The Webcomic Overlook

In the comment section of a previous post, an observant reader wondered, “Pray tell, good sir, where are there notable conservative webcomics?”

Actually, it was not as amicable as that. And I don’t think he or she said, “Pray tell, good sir.” I think I was thinking of Tiny Tim. Curse you, Christmas season. In any case, I thought that it was actually a very good question. Comic creators are typically, by and large, occupy the left/liberal/progressive/blue portion of the political spectrum.

But surely, there are some conservative webcomics, right?

Typically, I hate stepping into the hornet’s next that is politics. It’s far too shouty for my taste. Still, political cartoons have represented the backbone of the humble art since time immemorial. I mean, what were you reading when you opened up those history textbooks in high school? The text, or that awesome illustration of Teddy Roosevelt swinging a hammer to carve out the Panama Canal himself? I say, if you can’t get excited over The Bully Pulpit in its full illustrated glory, then you, sir, are dead inside.

I’m eschewing the ratings system because I haven’t read the entire runs like I usually do. But why would you? That’s the thing about politics: no matter which side you’re on — conservative, liberal, conservaral, libertive — you end up saying the same predictable things over and over again. You’ve read one, you’ve read them all.

Incidentally, I’d considered turning off the comments because, well, half of you think I’m a dirty Democrat for posting these comics, and the half of you think I’m a dirty Republican for pretty much the same reasons. So… pretty much a lose-lose proposition, huh? Still, I’ll keep it open as long as folks keep it civil.

I think it’s a safe assumption that the title of Diversity Lane, by Jason Sanborn, is supposed to be ironic. Sure, the annoying little girl can be taken as a parody of angry Republicans. On the other hand, the “liberal” types are much, much bigger hypocrites. It’s OK to be open-minded as long as everyone agrees with you, eh, you stinkin’ liberal?

Chris Muir’s Day By Day, draws in about 100,000 visitors, according to Compete.com. This is very healthy by webcomic standards. To give you a sense of scale, it draws in more readers than PvP, Sheldon, and chainsawsuit combined. Compared to Diversity Lane, Day by Day takes a less dire view on multiculturalism. I mean, one of the most conservative characters is a Black man, so there you go. Also, despite all appearance, this comic is not Doonesbury. I mean, this one’s got fanservice. Take that, Garry Trudeau!

No discussion about conservative comics could be complete without mentioning Comic Strip Club by the infamous Hapajap. This is that one with the elephant who is always right and the donkey who is always wrong. I wish there was more to say about this, but that’s pretty much everything in a nutshell. Lately, Hapajap seems to be branching out into religious matters, which kinda makes him the conservative Robert Crumb. Good for him!

And, finally, for those of you who have ever wanted to see Obama as a rascally scamp, there’s Jim Treacher’s Li’l Obama.

So yes, Virginia, there are conservative webcomics.

The 2009 Weblog Awards are now open, and you can submit your nomination on their comment threads, including … best comic strip!

Nominate your favorite webcomic here!

Randall Monroe’s xkcd is the current champ, winning the award in 2008 and 2007. Will 2009 be the year of the three-peat? Or can your favorite webcomic be the new star for 2009? Nominations are open until November 20. The path to Weblog Award winner begins … now!

(Also, I tooted my own horn for “Best Hidden Gem.” Because.)

Rising from the dead… it’s the Joy of Webcomics!

Sorry for not doing updates lately and opting instead for smaller news-related posts. Fact is, I figured This Week in Webcomics, Artpatient, Fleen, Comixtalk, and now Paperless Comics are all doing a far better job of providing up-to-date webcomic news. I’d only be repeating the exact same things said on other sites (and I am, in fact, doing so here).

From time to time, though, there are a few tidbits that I find too interesting not to share. Our first item: where do webcomics go to die?

• Brigid Alverson wrote a piece on Robot 6 about the struggle some webcomic creators have in concluding their comics. An excerpt:
  

  “Over 15,000 webcomics now exist online,” Wikipedia tells us, but probably 14,000 of those stopped updating after six episodes. This is the dark side of The Promise of Webcomics: It is true that anyone can start a webcomic, and that without the usual barriers to publication, such as editors and budgets, the web has become a seething cauldron of creativity. However, things like slush piles and contracts and editors are there for a reason: Not just to keep the crap out, but also to make sure the creator finishes the damn comic. The internet imposes no such restrictions. Consequently, many webcomics start with a burst of enthusiasm and fizzle when the creator runs out of ideas or has to study for finals.

  Some webcomics die a peaceful, natural death: The comic has run its course and the creator ends it gracefully and moves on to something else. That’s what John Allison did with Scary Go Round earlier this year, and it’s worth reading this post to see why he decided to put an end to Scary Go Round and start a new comic, rather than trying to keep the title and take the comic in a new direction.

• On a related topic, Jeffrey Rowland of TopatoCo and Overcompensating talks about how webcomics are still the Wild West over at Comic Alliance:
  

  ComicsAlliance: Despite commanding healthy audiences, not every webcomic creator can achieve financial independence through their work. As someone who works both as a creator and a merchant for other creators, how do you think more creators can get to that point?

  Jeffrey Rowland: I guess that depends on what market you’re talking about. Historically it seems like only a few comic titles (I’m talking ALL comics, not just webcomics) have been real moneymakers. I mean, how many kids in the 1980s wanted to make a living in comics versus those who actually got to do it? I think with the quickness that webcomics went from “weirdo hobby” to “legitimate business career” we’re doing pretty okay! This is still a pretty young market since it was ever granted any sort of widely-believed sense of legitimacy, five or so years ago. I think the best thing creators can do is just continue to be talented but don’t be afraid to be weird. Just do quality work that’s weird. It’s still the friggin’ wild west out here; if you can get 20,000 people to read your comic about a dog that huffs paint, there is a way to make a living from that.

  So, if you’re keeping score, with this post, webcomics are, in fact, undead cowboys. But seriously, though, webcomics are a relatively new medium, and it hasn’t stopped evolving. No one would’ve talked about Marvel and DC entering the market three years ago, but now we have Zuda and Marvel Digital. And who knows where webcomics will go now that smartphones and electronic books seem to be on the cusp of superceding desktops and laptops?

• The Act-I-Vate crew will be on hand at Brooklyn’s King-Con, tonight at 8 pm! If y’all are chillin’ in the five boroughs and if you ever wanted to chat with the fellas who make the classiest webcomics online, now’s your chance.
• So what ever happened to Best Digital Comic Eisner Award winner Sugar Shock, written by Dollhouse creator Joss Whedon and illustrated by Fabio Moon? Apparently, it’s been collected in book form. Here’s a review from the AV Club:
  

  The slim one-shot Sugar Shock: Don’t Be A Viking (Dark Horse) collects the Joss Whedon-penned/Fabio Moon-drawn story of an all-girl (plus one robot) rock band that travels to space for a battle of the bands (only it’s not really a battle of the bands). It’s a fun throwaway filled with absurdist gags that connect (a description of “the saddest song in the world” that captures the difficulty of writing about music) and some that don’t (a running gag about Vikings). It’s a goof, and proud of it… B

  Anyway, here’s my take on SugarShock! over at Comixtalk.

• Finally, what are the 10 best webcomics? According to the UK’s Daily Telegraph, they include xkcd, Achewood, PHD, Questionable Content, and … Indexed? Jesus and Mo? Seriously? (h/t Robot 6)