I do not envy newspaper comic strip writers. With their seven day a week schedule, they’re expected to be funny 365 days a year. Man, I have a hard time being funny for 30 minutes. You have to work within the narrow, profit generating constraints of the funny page format, which severely limits artistic freedom. If you fail, your hard work gets mocked cruelly online by a bearded weirdo who lost on Jeopardy. And if you somehow get the luxury of retiring, you’ll be lucky of your spouse didn’t run off with your pretty, young apprentice.
Should short form webcomics follow the same rigorous schedule as their print counterparts? Some folks think so, like Pete Abrams of Sluggy Freelance and Dave Kellett of Sheldon Comics. I think for the most part, though, webcomic creators have settled into a more relaxed schedule. It takes time for a lot of people to be funny. Why burden your flashes of comedic brilliance with mediocre gags?
Then again, what if we’re giving cartoonists too much time? What if they’re overthinking their gags to the point that they’re no longer funny?
Well, friends, there’s a webcomic out there that does both. Few other comics online have a higher hit-to-miss ratio than Nedroid’s Picture Diary. The comic is written and illustrated by Anthony Clark, who goes by the pseudonym “Nedroid.” Despite being featured on the college-humor site, Cracked.com, Nedroid is an all ages gag strip: both kids and adults will enjoy its pleasant humor.
