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2010-01-23
when i was a kid, like a lot of kids, i used to read comics. batman and
the silver surfer were great, back in the day, but when i hit adolescence, my
interests began to broaden, and i started looking for something more.
luckily, at the time, "heavy metal"
magazine had just come out, and it was just what i needed - it had broader and
deeper material, greater variety, mature and intelligent themes, and better
artwork to boot.
now that the internet is in its own adolescence, it's going through some changes
too. one of the best of these is the ascendancy of webcomics. the
freedom and flexibility of the new media have been seized upon by a generation
of imaginative and talented artists in a big way, and high quality comics of
every description are flourishing all over the web as a result. like
"heavy metal" in the old days, the new wave is varied, fresh, and intelligent.
many of the best of the old guard made the transition from physical print to the
'net, of course, but that's only the beginning of it. the new breed of
artists and writers, never having been subjected to the old constraints, are
doing wondrous, beautiful, amazing things. it's no longer necessary to fit
everything into a page of predetermined size. they don't have to
self-censor; adult language and themes are much easier to explore when you don't
have to worry about what your publisher will think. the art can include
animation and sound, and even interactive components which let the audience
participate in the story. the shackles are off, and creativity is king.
there are traditional daily-style comics, and there are serials. some
publish regularly, some only when they're moved to do so. some are
primarily humorous, but many are dramatic, and some of the better ones tread
with equal ease in both milieus. there are lots out there; i've only begun
to discover the wealth, and everyone will obviously have their own tastes, but
some of my favorites are:
calvin and hobbes
dinosaur comics
doonesbury
electric sheep
gunnerkrigg court
nine planets
without intelligent life
the perry bible fellowship
questionable content
this modern world
tree lobsters
wigu
wondermark
xkcd
i'll undoubtedly discover more; i'll try to keep this page updated from time to
time. (last updated 2010-03-20.)
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