xkcd
Strip News 11-20-9
Submitted by Delos on November 20, 2009 - 08:22
Let me apologize in advance. This news post is all over the place…
The Webcomic Overlook #100: xkcd
Submitted by El Santo on November 14, 2009 - 23:01
Ah, 100 reviews.
This is truly a milestone in the annals of The Webcomic Overlook lore. True, I’ve also written 20+ smaller reviews, which are actually longer an more elaborate than the earlier Webcomic Overlooks. Plus all those reviews I wrote for ComixTalk and Comic Fencing (all lovingly catalogued on this very site).
Still, 100 reviews and 500k page views is a hell of a milestone. So a big thank you to all the readers who have been following The Webcomic Overlook all this time. I seriously would not be writing these columns if it were not for you, your input, and your enthusiasm.
Now, let’s get past the valedictorian speech and on with the review. To commemorate the 100th, I asked you, the readers, on the Twittersphere — and if that term hasn’t been coined yet, I’m totally going to claim it — which webcomic I should review: xkcd or PHD? In an awesome demonstration of my Twitter prowess, I got four whole replies. One vote went to PHD, one vote went to Girls With Slingshots (automatically disqualified because it was not one of the options), one vote went to xkcd, and one vote went to something called kxcd.
Nominations for 2009 Weblog Awards now open!
Submitted by El Santo on November 6, 2009 - 19:20
The 2009 Weblog Awards are now open, and you can submit your nomination on their comment threads, including … best comic strip!
Nominate your favorite webcomic here!
Randall Monroe’s xkcd is the current champ, winning the award in 2008 and 2007. Will 2009 be the year of the three-peat? Or can your favorite webcomic be the new star for 2009? Nominations are open until November 20. The path to Weblog Award winner begins … now!
(Also, I tooted my own horn for “Best Hidden Gem.” Because.)
Whatevah It's Friday
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on November 6, 2009 - 10:59
TOOLS
Scott McCloud has a post (and comment thread) on the ratio of comic to controls (navigatin') to crap (everything else) on the screen.
BOOKS
An interview with Randall Munroe on the unusual publishing strategy for his first book, xkcd, Volume 0.
JUSTIFY MY HYPE
Rebecca Dart illustrates an old murder ballad. Everyone is linking to this today and with good reason - Dart's imagination and the linework for the comic are both fantastic.
Josh Lesnick gives us an advance preview of next week's FWEEN headlines.
Comix Events Calendar and Friday Hype
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on October 23, 2009 - 09:45
I've started up a Google Calendar for comic events: things like conventions, book signings, local meet-ups of comics folks. I'm looking for co-maintainers to help me add events (also feel free to tweet or email me suggestions and I'll add them if they're appropriate). Are you interested? Beyond the (hopefully) collaborative effort of updating this thing, it's also available for anyone and everyone to use - you can add it to your own gmail/calendar account, can subscribe to its RSS feed, read it here, embed it in your own site.
JUSTIFY MY HYPE
Bicycle Cop starts October 28th.
Also, you can now download the entirety of Book Two of Derik Badman's Things Change at his Books and Download page.
And last but not least -- a pretty cool fan-animation for xkcd:
Captain Nihilist Responds To the State of The Webcomics Union
Submitted by El Santo on October 16, 2009 - 00:59
Just yesterday, Jeph Jacques of Questionable Content released his State of the Webcomics Union.
This is the democratic response.
And It's Friday Folks! That's a wrap...
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on October 2, 2009 - 09:54
Hey - Google Wave invites are out and mine apparently got misplaced in the email. So if you've got one to spare set me up (xerexes at gmail DOT com). Thanks!
BUSINESS
PBS does one of those "look people are making a living making webcomics" stories. They did interview interesting people for it -- from Randall Munroe (xkcd) to Howard Tayler (Shlock) to R Stevens (Diesel).
INTERVIEW
Nice interview with Gordon McAlpin of Multiplex touching on movies and Chicago.
Newsarama has an interview with Emma Caulfield, actress and now webcomic auteur. How very interesting that Newsarama has the scoop on the new webcomic Contropussy which has a creative team consisting of Emma Caulfield, Camilla Outzen Rantsen, Christian Meesey, Thomas Mauer, and Blog@Newsarama columnist Christian Beranek.
REVIEW
Johanna Draper Carlson reviews High Moon, the second book from Zuda.
JUSTIFY MY HYPE
Chris Yates connects the dots on Colleen's tattoo but really Jon's disco solo sold it for me.
FLEEN flagged that Christopher Baldwin has a work-in-progress site up for Spacetrawler, a webcomic he seems to be working towards launching next year.
Wednesday Stuff About Webcomics
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on September 23, 2009 - 13:48
Did I mention SPX is this weekend? Other stories of note:
TECHNOLOGY
Brigid Alverson reviews various iPhone apps for comics.
Gizmodo covers leaked information on Microsoft's new tablet computer.
HOLLYWOOD
Newsarama has a story on the webcomic Wide Awake and that Jarrod Feliciano and Mirjana Novkovic at Do-Over Productions recently optioned the film rights to it. Do-Over Productions on its facebook page describes itself as "Do-Over Productions is a New York based independent production company. We love stories. Especially epic stories - not in their presentation, but in their content - epic in what they make you think and feel."
JUSTIFY MY HYPE
Scott McCloud commands that you read Derek Kirk Kim's new webcomic, Tune. I do too.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 BLOGS
Fallout Boy Pete Wentz now making FallOut Boy comics - an interview with the musician here.
Coverage of Randall Munroe's recent book reading and signing for xkcd: volume 0. Video too.
Webcomic Wire - 9/21/09
Submitted by NightgigTim on September 21, 2009 - 15:33
Drawn from sources that are sore from exercise…
Ender's Blog and Other Webcomic News
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on September 11, 2009 - 10:45
Just to lead off - PAX pox is on the loose... and in a funny guest Penny Arcade comic from Fox Trot cartoonist Bill Amend.
MILESTONES
Farewell Scary Go Round! A longer goodbye message from creator John Allison on his blog here. After reading the actual ending, I have no idea what's in store in his next comic -- which happily, I believe, kicks off on Monday.
DEAD TREES
Randall Munroe has a book coming out! xkcd: volume 0 will be released in the xkcd store next week. And Munroe will be on a limited book tour to support it. (Also today's xkcd? I wonder how you'd have to tweak Ender's Game in the blog/tweet/etc world of today? I mean part of its storyline basically reads "1. Blog; 2. ????; 3. World Domination!" Anyhow - another brilliant comic from Munroe.)
REVIEWS
Webcomic Week reviewed Chris Flick's Capes N Babes recently and Derik Badman reviews Kramer's Ergot 7.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 BLOGS
Art Patient rounds up lots of webcomic reviews and interviews here.
COMICS CULTURE
Saw this on Sean Kleefeld's site - a video about fan culture with a whole lot of interviews of interesting folks including Scott Kurtz, Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik, Ryan Sohmer, and Lar deSouza.
