In honor of “Talk Like a Pirate Day” I’ve decided to review Pirate and Alien by Tyson Smith. I’ve known about this comic for a while, but have been waiting so it could build up a hearty archive of comics. Also, Gary has done a review of Pirate and Alien as well, but that was back in February so I thought a refresher course would be appropriate for today.

What stands out the most with this comic is the artwork. It utilizes a direct-compliment color scheme of blues and oranges, with the shading done in light grays. This color scheme results in an easy to read, enjoyable comic to gaze upon. Talented artists always amaze me because I can’t draw a stick figure if you gave me a ruler and told me to trace from another image of a stick figure. It would just end with a broken ruler and shattered dreams.

The two stars of the strip are, of course, Pirate and Alien. The two don’t have actual names; they simply go by what they are. Alien is an Interstellar Zoologist who desires to travel the universe searching for new life. Pirate is a scoundrel who is kicked off his ship, ala mutiny style. The two don’t start off knowing each other, but through a series of events they run into each other. The two are stuck together attempting to navigate through the suburbs of earth, not knowing what to expect.

I enjoy this comic for numerous reasons including the artwork and the fun characters. It is a campy; enjoyable read that I would love to see in newspapers. Because it’s about damn time that web comics get their say in the elusive, mystical, world of print.

I’m so pissed at myself. Why you ask? Because I just now read Hockey Zombie, and it’s fucking amazing. I feel like Arsenio Hall when he found out how damn good the cheese was.

I’ve seen banners for this web comic on various sites, but never looked into it. But that all changed the other day, when I decided to see what all the hulabaloo was about. All I can say is thank the ultimate maker (who is George Lucas of course) that I clicked on that banner.

I sat at a coffee house and literally read half of the archives till I was forced to go to my slave-labor of a job. And you know what? This comic made me laugh out loud consistantly throughout my perusal of the archives. People were staring at me like I was on some kind of green, leafy, miraculous substance. And maybe I was; the green, leafy, miraculous substance of Hockey Zombie.

The artwork is crisp, bright, and fun to look at. Chris Van Gompel truly utilizes the use of color and and various frames to bring the storyline to life. And have I mentioned this comic is fucking hilarious? When you combine a D.D.R. loving God, a wise-cracking Satan, and a patent pending Sex Box together in a comic you are bound for comedy gold.

The storyline alone kept me reading. Basically Chris played hockey, drank beer, and went to strip clubs. Then he was killed by Super Wang the stripper. He ends up in hell were he strikes up a deal with a certain gentleman to get back to earth. And from there the hijinks ensue. Trust me, the hijinks ensue to unearthly bounds.

I’m not sure what else to say about this comic, except that it’s a lot of fun and I’m ending this review right now so I can go finish the archives.

Yirmumah is known for it’s gag-a-day social commentary that has come to make me laugh fantastically hard at every update. But D.J. Coffman has decided to take his comic down a different path with the new set of strips titled “Prologue 1: Dad”.

D.J. has wanted to get those story-line demons out of his head for some time, and now he’s finally letting them loose on an unsuspecting public. I’m planning on joining Club Yurmumah so I can get all the weekly strips at once, because I’m intrigued into where D.J. is going to take the story.

All we know so far is that a mysterious, moustache-laden biker stops into a bar and starts reminicing about when he was a child, his dear mother would take in hobos and feed them. But as we all know, you can never trust a hobo.

 If you were wondering, Yirmumah will return to its normal format eventually. But for now I recommend the new Yirmumah because it’s not everyday that a web comic takes the brave leap from gag-a-day to story-driven dialogue. I support you D.J. because you have the balls to do what you want, even if it means smushing hobos with trains.

Everyone and their dog loves Questionable Content. Seriously, I’ve asked canines and they’re all “I love Jeph and that zany comic of his.”

But what about his other comic, Indie Tits? It has sat quietly by in the “Extra Credit” section of QC, waiting patiently for readers to come along. I started reading Indie Tits when Jeph first announced it’s creation, and have been a loyal fan ever since.

Now this strip is witty and sharp just like I imagine birds would be if we could understand them. They talk about bands, ridicule others for their taste in music, and constantly debate if Jesus could kick Darwin’s ass. They are crude, foul, and amazingly offensive to just about everyone. Especially if you enjoy soccer.

I never would have expected birds acting like total asses to be so damn funny, but it is. Thanks Jeph for the crude humor that is the bird kingdom, I can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

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.

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.

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.

The way Exploding Dog is created has always been a point of interest for me. A reader simply sends in to Sam Brown a title for a piece, and then he creates a picture based on how he interprets the title. This method is a simply innovative way to create a web comic while interacting first hand with fans of the strip.

The comics that come from this system are hilarious, poignant, and relates something human with every title. This comic captures humor, but also the sorrow and oddities that make up life. The mix of emotions that these comics create is what makes this strip unique.

The site offers plenty of merchandise to please any web comic shopper’s heart, and I am most definitely going to break my bank for these wonderful tees. Brown is also offering high-quality prints of almost any of his comics as well.

Exploding Dog is a worthy, notable comic that taps into everything wonderful and everything horrible about life, while making snazzy tees simultaneously. Do you really want to miss out on that? I didn’t think so.

My Livejournal account has turned into a hub of RSS feeds and something I almost never post on. Sunday morning at work I was catching up on my feeds and was delightedly surprised by Sunday’s Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller. More often than I’d care to admit I’ll read Non Sequitur and the comic goes right over my head. I always feel like there is something profound or at least clever that someone more cultured than I would recognize. Still I am compelled to read it daily.

Sunday’s comic was in this wonderful soft pastel coloring as if it were lifted straight from a children’s book. The comic, however, is serious and dark and hopeful and painful which feels unlike any emotion I’ve ever spent on Non Sequitur before now.

Danae is speaking to a man about the numbers tattooed on his arm. He answers her pushy questions but the answers bring her to tears. There’s a lesson here, or a memory maybe that our world has collectively forgotten and Miller almost touches it. This was a great comic.

Chili’s World is a quaint little distraction. That is the impression I was left with after reading it’s (admittedly short) archive. This doesn’t mean it’s bad – far from it – but, for now, it’s lacking that certain something that really sucks a reader in.

Santiago Casares has some decent ideas for his comic. The lemming that doesn’t jump over the cliff and Alice’s refusal to go down the rabbit hole are two of my favorites. The titular character Chili is slightly more problematic. It’s not that he’s an annoying character, but his loved up antics with the unnamed girl and her father are just not as entertaining as Mac’s intervention in the tortoise and hare race or the various reasons for the lemmings to go over the cliff. This might have something to do with the art style of the comic. Casares can draw great talking animals. Some of Mac’s facial expressions are priceless. Chili’s crush, her father and, to an extent, Alice just don’t look as good as the other characters. Some of the dialog also feels flat, though I wonder if this is the work of the evil language barrier.

It’s early days for Chili and the gang, and they do have some serious potential. Tighter dialog, better humans and a less clichéd love story would do wonders for the strip.