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Achewood

Welcome to the Googleplex: Chris Onstad of Achewood

Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on January 7, 2009 - 10:57

Another webcomic creator hits the Googleplex - I finally got to watch through this and it was interesting to hear Chris Onstad talk about his work and the flexibility of the web.

PW Beat: Webcomics among top stories of 2008, part deux

Submitted by El Santo on January 6, 2009 - 13:25

Time To Make The Webcomics

Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on January 6, 2009 - 11:18

Does anyone want to do some cover art for ComixTalk for January (like this month)?  Email me at xerexes AT gmail DOT com.

INTERVIEWS

Newsarama has an interview with Raina Telgemeier who is working on a graphic novel version of her webcomic-in-progress Smile.  Raina and her husband Dave Roman are two of the nicest (and talentest) folks in comics. (h/t Journalista!)

The Washington Post has an interview with Tom Rickard, the creator of the comic strip Brewster Rockit.  I didn't realize this started back in 2004, it is a better than average strip in terms of what's in the Post's comic pages.

Achewood creator Chris Onstad visits the Googleplex - click for a video of an interview with him there for Google's Authors At Lunch series.  (h/t Journalista!)

Following up on FLEEN's mention of the NPR story on Penny Arcade, a commenter lists several other webcomic stories NPR has covered: Achewood, Sluggy Freelance, Erfworld, Questionable Content, Megatokyo, Cyanide & Happiness.

TOOLS

Brian Fies, the creator of the web/comic Mom's Cancer has REALLY good advice on dpi requirements (72, 300, 600, 1200, etc) when scanning. (h/t Journalista!)

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 BLOGS

In their weekly podcast, the Halfpixel crew talks about 2008 and looks ahead to 2009.

Scott Kurtz announced some changes to his other webcomic Ding! -- he took back the art chores from Paul Southworth and is now soliciting stories from players of the game World Of Warcraft to tell in the comic.  I think the format change is interesting, but I'll miss Southworth's take on the art.

At the End of The Year, There Will Be Lists

Submitted by El Santo on December 19, 2008 - 16:48

Hat tip to Comics Reporter and Dick Hyacinth’s thorough-and-enjoyably-crusty blog:

November 14th DRAFT version of 100 Greatest Webcomics List

Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on November 13, 2008 - 21:02

This is an update to a previous post here, thanks for the cumulative suggestions on that thread.  JUST so we're clear - this is open-sourced to everyone research for a possible article to appear next month at ComixTalk.  I don't endorse the list or the order at all; at this point I've tried to include all of the suggestions I've gotten and I also went through all of the comics ComixTalk has ever reviewed and pulled quite a few titles.

We're at the point where it'll be most helpful if you tell me comics you think should go on the list, where (what number approximately) and which comic should get bumped.  If you just want to change the order you can do that to but there'll be another post before the month's through asking for help with that.  

Comixology's Top Five Webcomics for 2008

Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on November 13, 2008 - 20:06

I guess we'll start seeing year-end type lists now (still feels a mite bit early though...).  Here's a link to Comixology's Top Five webcomics for 2008 by Tucker Stone.  Apparently he limited consideration to comics first appearing on the Internet and he came up with Get Your War On, Achewood, Dinosaur Comics, Bodyworld and "anything" by Kate Beaton.  I'm pretty much going to quibble with any list because... well, I can.  Any list is going to leave off a lot of good stuff so it's not much harder than catching fish in a barrel (I don't know how to shoot so shooting fish in a barrel would be kind of hard for me.  Besides I don't think I'd like cold steel served up with the fish for dinner).

So... I've always been a fan of Get Your War On and wrote about it very early in its meteoric rise but it's a far, far ways from its creative peak.  I don't see how the output in 2008 alone gets it on this kind of list.  Maybe a Hall of Fame forever list but not a 2008 list.

Kate Beaton definitely deserves a nod.  Someone ought to publish her stuff on paper pronto.  Achewood is going to wind up being one of the most important comics of this decade (did we decide on "naughts" or did we just decide not to decide...).  It's hard to question Dinosaur Comics either.

Surprisingly, I'd missed Bodyworld before.  Interesting comic -- really the only one of the five on the list not aimed at humor to some significant degree.  It's a pretty intensely strange comic.  The art really conveys the trippy feel of the comic -- it's very well done.  I'm a little less convinced of the actual characters and the plot and pacing but it's certainly a comic that grabs you.

100 Greatest Webcomics Thread

Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on November 9, 2008 - 12:41

NOTE:  An updated version of this list is here - please go there to offer your suggestions and comments.  Thanks!

Webcomic Wire - 10/6/08

Submitted by NightgigTim on October 6, 2008 - 14:45

Drawn from sources that might or might not pick a fight with you…

Your Ignatz Winners

Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on October 5, 2008 - 09:58

Tom Spurgeon has a list of the Ignatz 08 winners announced last night at SPX. Achewood by Chris Onstad won for OUTSTANDING ON-LINE COMIC.

I'll be wandering around SPX today.

It's All About Webcomic Creation... And Fightin' The Text Terrorists

Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on September 29, 2008 - 09:29

NEW and IMPROVED!
Check out our interview with TRACED creator Tracy White, one of the nominees for Best Online Comic at this year's Ignatz Awards. 

While you're at it - Rick Marshall also has a great interview with Sam Brown of Exploding Dog. (From our archives - a community interview with Sam from 2004)

And what did I hear on the radio this morning but NPR's interview with Chris Onstad of Achewood and "The Great Outdoor Fight" - very cool, probably only the second webcomic interview on NPR I can think of in 10 years (Pete Abrams being the other one).

AWARDS
The Harveys were awarded at this past weekend's Baltimore Comicon and Nicholas Gurewitch won for Perry Bible Fellowship.  (Gurewitch also won a "Special Award for Humor")

CONVENTIONS
CBR has a write-up of last weekend's Webcomics Panel at the Baltimore Comicon featuring Danielle Corsetto, Scott Sava and the Half Pixel pals.

Tyler Page (of Nothing Better) will be at FALLCON at the Minnesota State fairgrounds next weekend (Oct 4-5).

DEAD TREES
Mitch Clem's print collection of Nothing Nice To Say comics is out!

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 BLOGS

Brigid Alverson rounds up the reactions to the closing up of the DC Minx comics line.

Sean Kleefeld wants you to mashup some comics.

ComicMix has the scoop on Stephen Colbert's upcoming appearance in a Spiderman comic -- I still remember fondly the SNL-Spiderman issue (I have that somewhere; wonder if it's worth a couple bucks...)

Webcomic Witchfinder pits fantasy webcomics against each other in Deathmatch IV!