Greetings, webcomic lovers! It’s your ol’ pal Midnight, reporting for the first time ever from the land of the married folk! The honeymoon is over, the Mrs. and I are gladly celebrating the holidays together and it seems there are some good feelings to pass along in the world of webcomics as well.

Through the magic of e-mail newsletters, the announcement of issue #1 of DJ Coffman’s eagerly-anticipated Hero By Night has been heard ’round the Internets! And not only will the first issue of this classic superhero tale be available very soon, but the comic book ordering service, Previews, has seen fit to feature the webcomicky goodness with a full-page spread!

To make this awesome opportunity a success for DJ, find your local, Previews-enabled comic shop via the Comic Book Shop Locator Service and tell them to carry Hero By Night, or else the terrorists win. People will do ANYTHING when you tell them the consequence is more terrorism.

In a shocking turn of events, Sean Tenhoff, the creator of Webcomic Idol-finalist, The Bean Men, has pulled his strip from the competition, citing a bout of cheating on his part by some overzealous readers.? The voting system has come under fire before and this latest issue, damning as it is for one contestant, should force the folks at Bomb Shelter to take a harder look at it before attempting another Webcomic Idol.

So is Bean Men done for?? The announcement (made by Tenhoff himself on the BS forums) has yet to be reflected in the votes, so stay tuned for the final fate of The Bean Men.

A down, but not defeated Midnight Cartooner here, joining you for yet another update of the only things that matter: webcomic news and video game lovin’. Webcomic Idol is FAR from over, so stay tuned for a detailed analysis of every strip still in-it-to-win-it. But for now, a few notes of a different competitive slant. Continue reading →

I won’t delay the inevitable; yes, the Webcomic Idol is the first and last thing on my mind this week (right after my impending nuptials, of course) and yes, I will be talking about it for the next few weeks. However, I will be talking about the process that I, as a contestant, am going through and, should I feel the need to talk about the quality of each strip, I will offer thoughts on ALL strips, not just one.

Why the clarification of how I want to feature the contestants? Well, it’s the opinion of some other pundits of the biz that the critiques of the strips involved in the contest should come in weekly, one-strip doses, leaving out the good/bad of the other strips and tossing a clear biased wrench into the works of the whole system. Nowhere in the rules does it state that anyone, even the judges, is denied the freedom to say what they want about any of the contestants. However, outside of pointing fingers before I know where to lay blame, all I can do is do what I feel is right and let others worry about their own motivations.

Disparaging outlooks aside, there have been some other things going down lately that are worth mentioning: Continue reading →

Alright, this is it, folks!? The first round of voting to determine the first-ever Webcomic Idol starts today!? Click here to vote, not for your favorite, but for the strip you want voted off.? That’s right, it’s got the feel of American Idol but the voting system of Survivor.? Not a problem, just something to keep in mind as you’re clicking away in support of your favorite!

And yes, my strip is one of the lucky top ten, but I’ll be doing my best to give an unbiased report of the shenanigans, regardless of whether I’m still in or not.? If you think this is unfair or wrong, let us know and we’ll get someone else covering the event.? Thanks and get to votin’!

Leave it to the ol’ boss man to steal the thunder of The Midnight Cartooner! Of course, he didn’t take ALL the good bits of news. I’ve still got a few more tidbits here and there that are certainly worth reporting on. And so, I shall!

• To start with though, I revisit an item that Daku already talked about, but which has piqued my interest for several reasons. Dave Kellett was finally able to take the pop-culture-driven, all-ages fun of Sheldon solo, dropping the support of a major syndicate in lieu of a more personal, self-published and run presentation. Continue reading →

Ok, so the move is now complete! I’ve uprooted my life for the fourth time in as many years and relocated to scenic, urban Richmond, VA! I REALLY loathed the idea of gathering up all my stuff AGAIN and reclaiming my nomadic ways AGAIN, but it’s the crazy things that we do for love, right?

But excuses are for the timid and the weak, and The Midnight Cartooner boasts some of the most incredible webcomic blogging abilities you’ll ever see! Take my lifting of this giant heap of webcomic news as an example of my awesome might! Continue reading →

Chances are if you read webcomics regularly, you’ve heard of Chad Diez. Been a fan of The Pet Professional lately? Yep, that’s his crisp, concise line work there. Today: The Comic? That’s also Chad, lampooning the political and pop-culture headlines of today with natural satire and a smooth wit. The Sophisticated Pig? Also a great read, courtesy of Wiz Rollins’ uncompromising scripting and Chad’s dynamic, yet subtle style. Well, as of today, only one of these strips now feature Chad on visuals. Continue reading →

Do you do a webcomic? Do you deal with parody and/or homage involving other creator’s characters? Does it scare the CRAP out of you each time you do it?

Rich Stevens of Diesel Sweeties is one of those satirical webtoonists who occasionally utilize established ideas for making with the funny and he was recently dealt a blow from a galaxy far, far away from the very man many of us hold responsible for raping our childhood memories. Continue reading →