My latest online discovery has been webcomics.  They’re fun, they’re wacky, they’re insightful … they’re free!  I’ve always loved comics, but one of the the frustrating things for me was how expensive they are.  I loved how their storylines could continue on, how maleable some of the characters and universes could be.  It was interesting and fluid and wonderful.  I’m not talking Archie comics here, no.  I’m talking Marvel and DC and Dark Horse and any number of smaller lesser known publishing companies.  Independant comics.  If the art was beautiful, if the stories were worth reading, I was there.

Speaking of beautiful art, I totally recommend the late and wildly talented Michael Turner.  Bless him.  Amazing artist.

Anyway, print comics have always been the bane of my existence.  My Id always wanted me to spend hours in comic book stores, while my more practical leanings always said I should probably spend my money more wisely … like on bills and groceries.  :P

But oh the gloriousness that is the internet where the world is at my fingertips … webcomics have brought that tingly sensation back.  Some of them have amazing art, some tell wildly intriguing stories, some have both, and some are just flat out funny.

For the most part, webcomics cater to niche crowds, those who feel marginalized; the geeks, the freaks and the creatively undermined.  Those who want to express themselves but don’t feel they’d be able to sell themsevles in an expensive to start-up print market.  Doing a webcomic, in comparison, is relatively cheap.  And if you either have a geek streak, or at least know someone who does, it’s pretty easy get a website going.  With open source CMSs (Content Management Systems) such as WordPress, which even has a theme called ComicPress that caters specifically to webcomics, getting your webcomic out there to your niche market isn’t as difficult as it used to be.  And since the internet has traditionally been a haven for the marginalized, well, it’s as though the two have been made for one another.

Even I have a webcomic!  Granted, it didn’t start out that way.  Nor has it really continued.  lol  I originally had my comics in traditional print media, and I originally meant for them to published that way.  But then when I finally discovered the internet, and then my brother bought me this domain and my friend was kind enough to host me, so I decided to archive my comics here.  What resulted was I had unintentionally created a webcomic format for GotR.

At the moment, GotR is using Drupal for the CMS, but I’m really liking the aforementioned ComicPress I’ve seen used on a few other webcomics I’ve seen out there.  I really like how it looks, not to mention how it works.  On the other hand, I put a lot of work in that Drupal theme … lol  Damnit!  :P

Either way … expect a review or two of a few of the webcomics I’ve recently discovered!  ;)