Oneshot Webcomics

I obviously enjoy several serial webcomics. However, one of the big drawbacks in following a work in progress is that the payoff of a satisfying ending doesn’t happen for a long, long while. That’s why I appreciate folks who try their hand at one-shots. A particularly brilliant one is Emily Carroll’s Face All Red. A creepy, lurking animal of a tale, it was originally published around Halloween last year but I read the first few panels and decided to put off finishing the whole thing until the Christmas season. Believe me when I say that that is high praise.

Blue Delliquanti’s 24-hour project called Metamorphosis is the adaptation of a segment from Radiolab (my current obsession!). His drawing style lends itself very well to the poignancy of the original audio piece. I also love how he did everything within 24 hours.

If you have any suggestions for great one-shot webcomics, don’t hesitate to tell me! I’m always on the lookout for more.

Daily Webcomic Strip – Formspring Question

Do you only read sequential webcomics? Might you have any suggestions for any particularly witty daily strip ones?

Thanks for the question, Taka! I’ve made an effort to read daily strips but to be honest, titles like Penny Arcade or PvP Online don’t really appeal to me. They’re much too dependent to geek culture for their jokes.

Two of the titles that really amuse me are Robot Beach because it reminds me of old-school strips in newspapers and Edmund Finney’s Quest to Find the Meaning of Life because of the quirky, and sometimes morbid sense of humor. The Abominable Charles Christopher is both sequential and strippy and I love that too.

Ask me anything

Girls on Flying Things: Webcomics

I’m aiming to have vaguely noticeable themes for my webcomic recommendations every week and for this one is a tribute to aviation. Indulge me, dear reader, I’m sick and have so joys in life.

Kitty Hawk by Braden D. Lamb (creator and illustrator) and Vincent LaBate (writer and letterer) is the story of a female fighter pilot in Pre-World War II US, with a penchant for fighting villains in jet packs and discovering mysterious artifacts. There’s a subtle steam-punk flavor but it doesn’t take away from the vintage feel of the entire work. The art is particularly beautiful. I love the fight scenes on air.

Unfortunately, the comic hasn’t been updated since 2009, but I still recommend it for the incredible art and the sweet pulpy nostalgia it evokes.

Red Moon Rising by Rose Loughran is about Adrianna, an airship mechanic and rogue pyrokinetic who is caught in a web of political and military intrigue. The story is set in a fictional world that promises to be elaborate and breathtaking. The steampunk elements are heavier on this one, but there’s a juxtaposition of magic and technology that unfolds through the story. The painterly style is so evocative you can stare at a single page for minutes. I particularly enjoy the many moody scenes and the subtle humor that pierces through tension.

Webcomic Recommendations – The Horror Edition

I just got back from watching Social Network, so this’ll be a quick update. In this blog, I hope to make a series out of recommending awesome webcomics that don’t seem to be talked up as much as the hugely popular ones like Kate Beaton for strips or Phoenix Requiem for serials. I’ll be catching up on the Halloween theme by naming two titles that’s heavy with the costumes and the creepiness.

Lovecraft is Missing by Larry Latham is one of my favorite webcomics ever, with a distinctive drawing style and a plot that mixes fact, fiction, and horror meta commentary. It is a story about pulp writer Win Battler, an Oklahoma native who travels to Providence to meet his pen pa,l Howard Philips Lovecraft. Yes, that Lovecraft. He arrives to find out that Lovecraft has apparently disappeared without a trace and people around the sleepy New England town may be involved.

Romantically Apocalyptic by Vitaly S. Alexius is one of those quirky yet unsettling comics that follow the comic strip style of storytelling. The gist of the setup is this: a pilot, a sniper and an engineer walking around a post-nuclear city, trying to entertain themselves. Every update is a short scene with an often macabre punchline, but it’s the gorgeous superrealist art that keeps me coming back. (Special thanks to Bhex for pointing out this title to me.)

I hope you enjoy these, and watch out for more recs!

(Edible) Filler Post

I’m trying (and failing) to write a coherent post about racism and prejudice in crime fiction, an offshoot of this discussion. So while I gather my wits you get this, a webcomic by that kick ass artist over at Kawaii Not: