Another Blip.

It's alive!  There's actually been an update to Blip this month.  Hopefully this is a sign we're going to see more soon.

Happy Anniversary, David.

20 years ago David Willis first became a published webcomic artist.  He's come a long way since then.  If you haven't, go check out Dumbing of Age. 

Hopefully this blog will still be being updated when it reaches its 20th anniversary.

Read These.

Looking for new webcomics to read?  Here's a couple to check out.

If you're a fan of the "magical girls" genre try Shattered Starlight  Farah is the former leader of the Star Guardians, who were one of Montreal's magical girl teams.(Yes, there's been more than one.)  "Former" because the Star Guardians broke up more than a decade ago.  But when Farah is forced into a new job she finds her past may be back to haunt her.

Radio Silence are a young British band.  They're really making a name for themselves, but that doesn't mean everything is fun and games.  Join them as they tour the UK and Europe, trying to figure out how to keep it all together.

Back From Beyond.

It seems my Googlefu needs some work.  After a long, long absence webcomic artist Sage Leaves has returned from parts unknown.  Blip is once more being updated, although very slowly, and the archive of past strips is reappearing.  So if you were reading the series go over there and take a look around.

Go Do David Willis A Favour.

Go visit Dumbing of Age.  That way his page visit count will go up, and he'll make more money from his ads, which will help pay for his new twins.  Seriously, if every one of my oodles of readers did that, he might actually make an extra cent or two.

Hooray!

It's not a tumour.

How Could You, Jeph?

You can't have Hannelore come down with some terrible disease.  After all, it's Hannelore. At least it's not likely to be Butts Disease.

Another One Has Sucked Me In.

I've started reading David Willis's Dumbing of Age.  It's kind of interesting that it's an alternate universe of characters he's been writing since the 1990s.  Usually it's fanfiction writers that do that kind of thing.  Professional AU reboots of canons usually are done by people who aren't the original creators of a property, such as the numerous variations on Sherlock Holmes.

I Doubt Anyone's Keeping Track.

There is all sorts of information that no one is keeping track of.  For a lot of it there probably isn't a practical way of doing so.  One example is the average life span of a webcomic.  Anyone who has read more than a couple has been a reader of a series that has gone silent, or stumbled across one after it has.  Long running series like Questionable Content must keep the number higher that it might, given that a lot of webcomics make it a year, or less, before the creators realise they're in over their heads, or lose interest. 

It Actually Is Out There.

This seems to be turning into webcomic week here, doesn't it?

Looking for Sage Leaves' Blip?  It seems it actually still is online, here.  Best go read it soon, as I suspect it may not be around forever.

Living To Death Begins.

Alex Wendzel's sequel to Out at Home has begun.  It's called Living To Death.  And what does it begin with?  Kate in glasses.  Anyway, check it out.

Out At Home Ends.

The final panel is up.  But don't go away.  The launch of whatever the sequel is will apparently be Tuesday. 

Penny's Not Dead Yet.

If anyone is a fan of Alex Wendzel's Out At Home webcomic here's some good news.  He's finally posted a new page.   I think it's a lovely piece of work.  It's also apparently the last one we'll see of the series, at least as we know it.  He says he's run out of steam with the current format.  However a sequel/reboot is in the works, and Penny and Kate will be central characters.

But whatever results I'm more than anything glad to see that the kid hasn't disappeared for good, like Sage Leaves apparently has.

Gone Except For The Ads.

In the past I've mentioned Blip, a webcomic by Sage Leaves, a couple of times.  Unfortunately Sage Leaves stopped updating, and a few months ago the webcomic itself disappeared when its account was suspended.  But oddly enough it's still being advertised online.  You'd think word would have gotten back to whoever runs the advertising to stop the ads.  Wherever Sage Leaves has vanished to they apparently haven't been in a position to do so, but you'd think the Rampage Network, which had been hosting Blip, would let them know.  Then again they still have Blip listed as one of their member webcomics.

It makes you wonder how many other ads for things that no longer exist are floating around the web.  Not that some of the advertising providers probably care, as they presumably have already been paid for the advertising.

Another Missing Option.

Tonight's Questionable Content strip got me thinking.  I'm surprised I haven't seen someone offering wooden PC cases.  Given some of the other electronics related products I've seen offered wooden PC cases don't seem all that weird.

Poor Marigold.

Sometimes having friends who are a bit clueless about social interactions and shyness can be really annoying.  Or embarrassing.  Or something.

Jeph Cuts Loose.

If you've read much Questionable Content you're likely familiar with Yelling Bird.  He's the foul mouthed little guy used for filler strips.  It's no surprise there was a Yelling Bird strip for Labor Day.  But this one stands out, because it's a political rant about the current US election campaign.  All done without a single bit of profanity.  Jeph Jacques is apparently very pissed off.  I wonder how many readers it might cost him, but I suspect the answer is not many.  The kind of folks who think the current course of the Republican Party is wonderful probably don't read webcomics with openly gay and lesbian characters portrayed favourably.  On the other side a lot of potential Democrat voters seem to be going to vote this year holding their noses, not being happy with Obama but seeing the alternative as far worse.

A Small Sound.

A heads up for anyone who has been reading the webcomic Blip.  Sage Leaves has finally managed to make an update.  Sage's health problems have been slowing things down, but we finally have a new panel.  So go show your support if you're a fan.

Alex Calls It.

In the comments for today's Out at Home strip creator Alex Wendzel has the appropriate description for today:  pink merchandise day.  Of course you could just as easily call it red merchandise day.  Or too much sugar day.

A Webcomic Tip.

Unlike priint comics, the back "issues" of webcomics are generally available instantly online.  Most have their past strips archived on site.  But before diving into the archives you might want to check how big they are.  Yesterday I started going through the archives of a webcomic called Blip.  I hit the first strip button on the main page and started reading.  And reading.  And reading.  If I'd bothered to go the archive first I wouldn't have read so many strips in a shot, as there have been over a thousand strips to the series.  So it was kind of ridiculous reading as long as I did, as there was no way I was going to reach the most recent comics in one sitting.  I'm not that obsessive.  So,, check the archives first, so you can pace yourself.