Jackpot by Tom Preston
I don’t read comics much aside from the occasional manga (well, okay, my son and I read the entire Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z series not long ago, but aside from that). And it really surprised me that I’m not more interested in them, seeing how they combine reading and art – two of my favorite things. But they are definitely an art form worthy of being respected as such. When I create art, I want to create one scene or one story, and then move on to something else. Comic artists have to re-draw similar scenes and panels over and over to help convey their story. I drew a handful of pictures for a story book for my son once, but I don’t think I could draw a whole page of panels.
There are apparently a lot of artists and writers out there, however, that prefer this medium, judging by the plethora of web comics out there. I’ve had the pleasure of perusing these this week and I think I may be reading comics more often now, having found so many awesome ones, like the strip above by Tom Preston. He has a quite a few Nintendo strips as well as original art.
Direman.com is host to several comic strips, with The Adventures of Dave the Direman updated five days a week. Intermixed in this humorous rpg-based comic are strips based on current geek culture such as The Avengers and Diablo. The Skyrim strip below made me chuckle. (Click the pic to see the full view!) Viewing these comics is free, but if you like ‘em, you can help them out by donating through Paypal or clicking on their sponsors.
Voice Commands by David Yun and David Vargas
Read on for more comics!
Look Straight Ahead is a comic I stumbled upon and could not stop reading. It combines the teenage angst we all felt (or feel) with ever-increasing hints at Holden Caulfield-level depression and Donnie Darko-esque visions. The surreal imagery and spots of bright color really help convey the protagonist’s illness. New panels are added weekly. I highly suggest you go read it!
Look Straight Ahead Ch1 Pg16 by Elaine M. Will
If you haven’t heard of Ctrl+Alt+Del, their comics are aimed right at gamers and geeks like us, with strips about Diablo 3, The Hunger Games, and lost internet connections. The comics are updated Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays and the site also has a forum.
Ctrl+Alt+Del – Fanserved – by Tim Buckley
Not all strips on the net are aimed at merely entertaining you. Many, such as the strip below by Tenshi-no-Hikari, was created to get a point across. I think this is an innovative way to get people to notice your message.
Fandom vs. Reality by Tenshi-No-Hikari
And last but not least, this post would not be complete without me mentioning my favorite comic, which for a long time was featured in the back of EGM (and was one of the main reasons I bought the mag – aside from Seanbaby‘s hilarity, which I recommend you checking out, but keep in mind the site is riddled with expletives and will also cause your beverage to shoot out of your nose.) Where were we? Hsu & Chan! I loved this comic for it’s video game parodies and even bought a few of the full length comic books. The creator, Norm Scott, has as new website where you can view his latest Hsu & Chan comics as well as his other endeavors. Go read some!
Hsu and Chan by Norm Scott
What? You want something to display your love of comics when you aren’t reading them? No problem! Check out the Etsy goodies below.
 Green Lantern Ring … $10.00
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 Comic Book Pow,Boom… $6.00
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 Green leather mask … $38.00
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 Captain America Ste… $10.50
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 Women’s Full Sk… $35.00
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 Poison Ivy Magnet- … $5.00
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 Dragonball Z Goku J… $15.00
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 Paper Bead Necklace… $9.50
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Don’t forget my favorite– Penny Arcade! Oh, and Looking For Group is awesome as well!
Hey if you guys like web comics with great art and zombies check out http://www.unlifecomic.com
We met these dudes at the last NY Comic Con. They rule!
Definitely check out Kevin Bolk’s web comics if you’re looking for HI-larious geeky stories. “It Sucks To Be Weegie” is a fantastic parody about everyone’s favorite “player 2.” I highly recommend it to Nintendo fans looking for a good laugh. His website has a lot of other humorous geek-themed comics as well!
http://www.interrobangstudios.com/
Wow, thanks guys! You are definitely more knowledgeable than I when it comes to this topic. I will have to have to check out all these sites!
xkcd is awesome too, one of my favorites!
http://xkcd.com/
Great article, I loved it! I really liked that Fandom vs. Reality strip. Made me giggle. And that little Snape was so cute, I would totally marry him!