to do a live action movie/short thing based on this, I don't know how to feel about that, but I do know the comic is something that cannot and should not be missed. Go, read it!
207. Spinnerette - I mentioned this comic in my article, Wither the Superhero but have held off reviewing it until it had more than a few strips under it's belt. It's part of the Krakow family of comics that includes Krakow, Krakow 2.0, Marilith and Charliehorse, and if you've read any of those, you kind of know what to expect, but not quite. It's better than any of them, I think, except maybe Krakow 2.0 at it's peak, and 2.0 did not have the best writing. Spinnerette is well written, funny, lighthearted and almost perfectly satirical of the entire superhero genre and idea. Now will it maintain that, we'll have to wait and see, but as long as he can hold on to ONE artist, I think it's got a good chance.
208. Totally Crossover - From the creator of Totally Kotor comes another comic about video games. This one covers a lot more territory, picking on every game of the current year, from Mass Effect to Iron Man, the comic throws the various characters and locations around giving them a touch of TK's madness and letting them fly. There's also a complete branch that is basically like every other geek or videogame comic on the web today. At least it's funny, unlike some comics I can think of (still not linking). It's light, goofy fun, and if you like Totally Kotor, then you'll like this one. And better yet, NO FLASH! Woo!
209. Gypsy! - The main character of this comic, it's namesake and possibly richest character on the planet, is currently non-responsive and sits there like a lump of nothingness. Thus the comic is all about everything happening around her as she's dragged form one location to another by her reluctant doctor. I enjoy this comic, a lot. It's fun, creative, a bit manic, but not completely mad at the same time. Just go read it already, I think you'll thank me later.
210. Bug - And we're back to comic roots. Here's your basic, daily webcomic strip. It's full of silly jokes, some geeky references, and just a bit of fun. It really doesn't stand out in any particular way compared to, well, every other comic I read, and that probably makes it unique in this regard. It's mindless fun that would be just at home in the newspaper as it is on the internet, and I think I'll be following it for a while.
Well folks, that's it. Now to enjoy summer.
Until next week. Yeah, I'll have something next week. See you then.
Yes, that's right, I got a new batch of reviews for you guys. It's only been, um, five months. That's actually a bit ahead of my normal curve, actually. So, let's get started, shall we?
206. Romantically Apocalyptic - Welcome to the end of the world! Hope you don't go mad, though if you do, at least have fun with it. This is a bizarrely beautiful, funny, and twisted comic that should be read just because. That said, there are only 24 strips as of this writing, so it's kind of short, but each strip feels positively epic in scale. Apparently they're trying to do a live action movie/short thing based on this, I don't know how to feel about that, but I do know the comic is something that cannot and should not be missed. Go, read it!
207. Spinnerette - I mentioned this comic in my article, Wither the Superhero but have held off reviewing it until it had more than a few strips under it's belt. It's part of the Krakow family of comics that includes Krakow, Krakow 2.0, Marilith and Charliehorse, and if you've read any of those, you kind of know what to expect, but not quite. It's better than any of them, I think, except maybe Krakow 2.0 at it's peak, and 2.0 did not have the best writing. Spinnerette is well written, funny, lighthearted and almost perfectly satirical of the entire superhero genre and idea. Now will it maintain that, we'll have to wait and see, but as long as he can hold on to ONE artist, I think it's got a good chance.
208. Totally Crossover - From the creator of Totally Kotor comes another comic about video games. This one covers a lot more territory, picking on every game of the current year, from Mass Effect to Iron Man, the comic throws the various characters and locations around giving them a touch of TK's madness and letting them fly. There's also a complete branch that is basically like every other geek or videogame comic on the web today. At least it's funny, unlike some comics I can think of (still not linking). It's light, goofy fun, and if you like Totally Kotor, then you'll like this one. And better yet, NO FLASH! Woo!
209. Gypsy! - The main character of this comic, it's namesake and possibly richest character on the planet, is currently non-responsive and sits there like a lump of nothingness. Thus the comic is all about everything happening around her as she's dragged form one location to another by her reluctant doctor. I enjoy this comic, a lot. It's fun, creative, a bit manic, but not completely mad at the same time. Just go read it already, I think you'll thank me later.
210. Bug - And we're back to comic roots. Here's your basic, daily webcomic strip. It's full of silly jokes, some geeky references, and just a bit of fun. It really doesn't stand out in any particular way compared to, well, every other comic I read, and that probably makes it unique in this regard. It's mindless fun that would be just at home in the newspaper as it is on the internet, and I think I'll be following it for a while.
Well folks, that's it. Now to enjoy summer.
Until next week. Yeah, I'll have something next week. See you then.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Re-reading Webcomics
I read way too many comics. I mean regularly, not just total. That list to the side there is huge. It kind of makes you lose a bit of perspective on them when the numbers get that big. So to sit down and re-read a comic, from the beginning, it gives me a chance to remember why I liked the comic, and to re-examine it from a non-fresh perspective.
A bit ago I visited Heart Shaped Skull and was surprised to discover that the two chapters that had been missing in my original pass through has finally been posted for all to see. Great, I can read them now, except, well, the archives aren't exactly friendly, and the only way to get to the stuff I hadn't read before was to start at the beginning.
Did I mention these two chapters are in the middle of the two that were live the first time through? No? Well, they are, and yet back then, I didn't feel I was missing much. The summaries provided gave me more than enough information to continue reading, and the last completed chapter was more or less a stand alone story.
And yet, as I read through these new chapters (which really didn't offer much of anything I didn't already know) I got hooked and finished the entire archives from start to finish. I can't remember the last time I did that with a comic I had already read. I think maybe parts of Leisure Town, but only parts of it. Damn, I should go back and reread that.
Good comics are like that I guess, that while they're new and fresh, you enjoy them, sure, but you don't really understand your obsession with them until you go back and start rereading your favorite parts, only to find yourself up at 3 am 2 days after starting and having not slept in between. I'm actually almost afraid to try reading parts of Sluggy Freelance, you might need a prybar to get me out of my chair after that.
I read a lot of webcomics on a daily and weekly basis, but the good ones will always stand out. Sure, I enjoy reading things like Eerie Cuties, Sandra and Woo and Out There, but would I really ever go back and read them from scratch? Would it be worth the time and energy? Probably not. But there are plenty that would be.
So I'm glad I spent two or three hours on Heart Shaped Skull, catching up and remembering why I liked it. I'll have to do it some more in the future.
Next week, SOMETHING! Yeah, I don't have much left at the moment.
A bit ago I visited Heart Shaped Skull and was surprised to discover that the two chapters that had been missing in my original pass through has finally been posted for all to see. Great, I can read them now, except, well, the archives aren't exactly friendly, and the only way to get to the stuff I hadn't read before was to start at the beginning.
Did I mention these two chapters are in the middle of the two that were live the first time through? No? Well, they are, and yet back then, I didn't feel I was missing much. The summaries provided gave me more than enough information to continue reading, and the last completed chapter was more or less a stand alone story.
And yet, as I read through these new chapters (which really didn't offer much of anything I didn't already know) I got hooked and finished the entire archives from start to finish. I can't remember the last time I did that with a comic I had already read. I think maybe parts of Leisure Town, but only parts of it. Damn, I should go back and reread that.
Good comics are like that I guess, that while they're new and fresh, you enjoy them, sure, but you don't really understand your obsession with them until you go back and start rereading your favorite parts, only to find yourself up at 3 am 2 days after starting and having not slept in between. I'm actually almost afraid to try reading parts of Sluggy Freelance, you might need a prybar to get me out of my chair after that.
I read a lot of webcomics on a daily and weekly basis, but the good ones will always stand out. Sure, I enjoy reading things like Eerie Cuties, Sandra and Woo and Out There, but would I really ever go back and read them from scratch? Would it be worth the time and energy? Probably not. But there are plenty that would be.
So I'm glad I spent two or three hours on Heart Shaped Skull, catching up and remembering why I liked it. I'll have to do it some more in the future.
Next week, SOMETHING! Yeah, I don't have much left at the moment.
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