Of Webs and Comics Part 2
More comics wot I reed, dur dur etc.
So, as promised, here is the second half of my list of regularly perused webcomics (the first four were last week)!
I read eight webcomics regularly and they actually form part of my daily routine. In the morning, when I’m checking out emails from clients or deciding how to structure the day, I pop open all the links on my bookmark bar and see if any comics have updated. It’s a fun way to get started, either with some humour or a little episodic slice of drama.
BEHOLD! Here are four more webcomics that I regularly read, pretty much as soon as they update. Plus, I threw in an honourable mention.
5 – Questionable Content – http://questionablecontent.net/
This excellent webcomic is great at doing the whole gripping story thing, whilst also being pretty random and easy to dip into. You may find that if you join it now, you won’t know what’s going on, but really you’ll pick it up very fast. I recommend going back to the start- it’s honestly worth it- though you’ll have to wade through some bad art and non-story-driven stuff at first. This is one of those webcomics where the art takes leaps and bounds ahead from how it starts. It also features some pretty intelligent jokes, endearing characters and a considerable pinch of sci-fi! And best of all, between the relationship drama and angst, it throws in amazing, unexpected profanity of the highest order.
6 – Dinosaur Comics – http://www.qwantz.com/index.php
Dinosaur Comics is just… genius. There’s no story to be had here, each episode being self-contained (more or less), but it’s exceptionally witty and clever. Jokes range from explorations of batman’s identity to interesting aspects of the English language and obscure historical facts, all of which I love! The strange think about DC is that every episode uses the same panels. Yep, the only thing that changes is the text! I have no idea how he (Ryan North) comes up with comics with purely dialogue alone, but it’s something special. North also wrote two of my favourite Choose Your Own Adventures, To Be or Not To Be and Romeo And/Or Juliet, both hilarious loving mockeries of Shakespeare. They spurred me on to keep writing Hipster Quest.
7 – Gunnerkrigg Court – http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/
Weirdly, I bought a t-shirt based on this comic before I ever read it. I picked the shirt because it’s awesome/cool and has green and had a militarised Mercury symbol on it! But then someone recommended this and partway through, I was thinking ‘Er, what’s my shirt doing in a webcomic?!’. GC follows Antimony Carver as she joins a strange school of technology and magic (sort of, I’m doing this no justice) which stands in opposition to the natural, wild world of true magic and spirituality. The story is compelling and nuanced, the magic is low-key and interesting and there’s Coyote in it, as in the mythological trickster figure. The art has a fantastic way of representing him, as a kind of Watership Down cave painting affair. Just excellent.
8 – Looking For Group – http://www.lfg.co/
I’m fairly sure that this comic started as a pisstake of World of Warcraft, based on the races and things within, but it soon developed it’s own mythos and world. The story is very funny and the characters are well developed, though sometimes it feels a bit… random. Richard the warlock is the start of the show, the funniest Dick you’ll ever see, making burning orphanages cool again.
Honourable Mention – Purple Pussy – http://www.purplepussy.net/
This… comic… has stopped now, but you can read the archives. Expect violence, swearing, abuse, all the things which shouldn’t be funny, rendered in awful artwork. Half of the time it seems the artist just doesn’t care or can’t be bothered, so the last panel is just a cat drawn in Paint saying ‘fuck your ass lulz’ or similar. Delve into this if you don’t like your brain.
That’s all for now, folks. Have a good weekend!
