Sluggy Freelance
What I Was Reading in July 2001
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on August 6, 2004 - 01:16
Sorry to inflict this on the world but I feared this blog wasn't fulfilling the required "Self-Indulgent" Content requirement for blogs. I was Archive.org'ing my old site and pulled my daily webcomic reading list from roughly mid-year 2001. Here's the list with some comments on where some of them are today:
Absurd Notions: Creator Kevin Pease has moved the strip to http://www.absurdnotions.org/ and reduced the update schedule for this once daily strip but Absurd Notions is still one of the wittier comic strips on the web about young guys and gals of a computer/geek bent. The current story concerns a role-playing game the characters are conducting - it has been going on all year. Pease has also released a dead tree collection of AN: An Awful Lot of Absurd Notions.
Acid Reflux: This one appears to be dead (the old URL seems to have been grabbed by one of those lame squatter companies) although there is a Live Journal community about it. I never really got into this one but it was fairly popular.
Algernons Dilemma: Jim Alexander has been posting this daily strip since late 1999. I am under the impression that he has stopped making the comic but still posting this year because he had worked almost a year ahead. I couldn't find any status update on the website though so I'm not sure if that's still the case. I also think Alexander removed a large part of the archives - folks need to buy a CD-Rom from him to get those. I have read bits and pieces of AD in the past but I could never get past Alexander's unique take on the female anatomy to become a fan. A lot of old-school webtoonists are fans of his work though.
Alice!: is still one of the few GOOD PG comic strips on the web. A shame that McKay-Fleming isn't in your local newspaper.
Angst Technology: Barry was hot than stopped and now he's back again. I'm not as much into AT and the other strips on Inktank as I was pre-hiatus but it's probably more to do with the much more crowded field of webcomics than any drop in quality on Barry's part. There's just only so much time in the day!
A.P.E. Force: Nicely drawn - possibly gone from the web now. Couldn't find it this morning anyhow.
Aren't We Real: Case Yorke's webcomic before Gluemeat and I believe the archives are somewhere on gluemeat.com. Still my favorite Yorke project.
Arrogance in Simplicity: A funny comic, not always as funny as the creator thought it was but still a good read in its day. Definitely over according to the creator. Early pioneer in the "crap art but still a decent read" category.
Avalon: One of the original soap-opera-ish high school webcomics, Avalon is no more and Josh is now on to another comic.
BB of CS: Another comic that is done. Had to update the URL because the old was grabbed a URL squatter. Bad Boys of Computer Science was a pretty vulgar but sometimes painfully honest comic about college undergrad computer science students. It ran roughly from 2000-2002.
Bobbins: Bobbins is no more but Scary Go Round whirls on.
Bob N' Ed: Decent art, great parody riffs on Star Wars, Star Trek, X-Files, etc,but a horribly inconsistent update schedule probably has kept this comic from being more popular. Apparently he's actively working on it this summer.
BoxJam's Doodle: Original Blue Dude back after a brief hiatus this year.
Bruno the Bandit: Old School webtoonist still making the adventures of Bruno and filling in for Pete on Saturdays at Sluggy Freelance.
Burnt Dog Radio: Um this one would be mine. No comment....
Chopping Block: Herold updates less frequently now but still one of the rock stars of webcomicdom.
Common Grounds: Corey Marie Kitley's last webcomic before Life's So Rad. She's still on Keenspot pluggin' away at being emo.
Cool Cat Studio: Gone but Giselle is working with T Campbell on a new comic somewhere in the Modern Tales family of sites.
Cyantia Chronicles: Syke makes a lot of comics some of them hosted on Keenspot now.
Deathworld: I've completely lost track of Rudy's comic but he is as old-school webcomic as they come. He probably also holds the record for most active participation in the Fright Night Project.
Diabolica: Burke's first comic before Grimbles. Diabolica was good but Grimbles is better. Sometimes he out-Gorey's Gorey.
Diesel Sweeties: Pixel Power Activate! Form of a robot-elephant! Form of an Ice cube!
Dr. Lobster: I hope they keep the archives for this one up - in its own way it was quite good.
Down to Earth: Keenspot, indendent, quit and now back again I belive. Still kicking.
Dregs: This one was kind of bad. Doesn't look like it's still updating. I'm not sure I actually read this now that I'm looking at the site.
Elf Life: Some day Carson will complete enough of his tale to make this a coherent epic in comic format. Until than it's sort of the Similarron (I probably spelled that wrong) of the webcomics world. I just hope it doesn't take Carson's son to edit and publish it in a final format.
Exploitation Now: Done and onto Errant Story. Poe is growing as an artist.
Frankenstudent: Gone.
Fat Jesus: Horribly Inconsistent. Went from Keenspace to Keenspot because clearly Leffel is talented. Just a shame that not much work has actually been published. Owlie (his other comic) is still one of my sentimental favorites.
Funny Farm: I lost track of this one. Hard to catch up with everything I guess. Reportedly going to "end" but Smith seems to be a bit cagey about what that means.
GPF: Still kicking although more serious now than before.
Ghostz: Read the archives. Funniest copyright violatin' comic from the old school days around.
Goats: Rosenberg can actually draw now. It's always been funny though.
Greystone Inn: Why Guigar is not syndicated more broadly is beyond me. A fine work in the comic strip tradition.
Hang & Catch Fire: Terrance Marks does a gamer comic. Not sure if it exists anywhere online anymore.
Hobnob Inn: Now hosted on the Reuben (Awards for Comic Strips) website - this was a kind of wannabe Bloom County when basically everyone was a wannabe Bloom County. Haven't read it in a long time so I have no idea what it's like now.
Hotendotey: Right now the website says "PLEASE BEAR WITH US AS WE ARE PLANNING FUTURE ATROCITIES. THANKS." That sums up Hotendotey alright...
Hosers: Hosers got to do a cross-over with GPF. Less frequent updating lately although much better art than in the old school days.
Hound's Home: Brillant satire, erratic updating schedule.
Help Desk: Still making fun of Microsoft.
In2it: Scott Kurtz's buddy is no longer making webcomics I guess.
It's Walky!: Premarital Hanky Panky.
JoBeth!: Lost in space, alas...
Joe Average: It all went downhill after he got a girlfriend... :)
Just Another Vice: Back in a hazy cloud of dust..
Just Cheese: Just gone I guess.
Kevin& Kell: Furry goodness. (I can't believe I just said that...)
Ko Fight Club: Eclectic goodness.
Krazy Larry: It's alive I tell you. ALIVE!!!!
Lemont Brown: Used to be on Toonville. Not anymore I guess. Probably somewhere out there on the Internet but too tired to Google.
Limpidity: I don't remember this one.
Living In Greytown: Phil is Dead.
LWIBH: Still gross.
Lost & Found Investigations: Dog Detective as opposed to Basil Flint who is also a dawg detective.
Merlin's Crew: A 2001 comic that survived Keenspace's many meltdowns since. Not sure if it was any good or not.
Mr. Chuck Show: Jon Myers just quit one day in 2003 never to return. Or will he?!??!!
Nerdz: I've met Screwball McGoo sir and you're no Screwball McGoo!
No Outlet: I liked this one - too bad I can't find the archives anymore.
Nowhere Man: An angry comic that seems to have stopped in 2003.
Pentasmal: Now is the time for men to wear hats! Pentasmal is now locked away behind Keenspot's premium wall.
Randym Thoughts: I think this was done by Howard Shclock Tayler's brother but I can no longer find the archives.
Renegades: Not only does the url I had no longer work I can't remember even one thing about this webcomic.
Soup: Surprisingly this comic is still plugging along.
SporkMan: Four prongs of justice!
Together We Fall: Another one that seems to have slipped off the web and I can't recall anything about it.
Tonja Steele: still updating.
Too Fat to be a RockStar: Well the domain still points at Keenspace but it appears the site may have been wiped in one of Keenspace's mighty might meltdowns.
Tsuduku...: Although Ken's comic appears to have URL-hopped a bit I found it out there. Has to be experienced to understand..
Ubigod's Hurricane: It's Ubi's world and you're just living in it.
Unlike Minerva: Unlike active.
Unnatural, but true: Gone like the schwin.
Waiting for Bob: At one point this comic was popular, well thought of and doing cross-overs with all of the future "biggies" of webcomicdom. But it's been inactive since 2002 and I guess never to return. It's too bad - some of the most well written characters...
When I Grow Up: This was Jeff "WIGU" Rowland's first webcomic. I guess he lost the domain name though - I think he has the archives on his site for WIGU, his new webcomic.
Tell me why this wont work
Submitted by Anonymous on July 18, 2004 - 02:14
Not that I think the way you're doing it now is junk...
Have you guys considered going more "Magazine"-ey? Instead of having four or five new articles a week, why not have it all come out in one block-buster issue once a month?
Say the cover links to the contents page, where all of your editorials, reviews, interviews, and thesis papers on webcomics can read in one lengthy, tasty meal.
As for the developing news, you could have a blog sepcifically for that purpose.... since that seems to be how it's going now, anyway.
Whadda yah think?
- Array
- Comments
Modern Humor Authority Debuts
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on July 15, 2004 - 15:26
Update: As is often the case, the blog is fast and furious and sometimes.... still not sure. Although we had earlier suggested that Modern Humor Authority was a parody, based in large part on a PVP forums thread and the fact that webtoonist Kristopher Straub was the registered owner of the domain name, the site itself claims to be the online version of an established small-press Canadian review journal.
The website features reviews of Something Positive, Sore Thumbs, and a look at Sluggy Freelance's seventh anniversary. The August launch issue also includes an interview with R.K. Milholland of S*P, and several other review features.
Original Post: I would welcome the debut of Modern Humor Authority as the third publication to give heavy emphasis to coverage of webcomics except....
It's a parody. A really funny one in lots of ways too. The Checkerboard Kid strikes again!
Or maybe not. Although this site URL is registered under Straub's name it may actually be a serious site.
Developing.....
The really really little guys of webcomics
Submitted by Michael_Harker on July 8, 2004 - 00:38
My site isn't popular. At all. Last week I got 18 hits total. But that's understandable. It really is. I'm not offering, yet, a huge amount of comics on my site and I've spent almost no time promoting myself to people I don't know personally (ie the rest of the internet). The lack of audience ain't terrible. I decided to make webcomics so that somebody else besides me would ever see my work. I'm not making webcomics so that lots of people will read it. I'm making them, cause, damn it I like to draw and tell stories and make jokes.
Nonetheless, it gets frusturating. It's hard enough to overcome tight schedules, laziness, procrastination, and the difficulties that come along with the creative process, without the knowledge that almost noone will see the hours and hours of work I'm putting into this.
A great many people here have successful (popular) comics. I read regularly the comics of a couple people here. But I'm also pretty sure there are some here are in about the same place I am. If you're not at the same stage I'm at now, I'm sure you all were at some point. What are your thoughts on being one of the little little little guys of webcomics, and coping with that fact?
- Array
- Comments
Webcomics Haiku 1
Submitted by TCampbell on July 2, 2004 - 10:50
Sluggy Freelance
What's the common theme?
Bunnies? Pop spoofs? Zoë? Slugs?
Freelancing? Nope. Fun.
Steve Jackson Games Announces Sluggy Freelance Card Game
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on June 17, 2004 - 10:30
Steve Jackson Games today announced the addition of Get Nifty: the Sluggy Freelance card game to its production schedule, targeted for a September release to stores. The non-collectible card game was designed by Rob Balder, creator of the webcomic PartiallyClips, and features the art of Sluggy Freelance creator Pete Abrams on 110 full-color cards and assorted markers. The game will retail for $24.95.
At A Fast Clip: Rob Balder Talks to Comixpedia
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Rob Balder has been delighting webcomics readers, readers of independent newspapers, convention-goers, and booklovers for several years now with his Partially Clips. He paused long enough in a busy schedule to answer ten questions at some length – with his observations on the current state and future of webcomics, of his trials and tribulations in book publishing, and what started him on this path... and his plans for the future.
2004 Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards underway
Submitted by dreamshade on May 19, 2004 - 17:31
The WCCA is open for business again. Nominations for the 2004 awards will be open through June 6.
Strips' Ends by T Campbell
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We like happy endings because we know in our hearts that there are almost no happy ends.
Take a Moment to Savor the Wealth of Webcomic Goodness
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on May 4, 2004 - 12:07
First of all it's a slow news day again. But second and more importantly be sure to check out the invaluable guide to freshly updated webcomics from Ash. And third and most importantly give these folks a hand (and feel free to add more in the comments) for providing some webcomic goodness today:
8-Bit Theatre
Achewood
Adventurers
Alien Dice
All Grown Up
Badly Drawn Kitties
Bob and George
Bob The Squirrel
Calvin and Hobbes
Cat and Girl
Catharsis
Chopp Block
College Roomies From Hell
Comic Strip
Daily Dinosaur Comics
Dandy and Company
Diesel Sweeties
Dilbert
Dog Complex
Dominic Deegan
Dub This
Errant Story
Garfield
General Protection Fault
Get Fuzzy
Greystone Inn
GU Comics
Help Desk
Its Walky
Jerk City
John and John
Kevin and Kell
Kid Radd
Least I Could Do
Modest Destiny
Off the Mark
Ozy and Millie
Patches
Planet Zebeth
Polymer City Chronicles
Purple Pussy
PVP Online
Real Life Comics
Scary Go Round
Schlock Mercenary
Sinfest
Slackers
Sluggy Freelance
Snoopy
Superosity
Taking the Bi-pass
The Adventures of Megaman and Link
The Creatures in My Head
The Dementia of Magic
The Lounge
The Pondering Monkey
User Friendly
Warbucket
White Ninja
WIGU
