Comic: Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Artist/Writer: Zach Weiner

It is time to put the kids to bed and hit up a more adult-oriented Webcomic.  No, there is no nudity or 69 different positions to take notes on in this weeks strip.  There are, however, one liners that take on a vast range of issues facing working stiffs like us.

The first thing one will note when hitting this strip is that it looks like your neighbors kid did all the artwork.  Everything from the navigation menus to the boxes surrounding the ads looks like it was drawn with a crayon.  This is not a bad thing as it really keeps the atmosphere of the comic light and fun.  If you walk in trying to take this seriously, you will most likely walk away in some infant temper tantrum.

The comic itself is not going to win any awards for artistic talent.  Every thing is painted with flat primary colors, while the lines are thick and pronounced.  This is a step up from stick figures killing one another with stick swords, but not by much.

The art is not the main feature as the jokes are adulthood gold.  Everything from politics to sex gets the same humorous treatment.  Where else can you come and get an ascii dick joke in one comic and an astrology joke the next?  Even the awesomeness of Carl Sagan is not safe from this strip.  It is almost like Weird Al took up a pen and started writing comics!

Sure, the art might not be up there with the greats, but does it really need to be?  When you can target the worry of asking your wife to orgasm louder in three panels, you get our vote for one week of internet fame.  Just flip through the archives and I bet you find some jokes that will have you LOL’ing when you should be pencil pushing.  Check your rages at the door and enjoy this comic for what it is…humor!

Comic: The Parking Lot is Full
Writer: Pat Spacek
Artist: Jack McLaren

For this week’s webcomic we need to be prepared, get out your shotgun and rope, cover any exposed flesh and tie your running shoes tight, because here…’thar be zombies’.  That is right, this webcomic has been dead since 2002.

Why have I dug up this decayed and forgotten web entity? Because it was that damn funny and deserves to be shared. Also, it was quite popular in its day.  Many of its topics are timeless, as easily understood today as they were then.

Warning: This webcomic is dark humor and may be considered offensive. Dark humor is nothing new, from Aristotle’s The Poetics, Dante’s The Inferno, Kafka, Vonnegut, Twain and hundreds of others, it is a part of our nature.  It is a motif often found in other webcomics as well. But, where other webcomics occasionally dip their foot into the dark churning pools, PLIF dives in and revels in it, while laughing insanely.

From the  PLIF’s database of comic themes:

Abortion, aggression , alcohol, bureaucracy, cannibalism, censorship, childhood, cloning, conspiracy, consumerism, crime, death, disability, discrimination, disease, divorce, drugs, education, holocaust, insanity, linguistics, literature, love, media, military, nihilism, political, religion, sex, suffering, suicide, superstition, technology, world domination

Time seems to have erased most traces of the writer and artist, even their post-PLIF projects are no longer live websites. In an old article the writer, Pat Spacek, commented on his comic-creating vision:

“I’d probably end up writing the kind of characters Kafka always used to do. Wimpy losers crushed by forces they don’t understand, able to dredge up some kind of dignity but not being able to make it mean anything. Someone with an unconscious streak of masochism.”

The elements of existentialism definitely exist in Spacek’s writing; angst, despair and absurdity. But there is also meant to be a spark of hope originating from within the individual. I feel that Spacek shows that as well in some comics where he rants against an unjust system.

Philosophical considerations aside, the point of the various themes may or may not make you think, but they most certainly will make you laugh, even if its an uncomfortably chuckle.

Comic: Super Siblings
Artist/Writer: Patrick Scullin

Let us dive into yet another tech type comic.  This time in the form of Super Siblings.  Super Siblings is more than just some webcomic based on the fads of technology.  Oh no, we are also privied to some fun childish super hero antics as well.  This is a great blending of two of my favorite pastimes.

Super Siblings is like getting Nutella with your peanut butter!  The tech jokes hit home and generally nails tech news of the day.  The jelly side of this comic sandwich comes in the super hero/villain side of things.  The hero/villain side of things comes in the form of brother and sister.  Courtney Clark, the daughter, plays out as the evil doing miscreant.  Her brother, Conrad Clark, is the super hero.  All this happening while dear old dad worries about the latest techno-gizmo.

The art is all black and white.  Characters are drawn with thick bold lines.  The whole strip maintains that friend down the street who can draw really well feeling.  Though this may not be masterful works of art, it does capture the humor of two children trying to play their part in reeking havoc on the world.

One of my favorite strips that Patrick has done was his ComicCon stip.  Nothing captures the nerd excitement like a good ComicCon, and the last panel does a great job of capturing what I imagine the uninitiated to this geekdom would look like.  It is priceless.

Though the comic might appear simplistic at first, reading a few strips will reveal that all the childish fun details are captured where it counts.  Two kids trying their best to be comic-book characters, and two parents trying to handle it all while dealing with one another.  This is a fun comic than can be shared with everyone.  You never know, your kids might just get a good idea…or an evil idea.

Webcomic: The PC Weenies
Artist/Writer: Krishna M. Sadasivam

What really caught me off guard about this comic is not the art or the jokes.  Nope, it was that Krishna was an Electrical Engineer.  I’m talking a Masters in Electrical Engineering and working in chip design engineer type.  What Krishna did is quite possibly the definition of knowing your dreams and going after them.

Krishna left all the chip designing, electrical engineering super happy fun times behind to follow his passions.  He went back to school and got his MFA in Animation.  He is now a full time instructor at the Art Institute of Tampa.  Even better, he writes webcomics!

Krishna now freelances from time to time as a cartoonist/illustrator for TechCrunch, Hinduism Today, The BENT Magazine, EE Times, C|net, and many more.  This just goes to show us that a great comic can come from anyone.  If you ever think it is to late for a career change, here is but one example of the contrary!

So onto the comic itself.  PC Weenies was first started back in October of 1998.   This comic follows much of the classic formula of pumping out a new comic three times a week.  PC Weenies has stood the test of time like a strong running 486 DX2!

The artwork here is pretty basic.  In fact, what really struck me is this is a tech comic and the artwork feels a lot like the days of the Jetsons.  When you make this comparison, it is crazy how fitting the artwork actually is.  Simple flat colors with thick dark lines.  It feels so much like reading a cartoon from the 80′s that it is hard not to get all nostalgic.

The writing is certainly geared towards the tech savvy crowd.  The winning formula was apparent in the very first comic that hit a few stereotypes of us computer geeks.  I mean, who doesn’t remember the date and time of their first computer purchase?  I think one of the best ways this comic hits technology right on the head was with the comic about the MacBook Air.  The comic goes on to point out all the flaws the machine had, yet the desire for it by the many who wanted one.

I highly recommend this comic to anyone in the IT industry.  It should hit home on so many fronts that it just might make your regular reading rotation.  The artwork might be simplistic, but the jokes are of tech gold.  Sometimes, it is all about the punchline, and PC Weenies definitely delivers on the laughing good.

WebComic: The Blind Fisherman / Personal Demons
Writer: Bryn Colvin
Artist: Thomas Brown

One of the greatest things about Webcomics is there are so many hidden gems out there.  This week’s Webcomic took me by surprise.  On this adventure we take a trip down the road of fantasy and magic.  We bring you The Blind Fisherman / Personal Demons.  This comic combo was started back in September of 2009 by Bryn Colvin and Thomas Brown.  Ever since we have been treated to a new panel every week.

The first thing that really caught me off guard on this comic was the artwork.  The whole series looks like it was drawn on a sketchpad with pencils and charcoal.  Many times it felt like I was looking at Thomas Brown’s personal sketchpad.  So many comics now use photoshop and look nothing like the old school sketches from artists waiting for the bus.  I am not talking stick people here, but rather a feast for the eyes that is carefully prepared and slow cooked all week.

The one aspect that is used sparingly is color.  Color is used for things like a blue magical fireball or the green slime that is the blood of a demon.  Due to its sparing use, it grabs your eyes with fishhook vengence.  The simple blue added to a small bit of magic focuses your eyes to it.  This also gives it a real feeling of power while making one ask just how powerful this little girl is.

Every once in a while we are treated to a full panel in color.  When these happen we see dark rich greens and brick reds grace the canvas.  These are fantastic as they not only carry the colored pencil feel, but also show off what Thomas is capable of in the world of color.  Lighting techniques are used to pull the eyes around the wonderful piece of art.  I would go so far as to say I would love to have this artwork proudly displayed in my office.

Of course, this comic would be nothing without a good story.  The Blind Fisherman is a short story leading up to Personal Demons.  This is a world full of magic and fantasy with dark themes.  Personal Demons follows a little orphan girl as she learns about her magical powers.  The innocence of childhood is maintained through clever and innocent one liners.  The story is written as if Tim Burton lived on Sesame Street.  The dark and unique fantasy world created here carries a child-like innocence in every panel, every story.

With some candy for the eyes and veggies for the brain, this is one fine Webcomic.  You are not years behind, as these works of art must take tons of time, so what are you waiting for?  Check out this series and maybe you will be chomping at the bit for the next update.  I know I sure am.

WebComic: Penny Arcade
Writer: Jerry Holkins
Artist: Mike Krahulik
Web Site: www.penny-arcade.com

I have been reading Penny Arcade since it was first displayed on my Netscape browser back in college.  It has been an awesome decade of watching this comic grow from simple art to some fantastic masterpieces that really rock some great artistry.  The jokes have come from simple one liners to well crafted hits on politicians.  It has been one crazy ride that only looks to continue to grow!

Penny Arcade was born in 1998 by two insane friends by the name of Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik.  Penny Arcade got its world wide debut thanks to the Loonygames website.  Since its initial launch, Penny Arcade has grown into a web sensation, spawned a great charity, and produced two yearly conventions.  Penny Arcade has proven that gamers are not the spawn of the devil, but rather a very charitable and caring bunch.

Penny Arcade follows the shenanigans of Tycho Brahe and John Gabriel “Gabe”.  The strip very rarely caries a story from one release to the next.  These are more one shot deals, though they do have some series that will run over the course of a few days.  The Cardboard Tube Samurai is just one of the specials that will stretch more than one strip.  For the most part, Penny Arcade sticks to gaming and issues facing gamers today.

Jerry and Mike have managed to capture the raw essence of gaming.  One of my favorites they have done was the Mega Man 9 comic.  Not only did this manage to capture the excitement of the game, but it also illustrated that even grownups turn into kids under the right circumstances.  There was also a recent comic mocking the Sony reality TV show.  The look on Anthony Brown’s face in the last panel is nothing short of a wtf moment.

Over the years the writing has only gotten better.  The art has gone from a simple color pallet and hard edgy lines to some panels being so well detailed they have ended up as my personal wallpapers.  I only hope that one day I can own an original piece of Mike’s art.

I am proud to make them the very first webcomic to be featured here on Comics Are Evil.  If not for them, I just might have never taken up reading the greatness that is WebComics.