The Way of the Editor:
Comics Take it to the WebComicBase Editor Shiaw-Ling Lai introduces the positive benefits of reading a weekly regime of web comics, and advises on how you can get in on the program.
Free, weekly updates. No, I’m not talking about your new copy of ComicBase 10, I’ve just got web comics on my mind.
Why read one? Well, it’s free and there’s a huge variety of material out there for someone of every taste. But don't let that be your sole reason. Altogether, I find it’s all too easy to dismiss web comics as merely badly-drawn amateur efforts without ever actually giving one the benefit of the doubt. For those willing to give it a try, I think you’ll find that web comics can be a mind-blowingly rewarding read.
Contrary to what you might imagine, web comics can span the gamut of anywhere from someone’s notebook scribbling to full-blown professional endeavors. Thanks to accessible technology and production budgets that don't cost an arm and a leg, web comics have the freedom to be almost anything: from crude squiggles to amazingly sophisticated visual experiences.
Granted, some of the art can be of lesser quality than professionally published monthlies (not all of us can afford to have Alex Ross drawn covers), but have you looked at what they’re putting up on the comics shelves these days? Ororo comes to mind as a particularly gruesome example and JLA Classified #11 makes Wonder Women looks like an unshaven man in drag. Frankly, I'm also getting more than a little tired of Michael Turner’s ubiquitous women with the lumpy cucumber-shaped abs, and did you know that they've revived Rob Liefeld, again? I'm telling you: it's not all gold out here. But vast improvements in graphic design programs and digital cameras have given rise to the creative web comic as an enjoyable alternative, and these artists work with an entirely new palette of photo, 3-D, or computer colored art that take comics to a whole new level.
And let's not forget the writing. Web strips can go anywhere from the one-liner jokes in American-style panel strips to very involved, multi-strip storylines like the kind you’d commonly find in graphic novels. (Not surprisingly, some web comics have become graphic novels.) Or anything in between. Howtoons.com, for instance, runs a high-quality series of fun strips geared at kids on how-to setup various science experiments.
As an introductory, David Morgan-Mar’s Irregular Webcomic is an amusing example of what an average Joe with a sense of humor and a camera can do. In fact, his first few strips — of 949 so far — even address the serious geek-factor of maintaining a comic online (and offer revealing insight into the mind behind a web comic). More discriminating readers may choose to visit ModernTales.com, a smart, professional host of several incredibly slick counterparts to Irregular’s run-of-the-mill fare. (Warning: there is a small fee to access this site.) Outside the Box by Brendan Cahill is by far my favorite: a sexy blend of clean art layouts and inspired web animation. (Don't miss the Fight Club-esque sequence where an icon-ized Jamie moves through the blueprints of his apartment behind the dialogue.) But if you're not sure what you want, The Webcomics Examiner is an online publication that reviews and rates these comics and is a good way for newcomers as well as old-timers to get a premium look at some of the best in the field.
To really catch up though, you should check out old classics like PvP (player versus Player) or Penny Arcade. But if the amount of reading in front of the screen is too much: worry not. Web comics have now become so popular that even mainstream publishers like Image or Dark Horse have picked up the titles, and readers who prefer more traditional comic books can walk into a comic shop and get themselves a hardcopy of PvP or graphic novel compilations of strips like Megatokyo or Real Life Comics. Not one to miss the next pop-fad bandwagon, American manga-lovers can also revel in Tokyopop’s aggressive promotion of American-made online manga titles like Sokora Refugees.
It’s a wide world web out there and unlike traditional newspaper dailies, subscribing to a web comic is like subscribing to an insta-community, completed with readers, writers, artists, ranters, adoring fans, and licensable merchandise. Nowadays, a quick search of “web comics” on Google can yield hundreds (maybe thousands — I didn’t actually stopped to count) of results. So what are you waiting for? If you haven’t found yourself a regular yet, get one. There’s a great selection to choose from, it’s cutting edge, and did I mention yet it’s free?
Editor’s Picks: MegatokyoHow Toons
Outside the Box
Web Comic Resources:
The Webcomics List
Keenspot
Web Comics Review: The Best of 2004
Shiaw-Ling Lai is the Editor of ComicBase. Her favorite web comics include Megatokyo and – no, well, just Megatokyo. But if you have a good web comic that you'd like to plug, e-mail a link to her and she'd be happy to check it out. Shiaw-Ling can be reached for comment or questions at