From meticulously inked and colored sequences to short doodles, webcomics come in all shapes and sizes — but how many are worth a look?
For Your Pleasure is an ongoing series about video game culture on the net. This week’s edition, part two, hopes to introduce the unfamiliar and entertain the inexperienced in the world of gaming webcomics.
Whereas game journalists can sometimes approach the industry with a stern, unsmiling attitude, webcomics do their best to remind us of the lighthearted nature of games. Whether they poke fun at Japanese cultural idiosyncrasies or satirize development techniques, the folks behind the following comics always try to put a smile on our faces.
But remember, this list only includes game-related, regularly published comics, so Gordon Frohman and the Perry Bible Fellowship don’t make appearances. Give the rest of the webcomics a look after the jump! Penny Arcade.
The reluctant poster boys of webcomics, John Gabriel and Tycho Brahe live tragically strange lives — battling monsters, boredom, and their own sense of confusion. The co-authors, Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, are masters of the art of sequential images and run a convention in honor of the comic that their creativity spawned.
I admit that Penny Arcade’s jokes are more lackluster and its illustrations are less flavorful than they used to be. I press on with Gabe and Tycho hoping the comic will one day return to its halcyon days of humor.
Ctrl+Alt+Del
Artist Tim Buckely draws and scripts a webcomic called Ctrl+Alt+Del — CAD, as its affectionately known by fans. The comic is updated three times a week and follows two avid gamers: the neurotic Ethan MacManus and his perennial sidekick, Lucas. While the comic doesn’t boast the most impressive illustrations, its characters are lovable and believable.
While the comic originally used a single-strip-gag model (a model it would later pick up again with its “Sillies”), Buckley eventually dropped that format in favor of larger story arcs, more situational comedy, and internalized drama. As the story moved forward, Ethan met and began dating a girl, his store grew in its success, and the characters’ lives genuinely and organically changed. For a while, things were good.
But everything changed when Tim Buckley decided to add a new cast member — a dead baby.
Ethan and his girlfriend, Lilah, suffered a miscarriage. Where did this come from? Wasn’t this a light-hearted comic? How come I wasn’t laughing? Devoted fans and regular readers had pressing questions, all of which the author addressed in a single, poorly-articulated paragraph about the connection between the comic and his real life.
Some jumped ship the moment the controversial and much-maligned miscarriage strip was published. But I continued in the hopes of being rewarded for my patience and devotion. But it seems the miscarriage plot was only the first in a long sequence of narrative blunders. The only reason Ctrl+Alt+Del is on this list is because its early entries represent a few solid years of quality comics.
If the feline charm of Leo and Aeris doesn’t instantly grab your attention, their unsubtle parody of video game characters will. Illustrated and written by Scott Ramsoomair, VG Cats is among the most well-produced comics on the net. Each strip is long, relies on multiple punchlines, and is rendered in beautiful, eye-popping colors.
Instead of using two average-Joe, couch-potato gamers as its protagonists, the comic follows anthropomorphic cats as they satirize the industry and its developers.
If I had to recommend one webcomic, it would be VG Cats — and not because I’m a furry. The comic is great because of its unparalleled quality, its lively community, and…because I’m a furry.
OK, I admit it. I don’t know too much about Player Vs. Player. It’s only on this list due to the staggering amount of times my friends have screamed, “Omar, you’ve got to read PVP!”
From what I can glean, the comic surrounds the employees of a fictional video game magazine and touches on topics beyond video games, including table top gaming and journalism in general. If you’re gullible enough to trust my misguided friends, follow the link above to the webcomic’s homepage.
While Extralife doesn’t always deal with video games, it always inspires laughter. The comic deals with whatever topics float into the mind of its creator, Scott Johnson, who, because he’s a gamer, usually manages to make at least one gaming reference in each strip. The illustration is cogent and is complimented by Johnson’s succinct writing. The end result is an unforgivably funny comic which rewards patience (it’s not updated too often).
If you have a little extra time in your day or if you simply want to see comics like this, feel free to visit to ExtraLife.
Sometimes absurd, always funny, Digital Unrest preys on controversial and trivial news alike. While the comic’s style and subjects can be quite eclectic, there are three characters who make regular appearances: Charles, Carter, and Dr. Scopes.
The genius of Digital Unrest lies in the way the author addresses socio-political issues while simultaneously dressing each panel in a zesty, video game flavor. If you’re more a fan of sardonic wit than scatological humor, Digital Unrest is for you!
This wasn’t a list ranking webcomics by their qualitative value. I simply wanted to suggest some of my favorites to you. If you feel I’ve missed any particularly good comics, want to point out a mistake, or just say hello, comment away!