One of my all time favorite web comics has to be A Softer World by Emily and Joey. The stylized photographs along with the eerie statements give you the impression that you are only witness to half of story. Sometimes the strips can be off-beat and humorous, and other times they can be a little on the creepy side.

The writing is poignant, and actually causes you to stop and think about the characters in these three-panel strips, which is odd considering that none of them are recurring. It is truly a testament to the artists when a reader develops a sense of sadness or fondness within the context of a single strip.

I don’t want to undermine the humor of A Softer World with all this talk of creepiness. The format of the strip allows for some weird one-liners that include cats cleaning hair, gang morals, and the devastation of someone who can’t contain his lust.

This comic has raised my eyebrows repeatedly throughout the years, either through slow sadness or disturbing humor. Maybe if I pray enough this comic will be around for many years to come to decorate my desktop and brighten my day.

Yep, it’s officially summer and it is hot as balls in Texas right now. But do you know what’s even hotter than balls? Today’s Leave It To Jesus strip!

YOU’VE JUST BEEN SEGWAYED!

So today’s Leave It To Jesus comic is all about a conversation that actually happened in the alley behind the creator’s old apartment. It involves a crack deal, a pointless apology, and of course the Savior of all man kind. The creator said that his neighborhood was so bad that scenes of 8 Mile were shot in that alleyway. The horror! I feel bad for the guy simply because he had to be within a hundred feet of Eminem.

Our friend T-Rex at Dinosaur Comics raised an interesting point today. He noted that after a enlongated period of time, jokes just aren’t funny anymore. I stopped to think this over, and realized that this is quite true. I mean, who sincerely laughs to tears at Shakespeare anymore? And there isn’t a single Murphy Brown episode that I have yet to decipher into any kind of comedy gold.

I guess as times go by, topical humor fades away and only the meat and potatos of comedy are left standing. Shows such as Three Stooges, I Love Lucy, and of course Three’s Company are still here with us today because they honored the age-old practices of physical comedy and perfected timing.

And that leads me back to T-Rex. One of the greatest attributes of Dinosaur Comics is the almost perfected writing and timing of the punch lines. This is one of few web comics that actually cause me to laugh out loud. Today’s strip did exactly that when I read the punch line in the last panel.

Because as everyone knows, I’m dumb for Dinosaur Comics.

It’s review time again, and I’ve decided to talk about a web comic that was emailed to me through the Fleen contact thingy. It’s Velvet Goat, which is comprised of numerous artists and their own slide-show style comics.

Jim Luian’s comics are connected and carry a plot-line full of drug-smuggling and transvestites. His comics stood out to me because I enjoyed his style and colorful characters. Other artists such as Matt Leong focus on the grim aspects of life, including horrible sabotage.

There are many more artists on this site that offer their own brand of comedy, drama, and distinct drawing talents. Velvet Goat offers a mix of artistic ability, wonderful writing, and leaves you with an appreciation for the dark side of life, since without it we could never see the humor in every day living.

The strangest dream I ever had was when I was fighting inner-city crime with the Mario Brothers. It was animated and I looked like Cat Woman for some reason. Anyways, I bring this up because in a recent Able and Baker strip Able has a crazy-ass dream featuring a member of Poison.

And on another note, I am praying to whatever god that is neccesary to get a Diablo the Chicken figurine. It would be the greatest thing on earth if a Pintsize figurine showed up on shelves as well. I would die of web comic bliss. And then come back to life to write for Fleen, of course.

Have you ever wanted to decimate an enemy with a katana? I know I have. And in today’s Cartridge Comics, one of my greatest foes was taken out by the T-shirt Ninja. His slash attack deftly took care of a problem bothering us all…Pokemon. The annoying kid from that show finally got it, and when I say “got it” I mean cut in half. Bravo, T-Shirt Ninja, bravo.

If only Cartridge Comics updated not only on Mondays. How bright and wonderfully murderous my days could be. I imagine I would be like Scarface, without the coke addiction. Who am I kidding, I crave the powder.

I’ve decided to surface from my room, after numerous hours of honing my Guitar Hero skillz. What pulled me out of my gaming stupor was today’s Diesel Sweeties strip. Protesting furries and and goth chicks dressed as kitties always get my attention.

I love it when artists do their own newspaper spins, they never cease to amuse me. The newspaper at DS is the “Yiffington Star-Tribune”, which is all up in arms over the horrible presence of furries in our society. I personally have nothing but mad love for furries. Who am I to judge if a person wants to get it on with a bear-man? Another plus for the DS newpaper is the story “Snakes! Are they on your plane?” I hope not.

Anyways, I enjoy R.Stevens and his wonderfully pixalated artwork. Especially when it’s talking about weird sex practices. And the strip raises yet another provocative question, do bears have natural enemies? If so, who are they and are they armed?

I think a Bald Eagle with Adamantium claws could take a bear down, and look totally extreme while doing it. Note to self: develop Bald Eagle with Adamantium claws.

So we’ve all heard about the war between Dumbrella and DayFree Press. The big rumble at the Puck Building during MoCCA that ended in catastrophe is what caught my eye. Who knew that a humble web comic artist had the power to decimate all of North America? I say that’s pretty impressive Jeff, pretty impressive indeed.

I’m not sure if I could choose between Dumbrella and Dayfree. I love white ninjas, but I just can’t make myself side against the PoopMonster. He’d have my knees broken for sure.

 The only reason that I would suggest that Dayfree would win is because there are two, count em’, two ninjas on the team. Who could win against two ninjas? Not I. I’m not positive if the notorious Englishman could withstand that kind of fury.

What do you think, readers of Fleen? Who do you think should have won in the Great MoCCA War? Dayfree or Dumbrella?

We all have secrets. Some are worse, twisted, and weirder than others. Some are just embarassing or ridiculous. That is why I love secrets. Diesel Sweeties touches on the topic of secrets in today’s comic. I enjoyed Clango’s secret, which was “I wet the bed, but not in the way you’d think.”

After thinking about what secrets I hold, I’ve decided to share one with you today. I have a Star Wars tattoo on my right leg. It’s the Rebel Alliance insignia from the original trilogy. That’s right, I’m a nerd.

I’m back from A-Kon and still in one piece, which is a true convention miracle. I know anime isn’t truly related to web comics, but I went there in high hopes of finding potential web comic artists. After a lengthy search through the artist tables, and dodging costumed fan after costumed fan, I found him.

 I found the one web comic artist at that convention. His name is Daniel Fu, and is the artist for a new comic, titled The Retriever. I decided to check his comic out, since he drove all the way from Austin in hopes that some one would give his comic a little recognition.

The comic itself is written, drawn, and formatted like a typical comic book. It is in black and white, with full-color covers. The first issue is titled The Retriever: Daddy Issues. The style is a mix of crime-noir and kung -fu, which the artist so cleverly calls “noir-fu.”

What I really enjoy about the comic so far is the set-up for the upcoming storyline, which leads me to believe that there will be some serious kung-fu action in the future pages. Plus, I try to support anyone who is sacrificing time and money to do something they truly belive in. Good luck Daniel, I hope all your web-comic dreams come true.