This week on the spotlight we turn our attention to Load World, from creator Sam Saturday. Load World is a comic about, (and I quote here) "love, sexual politics and the gray areas of sexuality". What that translates too on the comic page is humor with a decidedly adult angle. The comic I show above is one of the few that I could actually show here on this site. This webcomic is definitely NOT SAFE FOR WORK.
If you are open-minded enough to get past that, however, you will find a good amount of entertainment at Load World. It may be adult but the creator pulls no punches. No topic is safe from ridicule or discussion, and no limits are set, gay, straight, or otherwise. And lets face it, every once in a while, we all need some kinky gross-out jokes. Check it out the next time your inner freak needs unleashing (if you're old enough).
I've already done a Webcomic Spotlight on Minus. in fact, it was the first one I did, if I am not mistaken. I wanted to revisit it today however, because Minus is over. That's right, the creator has ended the storyline. He will be posting a few last items/extra stuff, but he's ending the comic. The story of a little pointy haired girl with magic powers is ended.
I'm a bit torn up by this, as this was one of my favorite webcomics. I can accept however that people can't keep doing the same thing forever. If you haven't read Minus yet, now is a good time to start, since you can do it all in one sitting. The comic often reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes for it's ability to me smile with a simple human moment. And Minus, despite her great power, always seems to maintain her innocence.
Also, this is your last chance to get prints! The creator will apparently be taking print orders for the rest of this month, so if you have one you wanted, NOW is the time to buy it!
Zero Punctuation's Yahtzee normally reviews video games, but this week he took a break (or there were no good games to review) to rant about video game based webcomics. I love webcomics myself, but most of what he says makes hilarious sense. He takes many stabs at Penny Arcade, Ctrl+Alt+Del, and....Zero Punctuation? Watch the video for Yahtzee's step-by-step instructions on how to make your own webcomic.
Welcome back to my little webcomic jamboree. Last week we covered a whole array of topics, and this week we look more at the community aspect, as well as the remainder of the list. So without further ado, let's finish part two of this three part series with your pal and mine, Mr. Jerusalem!
The internet is an amazing place; full of wonder and whimsy, with danger on every side and nightmares staring you right in the face. Often lost among the menagerie of horrors, are the little bright lights that give the whole internet its moments of true gloriousness.
For me, webcomics (or, for the uninitiated, comics that are on the web) are one of these bright points. A small glimpse of light every day (or, more commonly, three times a week, if the artist feels up to it) that gives this dark chamber of terror we call the internet it's allowance for continued existence.
Why should you be reading these testaments to the worth of humanity? Why, lucky for you, Uncle Jerusalem has the answer for you in a convenient little list in three parts. The first two will be my justification for webcomiccery [Editor's Note: These young new writers and their murder of the English language *sigh*], and the third will be a handful of recommendations for the comic inclined.
Without further ado, here are the top ten reasons as to why you should be reading webcomics, RIGHT NOW! (the first half anyway)
Rice Boy is the story of a small, white, armless boy who has been charged with a quest. Simple enough. Rice Boy's journey takes him across, over, and under his strange and fascinating world. He also meets an amazing assortment of friends, enemies, and others.
I came across this comic just after 1am and could not stop reading until I had finished the entire story. And it IS a complete story, told by creator Evan Dahm over the course of two years. He just finished, and the ending is extremely satisfying.
This one is special people. You owe it to yourselves to check it out.
Bee Power is a long-standing comic originally know as Droop, created by KC Green. Why it's changed to Bee Power I am unsure, but it fits the random nature of the comic. Despite the randomness, it is very often funny and interesting, although often very mature (this is not for work browsing, in many cases). It often reminds of Jhonen Vaquez's work in Squee. If you don't mind the occasional swear, sex joke, or bit of gore, check it out!
I just recently discovered Slackerz, but I am extremely glad I did. This webcomic has a relatively minimalist style but snappy writing. The usual topics are video games or pop culture, with occasional randomness. Each strip (page?) usually drips with sarcasm and intelligent humor. I recommend going through the archives, but my two immediete favorites are here and here.
This weeks Webcomic Spotlight stars an abominalbe snowman... or a yeti.. or a bigfoot or something. Whatever he is, he's cool. Another of the fantastic Transmission X weekly comics, The Abominable Charles Christopher is gorgeously drawn. Colored only in black and white (and a few shades of blue), the shading is expertly done and works really well.
The main yeti-thing never talks, and reminds me somewhat of the Gon manga, but he has many woodland friends who do chat. A lot. And he protects them. Awww... All warm and fuzzy. I highly recommend checking it out, it is created by Karl Kerschl who is apparently really good at making animals expressive.
This week we take a look at .Octopus Pie. It's about a girl named Eve who works at an organic grocery store and her various adventures with a wacky roommate. The comic is created by Meredith Gran and generally focuses on the post-college experience.
This week we shine the spotlight on classic webcomic Achewood. You may have heard of it before, and if so, chances are you love it intently or have never understood why it is funny. Achewood has been entertaining the net for a while now, and it can be hard to get into without going into the archives. I'll try to hit the basics.
Achewood (wiki entry) stars a motley crew of anthropomorphic pets, robots, and stuffed toys. Their adventures overlap the human world from time to time but also often take place in one of many underground cities where pets, etc... have build themselves a world.
What makes Achewood stand out is it's fantastic writing. The art is always pretty simple but the jokes are told in a clever and unique way that always keeps you guessing as to how it's going to play out. Each character has a distinct and surprising personality. (Roast Beef, the depressive cat, is my favorite)
The above image is from just after the arc where one character discovers he is gay, due to ancient curse delivered on the breath of a dying king. Also check out my two favorites starring Roast Beef. (Why does his depression amuse me so?) I highly recommend checking this strip out, although fair warning, once you start reading the archives, you may not get much work done until you finish.
This weeks webcomic was recommended to us by reader Scott. Captain Excelsior is about a fantastically dysfunctional superhero named, of course, Captain Excelsior. He's divorced with three kids, but only notices the two with powers.
The art style is very unique, it reminds me of Spümcø stuff in some ways, and it's very distinct. (Man that body hair freaks me out, but I think it's supposed to) The writing is quite well done and the jokes are clever and well-paced. Not to mention, they are currently doing a story about the Captain's son, Kid Liberty, dealing with a gay encounter and deciding if he liked it.
Captain Excelsior updates on Wednesdays and is created by Zach Weiner and Chris Jones.
Boy Meets Hero by Chayne Avery and Russell Garcia
