An Introduction, and XKCD
We’ve decided to start a new weekly feature here on Suvudu, in this case dedicated to growing medium known as webcomics. While I’m sure there can be arguments about whether reading a comic strip on the web is any different than reading them in the newspaper (and I think all arguments ultimately point to the fact that, yes, it is different–all praise Marshall McLuhan!), the important thing is that, as newspapers unfortunately die their slow death, comic artists are needing to find new venues for their material. In addition, new artists–those who were never syndicated in the funnies–realized that they could get their work to an audience without necessarily having a contract.
Thus, labors of love could be produced as well as comics whose ultimate goal was financial gain.
Not to mention that the Internet offers possibilities that newspapers couldn’t. Subject matter could range from childish to NSFW, there were no format or panel restrictions, and every day could be in color. Art didn’t need to be great, and neither did content, but as long as someone enjoyed your work–or, just as important, as long as the creator enjoyed doing the work–there was always a way to distribute and disseminate.
The comic I want to start off with is one of the most popular webcomics out there, xkcd an example of which is above. Created by Randall Munroe, these seemingly simple stick-figure drawings are a combination of the absurd, the brilliant, and, I’ll admit, the sometimes downright confusing. With references that range from geeky pop-culture to in-depth knowledge of computer programming and math, xkcd is a great comic because it’s literally smart, and still very funny. Even when going for “gags,” such as a flow-chart or bar graph, the joke is genuinely clever–even if you don’t necessarily get every one.
I will warn you: some of the strips contain mature content. As the site itself explains, xkcd is “a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.” And sometimes that romance gets physical (and, seriously, he can make stick-figures doing it more graphic than you might think possible), and the language can get adult. If these things don’t bother you–or if you don’t know if they’ll bother you–I’d say check it out, and see for yourself. With it’s quirky sense of humor, strangely compelling art, and sometimes heartbreakingly beautiful sentiment, I think you’ll be happily surprised.
Comics displayed here are taken from xkcd.com
