Book Club Bookmark: Schlock Mercenary

Back in 2014, our very own Digital Dynamic Duo took on a challenge of truly diabolical proportions – bringing the vast, 16-year old sprawling universe of Howard Tayler’s Schlock Mercenary into your earbuds, through the tried-and-true stalwart of the airwaves: the Digital Strips Book Club!

Turns out, though, that reading through every update of a webcomic that’s being going since June 2000 is a galaxy-sized task all of itself. So rather than saddle you, dear readers and listeners, with the boredom a grind like that can bring, the Geek and the Midnight Cartooner moved on to greener pastures vowing that they would, one day, return.

And so, in the spirit of that fine tradition we introduce the Book Club Bookmark: A look back at the comics which have been covered by the podcast in Book Club form, and seeing where those comics are today (if they are still updating at all). Continue reading

Share

Goodbye Old Friends: Reinvention in Long-form Webcomics

 

There’s nothing quite like getting stuck into a long-running long-form webcomic.

I mean, gag-a-day and strip comics are great too, but you don’t get the same kind of joy you get watching your favourite characters grow and develop week by week: fleshing out backstories, deepening their characterisation, refining the way secondary characters interact with the protagonist/s and even watching them go off on their own adventures, and…

Hang on, whatever happened to that character? It’s been years now since they took that new job in another city, shouldn’t we check in to see how it’s going?

Nope! That character you were invested in has fallen victim to the trope so common in this form of storytelling: the rotating cast roster.

“But I loved that character”, I hear you cry! “Why would the author do this to me?” – now before you rage-quit the comic, or lose interest and let it languish as an open browser tab with the dozens of others you’ll never get back to (looking at you, Steve!), let me explain why your favourite comics do this, and why it really is a good thing. Continue reading

Share

Pro Grapplers Episode 45: RAW Is Boring

Noam Dar attempts to enjoy his Pizza Hut Cheesy Bites Pizza but is interrupted by The ClubJason still loves the Fashion Files, but has no time for Facetime in wrestling matches and thought Raw was a rerun this week. Steve dug Okada vs. Omega, loves that Lucha Underground is back, and stays hyped about the return of the Hype Bros. Together, they run down the Money in the Bank card, including two MitB Ladder Matches!

Share

Today I Learned (Nothing) Episode 38: Dan Aykroyd’s Ghostly Wiener PSA

Dan Aykroyd poses with his weird drink in a skull-shaped bottleSteve assumes any lady wearing matching underwear is up to something, so Jason helps him crank that up to 11. Also, have you really given the Dan Aykroyd getting his weiner touched by a ghost scene in Ghostbusters enough thought? The guys think not and offer their opinions and expertise.

Share

Pro Grapplers Episode 44: The Best Laid Plans of Miz and Men

Dana Carvey in The Master of Disguise

NOT a Jinder Mahal joke

No matter what you thought about the endings of Extreme Rules, it’s behind us and we move on. This week, we talk about how awesome Samoa Joe was with Paul Heyman, how Dean Ambrose loves to hide (and we love him for it), the continuing Cassening, the Women’s Money in the Bank briefcase, the continued excellence of the Fashion Files (telepathy and romper edition), and the no-go for Mojo.

Share

Today I Learned (Nothing) Episode 37: The Pant-riarchy

Casual friday at the office, wearing flip-flopsSteve has been on the West Coast for all of a couple months and he thinks the East Coast needs to CHILL OUT. The Midwest simply says, “meh.” Also, the guys talk about why you want a strict dress code when it comes to your accountant. Finally, Jason is trying to eat healthier. He thinks this means he should eat more cheese. Steve tells him why that’s dumb.

Share

5 ways to support webcomic creators (without even trying)!

We all love webcomics – but sometimes expressing that love can be hard! We don’t always have the time or the cash to support the people creating these digital scribbles we hold so dear: sending emails, buying the merch, ordering print collections… if only there was an easier way!

Despair not, Digital Strippers (um…)! There are indeed easy ways for you to support your favourite creators – without even trying! Here’s five of the best you can do right now: Continue reading

Share

Digital Strips Episode 483: Win State

Fake news on the front of the newspaperFor the second week of our look at the nominees for the Eisners, the guys check out the five comics nominated for Best Digital Comic: Bandette, Edison Rex, Helm, On a Sunbeam, and Universe!. There’s something old (previously featured), something new, and something that can only be described as fake news that Steve is spreading about one of the four-peat nominees.

Share

Pro Grapplers Episode 43: People Just Tell Me Stuff

Corey Graves needs to leave Raw immediatelyShane made the first Women’s Money in the Bank match in history! Alexa Bliss and Bayley had one of the worst segments in Raw’s history! Orton will beat Mahal because of history! Is Aries poised to finally win because of history? And for the first time in the history of Extreme Rules, a historic Fatal 5-Way match will determine the number one contender for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship, which has gone missing for the first time in WWE’s history! It should be a memorable one, if not historic.

Share

Searhing for Strip Search – Finale

Finales are exciting!

And on 14 June 2013, the Strip Search finale was no exception! We had watched them battle through the ranks, we had watched them face off against all the challenges, and it was finally time to find out who was going to win the grand prize of a year working in the Penny Arcade offices and $15,000 in cold hard cash. Continue reading

Share