Monthly Archives: July 2012

Digital Strips Podcast 291 – Red’s Catchup (Red’s Planet)

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Olympic fever, mis muchachos! And what better way to complement the games, pitting one country against another in the spirit of sportsmanship and domination than a podcast about webcomics? Tying that all together with a nice, big bow, did you see this week’s Chainsawsuit(8:48) about the Olympics, specifically the oddball mascots that they chose to represent the world’s greatest athletes? Other first segment-type things to discuss…

  • Have you caught up with Wondermark (9:28) lately? If not, you’re missing out on the best, old-school, new-school writing featuring repurposed Victorian-era drawings on offer today.
  • Erfworld (11:48). It’s a comic that I possibly thought was something else, but which is very well done regardless of that fact.
  • No, it’s not the latest movie in the Indiana Jones franchise (though I’d take just about anything that might wash the taste of Crystal Skull out of my mouth). Rather, Tales of the Emerald Yeti (13:05) is a mix of the fish-out-of-water basis of Superman and the man-inside nature of werewolf lore. Steve found an entertaining take on the comic books of the Silver Age, but the style and feel seems hollow after a few pages. Certainly worth a look, though.

During a Facebook conversation with a buddy while editing the show, I asked him if he would like to contribute the episode’s song choice. When asked for a proper piece that followed the intergalactic theme that Red’s Planet inspires, he requested something from the Halo series, specifically the third iteration. Luckily, Overclocked Remixhad only one such work.

We take looks at comics, sometimes for Horizons Watches, sometimes for awards show wrap-ups, that are not nearly long enough to put together the aspects of the story, art, and other pieces of the ever-elusive comic puzzle. While we’re not sure if this will be a regular thing, Red’s Planet (17:53) fit that bill more than perfectly. As a Horizons Watch pick from all the way back in Episode 213, our time with this all-ages, space-faring tale was much too brief. Here, we get a chance to catch-up (hence the hopefully one-time title) with the archives thus far and it is a wonderful journey, indeed. As always, we mention other comics in our discussions:

All this, plus: A tutorial on Mac and Me, the zeitgeist of E.T. vs. the endearing, enduring legacy of Mario, a new perspective on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Cameron Frye’s Ball-Trippin’ Day Off?), and Steve’s son makes his podcast debut while his dad focuses primarily on gentalia, particularly of the male variety. Join us!

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Digital Strips Podcast 290 – Review – Blue Yonder

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News tends to pile up when we don’t get around to a new episode for a couple of weeks. Case in point…

  • (11:30) Penny Arcade Kickstarter (I tried to keep it brief, horribly failed at that)
  • (14:22) The Oatmeal raises funds to fight FunnyJunk, says F-U in the process
  • (14:43) Ryan Estrada’s The Whole Story now truly pay-what-you-want
  • (15:37) Battlepug wins Best Digital Comic at the Eisners

So many big stories, and then we mentioned more comics. Suckers, we are. Giant suckers.

If you’re looking for something game-related to groove to through the break that relates to a comic called Blue Yonder, what goes better than any of the thousands of remixes based on Capcom’s iconic blue bomber? This one is by Jakesnke17 and it’s called “Switchblade Fangs” (18:00).

American comic books (graphic novels?) have long been chastised for a look and feel that echoes everything that’s come before. Sure, if one were to stick to only the superhero, big tentpole books, that would likely be true. But there is so much available out there these days, such an assumption is, at worst, presumptuous. At best, it’s dangerous. Blue Yonder takes a look that not only harkens back to previous works, but does so all the way back to the early Marvel style started, and still emulated, by Jack Kirby.

But the story diverges from there, offering family drama and zeroes trying to become heroes. Is it enough to make the bright superheroics worth your time? Listen in and tell us what you think! If that doesn’t strike your fancy, then let me know what you think of Steve’s singing! Yeah, I’m… I’m sorry for that.

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Digital Strips Podcast 289 – Review – Super Brophy Bros.

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The KindThis week, we’re holding nothing back. The kid gloves are off, all our cards are on the table, and we’re telling the whole story. And I mean The Whole Story (5:40).

So just what is The Whole Story? If you’re a gamer of any shape, size, or color, you know that there are various indie game bundles available now (examples of which you can find here and here), bundles that ask you to pay a price you determine. In return, you get access to DRM-free games. Simple as that, you pay more, you might get more, but mostly you’re just helping out a great cause (supporting the developers as well as giving to a number of gaming-centered charities).

All-star comicker and just all-around-awesome-dude Ryan Estrada has gotten together arguably the most illustrious group of comics people and put together seven books, all of which can be yours for various amounts of your generous giving. The names include (but are not limited to…)

We’ve got previews of all of the books on offer in our possession and will be bringing you our thoughts in the shows to come. In the meantime, stop by the site and get them for yourself. This would be a great thing to see continue for the good work that these creators have done.

Other comics mentioned in our first segment (because Steve didn’t already hate me enough…)

Our break ramblings consist of a sophisticated, detailed breakdown of the importance of giant, swinging robot testicles in Michael Bay’s filmography. I can think of nothing more fitting than a remix from the NES-born, classic Contra series to guide us through. This offering is Feeding Frenzy by goat (14:46).

Reviewing gag-a-day comics tends to be a task which hinges on one question: are the jokes funny? Without daily guffaws, tee-hees, and LOLs, a comic that relies on a punchline for entertainment will land flat and limp, no question. So what is the verdict for THIS buddy gag-a-day comic?

Our discussion yields a mixed bag, as well as a discussion of non sequiturs and why they sometimes just don’t work out. Also in our discussion, a comic is mentioned!

As always, we want to know what you thought about this comic. Did the jokes hit every time for you? Were you left wanting more? Leave a comment and find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Soundcloud, and Audioboo. The conversation about webcomics never stops!

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Digital Strips Podcast 288 – Review – Epicsplosion

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If you need THE highest webcomics authority with regards to the entire lyrical composition of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme as well as the answer to the group what performed Funkytown, then you’ve come to the right podcast! As a bonus for our paid members, we also run down a webcomic news item or two and take a look at a comic.

Ok, since you refuse to pay for it, we talked about some comics …

… and took a brief look at the possible kerfuffle forming on account of Seth MacFarlane’s new talking teddy bear vehicle, Ted, looking and feeling an awful lot like Lucas Turnbloom’s imaginary but still incredibly lewd and crude teddy bear tale, Imagine This (10:42).

Our halftime break conversation about poo (shocker, I know) is accopanied by the frenzied sounds of DaMonz’s Star King (16:13), remixing a classic Star Fox track with bits and pieces from within the game. If you didn’t know, a lot of our break music comes from the fines, hard-working creatives posting their stuff at Overclocked Remix. You are highly encouraged to scope all the wicked remixes based on your favorite video game franchises.

It is with great pleasure and privilege that we are able to bring you another of Tauhid Bondia’s works. Previously, we looked at Goodship Chronicles (23:18, show linked here), and this time, we run through another space-faring adventure, but this time, with a sweet twist.

This comic, featuring the brave, Han Solo-esque Tripp Rougestar, is a Choose Your Own Adventure-type (trademark?) story where you determine what happens to our dashing hero. Want to toss a grenade out of the ship’s hatch, trying to catch the bad guys unawares? Or would you rather send your shrimpy, frumpy sidekick out to clean things up? You make the decisions! And, if you’re like me, you can go back and start over if things don’t work out!

Also, Steve had never heard of “Mark Wahlberg Talk To Animals.” Shame on you if you haven’t, either.

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