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Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is snowed in

by Griffin McElroy { Feb 6th 2010 at 11:30PM }

Much like the rest of the nation, Weekly Webcomic Wrapup HQ is currently buried beneath roughly a half-mile of fresh snow. Despite our encasing, we've somehow managed to hold onto our internet connection. We know, that doesn't make a lick of sense -- we're guessing that somewhere out in the arctic wilderness, a router is still powered on, fueled by an unseen, tenacious modem.

We've used this inexplicable internet access to bring you our seven favorite webcomics, listed below. Check them out, and vote for your favorite after the jump! If we missed out on any good ones, leave a link in the comments!

BioScrap (2P Start)
Not Sold in Stores (Virtual Shackles)
Lost Concept Art (Of Noobs and Men)
The Future is No Escape (Penny Arcade)
Block Party (Digital Unrest)
Yolk (Brawl in the Family)
Gun to a Knife Fight (Extra Life)

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Readers pick best webcomic: Love in the Age of Dragons

by Griffin McElroy { Feb 6th 2010 at 3:30AM }

It was an awfully close week for the Webcomic Wrapup, with the top three finishing almost neck-and-neck; but a winner has been declared: Shyeah's "Love in the Age of Dragons." We certainly appreciate the humor presented in Shyeah's strip, but we're afraid we're putting a moratorium on Dragon Age comics from here on out. See, Mass Effect 2 is out now. That stuff is old hat.

Second and third place went to Penny Arcade's "Here's Your Reality Program" and Brawl in the Family's "Hoy, Small Fry," respectively. If you've got a favorite strip from this past week that you'd like to see in the next Wrapup, just drop a link in the comments, or send in a tip!

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is thinking of the iPossibilities

by Griffin McElroy { Jan 30th 2010 at 11:00PM }

There hasn't been a lot of love from the usual internet channels for Apple's recently-announced iPad -- but we're actually pretty intrigued by one of the device's less-advertised strengths: It'd be great for reading webcomics. They'd look magnificent on that big, glossy screen, which auto-orients itself to cater to vertical and horizontal strips. Also, if you get upset after reading a really terrible webcomic, a soothing round of Super Monkey Ball is just a few screen-touches away.

Below are our seven favorite gaming-centric webcomics from this past week. Check them all out, and vote for your favorite after the jump. If there are any notable strips we may have missed out, drop a link in the comments section!

The 214th Amendment Is About Hedgehogs (Dipswitch)
Here's Your Reality Program (Penny Arcade)
'Hoy, Small Fry (Brawl in the Family)
Go Fish (2P Start)
First Contact (PvP)
The CoffeeShock (The Legendary Boys of Floyd)
Love in the Age of Dragons (Shyeah)

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Readers pick best webcomic: No One Likes Superman

by Griffin McElroy { Jan 30th 2010 at 1:30AM }

We were pretty confident that Virtual Shackles "No One Likes Superman" would win last week's Webcomic Wrapup, due to the fact that it exposes why developers can't make good Superman games. Unless -- wait. What if, instead of making Supes fight crime and defeat bad guys, you just made him fly through rings? Of course, for something like that to be challenging, the game would have to look and control like crap. Oh, yeah. This is going to be brilliant.

Second and third place went to Brawl in the Family's "Contagious" and 2P Start's "Tortoises and Hares," respectively. If you've got a favorite strip you'd like to see in the next Wrapup, just drop a link in the comments, or send in a tip!

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup will miss you, Conan

by Griffin McElroy { Jan 23rd 2010 at 11:30PM }

Though we know the gargantuan, scarlet-coiffured late night host ... err, former late night host will soon find new (and hopefully more stable) employment, we're going to miss him profoundly. Not only did he provide us with regular belly-laughs, he also began frequently poking fun at video games during sketches on The Tonight Show. In that sense, we've not only lost a great entertainer -- we've lost a brother in arms.

Cheer yourself up after that depressing assertion by checking out our seven favorite gaming-centric comics from the past week, which we've posted below. Vote for your favorite after the jump, and let us know what strips we may have missed out on in the comments!

Contagious (Brawl in the Family)
Bayonetta (Another Videogame Webcomic)
Sounds Dark (SideScrollers)
Tortoises and Hares (2P Start)
No One Likes Superman (Virtual Shackles)
Divine Comedy (Pondering the Obvious)
Hardly What I'd Call Conviction (Monday Night Crew)

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Readers pick best webcomic: The Perfect Gift

by Griffin McElroy { Jan 22nd 2010 at 11:01PM }

D'awwww. As it turns out, voters in the most recent Weekly Webcomic Wrapup weren't looking for a strip with references to violence, or curse words, or ... well, any words at all. They wanted something positively saccharine -- and that's exactly what VG Cats' "The Perfect Gift" delivered. However, with the holiday season behind us, we don't foresee any comics with this level of sweetness in them for quite some time.

Second and third place went to Penny Arcade's "A Trend We Wholly Endorse" and 2P Start's "Sorry to Burst Your Bubble," respectively. If you've got a favorite strip you'd like to see in the next Wrapup, drop a link in the comments, or send in a tip!

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is going in for the kill

by Griffin McElroy { Jan 16th 2010 at 11:00PM }

A lot of people seem to be infatuated with either Bayonetta the game or, sadly, Bayonetta the fictional character. Our minds, however, can't seem to rid themselves of that song that they play in all of the game's trailers, much to the chagrin of our neighbors, online competitors, fellow coffee shop patrons and ... well, anyone who falls under the dominion of our voices. Consider yourselves lucky that there's an entire internet between us.

Below you'll find our seven favorite gaming-centric webcomics from this past week. Vote for your favorite in the poll after the jump, and drop a link in the comments to any great strips we might have I'm goin' in for the kiiiiilllll I'm doin' it for a thriiilllll

The Enduring Bleep (Digital Unrest)
A Trend We Wholly Endure (Penny Arcade)
Welcome to Pandora (Dipswitch)
Sorry to Burst Your Bubble (2P Start)
Probably Animism (Virtual Shackles)
The Same But Different (Extra Life)
The Perfect Gift (VG Cats)

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Readers pick best webcomic: The Harvest of Time

by Griffin McElroy { Jan 16th 2010 at 9:46AM }

It was an awfully close week, with six of the seven contenders all landing within just 30 votes of one another -- but the people have spoken, and elected 2P Start's "The Harvest of Time" as last week's best gaming-related webcomic. We wager it's because it reveals a facet of Link that not many people understand: He's an ice-cold bastard, who won't hesitate to destroy your lawn or wreck your pottery to find a few loose Rupees. What a tremendous jerk.

Second and third place went to The Great Indoors' "Fanboyonetta" and Penny Arcade's "A Review of the Preview," respectively. If you've got a favorite strip you'd like to see in tonight's wrapup, drop a link in the comments, or send in a tip!

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is ogling technodoodads

by Griffin McElroy { Jan 9th 2010 at 11:30PM }

As our loyal accountants already know, we've got a terrible, insatiable thirst for new pieces of technology. As such, going to the Consumer Electronics Show is like getting a visit from the Ghost of Bankruptcy Yet To Come. A transparent laptop? Yes, please. A hand-held, hydrogen-powered battery charger? We'll take four. Where will we get the money? We're not worrying about that right now. Maybe we'll charge people's batteries for them! That sounds like the basis for a profitable business.

Below are our seven favorite webcomics from this past week. Check them out, and vote for your favorite in the poll after the jump. If we missed out on any notable strips, make sure you drop a link in the comments section!

Fanboyonetta (The Great Indoors)
Your Heart Will Go On (Digital Unrest)
A Review of the Preview (Penny Arcade)
1497th Heaven (Dipswitch)
The Harvest of Time (2P Start)
Codependency (Virtual Shackles)
Bayonetta's Joke (Nerf Now)

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Readers pick best webcomic: The Axiom

by Griffin McElroy { Dec 25th 2009 at 2:30PM }

Aww, man. We were hoping the Christmastime winner of last week's Webcomic Wrapup would be something more ... pleasant than this. Less foul-mouthed, perhaps. Don't get us wrong -- Penny Arcade's "The Axiom" is a magnificent specimen, simultaneously making fun of bad games and celebrities. However, it doesn't bring much holiday cheer. At least, not to Activision, Robomodo or bird-named professional skateboarders.

Second and third place went to Nerf Now's "Balance Patch" and Dipswitch's "Dragon Age: Sour Grapes Edition," respectively. If you've got a strip you'd like to see in tomorrow's wrapup, drop a link in the comments, or send in a tip!

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is delaying the Holidays

by Griffin McElroy { Dec 19th 2009 at 11:30PM }

There's absolutely no way we'll be able to afford all the games coming out in the first quarter of next year -- however, with a little help from our remarkably wealthy friends and family, we might be able to catch 'em all, so to speak. With that in mind, we're making an Official Joystiq Decree™ -- the holiday season has been bumped back to February 21, 2010. To avoid proximity to other holidays, Valentine's Day is ... tomorrow. Please rearrange your schedules and decorations accordingly.

Below are our seven favorite gaming-related webcomics from this past week -- perfect for you to share with a lover on this cold, cold Valentine's Eve. Check them out, and vote for your favorite in the poll after the jump! If we missed any, drop a link in the comments!

The Axiom (Penny Arcade)
Avatar: The Game (Another Videogame Webcomic)
Balance Patch (Nerf Now)
A Mushroom Kingdom Carol Part 6 (Brawl in the Family)
Whistle While You Warp (Digital Unrest)
And We Even Hate The Font (Virtual Shackles)
Dragon Age: Sour Grapes Edition (Dipswitch)

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Readers pick best webcomic: Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful

by Griffin McElroy { Dec 18th 2009 at 11:30PM }

While we certainly appreciate the comedic plight of last week's Wrapup winner, Dipswitch's "Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful," we're not certain we understand that title. Was Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne's classic holiday tune secretly about parents who are uneducated on the Entertainment Software Ratings Board's system of classifications? Considering it was written in 1945, that seems a little anachronistic, but, hey, who knows?

Second and third place went to Nerf Now's "Die Monster" and Brawl in the Family's "A Mushroom Kingdom Carol Part 4," respectively. If you've got a favorite comic you'd like to see in this week's Wrapup, drop a link in the comments section, or send in a tip!

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup predicts the VGAs

by Griffin McElroy { Dec 12th 2009 at 11:59PM }

Though this post will go up after the Video Game Awards conclude, it was actually written before the first Vector Monkey was distributed. With that in mind, prepare to be amazed by our clairvoyance: Shia LeBeouf is going to win. We should be more specific: He's not just going to win for the category he's nominated for, he's going to win everything. Trust our precognizance on this one -- Shia LeBeouf is the best voice actor, human performer, role-playing game, and Independent Game Fueled by Dew released in 2009.

As you bask in our waves of psychic magnificence, check out our seven favorite gaming-related webcomics from this past week, listed below. Make sure you vote for your favorite after the jump!

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful (Dipswitch)
Coming Soon to Video (Virtual Shackles)
A Mushroom Kingdom Carol Part Four (Brawl in the Family)
Guest Strip (Dueling Analogs, by Crooked Gremlins)
It's a Comic About Left 4 Dead 2 (Slackerz)
Die Monster (Nerf Now)
Stuff of Nightmares (Digital Unrest)

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Readers pick best webcomic: Assassin's Edge

by Griffin McElroy { Dec 12th 2009 at 11:30AM }

Is climbing Italy's tallest structures a little too easy in Assassin's Creed 2? We don't think so -- but when viewed through the bright red filter of Mirror's Edge, which required a sequence of forty button presses to open a door, we can understand why you'd think that. Poor Faith's skyscraper scaling envy was the subject of last week's Webcomic Wrapup winner, "Assassin's Edge," from Virtual Shackles. Congratulations!

Second and third place went to Penny Arcade's "Witchblades" and newcomer It's-a-Me's "Thank You," respectively. If you've got a favorite webcomic from this past week you'd like to see in today's revue, drop a link in the comments, or send in a tip!

Webcomic Holiday Postcard Fundraiser returns for 2009

by Justin McElroy { Dec 8th 2009 at 7:30PM }

The internet has become the de facto way to send send half-hearted holiday greetings, but why not class it up this year? Why not buy some cards from the Webcomic Holiday Postcard Fundraiser, the perfect way to say "I acknowledge you have not yet died, but I'm certainly not going to buy you anything."

Not only will the money go to help Child's Play, but most of the cards (illustrated by webcomic artists like Scott Ramsoomair of VGCats fame) are so pretty the recipient may feel like they've gotten a gift and will, in turn, feel obligated to get you something. And that, friends, is what Christmas is all about.