Digital Strips 235 – Book Club: Templar Az, Chapter 5

Holy friggin’ butt monkeys. Steve is updating on time. Take that past performance!

This week we jump back on the smelly Greyhound and head South to Templar Arizona for the final episode of Digital Strips Book Club dedicated to this comic. We discuss what’s happened in the story, what that means to the characters and most importantly, what that means to us as readers.

But before we get all AP English on people, we start out talking about the comics that has stood out to us this last week.

Twilight Monk2:45 We reviewed this comic and couple months ago, but thanks to our “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, Trent Kaniuga just barely found out. He posted a nice note with his link on his site and it made us visibly blush and verbally gush for a couple minutes.

Realm of Friggin’ Atland4:45 It’s back baby. The long months of waiting for the return of one of my top 50 comics (which is quite the honor given how much time I waste spend reading web comics) is back and of to rip roaring start.

SuperFogeys 5:45 Jason worked the system to see a future episode and he brags about it.

Listen Now9:00 A listener sent in these comic and I found myself reading it so I tell people about it.

During the break I sneak in a plug for our new side project. It’s still a baby but we love it.

We then jump into the real show. We talk about the comic, it’s huge list of character that seems to be slowing in growth and the sudden jumps, which are not getting any less sudden. I discuss my theory that this story is actually more of a play story structure than that of a comic. Then we jump into the characters, which ones have grown and improved and which ones bore the butts right off of us. Then we give our final thoughts over all.

Next weeks show will be about Remind so check that comic out and let us know what you think. We’d love to read some comments from the listens in the show.

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Digital Strips 234 – Horizons Watch: Corporate Skull and Kick Girl

UPDATED: Midnight here, filling in for Steve, who once again darted off to points unknown with nary a word beforehand. I’ll fill in the blanks for this episode via his hastily scrawled notes. Also, I promise not to sound so off-in-a-cave-somewhere-ish next time.

It’s only right to start this Horizons Watch episode with a comic that shows tremendous promise, despite only having one page posted thus far:

Next up, a mention of the perfect “WTF But This Is Awesome” comic on the web trifecta comprised of:

What is indie? What does this term mean for the various mediums it inhabits? Listen up in the first segment for our thoughts on the matter…

Definitely not in the WTF camp but certainly worth mentioning whenever possible:

This week’s Webcomics News Minute (10:45) has some great mentions, all in a neat, compact case you can carry in your pocket!

Other comics mentioned in our wake:

The music in the Music Break comes to us from the land of goodness that is Overclocked Remix. This particular remix is titled “Mega Man 2: QuickDraw” (17:36). I miss my arm cannon already…

Our Horizons picks this week are varied and awesome, as (nearly) always.

In our discussions we also bring up:

Finally, check the outtakes for that engaging conversation about the previously mentioned Messed Up Amish Guy.

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Digital Strips 233 – Review : Billy the Dunce

I’m back cool guys and girls and bring with my the 233rd episode of Digital Strips (now the question is, what did you get me?).

We waste no time (well no more than usual) as we get right back into the swing of things reviewing a comic that brings much comicness to the table. I’ve been holding back waves of web comics criticism for the last month and I and just aching to get it out. Billy the Dunce by Jason Week is the first comic to step up to the torrential downpour of opinion that wells up side me. Is it comic enough to stand up to the task? Listen and find out.

Oh and I guess Jason is in this one too. Proving he knows way too much about Full House.

Show Notes (now with time stamps)

News Section

Bun bun – 6:13
Oatmeal – 6:26
Not Invented Here – 6:39
Kate Beaton – 7:00
Perry Bible Fellowship – 7:04
Strewth – 7:10
BattlePug – 7:22

This Weeks middle song id
Frets of Fury by Vertrexguy

Review starts at 14:00
ChickenHare 16:03
Hereville , Pigtails and Potbellies, Bean, Snowflakes 16:45
Faraday the Blob – 17:15
Looking for Group – 17:45
Imagine This – 23:00
Sinfest – 28:15

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Digital Strips 226 – Things We Liked 2010

Another year has come and gone and with it the chance to sit around waxing nostalgic about the things can came and went with it. That’s what Internet windbags like to do during the last week of a year and who are we to be any less of windbags.

Every year we like to look back and recap what we think were the best comics of the year. Really it tends (and this year is no different) to devolve into us just listing off comic after comic (as the show notes will attest) and fits of indecision as to which one we like the most.

With the deaths of Zuda, we one had three categories this year. Best Horizon’s Watch (new comic), Best Comic Reviewed by Digital Strips and Best over all comic. We’re always changed the rules as we go, and here we go again, I’m not going to tell you who wins here. You have to tune in to find out.

Show Notes:

Webcomic Overlook
Rigby
Dawn Chapel
Chim Chum
My Milk Toof
Not invented here
Escape From Planet Nowhere
Retail
Grumpiverse
Zahra’s Paradise
My sister the Freak
Cleopatra in Space
Red’s Planet
snowflakes
Chavo and Don Anders
Hark! A Vagrant
Bullfinch
ChickenHare
Bear and Tiger
Bug
Faraday the Blob
Bean
Woody After Hours
Hello with Cheese
Kukuburi
Realm of Atland
Blambot
Rich Stevens
Sinfest
Penny Arcade
PvP
Questionable Content
4G
Johnny Wander
Dark Places
Smooth and Natural

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Digital Strips 225 – Review: Guttersnipe

OK, here we go.

This episode is another one of those old-school, fighty fighty shows were we butt-heads butt heads straight on. We’ve had enough of these of late to make me think this may be the new way the show is from now on so, hooray for progress.

This week the battle lines a draws squarely around Guttersnipe, the cartoony tale of the most adorable little red haired-skamp since Little Orphan Annie. Who I hate. Let’s say since Felicia Day instead, since I like her. This rags-to-rags tale rages all over a fictionalized 1930s America the likes of which the Internet has never seen. At least I hadn’t. If it’s out there some where else please let me know.

Anyway if I’m going to get the show notes linked before I go to work, I’d better wrap this up. Listen to the show and let us know what you think.

Speaking of Show Notes:
Smooth and Natural (warning today’s strip has boobies)
Comics Talk
Brigid
Fleen
The Overlook
Storming the Tower
Skadi
Gastro & Phobia
Chronillogical
19th century industrialist

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Digital Strips 224 – Review The End

Once again I must apologize for the fact that it is Tuesday rather than Monday, something that is my fault. I must also apologizes for the frist 10 seconds of audio. It gets better real quick I promise.

This week we take on another comic, but that isn’t all that surprising since that’s more or less par for this course. We also fight quite a bit, but once again, that’s sort of what you guys come here for.

This week we’re taking a look at The End a SciFi tale with a plot and a cast quickly spinning out of control. We talk about what we like and what we don’t like, both topics we have varying opinions on. We learn just how wrong Jason is and just how right I can be. All as an absurdity early hour.

All this, some web comics news and more tangents that you can shake a stick at, this week on Digital Strips.

Show Notes
comicpress.org
comicpress.net
Rigby the Barbarian
Kevin Mellon
SuperFogeys
Foxtrot
XKCD
Order of Tales
Web comic Overlook
Penny Arcade
PVP

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Digital Strips 223 -Horizons Watch Chim Chum and Smooth N Natural

This week it looks like everything is on time and in it’s place. Please don’t get used to this, I don’t think I can handle the pressure.

Jason and I are back in fighting form and pulling no punches this week. We’ve scanned Horizons looking for new comics and found what we like but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the other one likes it. This week we take on the black and white, single panel cutefest which is Chim Chum and the Portly Samurai. After that we head other to the wrong side of the tracks for the long form, blacksploitation epic, Smooth N Natural (NSFW). I always say this month’s Horizon picks are polar opposites it has never been more true.

Not too much else to say. We get all up in each others digital grills and there ain’t no nothing we can do about it. But there is something you can do about it, leaving a comment below is an excellent way to put which ever one of us you disagree with in his place. So get too it. Jason’s becoming insufferable.

Show Notes
Templar Arizona
Sinfest
Faraday the Blob
Captain August
Bear and Tiger
Lucas Turnbloom
4G
Transmission X
Sin Titulo
Abominable Charles Christopher
Kukuburi
Butternut Squash
Realm of Atland

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Digital Strips 222 – Review: ChickenHare

I have survived enough yummy stuffing to clog all my arteries with bread, sudden snow storms and 3 days with my family and I have done it all to bring you guys the latest episode of Digital Strips. Today the comic sacrificed to the gods of podcastery is Chickenhare, by Chris Grine. It’s a fantasy adventure tale without orcs, and it’s good, so how often does that happen? (Quite often actually, thanks to the magic of Web comics, but I still like to make a big deal out of it in case the video game industry is listening).

We talk about this comic, the fact that most of it cannot be found online, the transition to color, the characters, the dialogue and everything else that tickles our fancy. We take a look at some new comics and some classics that are pushing into new areas. And we do it all as quickly as possible, because Jason had the sniffles.

One of the shorter shows recently, so you’ve not no reason not to listen.

Show Notes:
Order of the Stick
Questionable Content
Imagine this
Pie Comic
Dracula vs King Arthur
Web comic factory
Rice Boy
Meek
Bean

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Digital Strips 221 – Book Club : Templar Az, part 3

Ugh, so sorry for the delay on this one. I won’t gross you out with the details of my illness and just say it was gross.

So this week we’re headed back to the brownest spot on the map, Templar Arizona as we read deeper into chapter three. Mostly we talk about pacing, why it’s so important for a comic, what makes for good and bad pacing and what can over come it.

It’s a fun show full of comical insight, clever analogies and Jason admitting he was wrong. Join us won’t you and then hit up the comments section.

Show notes (links coming soon)
Our Valued Customers
Web Comics Weekly
HalfPixel
Web comics dot com
Brad Guigar
Web comics What’s cooking
Legend of Bill
Dog eat Doug
PC Wienies
ChickenHare

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Digital Strips 220 – Review: Super Normal Step

I hope you like the old-school Digital Strips, because that’s how this episode is gonna roll.

There is a definite streak of disagreement running through this podcast. Jason and I could not seem to find any common ground and you, the good listeners get to reap the benefits.

We set our sites on Super Normal Step, the type of long form, page-based story strip we haven’t hit for a while. It’s full of action, adventure and smart-mouth fuzzy bunnies. Rather than settle into our normal routine of discussing the art and writing in a structured and civilized fashion we spend most of our time arguing our main thesis of whether or not the comic is good and refer back to these aspects as we go. It’s sort of different format and I’m curious what you guys thought, so please let us know.

Also as always we’re eagerly awaiting comments and emails so keep those coming.

Show Notes
Nodwick
Full Frontal Nerdity
Our Valued Customers
The Meek
Not Mad
The Dish
Web comics Beacon
Gigcast

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