When the Internet first burst into creation, there was about 25 seconds of awe before someone thought to themselves “Hey, I bet I could use this to make money.” 4.3 seconds before that, someone thought, “Hey I bet we could use this for pornography!” Fortunately, eventually people realized that the Net could be a great distribution method for some rocking comic strips. Making money has remained in the backs of peoples mind, and rightfully so. People invest a lot of time and effort into building a site and a comic, there’s nothing wrong with trying to get a little bit back for their effort.

There are many ways that cartoonists have tried to raise some money from their strips. These are just two of the more recent and interesting ones that I’ve come across.

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If you’re as curious about this whole DC Comics Zuda line as I am, then you’ve been getting the e-mail blasts from time to time.  Mostly consisting of “Hey, we’re working on it and it’s getting closer to completion” missives, these have largely gone straight to my Trash box.  However, the latest message relays that Zuda is finally ready to go.

Starting next Tuesday, October the 30th, the first Zuda comic will be presented for your constructive and/or destructive tendencies to vote on as you see fit.  After much speculation and derision, the Zuda machine will finally be put to the test and whether you see it as a boon or a bane to webcomics, you owe it to yourself and the community at large to check it out next Tuesday.

When it comes to the Interwebs, being part of a project does not necessarily exempt one from talking about that very same project. Extensively. For weeks. It’s called pimping, and I’m about to do it myself.

Tastefully Done, that deliciously wonderful calendar of nearly nude webcomics characters and creators, is completed and ready to be purchased at your local Lulu retailer. Brainchilded by the influential Michael Rouse-Deane of Webcomics-In-Print infame, the hit calendar is in it’s second year and not showing any signs of a dress code (outside the one big rule, no big censored bars).

After the jump, you can find out that the colorfully-blinding nudity is provided by:

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We all know that there is a large overlap in the Venn diagram of geekdom between comics and video games. There’s a good chance that you, yes you, who are reading this very article, own a gaming console, be it Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo branded. Heck, I bet there’s even some who are browsing this write-up while using their game platform of choice.

Well, if that platform you’ve chosen is in the Xbox line and you’re also a fan of PvP, you might soil yourself when you find out the whole PvP gang has invaded your precious gaming space. Themes, gamerpics, and even the first episode of the cartoon series can all be found on Live as downloadables, provided you have the required points for each.

While I’ve never been one for paying for downloadable content (DLC), but the idea of Brent and Cole General Leein’ their way across my Xbox space makes me smile a small smile.  And, as with all things PvP, this is surely just the start of something bigger.

Now go! Redeem your points and brand your Xbox in the name of webcomics!

Manga is sort of the original webcomic, as scanlations were the only way fans could get their fix before manga went mainstream. Now that American companies are publishing manga by the truckload, you would think that scanlation would have fallen by the wayside, but you would be wrong. Only a tiny fraction of manga has been translated, and the demand remains high for the quirky titles that will never be licensed here. Also, some people are cheap and prefer to get their Naruto fix for free.

Fansubs are the anime equivalent of scanlations, and the anime companies have made the occasional threatening gesture toward fansubbers, copyright enforcement has been pretty desultory. But that may change: Continue reading →

I gave up my subscription to Wired a couple of years ago, when I realized I didn’t even understand the titles of the articles. But this month, they have a treat for manga fans and a special treat for the curious-but-intimidated: How Manga Conquered the U.S., a ten-page manga, which is available for download from their website (it’s a 1.9 MB PDF). If you like your history presented by short-skirted schoolgirls, this is the comic for you! Seriously, the manga itself is very good, but Wired‘s awkward presentation really gets in the way.

The manga was written by Jason Thompson, whose knowledge of manga is literally encyclopedic: A former manga editor himself, he is the author of Manga: The Complete Guide, which covers literally every manga translated into English. Jason does a nice job of showing both the big picture and the interesting little details. His script includes cameos of well known personalities in the industry, examples of manga conventions, and even an interview with a blacked-out scanlator.

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It’s time again for the annual Bomb Shelter Comics Webcomic Idol competition! Voting opens today and there is a great crop of talent for the BSC crew to pull from, with genres ranging from anthropomorphic humor to zombie action (I think this will be a tradition for all Idol contests going forward). The list includes big names as well as unknown and should make for a spirited bout from week to week!

Your first round of voting will cut the pool in half, down from ten to five, so make your voice heard! Choose from these ten finalists and don’t forget to stop by the BSC message boards for the judge’s critiques on each contender!

• Bear and Kitten
• Dead of Summer
• Gun Baby
  
• Grumps
• Fear, My Dear
• Lucid TV
• Shi Long Pang
• Simluated Comic Product
• Templar, Arizona
• WitchHound

I’m going to begin with an apology, not for the fact that this is the first you’ve heard from me for a couple weeks, but for the story not really being about Web comics. It is however about comics and about the Web so I hope you’ll forgive me.

I found this Washington Post article about Gary Trudeau, the man behind Doonesbury, and this new book he’s helped but together. It’s called The Sandbox: Dispatches from Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and is basically what it’s title proclaims it to be. For a year now, Doonesbury’s Web site has had a section that lets soldiers currently serving in Iraq post their thoughts, experiences and stories about what they’re going through. The book collects many of these stories and puts them all in an off line presentation more comfortable for many.

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Although Too Much Coffee Man has been in my reading queue for quite some time I have never gotten around to reading it. This is likely going to change as Shannon Wheeler has gone beyond animation and puppets to bring you a full blown Opera. That’s down right artistic of him. The press release title does a nice job of summing up my reaction: “Improbable Marriage of Classical Music and Comic Book Characters Gives Birth to Caffeinated Opera”

Shannon Wheeler, at the Stumptown Comic Fest, discussed the SEQUEL Continue reading →

There is no real meaning to the name behind the greatest new kid on the block. When the big guns are asked what it takes to succeed at webcomics they usually chuckle and say start before the year 2000. That’s only funny because you can probably name on one hand every comic which has succeed that has started less then four years ago. It’s even taken for granted that every webcomic will not be known the first year and then will barely break even given another year. That was before Randall Munroe laughed in our faces and divided by zero. xkcd is a comic started in Sept of 2005 with literal notebook doodles. I defy you to find anything with less artistic skill behind it!

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