Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is, like, totally popular and stuff
by Ross Miller 
{ May 4th 2008 at 3:45PM }
"Hey, Disincentives won best webcomic for that week."
"Yeah, we did ... it's always nice to win."
"I feel like champion (my fri-end)."
Oh yeah, baby, that's right, we're famous enough to be on the second-greatest podcast around! So while we clutch the (CW)TB signature we have written on the back of a business card from when we ran into Tycho at GDC 2007 (note: thanks for putting up with our "trade show noob" geek-out 14 months ago, T-Bo), check out our picks for the week's best game-related webcomics; voting is after the break.
- Multiplayer (Sharcbate)
- 02 (Super Effective)
- So Close, Yet ... (2P Start)
- Ancient Ways (Angry Stick)
- My Greatest Achievement (Dueling Analogs)
- Koffing and Weezing (Monday Night Crew)
- Life Strategies (Penny Arcade)
- What it Should Have Been (Game Boyz)
- Game of Chance (Digital Unrest)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
DonWii @ May 4th 2008 3:48PM
So Close, Yet...
Kamizar @ May 4th 2008 3:54PM
The real joke is voting in the polls...
Oh joystiq, I wuv you with an earth "w"...
Shmil @ May 4th 2008 4:56PM
this concept of wuv angers and infuriates me!
hvnlysoldr @ May 4th 2008 5:18PM
Surely you mean love.
No it's wuv with an earth w.
A Pissed-off English Gamer @ May 5th 2008 9:17AM
Futurama ftmfw.
chulipin @ May 4th 2008 3:59PM
Just like I used to do In Pokemon :D
JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ May 4th 2008 4:01PM
Too many great webcomics this week...still voted Angry Stick out of sentiment.
StarFoxA @ May 4th 2008 4:03PM
Haha, Super Effective was hilarious.
Zertoss @ May 5th 2008 9:25AM
Oak's face in the last panel really sells it.
Korova @ May 4th 2008 4:06PM
Digital Unrest is clever. I never played MK but I understand the sentiment. loi
Neebs @ May 4th 2008 4:29PM
Super Effective.
Keep trying Angry Stick, every artist has his gem.
Mr Khan @ May 4th 2008 4:33PM
Cooking Navi
So obvious, so hilarious
ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ May 4th 2008 4:35PM
Go Angry Stick!!
The Dark Lord Meowcifer @ May 4th 2008 4:43PM
I don't know what's better... Super Effective or Cooking Navi... god I hate that glittery bitch...
hvnlysoldr @ May 4th 2008 4:46PM
PKMNTRNR: GO! Triple Finish!
[It's SUPER EFFECTIVE!]
Mr Khan @ May 4th 2008 5:58PM
You know, for all the hours i logged on Brawl, i think i never saw that final smash come up in a multiplayer brawl
Gewurztraminer says: R.O.B. is the last Cylon! @ May 4th 2008 9:46PM
I've been hit with it many times. It's Super Annoying!
Anticrawl @ May 4th 2008 5:17PM
Where is CAD again? Everyone seems to hate Tim on this website for no apparent reason. Though he told me he was friends with some of the bloggers here, Ross must not be one of them.
http://cad-comic.com/comic.php?d=20080503
http://cad-comic.com/comic.php?d=20080430
http://cad-comic.com/comic.php?d=20080428
From this past week. The last one might be from the previous week though.
JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ May 4th 2008 5:43PM
All true.Even though most of the hate for CAD is justified.I still read it because when Buckley finally drops a decent joke(Traingun anyone?) it usually priceless.
Yourself @ May 4th 2008 5:54PM
Maybe they've been excluded because technically they aren't webcomics if they don't have jokes?
Neebs @ May 4th 2008 6:07PM
http://cad-comic.com/comic.php?d=20080426
That's why. In any other comic, some long bullshit (e.g., third panel there) would be something you're not expected to read and can get the meaning from the first and last sentences.
But not with Tim. He does that in almost every plot comic.
Anticrawl @ May 4th 2008 7:21PM
Finding something funny is a matter of opinion, all should have the chance to participate in the weekly webcomic posts. In fact most gaming web comics are rarely funny at all, and I don't expect CAD's main story to be considered for the webcomic wrapup, but their game related spin-offs should like the 3 I posted from this past week.
Carl Abrams @ May 4th 2008 7:27PM
I agree with Anticrawl. I do read CAD all the time, and I was expecting to see the GTA comic on the list, at least. I vote FAIL for the whole webcomic roll-up this week.
Mr.ESC @ May 4th 2008 8:10PM
Cad was funny the MGS:O webcomic should be in the list.I still believe that extra scenes in CAD kills the jokes for example the GTAIV comic would've been funnier if it was only 3 scenes long.
PointyThings @ May 4th 2008 8:36PM
No. Finding something funny is not opinion.
Jokes have punchlines, lead up, and pacing, and they're all important. In comics, you have to factor these on top of panel number and content. Not only do you have to do those two things well simultaneously but you have to (no matter what you're writing) take brevity into consideration, something Buckley does not. Not in writing or in paneling.
There are too many panels, and too many words, and they stifle the jokes. That 'traingun' comic is actually funny, but the fact that he says "I have a gun with a train on it" is a perfect example of why Tim can't tell a fucking joke. Thank you for the exposition, for you see I can't see Marcus, in the same panel, RIDING A FUCKING TRAINGUN. He over explains the punchlines both visually and through dialogue and totally kills the joke.
Telling a joke, particularly in comic form, doesn't just mean "funny idea with pictures and writing", you have to have a gift for pacing, brevity, and timing. I think Tim has good ideas (once in a while) but strangles them when he commits them to comics.
All gaming comics should be considered? Have you SEEN how many gaming comics there are out there? They have to pick the best of the best, otherwise the list would be literally thousands of comics.
Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ May 4th 2008 10:47PM
damn, is it bad that I'm here to defend CAD? Seriously, it may be a wordy strip but I usually get a chuckle at least once a week from them.
Ross Miller @ May 4th 2008 10:50PM
Humor is subjective, and indeed I feel the inherent perceived tie with game comic and humor somewhat disheartening at times. I've seem some great sentimental game comics pop up on here and get low votes and some disparaging remarks towards their direction for not having said punchline. So it goes.
That said, sometimes the error is from absent-mindedness and not malevolent intentions. Like excluding CAD or Extra Life (two off the top of my head); it happens, it's unfortunate, but it's not with evil intentions or a thorough judgment of my opinion on Buckley's work.
Great discussion, but no worries it was just a mistake, and at least it's a popular comic with a fanbase that will still give plenty of traffic to him.
Anticrawl @ May 4th 2008 11:42PM
Glad to hear that Ross, just felt I should voice my opinion. Didn't mean to question your motives but I was feeling bitter towards the blind hatred he receives (though he probably doesn’t care, lucky bastard makes a living on gaming). It always seems people hate anyone that is successful and whatever work they produce by extension without giving any notice to the quality of their character, product or dedication. I personally like his comic style, and I like a great dialogue. Sometimes part of his humor is the fact that his main characters seem to lack any sort of inner monologue. And yes Ross I agree, comics don't require humor to be defined as a comic and shouldn’t be judged as a comic based solely on their humor. There are also many ways to define humor and comedy. Humor doesn't always need a punch line, pun, or simple one-liners to be funny. Take Penny Arcade for example, there may be one or two funny strips they’ve ever done and look how popular they are (I kid, I kid. Personally I don’t find any of their stuff humorous but it is generally entertaining.)
A Pissed-off English Gamer @ May 5th 2008 9:24AM
Finding something funny is not opinion.
Joke nazi...?
Mr Khan @ May 5th 2008 11:50AM
I too am off put by the wall o' text comics, but at the end of the day, its just my opinion
Obviously CAD hasn't failed commercially, so someone enjoys them
tc @ May 4th 2008 5:17PM
humour-wise, 2p start may not have been the laugh-out-loudiest web comic this week, but it's certainly the best.
Hyams @ May 4th 2008 5:30PM
Am I the only one who thinks that almost every single game-based webcomic sucks terribly? The VGcatz one made got a chuckle from me, and Sheppy's one gets honourable seconds for making me smirk, but the rest just made me cringe.
TheHuntIsOn @ May 4th 2008 5:41PM
But you see *you* would.
Yourself @ May 4th 2008 5:51PM
Yeah, there's rarely even one that's even remotely funny. IMO that's the case with all comic strips, though. That being said, I think for the first time ever this week I almost chuckled when I read PA, so it get's my vote.
Hyams @ May 4th 2008 7:40PM
TheHuntIsOn: What is //that// suppose to mean?
MNC Dover @ May 4th 2008 5:34PM
Hurray for the MNC on the poll. I have to give it to my artist this week for drawing a darn near perfect Koffing. I swear he traced it.
steve @ May 4th 2008 5:34PM
super effective made me actually laugh out loud
Jhongerkong @ May 4th 2008 5:55PM
They all really sucked except for vgcats and 2pstart.
deft @ May 4th 2008 5:59PM
Ancient ways should be winning.
2PStart or Digital Unrest in Second.
I kinda hate these polls because, it's either go with the popular webcomic an/or the "dumb" and already used (read as OVERUSED) joke.
Yet here I am voting and reading this...
*sigh...*
hvnlysoldr @ May 4th 2008 6:50PM
OK guys make sure vgcats wins just to spite this guy.
David G @ May 4th 2008 9:50PM
Totally had to vote for 02, because I've done the same thing.
Trickob @ May 4th 2008 7:28PM
*generic "I'm so cool and all of these suck and why is joystiq so lame?" comment 'cause I'm a douche who likes to bitch about stuff*
Hyams @ May 4th 2008 7:46PM
*Cliched "people who complain suck!" comment, written whilst oblivious to the irony of generically complaining about generic complaining.*
Trickob @ May 4th 2008 8:34PM
yeah, before I posted my non-comment comment, it occurred to me that I should point out that I am aware of the irony of complaining about others complaining but I was afraid that it would detract from the impact of my point. I guess it was a lose-lose situation for me but it was a chance I was and still am willing to take.
LAWL @ May 4th 2008 7:35PM
Had to vote Angry stick,i love social critics tho Game of chance was smart too.
VGcats was fun as always but just shallow imo.
Mr.ESC @ May 4th 2008 8:12PM
Supereffective FTW.
Angry stick wasn't bad but that kind of humor would be better suited in Gamepolitics.
jcd @ May 4th 2008 8:32PM
woo! vgcats!
*votes for vgcats
Morden Night @ May 4th 2008 11:14PM
K I would just like to say that the Koffing and Weezing comic wasn't even CLOSE to funny. How is that even in the running!?!? How does one even get their webcomic into the weekly webcomic wrapup? Curious.
No offense to the creators... you're just not funny.
hvnlysoldr @ May 4th 2008 11:34PM
Kissing up to Ross Miller who does these wrapups is a good start. Oh and submitting your comic would really be the only exposure he'll be able to get.
TheHuntIsOn @ May 5th 2008 3:55AM
For once I thought I'd view all the comics and I fullheartedly agree, people are probably too busy playing GTA 4, Mario Kart, Wii Fit and whatever to really care for making a funny comic.