Webcomics! They're what's for dinner!
So I should be working on my two papers that are due tomorrow and ship wars, but instead I'm reccing webcomics. Procrastination FTW!!
Anyway, I want to preface this list by saying that I am a person who Does Not Like Webcomics. Really. I find them too addictive when I really want something to distract me briefly instead of a week long eye-burning comic-a-thon. And I have been burned (oh have I) by comics that look like they might be funny/interesting/have a good plot which end up SUCKING AWAY HOURS OF MY LIFE FOR NO REASON. That said, I do enjoy the hell out of "real" comics, and there are a number of webcomics that have drawn my attention despite the fact that they are on a screen and not on paper.
One thing that I must say about webcomics is that they tend to be a great deal more gay- and women-friendly than print-comics. Which I like. I like it a lot. You'll notice that all of the comics I've recced today are by women. There's a reason for that.
so, without further ado:
THE BEST COMICS ON THE INTERNETS ACCORDING TO ME:
Khaos Komix:
A sort of high school drama focusing on the lives of a bunch of gay/bi/straight/lesbian/trans teens as they navigate life and relationships. The writing is funny and touching and very very well done. Each chapter is told by a different character, with plots over lapping. Essentially it is the same general block of time told by a number of different people. You would think that it would get repetitive but it is well done enough to keep me engaged even on the sixth or seventh go-round.
The comic really tackles a lot of sexuality and gender issues without being cliche or obnoxious. While the art-style isn't exactly the best thing since Da Vinci, there are some really beautiful moments, and the plot makes up for the less-than-pretty bits. It's also easy to see how the artist has grown and changed over the years. I was a little confused at first because it is hard to tell what country it is set in (I'm pretty convinced it's supposed to be England because they go to "college" and not high school) but it's all in all a really good read. And my girlfriend likes it, which means you should too.
Weregeek:
The best recommendation I can give for this comic is that it makes me want to LARP. Seriously. The story focused on an adult man who discovers the joys of roleplaying. It combines three obvious plots: first the main characters out-of-character life in which he makes friends and joins in geek culture, second the within-game story of the various characters as they play a variety of games, and third a shady mystery-adventure storyline in which the geeks are hunted by shadowy bounty-hunters out for geek blood.
The multiple levels of storytelling really blend well together to keep everything interesting. I really love the way the artist switches between in-game storytelling and out-of-game interactions, much like an actual game! The whole thing also manages to shed a lot of light onto geek life and culture in a witty, respectful way. It's also very female-geek friendly (as it should be, the artist being female) which I really appreciate.
The art style is really gorgeous. It's cartoony in style and nicely detailed. Also in fully color!
You might also want to check out the artist's journal-comic Moosehead Stew, which is equally geeky and hilarious.
Hanna is Not a Boys Name:
If there is anything I can say about this comic it is that it is BEAUTIFUL. SERIOUSLY. I'M DROOLING RIGHT NOW. The story revolves around 24 year old Hanna Falk Cross, a paranormal private detective, and his assistant {...} the unnamed zombie. Yeah, talk about hard to summarize. I won't try to get into the nitty-gritty of the plot, but I would like to mention how very well written this whole thing is. The action is fast paced and there is an overwhelming sense that EVENTS ARE GOING SOMEWHERE.
Every single character in this comic is well-rounded and complex, and has an incredibly complicated name. Normally I would balk at that (complex names are, in my book, a warning sign for mary-sueness to come) but the naming really helps to create the world that the artist is working in. And they are hilarious. I'm pretty convinced that there are not bit-characters in this entire thing, every person has a story and a personality and I couldn't love it more.
And the art. I nearly had an orgasm when I first found this thing. Seriously. It's beautiful. Each panel is a work of art in and of itself. I love the movement of this comic and I *love* the speech bubbles. I've never seen such dynamic and well integrated use of speech bubbles in my entire life. Occasionally there are speech bubbles which double as full panels and it makes me want to melt in my chair.
Yu + Me Dream:
This comic focuses around the life of a shy, friendless lesbian. I really can't say all that much more than that. Suffice to say that the story is BRILLIANT and COMPLETELY unexpected. It takes a turn for the decidedly surreal somewhere around part II.
I have never before seen a comic that was so thoroughly well though out in my entire life. The entire thing has been plotted with a fantastic complexity that I cannot fully express in writing. It's beautiful.
The art is also a point of delight for me. The beginning of the comic looks good, but not exceptional, and yet it quickly moves into the realm UNBELIEVABLY GORGEOUS. This is another comic where it becomes clear that the artist has grown and changed as time goes on, and yet from it's very beginning it is very clear that the art has SIGNIFICANCE TO THE PLOT. Which is awesome.
As the story gets more surreal, you'll see a number of different art-styles used to express various parts of the plot. Not only does it run the gamut from realism to cartoon, there are moments where the comic is composed of photographs, collage, clay-sculpture, cloth dolls, and more. It will make you go O_O. I promise.
I Was Kidnapped by Lesbian Pirates from Outer Space
Written and drawn by the same artist who does Yu + Me Dream, LPFOS is another example of how this woman can do so MANY different art styles, all on the same level of AMAZING. Once again, the art gets better and better as you go along (improving especially after she transitioned to entirely digital art) and it shows some real thought and artistic knowledge. LPFOS is made to look and feel exactly like a golden-age comic book that one would find in your grandmother's attic, complete with folded pages and water marks. The writing and style are all very 50s like, while also being feminist and very, very gay. As an anti-fan (I love to hate them) of golden age comics, I cannot help but be incredibly enthusiastic about this comic.
5ideways:
This comic is on hiatus, and has been for a very long time, but I wanted to rec it for both it's bizarre, surreal plot and because of it's fantastic art. The artist has done a number of comics that I love including Boy Meets Boy and Friendly Hostility both of which are at least a little gay-themed. The artist has a fantastic sense of humor and writes some great characters, but BEWARE, she loves to end her comics on a serious/depressing note. I recced 5ideways in particular because of it's use of animation WITHIN THE COMIC. Cool? YES. COOL.
Goodbye Chains:
My final rec is Goodbye Chains, a fantastic historical fiction about a gay communist and his douchebaggy partner in crime as they run about the wild west robbing banks and blowing stuff up. The art is beautiful, the plot is exciting, the writing is both hilarious and evocative, the history is COMPLETELY ACCURATE. READ IT.
And so there ends my round up. Hope somebody enjoys it ^_^
Anyway, I want to preface this list by saying that I am a person who Does Not Like Webcomics. Really. I find them too addictive when I really want something to distract me briefly instead of a week long eye-burning comic-a-thon. And I have been burned (oh have I) by comics that look like they might be funny/interesting/have a good plot which end up SUCKING AWAY HOURS OF MY LIFE FOR NO REASON. That said, I do enjoy the hell out of "real" comics, and there are a number of webcomics that have drawn my attention despite the fact that they are on a screen and not on paper.
One thing that I must say about webcomics is that they tend to be a great deal more gay- and women-friendly than print-comics. Which I like. I like it a lot. You'll notice that all of the comics I've recced today are by women. There's a reason for that.
so, without further ado:
THE BEST COMICS ON THE INTERNETS ACCORDING TO ME:
Khaos Komix:
A sort of high school drama focusing on the lives of a bunch of gay/bi/straight/lesbian/trans teens as they navigate life and relationships. The writing is funny and touching and very very well done. Each chapter is told by a different character, with plots over lapping. Essentially it is the same general block of time told by a number of different people. You would think that it would get repetitive but it is well done enough to keep me engaged even on the sixth or seventh go-round.
The comic really tackles a lot of sexuality and gender issues without being cliche or obnoxious. While the art-style isn't exactly the best thing since Da Vinci, there are some really beautiful moments, and the plot makes up for the less-than-pretty bits. It's also easy to see how the artist has grown and changed over the years. I was a little confused at first because it is hard to tell what country it is set in (I'm pretty convinced it's supposed to be England because they go to "college" and not high school) but it's all in all a really good read. And my girlfriend likes it, which means you should too.
Weregeek:
The best recommendation I can give for this comic is that it makes me want to LARP. Seriously. The story focused on an adult man who discovers the joys of roleplaying. It combines three obvious plots: first the main characters out-of-character life in which he makes friends and joins in geek culture, second the within-game story of the various characters as they play a variety of games, and third a shady mystery-adventure storyline in which the geeks are hunted by shadowy bounty-hunters out for geek blood.
The multiple levels of storytelling really blend well together to keep everything interesting. I really love the way the artist switches between in-game storytelling and out-of-game interactions, much like an actual game! The whole thing also manages to shed a lot of light onto geek life and culture in a witty, respectful way. It's also very female-geek friendly (as it should be, the artist being female) which I really appreciate.
The art style is really gorgeous. It's cartoony in style and nicely detailed. Also in fully color!
You might also want to check out the artist's journal-comic Moosehead Stew, which is equally geeky and hilarious.
Hanna is Not a Boys Name:
If there is anything I can say about this comic it is that it is BEAUTIFUL. SERIOUSLY. I'M DROOLING RIGHT NOW. The story revolves around 24 year old Hanna Falk Cross, a paranormal private detective, and his assistant {...} the unnamed zombie. Yeah, talk about hard to summarize. I won't try to get into the nitty-gritty of the plot, but I would like to mention how very well written this whole thing is. The action is fast paced and there is an overwhelming sense that EVENTS ARE GOING SOMEWHERE.
Every single character in this comic is well-rounded and complex, and has an incredibly complicated name. Normally I would balk at that (complex names are, in my book, a warning sign for mary-sueness to come) but the naming really helps to create the world that the artist is working in. And they are hilarious. I'm pretty convinced that there are not bit-characters in this entire thing, every person has a story and a personality and I couldn't love it more.
And the art. I nearly had an orgasm when I first found this thing. Seriously. It's beautiful. Each panel is a work of art in and of itself. I love the movement of this comic and I *love* the speech bubbles. I've never seen such dynamic and well integrated use of speech bubbles in my entire life. Occasionally there are speech bubbles which double as full panels and it makes me want to melt in my chair.
Yu + Me Dream:
This comic focuses around the life of a shy, friendless lesbian. I really can't say all that much more than that. Suffice to say that the story is BRILLIANT and COMPLETELY unexpected. It takes a turn for the decidedly surreal somewhere around part II.
I have never before seen a comic that was so thoroughly well though out in my entire life. The entire thing has been plotted with a fantastic complexity that I cannot fully express in writing. It's beautiful.
The art is also a point of delight for me. The beginning of the comic looks good, but not exceptional, and yet it quickly moves into the realm UNBELIEVABLY GORGEOUS. This is another comic where it becomes clear that the artist has grown and changed as time goes on, and yet from it's very beginning it is very clear that the art has SIGNIFICANCE TO THE PLOT. Which is awesome.
As the story gets more surreal, you'll see a number of different art-styles used to express various parts of the plot. Not only does it run the gamut from realism to cartoon, there are moments where the comic is composed of photographs, collage, clay-sculpture, cloth dolls, and more. It will make you go O_O. I promise.
I Was Kidnapped by Lesbian Pirates from Outer Space
Written and drawn by the same artist who does Yu + Me Dream, LPFOS is another example of how this woman can do so MANY different art styles, all on the same level of AMAZING. Once again, the art gets better and better as you go along (improving especially after she transitioned to entirely digital art) and it shows some real thought and artistic knowledge. LPFOS is made to look and feel exactly like a golden-age comic book that one would find in your grandmother's attic, complete with folded pages and water marks. The writing and style are all very 50s like, while also being feminist and very, very gay. As an anti-fan (I love to hate them) of golden age comics, I cannot help but be incredibly enthusiastic about this comic.
5ideways:
This comic is on hiatus, and has been for a very long time, but I wanted to rec it for both it's bizarre, surreal plot and because of it's fantastic art. The artist has done a number of comics that I love including Boy Meets Boy and Friendly Hostility both of which are at least a little gay-themed. The artist has a fantastic sense of humor and writes some great characters, but BEWARE, she loves to end her comics on a serious/depressing note. I recced 5ideways in particular because of it's use of animation WITHIN THE COMIC. Cool? YES. COOL.
Goodbye Chains:
My final rec is Goodbye Chains, a fantastic historical fiction about a gay communist and his douchebaggy partner in crime as they run about the wild west robbing banks and blowing stuff up. The art is beautiful, the plot is exciting, the writing is both hilarious and evocative, the history is COMPLETELY ACCURATE. READ IT.
And so there ends my round up. Hope somebody enjoys it ^_^