Episode 376: Debonairness … For Ladies (Review feat. Jumping Boy)

Miss Universe contestant as a TransformerSure, we feature our take on the tired format of American pageants, but we have too much webcomics talk (yes, webcomics!) in this episode to focus on frivolous topics. Jason caught up with Gun Show and checked out Expecting to Fly, while Steve recommends Happy Jar and Lake Gary. After a bit of news involving Jason Shiga’s Demon and The Legend of Bill, we leap right into a review of Jumping Boy. We’re bounding about with joy, so slap on your magic goggles and join us!

The midshow music is provided by Ryan Hemsworth.

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Episode 374: Deep Fried Racism (Horizons Watch feat. Tenko King and Tove)

Egg rollsJason celebrated a birthday and, in the process, lost his dang mind. That’s why you get Monsterkind (previously featured as a Horizons Watch pick) as his Whatcha Been Readin choice, while Steve keeps it real with a new pick, Itchy Feet. Composure is regained as the guys talk about their brand-new Horizons picks, Tenko King and Tove. If it feels like it’s all happened before … well, maybe that’s just you?

Midshow music provided by Maduk.

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Episode 364: Big Bang or Better? (Review feat. PLOX)

Chili cheese fries with nacho cheeseJason wants cheese fries and Steve is no help (nacho cheese on your fries is the first and worst mistake you can make). To satisfy your webcomics cravings, we chat briefly about Agnes Quill and Skullchaser before dissecting the gamer-centric comic, PLOX. Speaking of dissecting, the bug talk in the midshow gets creepy and gnarly. You’ve been warned.

Our midshow features the track, “Immune To All” from the album, Metal Works.

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Episode 363: French Fried Tatums (Book Club feat. Digger – Vol. 3)

Silver SurferIt’s World Cup time, and we care about the U.S. team’s chances in this year’s tournament! Until they lose, of course. Then we go back to not caring about soccer, along with every other American sports fan. One thing we will always care about is the comic, Digger. After we chat briefly about Solo and Samurai Genji, we go deep and discover more charming things about this can’t-miss piece of work.

The midshow music comes to us from “Sunken Secrets“, a track off the Super Mario remix album, Portrait of a Plumber. Check it out!

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Episode 351: Fight, Canine! (Review feat. Battle Dog)

Dave Batista of the WWEHe’s a raccoon, he’s a tree, and together they make podcast magic! In this episode, Jason travels to a land where time is forgotten to take a look at Jeff Smith’s Tuki, while Steve attempts to climb (Peter Wortman’s) Over The Wall. After that, they buddy up to review the adorable, jokey Battle Dog. Climb on and blast away!

Midshow music: “Black Onslaught” by FaytxStay from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.

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A scary explaination

Alright everybody, huddle up and take a knee.

It’s time we have a talk. No, Jason and I aren’t getting a divorce and your grandma is fine. It’s neither of those talks. We’re gonna talk about where babies come from.

I’m sure you’ve noticed two weeks have come and gone without our special brand of Internet chicanery, and I think you deserve to know why. It’s mostly because the universe has decided it’s high time I learn a lesson. I’ve been an avid listener of podcasts for just about a decade now. I still think it’s the best form of entertainment out there.

Through the years, many of my favorite shows have taken unannounced hiatuses stating the reason to be the dreaded “computer problems.” My being the self-entitled twerp that we all are, thought that those unprofessional dickwads should just pony up the cash and get a new whatever as soon as it broke in the first place. Didn’t they know I was waiting for a new episode?

Well Kharma as officially finally bit me, square in the fruit basket. The computer that I use to record on has given up the digital ghost and with my wife and I expecting our second child here and day now, I can’t afford to run off and buy a new one.

Hopefully I’ll be able to rectify this soon. In the mean time, go back and enjoy some old episodes, listen to the Rambletrons on SoundCloud or Grooveshark. And go find us some new comics. I’m going to be up to my butt in diapers and need a distraction that I can do while holding an infant in one arm.

Thanks for your patience guys. We’ll have some filler content on the site and will get back to business as soon as we can.

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

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 280 – Horizons Watch – Runewriters and Unicorn Soup

They say that good things come in threes. Well, I say, then how do you explain Twix bars, huh? Those are good things and they only come in twos (and the super legendary fours). Continuing this tradition of things that are awesome coming in pairs, this week’s show takes a look at two new comics and lets you know which horse to back early so that you can look cool in front of your friends.

First up we had Runewriters, and yes, there’s more to this strip than that theme song I wrote for it a few shows back. It’s a fantasy tale full of magic, wonder and people overcoming their disabilities, whether they be deaf, or slowly turning into a tentacle monster and getting chased by a glowing talking wolf.

Continuing with our theme of two words per name, we move on to Unicorn Soup, a gaming comic for the over-30 crowd. I know they keep releasing reports that most gamers fall into this category but it sure doesn’t seem that way on Xbox Live or when I skim through any number of gaming comics. Unicorn Soup sets the record straight and does it in comic form, which is the only way I’ll read record straightening.

All this as well as chatting about the chance of a web comic making it in the non-web world and Jason makes the wrong kinds of friends.

As always, we deeply desire your feedback. Please leave a comment below.

Show Notes:

Toothpaste for dinner 4:00
@drewtoothpaste 5:00
Adulting 6:45
Dinosaur Comic 6:45
Buttersafe 7:30
Axe Cop 9:00
Ratfist 9:15
Battle Pug 9:15
The Abominable Charles Christopher 12:30
The Meek 17:00
XKCD 22:00

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Digital Strips Podcast 277 – Review – Delilah Dirk

April 2nd is always the saddest day of year for me because it’s the day that I have to face the fact that all the cool stuff I saw the day before isn’t real and will never happen (Google, if you’re reading that, that Mars thing still hurts). I hope we can make your April 2nd a little brighter with another episode and another great comic.

This week we’re taking a look a Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Luetenent by Tony Cliff. It’s a fun-fill, swash-buckling romp through the exotic lands of the Near East. Since the comic wrapped up in late Feburary this is a rare chance for us to talk about a full story arc as it was intended to be read by the creator. It’s a strange concept to us, but I think we handle it ok.

We also talk about the “proper” way to read a long form story based comic, the proper way to handle sexy characters and violence in comics and the proper way to searve burgers and tacos. It’s a good time. Please join us.

Show notes:
Space Trawler
Reptilius Rex
Not invented Here
Dawn of the Ninja
Diesel Sweeties
Boumeries
Gunnerkrigg Court
The Dreamer
Questionable Contact
Order of the stick
Realm of Atland
Schlock Mercenary
Shortpacked
Corporate Skull

Mmpph the way you mmpph

The Meek
Next Town Over
Rice Boy
PVP
Bug

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Lovecraft Is Missing Book 5 Begins September 2nd

I have watched TV shows for so long that the concept of seasonly delivered content is nothing new to me. And if comics want to be thought of in that same manner, so be it. I consume so much content online that I am never left wanting for something to read, watch, or experience. Combine that with the fact that Lovecraft Is Missing, the terrific occult suspense webcomic from Larry Latham, is returning next Friday after a summer hiatus and I have no reason not to shout this information from the rooftops.

Sure, Larry was kind enough to set this date in stone the moment the previous “season” ended, but time is a harsh mistress in the world of the Web so consider this your official reminder. The full rundown of what’s in store, straight from Larry himself, can be found below the image.

The mysteries begin to unfold as Nan Mercy, Win Battler and Father Munsford Jackey delve deeper into the disappearance of an obscure pulp fiction writer in 1926. Cosmic horror and pulse-pounding adventure swirl around the multiple factions moving towards an as-yet unknown goal, with the only certainty being that the result is not in the best interests of humanity. Is Lovecraft the key to defeating the evil, or is he merely a pawn in a larger game that somehow centers around his creations? Or is there a more terrible truth waiting to be uncovered?

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