Archive - Apr 2006 - Story
April 30th
Review from the Archives: Man Man
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 30, 2006 - 22:19
Another superhero webcomic worth checking out is Man Man by Shepherd and Duncan. We reviewed it about a year ago.
Joey + Joe Podcast
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 30, 2006 - 15:40
I finally got a chance to listen to the podcast of Joey Manley and Joe Zabel chatting about webcomics. A little bit about Zabel's Introvert/Extrovert article, serialization, pacing and different genres of stories. Interesting stuff (about 30 minutes long) from two knowledgeable, opinionated guys.
Sunday News
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 30, 2006 - 09:27
May Day Webcomics Awareness Day (aka Online Comics Day) is tomorrow May 1st. Workers of the world activate! And Webcomics Awareness Day (aka Online Comics Day) is May 5th (thanks for the correction Mr. T) Check this site for more details on Webcomics Awareness Day.
The Webcomics in Print blog is having a competition tomorrow (Monday) to win a copy of Beaver & Steve's first book A Shoeful of Trouble.
If you make a webcomic about ninjas you probably ought to read about the last authentic "fighting ninja" in the world.
Google has released a Windows version of Sketch-up for free (Mac coming soon). You can print out models separately or place them in Google Earth. It seems like this could be an excellent drawing aid.
In notwebcomics news, hurry before it's gone: a parody of V is for Vendetta called "C is for Cookie".
And I don't get quite so excited about PHP, but I thought this post by Ferrett about it was funny.
April 28th
Anyone Seen Movie Dark Star?
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 29, 2006 - 00:02
Just watched it - early sci-fi, right after 2001. It was John Carpenter's first movie (you can tell its Carpenter b/c of the monotonous one note music throughout that he likes to write) based on his student film. It's really dry, sort of a parody, very dark. About a crew out in space for a verrry long time and they're all bored, lazy and slightly crazy. The ship is falling apart.
This Day In Comixpedia
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 28, 2006 - 11:25
The handy archives calendar at the bottom right of the site can pull up the news and forum posts from any day of Comixpedia's existence (or go here).
Here's this day (April 28th) in Comixpedia:
Dykes To Subscribe To?
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 28, 2006 - 10:42
Alison Bechdel, creator of Dykes To Watch Out For posts in her blog about the possibility of charging readers a modest subscription fee to receive the comics via email as soon as they're done. Bechdel would delay posting them on the web for a month or so. And if that's not enough she offers an alternative idea:
Hey, and what about this? The email version could be like HBO. I could leave all the swear words in, and perhaps even have occasional frontal nudity. Instead of the #@&*'s and artful drapery that I employ in the newspaper version.
There was a lot of discussion from fans in the comments there. I wonder what Comixpedia readers think of this idea. Surely someone has tried this already - has it worked for anyone?
Ward, I'm Very Worried About the Beaver & Steve
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 28, 2006 - 10:22
The Webcomics in Print Blog has a double-shot of Beaver & Steve this week: a review of the first B&S book: A Shoeful of Trouble and an interview with creator James Turner.
Frappr Map Up To 400+ Members
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 28, 2006 - 10:18
The Webtoonists map is up 407 members now. If you make a webcomic put yourself on the map!
April 27th
First and Last: Sluggy Freelance
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 27, 2006 - 21:12
Pete Abram's Sluggy Freelance is one of the longest running webcomics out there. In some ways it hasn't changed dramatically - looking at our first from 1999 and our last from 2006 next to each other the changes seem evolutionary and not revolutionary.
First
Last
Of course for certain storylines such as "Oceans Unmoving", Pete Abrams has also ventured far from his usual style and produced more elaborate artwork for Sluggy.
LA Times Story On Newspaper Comics Crisis
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 27, 2006 - 13:24
Nothing new in this piece about an upcoming panel on newspaper comics but it's a bit... galling to hear a bunch of established cartoonists quoted as saying nothing new is every going to be any good. I guess I'm specifically reacting to this quote from Cathy Guisewite:
To me a strip should run forever because it's a classic. They have meaning to me, and no new newspaper strip is going to earn that place in my heart.
Leaving aside lots of additional snark I could write about this piece, a few thoughts on the neverending story of the newspaper comic "crisis". Of course newspaper comics are in trouble - the entire newspaper business while still generating profits every year is not growing. Many newspaper companies though are starting to get the fact that they're in the news business - not the newspaper business. Either they are trying to adapt or they're planning on squeezing as much cash as possible out of the papers until they die.
Webcomics are still a messy and chaotic place but it is growing. Maybe we'll never have a Calvin & Hobbes again in terms of sheer audience but that's no different then most mediums - we'll never have a M*A*S*H-size audience for most television shows again either. That doesn't mean we won't have television, or comics, that is as good or better but with so many more choices around the audience will by definition be smaller.
