Comics Round-Up

That’s right folks, it’s time again for the great round-up of those lovable internet time-wasters: Online Comic Strips! *drumroll*

First up, we have the comic strips that I check as often as possible, come hell or high water:

• Schlock Mercenary
  While sometimes a little slow, Mr. Tayler has constructed an elaborate, consistent, humorous, and intriguing future universe. I liked it better when the focus was on Schlock and not Tagon, but it’s still funny, and it still draws me in, again and again.
• Penny Arcade
  PA is the essential geeky webcomic, and it does a good job of it. I may not play as many video games as these guys, but gaming culture is near and dear to my heart, and PA is always good for that– hell, the posts on the blog are more interesting than the comic, often. But speaking of the comic, who can resist a choice profanity or “setting of a character on fire” for sheer manic goodness? When the strip is good, it’s fall out of your chair laughing your ass off good.
• Something positive
  S*P is a twisted, dark little ray of light. I think it’s been in a decline a bit lately, as Randy yearns for new vistas, but it’s always interesting. I especially like how real and personal and touching the Texas storylines have become.
• Diesel Sweeties
  A zany comic that plays more off random pop-culture references and the stereotypical personalities of it’s cast more than any overall plot or consistent humor, DS captures the zeitgeist of.. well, I’m not sure. But it’s ironic, populist, and very different from anything else.
• You Damn Kid
  YDK is a work of comedy gold that I think anyone from middle America can relate to. Dig through the archives, and you’ll find yourself gasping and going My family is just like that! It captures the essence of a distorted childhood perfectly.
• Bob the Angry Flower
  Bob is insane, and so is the universe he inhabits. It’s basically a drug-trip crossed with a political cartoon, and sometimes– that’s a great combination.

Next up, the Forgotten– strips which I used to read, but no more:

• Ozy and Millie
  This used to be a touching and insightful and playful strip reminiscent of Calvin and Hobbes. Then it shut down for a while. Then it came back with the innocence lost and a politcal axe to grind. While I agreed with the politics, largely, it just wasn’t funny or sweet any more.
• Sexy Losers
  Still a great source of some amazing art, some filthy jokes, and some great storylines that had you on the edge of your chair. Gets updated maybe once a month these days.

Finally, we have the Rising Stars– comics I’ve only recently discovered, but am really liking:

• Count Your Sheep
  Previously linked on the Linkdump, CYS is still evolving, but has a genuine innocence and wit to it that’s impossible to fake. The stories make me smile, the art is beautiful, and the snippets of the mother’s life (and sadness over her husband’s death) are downright depressing. Very touching, very cool.
• StarSlip Crisis
  I just discovered this gem, and have already read through six months of archives– it’s a great space opera dripping with sarcasm and a casual disregard for the fourth wall. Mmm. Anesthetic saliva.

So, all that said– What comics do you like??

6 Responses to “Comics Round-Up”

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While I do read most of the above list, recently I’ve found Piled Higher and Deeper to be the one I’ve read the most. I think any grad student, especially those in the sciences would love the over eight years of comics chronicling the lives of various grad students.

Khirsath - November 19th, 2005 at 11:31 am

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The first several years of Sluggy Freelance were good. Another good one that is no longer making new ones is Men In Hats.

stephen - November 20th, 2005 at 11:28 am

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I have a whole bunch of free time at work (It’s how I’m going to actually finish my NaNoWriMo project):
Bunny
Weird art, weird sense of humor, probably drug-induced, usually good

Freefall
Sci-fi that’s much more about humans and the weirdness of our visions of the future.

I Drew This
Weekly(?) very liberal political cartoon by the guy who did… er… one of those other ones. A lot like Tomorrow World.

Least I Could Do
Being an over-sexed man can be funny!

Unshelved
Library humor. It’s actually really funny. Though you might have to be married to a librarian to get some of it.

Questionable Content
Poking fun at hipsters is fun.

Order of the Stick
D&D humor.

Two Lumps
Cat humor.

User Friendly
IT geek humor.

Ghastly’s Ghastly Comic
Tentacoo wape! Buck cake! YAY! NSFW (and I don’t read it there)

And one that I like, but never get around to reading:
Chopping Block
The funniest serial killer since Lecter!

otownes - November 21st, 2005 at 12:29 pm

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And more!
PAWN
It’s… um… a soft-core lesbian fantasy/tomb raider adventure comic. Er… imagine Lara Croft in a too-short skirt without underwear on, and a naked she-demon, and those are the two main characters. And it’s good!

Jenny’s recommendations (interpretted through Owen):
Dominic Deegan
Prognostication and lurve!

Wapsi Square
Um… a diminutive Aztec god and a girl and her friends and life’s little troubles.

Bruno
‘s ’bout a woman named Bruno, and is funny, from what I’ve read of it.

Scary Go Round
Vaguely goth-ness that gets better with time.

Girly
Two girls and a cat have adventures.

Owen - November 21st, 2005 at 8:32 pm

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You… read quite a few webcomics, Owen. 🙂

Paradoxdruid - November 21st, 2005 at 11:26 pm

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Yep. When my job isn’t paying me to write my novel, it’s paying me to read web comics.
And, sometimes, to QC clinical drug trial electronic databases.

Owen - November 26th, 2005 at 9:07 am

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