I have a confession to make: until this weekend I had never been to a comics convention. On Friday I mentioned to my boyfriend that I wished I could be in Charlotte, NC - the Queen City, no joke - for Heroes Con because a bunch of my favorite web comics creators were going to be there and there was a group discussion scheduled with Fables creator & author Bill Willingham. Willingham's conservative personal views aside - and there's no pretending they don't show up in Fables - I have really enjoyed that book and I would have loved to hear him speak about it.
Friday was a fairly lousy day in silly, pedestrian ways and by that night I was throwing myself a pity party complete with full catering and a sad clown. Rattling off all the things I could be doing if I went to Charlotte was a central feature but my boyfriend very patiently reminded me that a day trip to Charlotte was an entirely attainable goal. By Saturday morning my mood had drastically improved and I was up early and on the highway.
For the undereducated, female same-sex relationships can be confusing. They buy dildos, so they have to secretly like men. And then there's gender identity. That's a rigid and unmoving definition, right? Fortunately, the folks over at the often lewd but always appropriate scans_daily board can point you over to the work of Erika Moen, creator behind some charming LGBT-themed comics.
The answers to all your burning lesbo-centric questions can be found in the naughty Girl Fuck, "a quick'n'dirty introduction to some of the most popularly misunderstood concepts regarding girl-on-girl sexin'". And when you're ready for something a little more touching, I suggest reading "When We Hold Hands" or the frank and relatable "I Like Girls". The Portland artist and creator of the webcomic DAR has a lot of her work available through her website for those looking for an afternoon well-spent.
Webcomics have proven themselves to be a platform where questionable content or material that couldn't risk the cost of publication can thrive, unfiltered. Perhaps no other comic has better captured this freedom than the much-acclaimed Axe Cop. In case you haven't heard it from Comics Alliance, Wired, or EW, Axe Cop is an internet success story.
The comic's charm relies on its creative staff, as it's written by five year-old Malachai Nicolle, and, like any good five year-old's imagination, contains a fair amount of dinosaurs with guns, decapitation, and unicorn wishes. Axe Cop is the craft of absurdist PG humor captured by Malachai's older brother Ethan, and the site continues to expand with its fanbase. Check out the best piece of hatchet-related literature out there (I'm looking at you, Gary Paulsen!) on axecop.com
It's been a long time since my last couple of posts; And while I'll spare you from all the fun stories that come from getting your corneas scraped, I will tell you that temporary blindness leaves you with a whole lotta thinking time. But surely I'm not the only one with silly, nerdy stories bouncing around in my brains. What's that? You've got a masterpiece in mind and no outlet for the world to experience it? Well, torture your souls no more, because The Escapist is looking to publish all your little musings.
This gaming magsite, home to the There Will Be Brawl videos and Stolen Pixels webcomic is running the contest through February. They're looking for original, videogame related content, specifically:
* Subject - Is the subject matter interesting to readers of The Escapist? The Escapist aims to capture and celebrate the contemporary video gaming lifestyle and the diverse global video game culture, so please plan accordingly.
* Creativity - Is it fresh and unique? No copycats please.
* Longevity - Will this remain funny/interesting/relevant over time?
* Polish - Give us your best, it may put you above your competition.
Winners get a paid contract with The Escapist, So if you've got the creativity for the job, check out the contest info here
Oh, I've also taken to updating PK's twitter, an effort to read again at 140 character increments. Follow us if you're into that kind of thing, and if you're not, an occasional glance at that sidebar to the right would be appreciated.
It's got to be rough for an independent artist to make a name for himself in this market. Especially if this up and comer also happens to be an alcoholic, promiscuous gay rabbit. Fortunately, Rick Worley's semi-autobiographical webcomic A Waste of Time takes these problems and turns them into filthy, filthy comedic gold. Worley's lovable lagomorph is the raunchy whore I can only pretend to be in my worst moments of inebriation, and it makes for some of the funniest original content I've read in a while. He's got some solid art to back his writing, his inks come off like a crosshatching Jhonen Vasquez or a cartoony R. Crumb. Though the panel you see here is one of the more tame pieces in the archives, so tread carefully, youngins'.
So show some support, check out the artwork, and maybe fulfill this bunny's sadomasochistic prayers (oh Rick...if only you weren't 3,000 miles away...) through
Neill Cameron, of Bulldog Empire fame, has set himself up to an arduous but often funny task of a putting up a daily webcomic. Well, daily in the 'every weekday' sense of the word. But the twist? It relies on the internet titan Twitter, using one of the day's trending topics as its source material. Hence the title, Hashtag Funnies. Cameron often deviates from the context of the tweets but this allows for some creative flexibility that the exercise is probably meant to develop.
In another program intended to inspire you to get up and write (but sadly not hugely comics-related), let's not forget that November is National Novel Writing Month, otherwise known as NaNo WriMo. Though the graphic novel creation process might be too grueling for an amateur to complete within 30 days, Mr. Cameron's daily upload is a great example of how the internet, when applied correctly, can be a great productivity tool. Perhaps as we become increasingly interconnected, the dream of a NaGraNo WriMo as a writer/artist collaboration won't be too far fetched. Just sayin'.
If you guys need me to tell you what PVP is then chances are you don't read webcomics at all, as they are the original gaming comic. However I wanted to spotlight them because of todays comic, seen above. It would seem that on top of one of the comics biggest rivalries being completely misguided, we've just seen a major character come out. (That's what it looks like anyway). Kudos to Scott Kurtz for continuing to make an interesting and culturally relevant comic!
When you read Justin Pierce's The Non-Adventures of Wonderella, you'll get the sensation that you're falling. Falling out of your seat from laughter! Zing! But seriously folks, this comic is utterly hilarious at the worst of times, and borderline offensive at the best. A superhero satire about Earth's mightiest protector; with a once-a-week schedule, saturday mornings will make you feel like a kid all over again.
Let me be frank; The Zombie Hunters by Jenny Romanchuk is Bad Ass. Note the capitals here: Bad Ass.
It's a post-apocalyptic story about zombies, but more specifically the people who hunt them. Regular folk infected with the same virus that turns people into the living dead: these are the only people immune enough to try and help take back the civilization lost to the mysterious pandemic.
It's intense, it's riveting, and it's quirky. More importantly, it's got a pretty hefty archive for you to make your way through (and as we know, with webcomics that's a good thing). Even if zombies aren't your thing, and I've never met a person who could claim that with a straight face, the story and amazing art are reason enough for you to check it out.
I stumbled across this one the other day. Loli Loves Venom. The premise? A little girl basically adopts Venom as a pet. It's the most bizarre concept with adorable art. The creator Joana Lafuente updates it every two weeks, and has a fantastic sense of comedic timing. Since it's on LiveJournal the archive is a bit confusing to sort through, but it's worth your time.
They seriously need to start making venom dolls like this.
This week on the spotlight we turn our attention to Load World, from creator Sam Saturday. Load World is a comic about, (and I quote here) "love, sexual politics and the gray areas of sexuality". What that translates too on the comic page is humor with a decidedly adult angle. The comic I show above is one of the few that I could actually show here on this site. This webcomic is definitely NOT SAFE FOR WORK.
If you are open-minded enough to get past that, however, you will find a good amount of entertainment at Load World. It may be adult but the creator pulls no punches. No topic is safe from ridicule or discussion, and no limits are set, gay, straight, or otherwise. And lets face it, every once in a while, we all need some kinky gross-out jokes. Check it out the next time your inner freak needs unleashing (if you're old enough).
I've already done a Webcomic Spotlight on Minus. in fact, it was the first one I did, if I am not mistaken. I wanted to revisit it today however, because Minus is over. That's right, the creator has ended the storyline. He will be posting a few last items/extra stuff, but he's ending the comic. The story of a little pointy haired girl with magic powers is ended.
I'm a bit torn up by this, as this was one of my favorite webcomics. I can accept however that people can't keep doing the same thing forever. If you haven't read Minus yet, now is a good time to start, since you can do it all in one sitting. The comic often reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes for it's ability to me smile with a simple human moment. And Minus, despite her great power, always seems to maintain her innocence.
Also, this is your last chance to get prints! The creator will apparently be taking print orders for the rest of this month, so if you have one you wanted, NOW is the time to buy it!
Review: Avengers: The Children's Crusade #1
I literally clapped my hands together and said OhMyGodYesssss when the friendly staff member at my regular shop held this book out to hand it to me. Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung finally - finally - return to this title with a nine issue limited series. I will spare you paragraphs of pontification and cut to the chase: it's not just good, it's the best thing Marvel has going, period. Read on for the pontification and petty quibbles!...
Let me be frank; 
