“User Friendly”: a webcomics warning
While some webcomics tackle highly unique subjects (such as the talking-dinosaur-comedy of Dinosaur Comics), not all of them stray from the classics. User Friendly is one such example: a (mostly) traditional workplace comedy which has been running since 1997. With progenitors such as Dilbert and Office Space, User Friendly is in good company. It also usually manages to put its own unique spin on the model. For instance, there are two sentient creatures known as the Dust Puppy (a living lint ball) and the Crud Puppy (a creature composed of keyboard crud). There is a computer geek who hangs out with Hastur and Cthulu. And there’s a programmer who’s addicted to hot ramen from a cup (okay, that’s not so unique). (more…)
“Usagi Yojimbo” animated web-comics
If you’ve never seen a rabbit samurai before, you’re not alone. Stan Sakai’s comic creation Usagi Yojimbo (“rabbit bodyguard” in Japanese) doesn’t have the mainstream recognition as Superman or Spiderman, or even a similar anthropomorphic warrior comic, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, you can get acquainted with the character at publisher Dark Horse’s website, which features four unique animated comic strips.These comics advance panel-by-panel as you click on them, with animations taking place within the panels themselves. There are currently four episodes, which follows Miyamoto Usagi (a walking, talking rabbit trained in the ways of the samurai) as he encounters an assassin with a unique penchant for folding cranes. (more…)
Myspace Dark Horse Presents is a stunning return to form
In the 1980s and 1990s, Dark Horse Presents was one of the pinnacles of the independent comics industry. Each month, it featured a variety of talents who would grow into recognized masters of the art form. The first of these was Paul Chadwick, whose character Concrete (a realistic look at what life would be like for a man whose brain is trapped in a concrete body). Later, Frank Miller’s hardboiled Sin City was serialized within the anthology’s pages. When the book ended in 2000, it was mourned by many. (more…)