Walking The Lethe Review

Sometimes I get emailed or contacted to do more professional reviews. This is one of those times.

Walking the Lethe is a dark story about a man attempting to make amends with his dead wife through any means necessary. In the world of comics this typically means causing some form of apocalypse. With pastiches and ideas that have been done before, not necessarily better, Walking the Lethe begins a descent its descent into hell or what may actually be heaven. The characters are still being rounded out with dialogue and development seemingly being rushed in exchange for moving the story along which works for the story.
One of the biggest problems I have is the sudden shift in art styles from a more expressionist painting style over 3-d backgrounds to a lusciously illustrated and ultimately better suited realistic style for the second two chapters.
The comic is somewhat confusing as it happens often times with hierarchies that are undefined and such but the comic is picking up speed.
Its not necessarily my thing but fans of comics like Hellblazer might be more interested.
It can also be found online at http://walkingthelethe.com/
B+

Kick Drum Style Reviews: Wigu/Overcompensating Review

I have been reading a lot but I ned to force myself to get back to writing the review portions. This week features two comics by Jeff Rowland, webcomicer and creator of TopatoCo, the webcomic store.


Wigu by Jeff Rowland
Wigu is a webcomic about a boy named Wigu, his family and his more or less inter-dimensional guardians, Topato Potato and Sheriff Pony. The comic revolves around the adventures Wigu has with his family that typically result in Topato and Sheriff Pony rescuing them.
The art is simplistic and childlike but it works for the story. The writing itself is equal childlike with a good sense of wonder and magic staying prevalent in the story. Additionally the comic is tamer that Axe Cop for example with death and violence being a more frowned upon subject which I can actually appreciate even though I was fairly desensitized by violence when a kid.
The comic works best coming off as a spur of the moment wacky adventure strip and rarely gets bogged down with continuity or flashbacks. A highly recommended read. A-

Overcompensating by Jeff Rowland
Jeff Rowland stars as himself in his semi-real autobiographic webcomic Overcompensating along with a small number of fake characters and filled with additional cameos from real webcomic people.
Overcompensating took me a bit to get into which is understandable since writing comics somewhat based on your life can be a learning process. The writing eventually picks up and leads to arcs.
Personally I love the strips concerning God and Jesus, who live in a nearby trailer park, since Mr. Rowland feels at ease to confront religion and faith head on, on a personal level.
The art itself is simplistic but it works keeping everything feeling organic and personal. Another highly recommended read. A

Next week, two more comics for my Road to SPX Road.

Octopus Pie Review

So begins the pre Small Press Expo where I review comics by people I hope to meet there, most of which I already have been through several times.

This Week:
Octopus Pie by Meredith Gran (@Granulac)
I've personally been living in the city for something like 2-ish years now (almost (in the fall it is official)) and life seems to have these miniarcs within them. Not that there were miniarcs of life out in the country but there they were stretched for unbearable lengths and only changed slowly. It is like comparing some slow moving tv show to a fast moving one. And sadly all of my tv references right now are horrible since I don't watch it.
Octopus Pie is based around Eve (Everest) Ning (Evening - It took me a while to get the pun) and he forcibly added roommate Hanna who acts as the pot smoking Jack to her Felix or the Olive to her Florence if you prefer the female version of the play.
The comics pacing follows a miniarc pattern with stories ranging from relatively short (page numberwise) to spanning and it can be a bit jumpy with each page somewhat functioning asa chapter instead of part of a whole.
Truth be told I was horribly confused the first time I read the comic but that was partially my fault since I was fairly out of it when reading the comic. Upon my rereading though I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The art in the comic is one of the better parts both highly simply and simply abstract and expressive. The character designs actually work well to reflect the characters and help to get the points of personality across without being overbearing.
The comic is a pretty great and deserves your attention.
Octopus Pie gets an A+

Also in case you need a gift for any relatives or friends moving to the city, Octopus Pie has a printed version out now so cop a copy of it as a gift to yourself or others. Cop a copy at most fine bookstores.

Manly Guys Doing Manly Things Review

In prep for the Small Press Expo next month I will attempt 2 webcomic reviews every week! Hoo ah.
After that hopefully a review and an interview/other article every week.

Manly Guys Doing Manly Things by Kelly Turnbull
El Santo, the comrade in arms, reviewed Manly Guys Doing Manly Things, a comic about video games and the characters involved therein, outside of the gaming world. Sort of like a Who Framed Roger Rabbit world (which I have no doubt will be included in the most likely horrible upcoming sequel). I love the idea of characters not really being actors though and being exactly as they are in the games in the "real world" because our modern characters are for the most part so poorly thought out. Mind you, I gave up a majority of gaming upon the theft of my Wii and have only in the last week resorted to Gamecube gaming but I have a wide enough breadth of knowledge.
A lot of the older gaming comics focused as one shots about "what if so and so had to do a menial task" like what if Mario went to the grocery store and stomped on all the mushrooms. A sophomoric idea but it might lead to some more thoughts like how far does ones gaming related paranoia go. Is this a full trauma or a quirk.
Manly Guys Doing Manly Things takes this to the next logical step and does it with quality art and some mostly well thought out ideas.
Based around what is essentially a veteran's clinic for old game characters (helping them adjust to being out of war instead of the helping them poop type) run by the machismo powered Commander Badass. The early comics follow a mostly one shot gag but the ideas are fresh and generally unseen. The Big Daddy Daycare comic was originally what sold me.
When the ideas are further developed though like the following Poke'Mon story the comic truly shines.
El Santo sees the humor being hit or miss but I hardly see that as a negative, and I hardly see misses, though I guess I may be easily entertained. For me a rare gamer even if I miss the reference or didn't play the game (though missing references is now mostly impossible) the jokes still commonly fly for me.
Overall I have some hardcore love for Manly Guys Doing Manly Things and I look forward to the comic continuing to grow and add more characters since it is still relatively young. It has a bright future and if it keeps going with the same quality it has now it could easily be one of the big gaming webcomics.
Great art, above average gamer humor A.

DAR Review

DAR: A Super Girly Top Secret Comic Diary by Erika Moen
Life is one of those things where when you look back, you get a distorted picture. Things happen faster then and yet the effects of that review can be more damaging than a negative event before. Maybe because this time it is your fault for bringing back the memory like it is some kind of mental self flagellation.
DAR is a journal webcomic by Erika Moen, a woman, a girl. I dunno what the term is for 20 something females. I mean woman I guess is the respectful term. Erika is more of a guy though in a lot of ways. She is the most un-girly girl and the fact that she actually has a human personality makes the comic so much better to read. She deals with relationships, sexuality and everything else in a life in a refreshing way that makes it an enjoyable read.
The comic also benefits from being written at times in hindsight. This helps from not making the comic a daily struggle for ideas as other journal comics can seem such as Allan has from time to time.
The art is expressive and simple. The writing is real, as one might hope from an autobio comic and all in all it is a very good read.
Totes thumbs up for DAR: A Super Girly Top Secret Comic Diary. Read it, Enjoy it! A+

Side note: for whatever reason the way she draws her hair early on makes me think of Tintin, except a chick. :/ :\ So it goes.

Gastrophobia Review

I like GastroPhobia. Read it. You will enjoy it. Enough said. A

That is my poorly written review for Gastrophobia because when it comes to reviewing a comic every once in a while, I get stupid fingers and cannot express what I would like to say. I mean Gastrophobia has its faults. The humor can be hit or miss and it is classic humor which sometimes falls flat in a lot of ways but the art in good, the three color art is inspired and the dialogue is snappy. Wrapping all that up in a Grecco-Roman crust and you have a very enjoyable comic.

Hur. I just got around my writers block. Not going to press my luck though, I've been stuck writing the words on this for a while.I figured you should just read it.

Still, if you need further reason to read it, the creator, David McGuire, also did a guest comic in Scott Pilgrim Vol 3. Look at that if you want to first, and then read Gastrophobia.

Koltreg vs the Double Down

I am a fan of ostensible pop garbage and food counts as pop garbage for me. A great deal of discussion was made about the double down from KFC which is two chicken filets, deep fried or grilled, as the bread for a sandwich containing bacon, cheese (possibly faux-swiss) and sauce. I decided to set out to eat one.
Upon receiving the sandwich I noticed my filets had the appearance that they had been sitting in the heating ovens for about an hour or so past the limit. As an employee of an unnamed conglomerate dealing with fast food though, I am aware that the storage of food for prolonged periods of time can occur either due to an unwillingness to throw it away or simple laziness. Either way, the chicken was not as fresh as I might have preferred.
Taking a bit, everything sort of muddled together into a big nothingness. No flavors really spoke to me except for the occasional hit of the sauce that reminded me of the quesadilla sauce at Taco Bell. The chicken didn't add as much as it might of had it been fresh and overall the flavor was a big bunch of meh.
About an hour later after buying groceries and returning home I was hit with a sudden head cloud of confusion, a bit of dizziness and some additional nausea. Probably my heart reacting to the damage I just dealt it.
Would I eat one again?
Probably in a few weeks. Right now I need to find if I need to head off to plan my funeral at the Necropolis Litharge.
All in all, it could taste better, it could be better for you and so on and so forth but in the end I'd give it a C.
Still working on the Gastrophobia review.

Guest Review - dinosaurs vs robots

The first review is by James from the webcomic SketchCountry.

dinosaurs vs robots

The 'versus' comic has been a cornerstone of the publishing industry ever since Trog vs Grunt was lovingly inked on a cave wall in 3000BC. There's something instantly appealing about two classic comic characters going head-to-head in the ultimate showdown. Robocop vs the Terminator, even Batman vs Predator if only for novelty value.

In the grand tradition then, Robots vs Dinosaurs puts two classic comic standbys together. A robot and his pet cyber-hound move into their new home, to fine it's been pre-occupied by two decidedly odd dinosaurs. Cliché as it may be, hilarity genuinely does ensue. I discovered Dinosaurs vs Robots a month ago, and I've been a fan ever since readingthis strip, closely followed by this one.

Presentation is high quality throughout. The classic inking style is well executed and more importantly the website is tidy and navigable (based on comicpress' superb plug-in for wordpress). The only colour special to date is further evidence that the author, BWGunner, has talent to spare. This isn't a comic that's standing still either, a move tophotoshop recently was another step up in terms of quality.

The plot has moved on too, from the surreal beginning to the start of an epic space opera with the introduction of the FIB, a tiny pirate hunter. To be hyper-critical, his introduction (with a healthy dose of exposition) has been the only slightly clunky episode to date, but having passed that bump we're back to a fast-paced comic with good pacing. The comics end on a good gag, build the story and keep up momentum, a tough challenge for any writer but managed admirably here.

So, fifteen comics in, where are we? This is a hugely promising comic, from someone who can clearly write as well as draw. With too many webcomics you get one or the other, so here's hoping the regular Sunday updates keep coming.

Double New Comic Review

Both of these comics are new but I want to help them grow them with my blessing since I apparently have a few big webcomic reviewers watching me. Share the love bigger and more well known reviewers!

Also I apologize for any errors in the writing. I wanted to get the article up today and my editors were both busy. If there are any errors that you see, feel free to contact me with the handy contact box.

Hanna Is Not A Boy's Name by Tessa Stone

Hanna Is Not A Boy's Name is a mouthful. It is also one of the most artistically energetic comics I have seen in a while. Each page is charged to the tip with color and excitement. Not to mention the coloring is amazing as well as the linework and the writing and generally the comic has a style that is all its own. I mean jeeze the comic is great. I feel overly energized just writing about it.

The art for HINABN is as I said, very stylistic. The lines are all varying in size and shape and made with skill and care. The colors have a beautiful watercolor look to them. Even the font and the lettering choices work well and seem to have consideration applied to them. I can hardly stop giving praise for the art of the comic.

The writing is equally as strong with well defined personalities and relationships already prevalent. The comic mostly focuses on Hanna, a boy (or man really), who runs a paranormal detective agency. Thus they deal with the paranormal. The storytelling itself also has a great sense of irony as the energetic story is told by a dead man with no energy or ability to convey it. Purposeful irony points are gained.

I love the comic, the art is amazing and the writing is great. Start reading it now and you wont be disappointed.

On an unrelated side note I'd love to see the comic go into print based solely on the looks.

Final score:A+

(Sorry for that but my brain literally starts going wild when discussing or thinking about the comic, I enjoy it that much.)

Love Me Nice by Amanda Lafrenais

Love Me Nice reminds me of the all too short-lived series Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. The show was intelligent, witty and catered to that crowd. The tone and the pacing between the show and the comic are similar as well. The comic has a great deal of potential for attracting a bigger, more intelligent audience and getting more critical praise than the average webcomic. Basically I am saying the comic is refined and intelligent. It is a good thing that there are no funding or ratings for webcomics like tv shows have because it would probably fall to be replaced by yet another gaming strip. A comic as great as this with a more niche appeal deserves love.

Love Me Nice is essentially the tale of cartoon characters working in a world where they exist as actors and real people instead of just drawings, sort of like Who Framed Roger Rabiit. As a new comic there hasn't been as much storyline developed since there are only 27 pages but it is not rushing into things which is appropriate. There are hints of things though and I enjoy reading each page.

The art for Love Me Nice has mostly been black and white linework and it works for keeping the comic grounded in the false reality that it creates. If it were all brightly colored like the first few pages it might be too distracting and lose the sense on realism that it is building. The characters are also well designed and diverse and prove that Mrs. Lafrenais has the talent needed to blend multiple styles of characters into one setting with making them look overly different.

The comic is intelligent, creative and well drawn and deserves your attention. A+

Coming up this Friday will be my Year In Review article where I discuss my favorite new comics, the comics that did the best over the past year and my predictions for the next year. Following that I have a few guest articles including on from the infamous Angry Webcomic Geek that should prove well opposed to my normal stance on comics and then maybe one or two other guest articles.

City of Reality Review

City of Reality by Ian Sampson

I pointed out in the Byrobot review that webcomics nowadays need a flare to be seen in the stale sea of the Internet. It takes a flare that is not only bright but also useful. If you shoot a flare that is too flashy and gaudy, it can be ignored for being tacky. Comics that use Flash usually fall into this category especially if they use it as a cheaper form of animation (Note: This does refer to MS Paint Adventures which uses Flash well). City of Reality actually uses Flash well, both creatively and as a device to tell the story.

City of Reality is a comic about a city called Reality which exists in what seems to be part of a vast network of virtual worlds. The comic has revealed only a little about what the entire universe is but from what I can tell it is a bit of virtual reality and video gaming with each section of the world having its own society and laws. The main city is an idyllic place where everyone gets along perfectly, even to that sitcomic level where cats and dogs would shake hands and be friends. This lifestyle of peace and perfection in and of itself could easily destroy the comic but by making it only one world, by introducing the universe and by dealing with actual issues and philosophy, albeit a little light in some areas, the comic develops realness.

The story mostly follows the exploits of three kids as they work to save the world. As a superhero team, they learn about the world and go on missions, learning about life at the same time. It sounds hackneyed and uninteresting but the way the comic is set up, it works. It balances comedy with enough drama to be able to be taken seriously.

As I mentioned in the beginning though, I am a big fan of how City of Reality incorporates Flash. Without giving it away, it allows for time travel, choose-your-own-adventure and a lot of other interesting ideas. Most of all, it feels like it fits with the comic.

The art in and of itself is not necessarily stylistic but it is solid and cartoony at least early on. There do seem to be hints of changes in art style depending on the world. The use of lighting in the comic is also well done and Ian Sampson knows how to create a mood.

The infrequent (bi-monthly!) update schedule could be a problem, but actually works for the comic. "How", you might ask? By posting an entire chapter of about 30 pages or so with each update. It makes the two updates worth the wait. Each section is satisfying and you want to come back. Not to mention you avoid getting lost in long running storylines or by forgetting details between updates.

All in all, the comic is excellent. If the art were tweaked a bit more to be more stylistic (the thin lines art doesn't do too much for me) I would have it on my list of all time favorites for dramatic comics. It deserves a look and a spot on your reading list. A+

Byrobot Review

Byrobot by Byron Hussie

Byrobot falls in the category of comics that I describe as purposefully simplistic. These comics focus on breaking down the comic to the roots. Works in this category usually consist of individual pages that are three to four panels of very sketchy artwork. In fact in my interview with Byron Hussie, he confesses that he doesn't spend very much time on the comic. It shows but honestly the comic works because of that simplicity. This ironic negligence that has caused other similar comics to strike it big - ie Toothpaste For Dinner, xkcd, Explosm (to a lesser extent) and so on.

The art as I said is very simplistic. A primal force that breaks humor to the basics. Sketches. That same term that we use for short bits of comedy. Not always full formed.

The writing for the current comics either come from the readers in the form of loose ideas or from the mind of Hussie himself, a seemingly chaotic world of loose associations and references. The jokes themselves often lack a true punchline.

Besides the fan submissions and the family connections (to Andrew Hussie of MS Paint Adventures) the comic lacks the big draw it needs to stake its claim in the genre. Possibly multiple daily updates, maybe alternate comics or maybe figuring a way to allow people to post comments on the comic themselves

As it stands now it is good for a laugh or for a moment but it lacks completion. Still as a new comic with a long background of older material it may just find that missing piece. B-

Next week I review City of Reality, a webcomic that uses Flash well!

Scary Go Round Video Review Retrospective

I talk in accents, reveal my goofy face and review Scary Go Round.

This Friday, new audio interview with Wilson Parker of Unwinder's Tall Comics

Earth Beta and Oglaf Reviews

First and foremost I must apologize for the review posted three weeks ago. I was unaware of the content and the fact that the so called "blogger" carnivorouscritic did not actually hold a blog or exist. I figured somebody would have taken the name. It works well. I shall not be removing it though as a testament to my own flaws i.e. the fact that I did not look up his history. Or blog. Or if they were a he or a she. Hubris has beaten me down harshly.

I must apologize that this is two weeks late. I actually had this done in time but the content was such that I needed to reflect on if I would want to actually post it. Also I had finals so, yeah.

Now, after the last negative review, I made a vow to hold off on the bad webcomic reviews. While they brought popularity to lots of other reviewers, I want you the reader to find webcomics that you might enjoy. When a comic calls itself "The Most Underappreciated Webcomic" though, a problem becomes apparent. When this comic is not Bear & Kitten, Nineteenth Century Industrialist, Amazingly Average or one of the other several webcomics with low readership I subscribe to, there is something wrong.

Earth Beta by Bryan

Remember Penny Arcade? The comic that is often (incorrectly) credited with creating the video game webcomic genre? The comic that has millions of readers and is able to support its creators making tons of money? Remember how originally when it started, its humor was really bad by our modern standards but it was revolutionary at its time? Remember how the humor has changed with the times and the art has developed as well? Remember how they originally used to include Jesus for no reason? Only one of those things you should remember should applies to Earth Beta. (Its the Jesus one).

Beating old ideas into the ground is the encyclopedic entry for Earth Beta. From the two roommates, to Jesus, to creepy random creature, to ....okay. I am stopping here. I want to just get the point across that this webcomic is shitty. I mean, I used to draw a horrible webcomic in high school. I recognized it as such. I eventually stopped drawing it. I never posted it on the Internet. The author needs to hold up to his plan of stopping after six months.

The roommates are interchangeable talking heads making sound but barely communicating anything. Here inlies the problem. They are failing at making a point anywhere in the story. They are failing at making memorable characters. They are failing at making an interesting and well made story. The comic calls itself a "Storyline Comic." It is only in that the events are stories in the same way that eating only marshmallows is a balanced and healthy diet. Which it is not. Combining loose storyline with the fact that they force every possible storyline stereotype down the readers throats makes it worse. I could rant on and on but I only read the first 100 or so comics before I felt a sharp stabbing pain I could no longer ignore.

Character design and art is taken almost directly from the Tim Buckley Copy-Pasta College of Comic Design. Originally the characters are all horribly jumbled polygons. Looking at the current art, they are now partially anime inspired polygons. With poorly drawn figures. And no necks. And oven mitts for hands. In the FAQ, he responds that he came up with the idea of not using necks because he wanted to be able to switch his characters heads for humorous purposes. This works mostly because his characters are mainly guys, a girl and an annoying flying thing. They can switch the personalities and nobody will notice. Seriously. Also using images from google for background is a lazy technique. Then again, in a comic as poorly made as this, it is merely a ripple in the pond. When the pond is under a torrent of rain.

My roommates have gotten used to my crying when I find a horrible webcomic. Or when I declare I lost faith in humanity. They flock over and see what new horror I found to stare at it like a carnival freakshow. They shared my cries of anguish looking at this comic. Four art students declared it was ugly unfunny comic. This means it most likely is. It means your audience has no taste to tell you to improve. That is what I am here for. To rip you up and give you the tape to repair yourself.

Now, you declared in your artist page you will quit the comic if it does not pick up in six months. Do it now. If you wish to improve though, start a new comic. Make better character models, use necks for Christs' sake. Plan out a storyline, write scripts out and send them to somebody who hates you to review them. Or at least somebody with a good sense of humor. If nothing else, they can at least make your writing better.

I've had enough of dealing with this though and it has literally left a bad taste in my mouth. Bad art, unfunny humor and the giant balls to refer to itself as "The Most Underappreciated Webcomic". It is true, but only because he misspelled under-appreciated. D

Oglaf

They are adult comics that are well drawn, funny and mature-sort of. Enjoy them anywhere but at work and only if of age.

No need to rant, no need to say more. I am all reviewed out for now. A+

Next week I hope to have finished my retrospective on the recently finished Scary-Go-Round.

Also in my personal comic news, SFCRTSN restarted here because it is important to recognize your mistakes (even after you sink in $200.)

Guest Review - carnivorouscritic

This week, for whatever reason, I have been given a report to post from an apparently famous blogger who decided to grace me with his... majesty. So, enjoy this weeks criticism by the so called "carnivorouscritic." Next week I should hopefully return to my common format.

As I opened my eyes on this day a rumbling in my stomach struck me with a mighty force. I dare not say from whence it came for the terror it evoked caused me to tremble visibly. I departed my slight abode taking to the pedestrian walkways of the vagabonds in the mighty city to search for an epicurean delight to fit my meager funds. The answer was one that I had forgotten ages ago. The Sbarro.

Normally a chain of this level is located, nay, bound inside the shopping complexes. The reasons are unknown though my intellect tells me that it may be because of some Faustian bargain struck between the dreadfully Quixotic Sbarro family where if they are to expand beyond the domains of the shopping complexes, they lose their allure and majesty becoming hollowed out shells shlepping their wares, tainted by the light and purity that powers us through the day. I digress even though my theory soon rang true.

Entering the store I discovered the shopkeeper, some beast struck between the evolutionary phases of man and ape. His grunting indicated his desire for me to order. I ordered the special which he seemed to not hear as he deposited two slabs of pizza into the oven. He then directed me down the service line where I met an elderly lady who seemed to be held captive by the dangerous beast of a man. I attempted to explain that my order had been poorly taken and was in all manners, incorrect. She held her finger to her mouth though, warning me to keep my voice down.

"Don't complain unless you want to risk your life." She then nodded towards a jackhammer in the corner covered in a crimson liquid that was too clean to be the tomato sauce. I realized the horror then noticing the white bleached skulls lining the store. The dismembered limbs on the warming trays. The dead goat hanging from the ceiling. The empty tip jar. The horrors jumped towards me. I caught myself as I began to faint. I then exhumed my wallet from my coat pocket and left my pecuniary offering. The man beast removed the pizza from the scalding ovens, the steam and pressure causing sweat to form on my brow. I accepted my order and took my seat.

The other denizens of the Sbarro looked at me. Their eyes hung heavy with broken dreams and fears. The carbs that they had been ingesting were haunting me. They seemed to shackle them down, leaving them stuck forever. I was free for now though. I had not tied my own noose. I headed towards the garbage receptacle, slinking over to dispose of the waiting doom. With a grunt though, the horrible man beast began lumbering towards me, his eyes in a deadly frenzy.

The girl at the counter yelled at me "Run while you can, he cannot survive in the sunlight." I shook my head though, my chivalrous upbringing binding me to saving this young woman. I vaulted over the desk, wrapping my arms around her. As we neared the door the man beast began tossing the faux wood furniture at me, missing. He erupted in a guttural roar scaring the souls of all nearby. I laughed though, his attempts at summoning fear in my heart, failing. While my exuberance showed though, I was struck for the girl had betrayed me, bringing a blunt strike against my head. As my vision faded I saw her remove me from the store crying, "I have been here too long. I can't be saved."

I awoke later to find the medical vehicles appearing around me. The worries on my condition were assuaged as I arose. The Sbarro had been destroyed. The windows were smashed allowing nature to enter them. Those who had been trapped were gone, their imprints on the world were the only proof that they had once existed.

Overall, the service was horrible, the prices were through the roof and I never got to try the food. I doubt I will ever return again.

Or that I shall ever see her face again.

Shrub Monkeys Review

Normally I'd feel obligated to apologize for the lack of updates but I think I have a decent reason - video games. The foul and addicting snake wormed itself around me again, constricting me and wrapping me. The more I struggled to escape, the harder it became especially as it was famished. I welcomed the beast eventually though as an old friend. For those unfamiliar with my life and such, my own Wii had been stolen last October and I was mostly disinterested in gaming since then. Previous attempts to enthrall me had been made unsuccessfully.

My personal demons of these weeks though have been varied and all in all, very good. Persona 3, Jet Set Radio Future and Fallout 3. Sadly my roommates PS3 crashed allowing me to not finish Persona 3. Curses. Then again, the Wikis did a good job of helping me deal with the loss by looking up the story online. Jet Set Radio Future, the old Xbox game was as enjoyable as ever which means I'd end up playing till 2 am, realize I was tired and then stay up another 2 hours. Luckily that is winding down as I embark on my quest to unlock all of the characters. Finally was the strongest of the addictions, Fallout 3. The art, the feel, the gameplay. I must confess that I had never played one of the original games so I cannot be a judge comparing it to the others in the series. I did play Morrowind (which I loved) and Oblivion (which I loathed) though and I can say that Fallout 3 was better than both. The inclusion of downloadable content is keeping my interest though I need to actually download it. Enough about video games though.

Now finally though after the weeks that you have waited, my Shrub Monkeys review.

But first, Amazingly Average is back up after a long hiatus. Go and give Ant some love. It is easily one of the most original webcomics out there on the internet. I owe the guy a large favor since he originally linked to my blog so this is payback along with a few forums posts.

And now...

Shrub Monkeys by Katie Shanahan

I've talked to Allan of Allan and Ryan from the 600 on the topic of journal comics. The fact is that thanks to one of the big webcomic powerhouses linking to Allan, almost every recently created blog/journal comic has been a stylistic rip off of Allan's comic. Heck, I even did it with most of my 40 Day Web Comic Challenge Art. It was nice finding a different artistically styled comic. Now before you go on to complain that Shrub Monkeys started before Allan (by several years) I am just pointing this fact out because YOU CAN COME UP WITH AN ORIGINAL IDEA AND STYLE FOR JOURNAL WEBCOMICS.

The art is high class stuff, the quality and caliber that you can come to expect from actual animators. Katie's art is amazing, energetic and you realize what one can learn in a college for cartooning. Long story short, the art is great. Not much more to say about it except that it can be minimalistic at times. No backgrounds, etc.

The jokes (where art students may fail at this point) are also great. Technically I should say "writing" but more or less, I am out of it (the review writing groove). The jokes mostly focus on real life humor but you don't feel alienated by inside jokes. The fact is that the main character is about as un-embellished as you can get, the non-Mary Sue factor comes off on occasionally almost Charlie Brown levels. The jokes do require a decent amount of prior knowledge though.

Overall, the comic is great. Great art, great writing. Not much more to say. Then again, I am rusty right now so what the heck do I know. A

Daisy Owl and The Meek

First off, I need to apologize for my break over the past few weeks especially when I usually don't take all of that much time to write reviews. Its becoming more of an inspiration thing and writing a blog that reaches maybe 10 readers can be a depressing thing. I am not saying that I garner no enjoyment from my blog but I will assure you, the blog is far from dead, far from dying and far from another planned block break. I will comment though that update times will be in pandemonium now as on Monday and Sunday I am busy so on Friday you can more likely respect an update.

Daisy Owl by Ben Driscoll

Daisy Owl is an enjoyable and simply drawn comic, much like print comics used to be except with a wit and humor that can apply to today's webcomic readers in certain strips. While the comic does not hold the amazing humor one might attribute to a KC Green comic, they hold a style to the own debating bear racism, honey science and conversations on other topics that one might normally not consider unless on some psychotropic drugs.

The art style is very simple line art, not that there is a problem with that. The complaint would be though, you can find better art in other webcomics.

Daisy Owl is not a wasted comic to read through They made a smart choice telling the origin of out order and they seem to still be getting in the grove overall but give it a shot, you might like it or you might not but chances are, it will pay off in the end.

If I were to comment on how to improve the comic, it would be a difficult thing to say. The art could be more complex, add in some line variation instead of the same what seems to be illustrator lines over and over and also add texture from time to time but doing that might destroy some of the classic appeal. It comes to the question of audience or style.

The writing is progressing well and the only really advice would be to keep it up, keep improving and just don't give up.

Daisy Owl earns a solid B for creative writing and overly simplistic art.

The Meek by D. Helmer

The Meek is one of those weird webcomics you find being created by an amateur with enough professionalism that it makes you wonder why every webcomic can't have this level of quality.

The story so far (it has only been running for a while) follows Angora, a girl from the jungle who due to circumstances not fully known at this time is being tracked in the forest. While there are tits ahoy (the comic is NSFW depending on your level of censorship) the simplest explanation seems to be she is being tracked by horny old men. Drama enough, interest is there and the comic is unfolding slowly playing its cards out nice and smooth.

The art itself is top notch, stylistic and expertly done by a person who from the FAQs section, seems to be self trained to some degree. The characters are expertly designed and it easily grabs one interest.

My one complaint would be the update schedule so you can help by supporting the artist so we can let the story unfold faster.

The comic is off to an excellent start and really has set high expectations. I hope to see this comic picking up popularity faster.

The Meek earns an A.

Up next week, Shrub Monkeys and something else.

Back For Now

Thanks for putting up with my educational related shenanigans over the past week. Finals as always are a trying time, especially when you get hooked onto the dark and foul beast known as OMGPOP and feel your soul and decency slip away as your multiplayer Tetris, errr Blockles humiliate all those around you before some kid across the globe reduces you to tears. And then you play Balloono.

Over the break, though, I met up with my list of comics to read once more and laughed at it. The list, between friend suggestions and ad space buyers and everything else, is pretty big. I had some comics on my mind that  I'd been meaning to read, though, and so read I did do.

Captain Excelsior by Zach Weiner and Chris Jones

Pedigree of this caliber, or at least anything with Zach Weiner (Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal) is almost certain to be amazing and therefor doomed to disappoint. Luckily, for readers, Captain Excelsior not only lives up to it's pedigree but it also does not disappoint. 

Captain Excelsior tells the story of Captain Excelsior's family, the machismo-filled namesake, his possibly gay son Kid Liberty, his ex-wife/mindreader Mrs. Mind, socially obtuse daughter Tesla and Ron who has no powers and who nobody likes.

Rounding out what could otherwise be a very generic superhero comedy you have almost all of the characters acting so horribly you'd almost want Galactus or the giant planet destructor of your choice to finish them all off. 

The comic is dark, the art is fresh and the writing is well written. As a bonus for those of you not wanting to worry about catching up, the comic is also currently over so why don't you give it a shot.

TL;DR: Dark, funny and anything but heroic, Captain Excelsior should be read and enjoyed this instant. A+

Order of the Stick by Rich Burlew

Somewhere in my vast number of reviews I mentioned how one well done and profitable stick art comic could ruin the pot by inspiring hundreds more. Welcome to the fantasy tropes version.

Order of the Stick is a fantasy-comedy adventure told with huge amounts of text and  lots of stick art. Normally at this point I'd decide not to review the comic so that you never even hear of it. The art is essentially copy-paste or simple art puppetry with very little work seemingly inserted into it. Unlike other comics though, OotS is actually well written and as with XKCD, that makes all of the difference.

Order of the Stick is the tale of the aforementioned order beginning a quest to kill a lich and retrieve some magical MacGuffin. Long story short, all shit breaks loose, in escalating amounts and as with all RPGs, the party is forced to deal with it.

The comic works well though, slowly introducing plot, characters and tiny Chekov's items that come back and surprise you out of nowhere....almost.

While most of the humor is simple, there are a few more nerdy RPG jokes that I myself didn't get at first (thanks Wikipieda) but in general the comic is accessible to just about everyone. While the comic can also be wordy, there is actually value in the words for once.

TL;DR: A well written, simply illustrated fantasy comic that is pretty much an industry standard. A-

In other webcomic news, Fanboys, Bear and Kitten and Hockey Zombie all are back and updating. Hopefully Fanboys will get better, hopefully Bear and Kitten will keep a schedule and hopefully Hockey Zombie will finally get that ruby slipper or whatever it needed besides a schedule.

Until next week, which will be a nerdy game review for old times sake, I am out of here to play some OMGPOP (look for Koltreg).

A Year! - KinkoFry, Moe, Abominable

First off I apologize for missing last week's update. Life got in the way and I needed to take a week off even though I really only do this in about an hour or two. To make up, I added in a third review for this week and for those cynics who say I need to review four comics, I reply "nert nert nert" (see Hockey Zombie).

As of Tuesday of this week, the blog will be officially one year old. Looking back at the original post I find it funny, originally I got into the blog industry because I expected my webcomic site to take off and I wanted to be some Internet phenomenon. Since then I've faced reality with a greater deal of cynicism, frugality and intelligence; or so I say. I would just like to say the past year that I have had the blog has been a great time for myself and 4th edition is still touchy for me.

Onto webcomics!

KinkoFry by Rebecca Clements

The comic has been making the Internet rounds on the few forums that I visit but for those unfamiliar or unexposed, KinkoFry is an absolute visual delight. In a Seussian illustration style the comic builds beautiful setting and landscapes creating background setting that is both engaging and enjoyable.

The humor itself varies from comic to comic but is mostly above the standard level. Based around a group mushroom people, the comic enjoys taking them on adventures in a strange and wondrous world. Adventure though may not be the best term to use. Something more like montages. The story if any is told in bits and pieces and doesn't add much as there is not much story to add but it works for the comic. Some of the best gags though are the ones that completely seem to not fit the genre or at least what one might see as the genre i.e. the masturbation genie.

The art though as I mentioned is the main selling point for the comic. So many comics completely ignore the background and this comic glorifies it. Even the backgrounds that could easily have been copied and pasted are carefully or not so carefully redrawn. The characters and simple. I just really love the art in the comic. I might as well stop here to fall into rambling about the art over and over.

TL;DR: If you want something that looks great, imaginative and doesn't bore you with story, KinkoFry is for you. A

Moe by Michael Firman

Moe is yet another comic with a very newspaper style setup that, due to the freedoms of the Internet, is allowed to breathe and be creative. Based around the eponymous Moe, a vagabond bean shaped character working to make a life for himself, the comic creates a psychotic odyssey involving museums, corrupt officers and a store that holds a special place in my heart known as Best Pie.

The art for Moe is simplistic but it fits the storytelling. On the other hand though divining the ages of characters can become difficult at times. On the bright side though, the colorful cast is almost constantly changing. Characters from the first 20 comics haven't been around for ages or even mentioned and you eventually begin to recognize that the only characters around are Moe and his brother. 

The story and writing are my main reason for keeping with the story. The humor ranges from the basic slapstick to the more complex visual puns and all mediums of humor in between. Also incorporated into the stories are a series of convoluted and confusing but none-the-less entertaining plots and subplots. A brief romance story in the comic turns to a creationist protest to a horrible date and then to a who knows what. I personally love that about the comic though.

TL;DR: Moe is enjoyable unless you happen to hate humor and have a dark spot in your heart where you are slowly devouring yourself. A

The Abominable Charles Christopher by Karl Kerschl

The Abominable is one of those comics in the medium that does drama well. Most Internet comics confuse the differences of drama and melodrama creating boring sob-fests that end with the writers writing soap operas in previous Soviet Block countries, if only.

The easiest thing to compare the Abominable to is Bambi. It is a beautiful and amazingly well-drawn comic that takes place in a forest full of colorful characters (though the world itself lacks hue). Varying between the humorous side stories and the main plotline, The Abominable shows you what an actual comic artist can do with the webcomic medium. The pacing can seem disrupted though as the main character is constantly introduced to new companions who seem to add little to the story i.e. the rabbit and such. For all I know though, they could all be Chekov's guns creating a massive arsenal to pull from to launch an attack of emotion on the reader. Honestly though, the writing and the art work together so well it is difficult to describe one without the other.

All in all, the comic is amazing (I really need some bad comics in here to seem less biased). I picked it up, read it in a few hours and now must wait for Wednesday and frankly when it comes to comics, I finally have something to look forward to for that day. A

Thanks to everyone who has linked, chatted or commented over the past year. I do this for you, the people wanting something new and nerdy, and maybe in a small way, for myself. 

Come back next week when I scrounge the bottom of the barrels and ruin the dreams of aspiring webcomic artists by ranting for several paragraphs about their DrunkDuck sprite comics.... or I can just find more entertaining comics the people should read un-ironically. 

Horribleville and Cronny Reviews

Horribleville by KC Green

This marks the 2nd time within a year that a webcomic I read ends itself (first being Ugly Hill). At least it was a real end thogh. It was not one of the endings where they just stop posting and you figure, might as well drop this like they dropped their update schedule. On the bright side though, KC Green ended Horribleville well and at a time you could respect. 

Horribleville has more or less been the journal for KC Green where his every fear and neuroses comes pouring out. If you are unfamiliar with KC Green Horribleville makes a good starting point. KC Green has been drawing webcomics for ages literally developing as one of the few almost universally liked webcomic makers. Hell, Encyclopedia Dramatica says he has the only worthwhile comics and they trash almost everything. The reason for why his fans love him is a confusing one. Possibly it is because his fans love him for how overly human he is and how open he is with the  his irrational fears. He practically declares "Yeah this thing I fear is impossible but it still controls my actions a tiny bit." Something anybody can relate to. He is almost a being composed of the eschewed fears that many mainstream webcomic makers seem to leave behind. 

The art is classic KC Green art where everything is changing based on mood, feeling and just generally over time. The art is always recognizably his though. Emotional and surreal you can see how he feels through the comics which is something that some webcomic artists doing journal comics seem to lack. The writing is also very solid. I've read through the archive multiple times and the ramping deer scene along with other comics still make me laugh. Not chuckle on the inside but audibly cackle. He is the master of the show though and does a good job avoiding most of the cliches especially since a good deal of the comics aren't based on life or realistic events at all.

On a side note, the comic includes one of the best guest comic runs I am familiar with.

TL;DR version: Horribleville will delight, depress and overall entertain you. A+

Cronny/Jason Lux by Nick Cron-DeVico

In another part of the journal webcomics spectrum sits Jason Lux. Up to a few minutes before writing this review I was living or at least believing a lie. I had not seen that Jason Lux is a biography about a fake character. The fact is that because this isn't based off real life the author really needs to come up with something more interesting.

Jason Lux artistically is a slap together of art styles. The guy can obviously draw. If you look at the backgrounds and settings he shows a great deal of talent and artistic knowledge. The character design though is such an opposition to the feel of that comic though, it makes no sense. It is like the fear of drawing more realistic characters has resulted in the artist going with amazingly unfitting characters for the world he has created. It's like Pollock painting over a Da Vinci sketch. Both styles are good alone but combined its like steak and mayo. It does not mesh well.

The storytelling has become sole crushingly depressing with the realization that the entire story is fake. The fact that he is writing a fake journal comic and it is so boring is horrifying. He doesn't need to make it about fighting a gang of street thugs but a several week long arc about playing Smash Bros is like being given an open canvas and just painting it white again. The fact that update schedule to my knowledge is random and sparse doesn't help either. And then putting up a quick filler is something that just bugs me. Honestly a simple text message on the screen giving a return time is often more helpful and it shows you don't have time to draw.

Overall the comic needs work. It needs to define its art style either one path or the other (realistic or unrealistic). The artist obviously has talent at drawing and it would not seem to be a difficulty. The writing also needs a fix. (I consulted the creator in the middle of writing the review.)  It is not based on real life but sometimes uses it as a jumping point. If that is true, why not improve it, find more interesting things or change the writing style of the comic? 

TL; DR version: The comic has potential but it needs to figure out what it wants to be if it wants to garner a larger audience. C

On a side note, I added some ad boxes so if you've gotten a favorable review from me in the past, I will happily give you some space. If you link me to something I find unappealing as a comic, I won't give you space. Simple as that and I highly doubt I will make money off of the ad boxes for a while. Standards!

Mini Reviews Round 001

Wow, I apparently posted this article without typing anything. Danke Hot Keys! 

This week I decided to go ahead and take a break from web comics to try and see if I can attract a new crowd because honestly you Allan readers with your hats and emotional problems, well they get on my nerves (actually I love you guys, especially if you access the chat feature there. Its a project of my own, the world's most intelligent bot and such. Occasionally has downtimes though. . . . . rambling - its me there if you didn't know so feel free to chat. 

Anyway, along with ingesting copious amount of webcomics, drinking Wild Cherry Pepsi ® (working on a branding deal now), I also enjoy other things in life: cooking, print comics, alternative rock music and television. I bet nobody else has those interests. In the manner of the original posts and because I need to read and reread some more comics, I present a review of one item related to each of the 4 genres mentioned. It might be groups though.

First up:

Cooking

The Chefmate Measuring Grater by Chefmate

Now, like most casual gourmands and munchers, I enjoy shredded cheese but I hate shredding it. You can buy it pre-shredded but it never melts the same (preservatives probably). Well, after my fiasco with my previous flat shredder (essentially a foot of metal with three grating styles), I decided I needed something with gusto, I was given the Measuring Grater as a gift and it is beautiful. Three full length grating sides and a 4th measuring side. That is right, no more shredding and them measuring! It has a removable bottom so you can see how much you made as you shred. The handle is also a soft grip and my god, if I were a masochist, I might make love to this thing. Instead, I will shred some cheese. A+

Graphic Novels

Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, Steve Bisette and John Totleben

I'm for the most part a large fan of Alan Moore. From him singing about sinister ducks to his graphic novels, he is a classic force in the genre. While some of his novels have last the omph over the ages (thanks to his influence) they still stand strong - except maybe Killing Joke. Saga of the Swamp Thing though was his DC starting place, taking a floundering character, bringing him back to land and then switching his organs for fun making an all new character. With a brief introduction, the graphic novel quickly catches you up to the world before almost rendering it useless. The comic is enjoyable, scary and full of decent surprises and a distinct lack of rape at least in the first collection. With cameos from Etrigan and an unnamed cameo by Constantine (and some hidden Sinister Ducks) the comic is great. The first part could easily be adapted into a great movie because frankly nobody knows the Swamp Thing (compared to other heroes). Overall, the collection is great and I'll be picking up the next edition next month. A+

Music

Hazards of Love by The Decemberists

I've been a fan of the Decemberists for a good while now. They have shown that they have the musical chops needed to make a name for themselves. Hazards of Love feels like they tossed their chops up on metal floor, waited a bit and tried to swallow it back up. The album is pretty horrible, not even in a way that it can grow on me anytime soon. Essentially they tried to do hard rock (didn't they learn after the Guitarmageddon Challenge?) and its bad. There are only two memorable songs compared to the general 8 or so quality songs on the album. Couped with a continuous story instead of acting as an anthology as the normal albums do, the album is a depart from the norm on a trip I hope to end soon. The two quality pieces The Rake's Song and The Hazards of Love 4 save this from being an F album. Overall though, I'd almost like my $10 back.  D+

Television

The Mighty Boosh: Season 3

In one of Adult Swims strange fits of hysteria (the same ones that lead to Tim and Eric), they actually picked up a great show and wanted the fans to catch up fast. They decided to help by starting with season 3 on The Mighty Boosh which is like some beautiful combination of Monty Python's Flying Circus and The Odd Couple. If you haven't already seen the show and are in the UK, buy it or watch it or find a live show. If you are over in the states head over to Adult Swim to watch it. The show honestly hooked me in the previews of the Eels episode and has entranced me far enough to consider creating a British bank account solely to be able to buy the first 3 seasons for about 5€ a season (thats the Euro sign I think) which is a great deal. I tried to hook up with no avail but the show is amazing and is beyond description. A+