Theory

Ninth Art weighs in on whether or not comics are uniquely obsessed with issues of continuity. Continue Reading →

Here’s an interesting article on the “decompression” of pacing in comic books over at the Pulse. With the infinite flexibility of presentation available in the webcomic format how exactly do you go about selecting the right “pace” for a specific project? What has the web allowed for that more traditional printed versions do not? Continue Reading →

Another good thread at Talkaboutcomics.com focuses on the use of Flash animation as the “splash” page for a webcomic. Good? Bad? Although the general consensus on this thread is “bad” there is an acknowledgment that Flash in general may be a big part of the future of the web and therefore of webcomics. Continue Reading →

Decent article on one person’s picks for Comic Masterpieces. All of them are from comic books of course. My question is what would a similar list limited to webcomics look like? Or maybe the question should be, are webcomics mature enough as an artform to begin asking such questions? And if not, how long does it have to go? Continue Reading →

A massive new collaborative hypercomic debuts today at E-merl.com. The comic features the work of a host of stars from the British small press scene, alongside such well-known creators as Chris Ware (Acme Novelty Library) and Roger Langridge (Fred The Clown).

Originally masterminded by cartoonist Tom Gauld as part of the Comica festival at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London, the comic has now been adapted for the web by E-merl’s own Daniel Merlin Goodbrey. The special zooming interface used to display the webcomic is the first piece to benefit from Merlin’s new infinite-canvas delivery system, The Tarquin Engine.
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Over at Ninthart, Alex Dueben laments the disappearance of the self-contained short comic book. (Dueben is zeroing in on something smaller than a graphic novel, able to stand apart from an ongoing serial, essentially the comic equivalent of the literary short story). Perhaps he hasn’t checked out Modern Tales Longplay?

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Over at Ninth Art, Alasdair Watson has written a column throwing out some of his ideas on how comics can tap into the world wide web in a deeper way. He’s dismissive of infinite canvas scrolling and the use of flash. Instead he’s looking for personalization, interaction, and the ability to choose your own genre for a story (it sounds an awful lot like picking a “skin” for your message board or instant messenger program). He’s a man on a mission, that Alasdair! Continue Reading →

Not satisfied with the ending of the comic you’re reading? Go to the Internet to read another ending. As the Small Press Magazine reported, Kameelman Comics will be offering digital alternate endings for its print comics. Fans will be able to access the endings via an online password protected area at no charge. According to Publisher, Jill Legleiter, A1 Oregon Publishing, who owns Kameelman Comics, will begin offering alternate endings to the comics in order to make the comics much more interactive. This also gives the writers a chance to present all those ideas they would have ordinarily tossed out.

“Our plan for the alternate ending is to use the latest technology to make comics interactive, deliver more value to our fans, and give readers another reason to try the Kameelman comic book. Putting in the Easter egg is pure fun! In the future you will see us getting even more creative with the (Easter) eggs! But I can’t say more at this point.”

To read the entire article, head over to the Small Press Magazine.
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