Geek Life: Webcomics and You!
March 11, 2015
Today I’d like to take a moment to talk about webcomics. I’m not in the habit of talking about what makes a real geek, except facetiously. So I’ll begin with this: A real geek checks their daily webcomic. If you don’t have a webcomic, you better get one! Or else!
This being said, I want to talk about some of my current webcomics, and some of my all-time favorite webcomics. And some webcomics you may have been hearing about. Without further ado:
CURRENT WEBCOMICS
There is a subreddit called r/webcomics. If you don’t want to be responsible for your own consumption of delicious webcomics, I suggest you subscribe. This should provide you your daily minimum dose. But I follow a handful of these comics all by myself.
Updated daily! (Which is awesome, because weekends are usually quiet in the webcomic world – making this a viable option to maintain your addiction daily!) I started this one relatively recently (Summer 2014), and right now, it’s fairly easy to catch up since it began in September 2010. Slice-of-life webcomics are my bread and butter, and this one is awesome. The right amount of drama and comedy to keep you coming back for more! This is the third iteration of these characters, each iteration being unique in its own way. This one follows the cast as they start college and find themselves. So much coming of age, such angst, many problem. The main character Joyce comes from an ultra-religious and conservative background, so hijinks definitely ensue when she starts her freshmen year at the state college!
Updated M-F. This webcomic starts out following Marten and his android companion, Pint-size! There are other characters that have come and gone along the way. Questionable Content has been running since 2003. One of my favorite aspects of webcomics is that you can follow the artist for, in this case, over a decade and watch as their art progresses and evolves!
Launched in 2005, still updated three days a week. This is a science-fiction/fantasy webcomic, one of the few I really enjoy, actually! I began this one last week, reading over two hundred pages at 3am one morning when I couldn’t sleep. It’s quirky and bizarre and the world it takes place in is definitely engaging. The main character is Antimony Carver, and she’s just begun attending a strange and mysterious private school called Gunnerkrigg Court.
Updated Tuesdays and Thursdays, and sometimes Wednesdays! This is the least regular webcomic I follow, and is probably more suited for those who like newspaper comics as many of them are one-shot plot & punch lines. I met the artist at Salt Lake Comic Con 2014 and he was really humble and completely flattered reddit loved him so much. Since then, I have been a dedicated reader.
WEBCOMICS n00bs
These are webcomics that everyone has read at least one of, and if you haven’t, you should probably change it. These are webcomic stables – think of them like the five fruits and vegetables you’re supposed to eat every day!
Updates Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Simultaneously the smartest and sarcastic thing you potentially could read. Drawn and written by a CNU graduate, the artist is intelligent and witty. Perhaps the nerdiest kind of comic strip you could partake of. The geekdom holds this one close to its heart. Remember to read the alt-text!
A more traditional type of comic – one which I have apparently named newspaper comic. It’s funny. There’s a Utah Raptor. Dinosaurs are cool. And snarky. Another comic with alt-text!
Cyanide & Happiness – Explosm (sometimes NSFW)
Starting in 2005, C&H is written and drawn by four different artists (Rob, Kris, Matt and Dave), all with their own unique cruelty and humor, and they update whenever they feel like it. They also all inhabit different parts of the world. Just give it a try. People laugh, people cry from laughter, people are shocked… It’s an internet experience you probably shouldn’t be missing.
WEBCOMICS LEVEL 2
Updated at least once a week, and started in 2003, A Softer World is a special kind of webcomic that uses photography and typerwriter font to convey an empty and juxtaposed feeling. This is also a classic for most corners of the internet.
Started in 2006, this is a webcomic based on videogames. Almost exclusively Nintendo. It is updated whenever the artist has recommitted to semi-regular updates. Some of my favorite strips include Pokemon and Super Smash Brothers.
DJ Solar’s favorite webcomic (as far as I know). The main character, Ethan, is a sometimes socially inept gamer who doesn’t understand social practices. This comic started in 2002. Too many narrative arcs to count, some featuring Wintereenmas, Players 1-4, and other worldly adventures, it always comes back to friends playing videogames and having shenanigans. I just like catching up on this one while I’m supposed to be doing other things. In fact, the first time I started reading this comic it was during my finals week of my freshmen semester.
Megatokyo (a classic)
Currently updated Tuesdays and Fridays. This webcomic started in 2000, and was my very first webcomic ever! Crazy! It begins with a man who moves from America to Tokyo and has to adapt and make a living – the story parallels with a young woman named Yuki who does voice acting in dating sims! I haven’t kept up to date, since it has clearly been a long time since it started, but it will always hold a special place in my heart. It is one of the longest running, and largest webcomics out there!
ALL-TIME FAVORITES (discontinued, or on hiatus)
Not usually do I talk about art as far as webcomics go. Sometimes it’s spectacular as is the case for HiNaBN, sometimes it’s secondary to the charm of the overall comic. This comic is on permanent hiatus due to the artist falling off the face of the planet.
Pictures for Sad Children is a life-changing comic for me. One week during finals my love of webcomics was reignited. John Campbell is responsible for creating Hourly Comics, and he used to do daily hourly comics during the months of December and January. Unfortunately these are now unavailable due to John Campbell having a meltdown and taking all of his things off the internet, including a fully funded kickstarter and all of his merchandise. It’s a real shame that you’ve missed out on the Pictures for Sad Children era, but here you can find the internets salvaged remnants of John Campbell’s brilliant work.
COMPLETED
Problem Sleuth – MS Paint Adventures
You’ve probably heard of … Homestuck. Now. Don’t get me wrong, Homestuck is probably awesome. But to me it will always take a backseat to MS PaintAdventures other work of art. Problem Sleuth is pure genius. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Especially if you already think that the phrases “tootsie roll shotgun”, “candy corn revolver”, and “PEZ uzi” sound awesome. And this one is complete. So if you don’t want to be checking back on something every day, something that doesn’t seem to have any end in sight…. This is the webcomic for you.
NSFW
Shades of A (not complete)
The story of Anwar (who is asexual) and his self-exploration and budding relationship with Chris.
Khaos Comix (complete)
The best collection of queer comic characters, ever! Just kidding, since I’m not impartial. But this is at once heart-wrenching and funny.
Ridiculous mini-plot lines. Updates Sundays.
The Less than Epic Adventures of TJ & Amal (complete)
It starts with a roadtrip. Love happens.
