I just moved to Canada and so I feel I'm qualified to be objective about American politics when I'm not running around and shouting "Commies! Pinkies!" at the natives here.

Shaenon Garrity is the creator of Narbonic, L'il Mel, and More Fun, all published by Modern Tales subscription sites. Garrity’s first strip, Narbonic began in 2000 and features the antic antics of Helen Narbonic, mad scientist extraordinaire. She is widely considered to be not only a true creative talent but also a true thinker, with notable personalities such as Scott McCloud praising her many skills over the years. In the ensuing reader-run interview, Garrity talks about mad science, her experiences with freelancing and comics, and Joey Manley's Evil Factor^TM.

The creator of a fantasy webcomic has a surprising amount of power. Without the standard limitations of a real world setting, a story can take off in any direction. The creator sets the course, makes the rules, and somehow brings about the end result. Such creative freedom provides incredible opportunities for the ambitious storyteller.

A fantasy webcartoonist can literally build a universe from scratch, with innovative characters, concepts, situations and worlds.

When Punchlines Go Bad

Webcomics are no longer a laughing matter.

I think that’s because few people can tell a joke anymore.

Dicebox isn't your older brother's science fiction comic. No muscular heroes toting huge laser cannons, piloting light-speed-capable spaceships, rescuing buxom and scantily clad females, thwarting evil empires, and, in general, saving the universe.

Save The Elves!!!

The only thing worse than being embarrassed – that squirmy, wormy, queasy embarrassment, like when your pants rip open during an assembly, or when you fall off your bike in front of that girl (or guy) you really like in Grade Three – the only thing worse than that sort of embarrassment is when you don't feel it for yourself, but for somebody else.

Collaboration of One?

The Comics medium is often a collaborative medium. This is particularly true in "mainstream" American and European comics, but a lot of independent or alternative comics are also produced in a collaborative setting.

I've been writing the last couple of these columns about comics scriptwriting, with the implication that I'm talking about comics created by several hands. I've been referring to the writer and the artist as though these are two separate entities, but the things I've been writing about hold true (in as much as they hold true at all) for a single creator, as well.

In my last article, I wrote about the problems facing the designation of the "comics medium as art," and the value of changing that conception to one viewing the "comics medium as a language" – visual language (VL). In this piece, I'll explore how the cultural associations brought in the "Art" versus "Language" positions could affect the "medium" structurally, rather than the differences they hold in the realm of "public perception" that I discussed previously.

The conceptions of Art and Language are in nearly diametric opposition to each other. While Language works off of conventionalized signs and the perpetuation of common structure across social use, the primary thrust of Art in Western society has been individuality and innovation. For Art, being like everyone else is a detriment, while in Language it is a necessity. The tension created between these polarized conceptions of Art versus Language has been perpetuated throughout visual language's development and usage, as VL has been wrongly identified throughout history.

Say, did you know science-fiction fans like Star Trek more than they probably should?

Not only that, but Republicans are unconcerned about the poor, gay men are stylish, and Italian men are good lovers! It's true! And those are only the first few revelations you can get from sampling our pop culture!