A while back, Wires got all hot and bothered about Web animation with its Dancing Banana Awards, our intent being to immediately follow with a similar tribute to online comics. Wires found, however, that Web comics suck. We trawled through MySpace, Google, The Webcomic List and Webcomics Nation, only to stare blank-eyed and bored at each successive strip. Most were poorly-drawn Japanime with all the humor of a double homicide. But in this driest desert of Web comic hell, a few sparkling oases appeared to refresh our weary traveler.
The first beacon of hope was “Lummox” (www.webcomicsnation.com/danmazur/lummox) by Dan Mazur. Lummox is a bulbous and clumsy ogre living among humans, ridiculed and outcast even by his own parents. After accidentally stopping a thief, Lummox is shoved into the spotlight and hailed as a hero. “Lummox” is visually awkward, mirroring its hapless protagonist, and brilliantly deals with themes such as fame, loneliness and acceptance. Encouraged by this black and white treasure, I decided to dig further.
“Nothing Better” by Tyler Page (www.webcomicsnation.com/tylerpage) was the next to whet my whistle. The comic book-style offering is an honest look at the tumult and confusion of being a college freshman. Katt and Jane are polar-opposite roommates at a Lutheran college. The visuals and dialogue for “Nothing Better” are thoughtfully done. Characters question themselves, each other and religion, all while engaging in the usual freshman hijinks. Each page is a distillation of the humor and distress of self-discovery, riveting in each panel and every word.
But hands down, the apex of Web comics is “Sinfest” (www.sinfest.net). Artist Tatsuya Ishida’s daily strip is the best thing (print or online) since “Calvin and Hobbes.” Funny, sexy, irreverent and gorgeous to look at, “Sinfest” is a unique world where grandiose theological questions and D-n’-F (dick and fart) jokes can exist side by side. Sinfest’s main denizens are Slick, a diminutive wannabe-pimp and Monique, the object of his sometimes misplaced affection. They are joined by a suit-wearing Devil, the Hand of God and Squigley the talking pig, among others. “Sinfest” flies into side plots filled with samurai, poetry slams, soul-selling and lesbian temptresses — each with insight and truckloads of funny.
Most Web comics suck harder than Maggie Simpson. They’re not worth the pirated copies of Photoshop (or the free copies of MS Paint) they’re made with. But a diligent trek through the mires of poorly-written unimaginative drivel unearths a few real gems. Webcomics Nation alone hosts “Okayboy,” “Stick ‘Em Up,” “eekeemoo,” “Absolute Hell” and “Bellen!” to name a few; all of which continually entertain. However, these offerings are more the exception than the rule.
