5 Great WebComics you Should Read
Webcomics are perhaps a more unusual subject for you to see on Make Use Of, but I thought it’d be a nice change of pace.
With the rise of the internet came the ability for everyone and anyone to self-publish. ‘Webcomics’ is a term that came to refer to any cartoon published on websites and archives.
While many conventional cartoons are also published on websites like Comics.com, Webcomics developed a unique and definable style which differentiates them from print media comics.
To give you a sample of some popular Webcomics I’ve chosen just 5 which are my favourites. Don’t get too worked up over me omitting your favourite comic, it was hard narrowing it down and there were quite a few more I would have liked to put in.
Dinosaur Comics
Dinosaur comics is a WebComic that has also made itself into print media and a selection of strips have even been published in book form.
The format consists of just one set of 6 panels which contain exactly the same art each day but are accompanied by a different series of dialogue.
The characters consequently remain consistent throughout the series; T-Rex, Utahraptor and Dromiceiomimus. Occasionally other characters will interact with T-Rex but only through dialogue and stay off panel.
A Softer World
It’s hard to ever truly explain a Softer World. It’s humorous, sometimes, even when you’re not sure why. It’s thought provoking, which isn’t always a good thing and often it’s just plain disturbing.
Every strip contains three panels displaying one photograph by Emily Horne and several captions by Joey Comeau. It’s released three times a week and one book of selected comics have been published.
On the Softer World website hover your cursor over each cartoon for an additional sentence which often provides the text what could be a 4th panel.
Garfield minus Garfield
Barely 6 months old Garfield minus Garfield is already gaining rapid popularity and success and has been featured in numerous publications such as Time and Rolling Stone.
“Garfield Minus Garfield is a site dedicated to removing Garfield from the Garfield comic strips in order to reveal the existential angst of a certain young Mr. Jon Arbuckle. It is a journey deep into the mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness and depression in a quiet American suburb.”
In fact Garfield creator Jim Davis likes the idea so much he’s even publishing a book juxtapositioning the originals against the modified ones.
Garfield creator Jim Davis was intrigued by—and pleased with—the concept. “I think it’s an inspired thing to do,” Davis said. “I want to thank Dan for enabling me to see another side of Garfield. Some of the strips he chose were slappers: ‘Oh, I could have left that out.’ It would have been funnier.”
Possibly the first original idea to come out of Garfield for 20 years.
Gaping Void: Cartoons on the Back of Business Cards
I don’t really know if this is a ‘web-comic’ as such, it’s published on a website so that is good enough.
Hugh Macleod draws cartoons on the back of business cards and yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.
In recent times he seems to have branched out a lot more and does giant squiggly patterns to sell to New Yorkers to hang in their apartments. He also wrote an incredible article on “how to be creative” which is one of the best pieces of writing I’ve read.
He posts his business card cartoons on his blog as well as his work in progress and his thoughts on technology and marketing in general.
ToothPaste for Dinner
A minimalist hand-drawn WebComic consisting of single self-contained panels which cover strange, ironic and surreal topics.
Do you know of any good webcomics that I have missed out that you would like to recommend? If so, post the URL in the comments and let us know why you like it! Or maybe you have your own webcomic you would like to show us?
(By) Laurence John was born naked, screaming and utterly helpless at some point in the last century. He currently blogs about heroic failures and the development of Windows 7.
I really enjoy Cyanide and Happiness, it’s on explosm.net/comics
I would add Dilbert and TechJoy as well.
But can Dilbert be classified as a “webcomic”? It has appeared and has been syndicated in newspapers for years before it started to appear online.
Is it a comic? Is it on the web?
Moron.
(Comments wont nest below this level)yes it is a comic and yes it is on the web but a webcomic (by my understanding) is something that is solely on the web and nowhere else.
By that definition, Penny Arcade and PvP aren’t webcomics, because they also exist in print collections…
Technically, a webcomic is a comic that is started online and gained most of it’s popularity while located there. This has allowed a massive surge of new genres of comics because it allows artists to produce their content whereas in the past it might not have had a chance in newspapers, magazines, what have you. Because of the internet, a lot of webcomics have found success and are able to release their comic in print collections. This explains why Penny Arcade is considered a web comic while Dilbert, who gained popularity through newspaper syndication, is not.
Nice comics, thanks!
Your garfield link is wrong btw.. .net
http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/
Thanks. I’ll correct that right away.
I can’t believe xkcd isn’t listed? Am I alone on that?
http://xkcd.com
“A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.”
despite the fact the one of it’s entry has been used right at the start!
Hmm, I like how you mention 5 comics, but use an image from one you don’t mention ??
http://xkcd.com/457/
That was me, not Laurence. When editing his article, I was looking for an image for the top left of the article.
They got you Mark
(Comments wont nest below this level)I really like xkdc.com, also minimalist, funny, ironic and often very clever
How about XKCD?
xkcd.com
definitely xkcd.
I heart Business Guys on Business Trips.
http://www.businessguysonbusinesstrips.com/
How about Kevin and Kell? It’s in a standard comic style, but it’s only published in one newspaper as far as I know.
http://kevinandkell.com
Hey, don’t forget my own single panel cartoon site… similar to Farside:
Dang. I forgot the link:
http://www.PastExpiry.com
Agree about xkcd. I also love questionablecontent.net
how about this:
http://www.packetlog.com/packetlog/2007/12/the-aha-moment.html
http://www.packetlog.com/packetlog/2007/12/wireless-keyboa.html
available at the following site of course (but not updated for a while)
http://www.packetlog.com
Shame on you for using an image from xkcd without even mentioning it. Should be in the first spot if you ask me!
Penguinsauce.
http://www.penguincomic.com/
http://www.savagechickens.com/
daily cartoon on yellow post-its – and I totally agree no list is complete without xkcd
xkcd is a good comic, and one of the originals… I’m not sure why I didnt include it, I probably just prefer the other 5 here, and I limited it to that number =)
I Am super addicted to XKCD and also really like BeingFive… (http://www.xkcd.com and http://www.beingfive.com)
My faves are xkcd, Questionable Content, Happiness and Cyanide and A Softer World…have them on my RSS for longer time now
What about Saturday morning Breakfast Cartoons or the Perry Bible Fellowship?
http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1255
http://www.pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF246-Bee.gif
Thanks for the kind wprds.
btw Me big Toothpaste FD fanboy
Rock on,
Hugh
Of course there are so many more, Ctl+Alt+Del, Penny Arcade, Extralife, left handed toons, Sinfest, VG cats (bit lax on the updating though :rolleyes: ), Chalkboard Manifesto, Little Gamers
etc etc etc
Throughout the bookmarks on my computer there are probably 3 dozen. My brother organizes his by update day.
If you like ‘A Softer World’, you might also enjoy the webcomic ‘Tiny Ghosts’, which has similar sensibilities. http://www.tinyghosts.com
There are moments of sheer brilliance in Truck Bearing Kibble.
http://truckbearingkibble.com/comic/
Also, if you’ve -ever- done research or labwork before then you’ll appreciate Ph. D (Piled Higher and Deeper):
http://www.phdcomics.com/comic/
By far the best is “Married to the Sea” http://www.marriedtothesea.com/
Cheesy drawings (Looks like cheap Highlights magazine drawings you’d find in Dentists offices) with contemporary commentary. Usually very brief and its just one frame which usually are the funniest (i.e. The Far Side). It takes talent to make someone laugh hysterically in one frame. Not your typical obnoxious comic.
This is a great start. Narrowing it down to five certainly won’t please everyone but you have to start somewhere. Please throw my comic Silly Daddy into the mix for future lists. Thanks.
I’m with everyone that says XKCD.
Another good one:
http://www.geekycomic.net/
Hi there! A fun list – I read all of them regularly except the Garfield one. If you’re looking for more suggestions/great new comics, I have a few recommendations. These are all non-plot comics like the ones you listed above:
Brainfuzz
Off the Grid
The Glass Urchin
Heh – most of the ones I read are story-driven!
I think Morning Squirtz might be the best web comic on the net just because it combines Cyanide & happiness with great art ( and they are funnier ) I also really like Perry bible fellowship I’m not sure if these links work
http://www.drunkduck.com/Morning_Squirtz/
http://www.pbfcomics.com/
i think http://www.basicinstructions.net/ also can consider as motivational comic..hehe
I agree xkcd is fantastic. My other two faves are Minus and Sam & Fuzzy.
I do a little webcomic called Zombie Taggers. It’s at http://zombietaggers.webs.com
I read the article above, and I like making the strips… but I also like when people look at and enjoy them.
Dr. McNinja is a great one. So is Daisy Owl and We the Robots.
“Sluggy Freelance” is awesome, and you’ll spend a month just catching up on the archives.
“Least I Could Do” is another good one.
I’m not bothering with urls, as a quick google search would take you there.
xkcd and fact checkfail
Ctrl+Alt+Delete (CAD for short) is awesome. It’s at cad-comic.com. Basically gamer stereotypes and how they survive in the real world.
http://www.6or7popes.com not a lot there yet, but it’s very promising
Definitely http://www.savagechickens.com http://www.webdonuts.com and even though it’s a published comic and not just a webcomic you have to check out f-minus and argylesweater.com those guys don’t get enough cred even though they’re in the papers!
I found an interesting web site with web comics:
http://www.fenris-bd.eu
Check out http://www.ivyleaguepornographer.com/archives/485
Mostly non-fiction comics about the porn industry (but not x-rated), with some tangential stuff like “Ten Dickheads”.