Alrighty faithful listeners, things are back to normal here at Digital Strips Central. I’m back in the saddle ready to review some comics. After almost a month off, i was pretty pissed off and ready to vent my frustrations at the nearest comic with bug-eyed characters I could find. The comic that fit the bill was Pajama Forest by Evan Diaz.

This was a fun show all around. We start with the Google News alerts (which we’re still taking feedback on, so if you feel one way or the other about it, please inform us) then get right into the meat of the matter: Pajama Forest. We talk about all the usual topics. What we like, what we don’t. What made us laugh, what made us cry. We grow closer to each other. It’s truly Oscar worthy entertainment.

What do you guys think? Is the comic too random? Too short? Too funny? Let us know in the comments, that’s what they are there for.

Show Notes:
Penny Arcade
PATV
PVP
Achewood
American Elf
AV Club top comics
The Ontarian Blurb
Bobwhite
Nerdriod
Lackisdaisy
Tiny Kitten Teeth
Cross Hare
Love Sick Comic
My Cardboard Life
Insert-Joke-Here

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OK boys and girls. A few of you may remember way back in our last show I said that I would disappear for a while because of my wife having a baby. I said this way back then because it was a week before the due date and people had told us stories about babies coming way before their parents were ready. In truth though, the due date is nothing more than an arbitrary point in time, some where in the middle of a month where you just walk around the house with a catcher’s mitt.

Not wanting to leave you guys completely showless Jason went ahead and planed a Zuda Watch for this month. Right before we were about to record though, I had to get ready to go to the hosipital because babies hate the Internet. Fortunately Mr. David Gallaher was willing to join in and save everyone from having to hear Jason talk to himself for an hour.

So tune in and take a frightening look at a world with out Steve “The Geek” Shinney.

Here’s a spoiler: It’s still a pretty goo world what with all the comics.

Sorry no show notes this time. They dropped a lot of names of creators that I didn’t recognize because I’m not that smart.

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Wow, that’s a bugger-long name.

However it does tell you what the comic is about, which is handy.

This episode we take a look at Edmund Finney’s Quest to Find the Meaning of Life by D. Long. The strip does something very few strips do by having a constantly changing class and Jason and I talk about the strengths and weaknesses of such an approach. We also talk about how to take Web comic constants like random buttons, about pages and alt text and how to make them something you own.

Also we try out a new feature called “Jason Reads His Email” or “Digital Strips Google News Alerts” and learn that Steve will never get any faster at cranking out the edited version of this show. It’s a good time for everyone.

Strips mentioned in this episode:
DS Adventures
Rice Boy
Order of Tales
Freak Angels
Ghost Pimp
World of Hurt
Bayou
High Moon
David Gallaher Interview on Digital Strips
Old Republic Web comic
Suger Shock One Shot
Sugar Shock Review Show
XKCD
Atland
Looking for Group
Wonderella-ella-ella

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We’re trying something new this time around. It’s been a year since we started our (mostly) monthly look at new comics just peeking over the Horizon, so Jason thought it would be a good idea to go back and play a little “Where are they now?”

We’ve gone back and reread the strips featured in episodes 145 and 148 and seen what they’ve done over the last year. Some have gone up, some have gone down. Tune in, and then let us know what you think.

Reviewed Strips:
Sparko
Head in the Clouds
Skadi
One Swoop Fell
Ellie Connelly
Bear Nuts

Other Strips Mentioned
Bolt City
Copper
The Meek

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So pretty much every web comics blog has already mention that Scott Kurtz has made peace with Zuda, at least in theory. He did a whole big nice write up about how he’s in the process of changing his mind about the contest and wishes the best of luck to all those involved.

There’s been a lot of stuff said on both sides of the fence about the Zuda issue. Some people adore it. Some people fear it. We here at Digital Strips have made no such comments because we have no such feelings. All we do is Watch. Zuda Watch.

Actually, the only statement I feel I’m informed enough to make about Zuda is that it has created a very passionate and lively community and the comics just keep getting better. This was another fun Zuda Watch to prepare for and put together. So go read all the strips, take a listen and lets discuss shall we. The comments button beckons you.

Sites mentioned in this episode:
Hijos de P
Clandestino
Bone
Reno
Much the Miller’s Son
Doctor Horrible
The Kind you Don’t Bring Home to Mother (Guess who’s coming to dinner as we refer to it in the show)
Rogue Royal
Lovecraft is Missing
Commissioned Comic
Digital Strips Adventures
Captain Excelsior
Riceboy

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Growing up I was convinced that Robin Hood was a anthropomorphic fox. It wasn’t until later that I realized that he was really a post man who could breathe under water and played a butt load of baseball. Later still I realized he was the Dread Pirate Roberts. Recently I learned he was actually British, and just a few months ago, I learned he was a bit of a dillhole.

This time around we talk about Much the Miller’s Son, by Steve LeCouilliard, one of the most European comics I’ve seen on the web. How does this new take on a classic tale hold up? Tune in to find out.

How’s that’s for mysterious?

Comic’s mentioned in this episode:
Dawn of Time
Questionable Content
I Love Tapes
Tiny Kitten Teeth
PVP
Penny Arcade

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Deep down inside this bitter old Web comic podcaster, beats the heart of a child who wants to leave this fast pasted life of sitting and reading funnies and live the simpler life that I’ve always dreamed of: That of a paleontologist. There’s just something about getting paid to dig in the dirt and think about dinosaurs that really really appeals to me.

Fortunately for me and my back I’ve found a strip that scratches the dinosaur and Web comic itches in one single place. Dawn of Time by Michael Stearns is the strip and the focus of this week’s review. Does it hold up or does it go the way of the dodo? Tune in to find out.

Strips mentioned in this episode:
Hereville
Abominable Charles Christopher
Kate Beaton

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I’m trying to think of something catchy to get you guys interested in listening to this week’s show, but Planet Earth is on right now, and I just can’t focus when there are monkeys on TV.

On this trip to the horizon we bring back two juicy, good comics for your enjoyment. Tales from the Looking Glass by Jamie Cottel and Anthony Perruzo and Snowflakes by the impressive team of James Ashby, Chris Jones and Zach Weiner.

So pull up a chair and a pair of head phones to find out why these comics belong in your Web browser and in your life.

Sites mentioned in this week’s show:
Zuda
Captain Excelsior
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Grumps

Special thanks to I Fight Dragons for our new outro music. Head on over to their website for more happening tunes. (you know they must be good if I’m telling you to go to myspace)

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It’s almost creepy how much this episode reminds me of the Digital Strips shows of years ago with Daku the Rogue and The Mighty Zampson. With the smart writer guy at odds with the lovable but dopey artist guy over a comic’s awesomeness. Fans of the old school podcast or the UFC shouldn’t miss it.

This time our two heroic hosts do battle over the strip Imagine This by Lucas Turnbloom. A classy looking gag a day full of great characters, personal violence and 80s nostalgia.

While we both had good things to say, Jason still felt the need to bring up a few issues that required me step up and defend the comic. A bloody podcast battle ensued and after an epic back and forth both parties were left sad and broken. And after all the work I put into finding a strip for him.

After such a betrayal of trust, I don’t know if we’re going to be talking anymore.

If this is a strip you’ve been planning on reading on your own, you may want to go a head and do it because cause there are several spoilers in the show, but if it’s new to you jump on in and see if we can convince you. I bet you two donuts that we can.

Show notes abound.
The Prehistory of the Farside
Least I could do
The System
Diesel Sweeties
Garfield
Get Fuzzy
Joe and Monkey
Calvin and Hobbes
Penny Arcade
Tall Tale Features
Legend of Bill
SuperFogeys
Dog Eat Doug
Gill

As always, we welcome and want your feedback, please leave it below.

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There seems to be strange new pattern emerging from Zuda Watch these days. Yours Truly, once the paragon of optimism and joy is finding more and more thinks to gripe about than every before. Meanwhile the Midnight Cartooner, a man once so bitter he was a few gray hairs from sitting on a bench and yelling at squirrels and immigrants, is beginning to sound a bit like a fan girl.

These episode we dig into another feast of Zuday goodness and lay it all bare before you. We do hope you enjoy it.

A while back some one told me it would be better it I had links to each entry in these notes so I’m going to give it a try. Also besides the name of each comic is the approximate time that we started reviewing it. Never say we Digital Stripists never respond to advice, it just takes us a half a year or so sometimes.

A Stinking Corpse 4:45
Absolute Magnitude 9:05
Antique Books 13:00
Artic 17:35
Bow and Arrow Detective Agency 23:00
Cards Kill 28:00
If you can see the hills 30:45
Octane Jungle 33:30
Psyicon 38:33
Rogue Royal 42:35

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