Interwebs Funnies

In recent months, I have taken the opportunity (read: procrastination) to the useful ends of increasing my webcomics library. Webcomics hold a unique position in sequential art. They perform the same roles as newspaper comic strips but can push the limits a lot farther because their forum is the internet which isn't bound by censorship. Several webcomics also use unique technological aspects such as flash and GIFs to achieve interesting results. This post is a short but certainly not an exhaustive list of webcomics which I have liked and are worth checking out because, let's face it, you have nothing better to do as well. (Note: If any picture is too small to be legible, don't be stupid and start complaining, just click on it.)

Creme de la Creme
These are the webcomics which are nothing short of trailblazing. They have made the rules which others followed and are some of the finest in humour literature. Definite must reads.

xkcd
One of the all time classics, this self styled "webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language" is easily one of the most intelligent webcomics around. Rightly regarded as one of the best ever, some of the trains of thought explored in this comic are truly and absurdly unique. You are not an internet geek until you have experienced xkcd.

Sample:

Bonus: Roll over mouse on the cartoons in the site for extra quip.


The Perry Bible Fellowship
I was recently introduced to this webcomic and I am still angry at myself at not having discovered it earlier. An absolute gem, each and every one of the comics is a classic in itself. This comic mastered dark humour, hardly anything else has come close in terms of shock value. Another highlight is the excellent art, a rarity for webcomics, the artist is able to switch from disparate styles like hard boiled noir to pretty pink ponies nonchalantly. A must read, if you can stomach it at its worst.

Sample:


Bizarro
Not exactly a webcomic as the Bizarro strip is an old and popular syndicated newspaper strip, but the creator Dan Piraro does put up his offerings on his blog. The forte of this comic is surreal, wacky humour backed by the art to pull it off. Its a wonder how this hasn't become as popular as some of the truly insipid offerings in newspaper funnies but it deserves its spot among the top. His blog is an excellently bizarre read as well, one could do worse than taking the crazy train with him.

Sample:

Bonus: Go treasure hunting for his hidden symbols inside every comic


Best of the Rest
This are some webcomics which are brilliant and deservedly lauded in their own right, although they may lack just that extra bit to not make it to the cream. Nevertheless, they are definitely essential reading as well and are excellent ambassadors of the medium.

Cyanide and Happiness
A controversial choice to be put in the second tier I am sure, C&H (not the one with the boy and his stuffed tiger) is widely regarded as one of the best webcomics ever created. Created by a four member team, each member is able to bring his unique perspective while conforming to the overall theme of the comic to maintain the flow. And that theme is vulgarity, dark, dark humour and extreme political incorrectness. Not for the easily offended, definitely for the rest.

Sample:
Bonus: Check out their animated shorts too.

Piled Higher and Deeper (PhD)
A webcomic which is a must read for any student. Astonishingly hilarious, the travails of a bunch of graduate students in Stanford is made all the more awkwardly funny by the fact that so much of it is actually true. Who here hasn't experienced the scoffing of the clock because he plans to pull an all nighter and then opened his eyes five minutes later to see its morning? Or waited all day outside the professor's chambers only to be told to come tomorrow? Or.. well, the examples are endless. PhD is to students what Dilbert is to office goers, the sarcastic humour lightens the mood and makes the journey that much more bearable.

Sample:

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
The webcomic which I have been reading the archive of in the last week or so and what inspired me to write this post. An excellent politically incorrect comic, the common trick in the strips is to give a normal situation and then make it absurd through a subsequent comment or caption which totally changes the perspective. This can make it a bit predictable at times, which is why its in the second tier. A special mention to the recurring Jesus and sexist jokes. They are some of the best.

Sample:
Bonus: Roll over mouse on the red button underneath the comic in the site for extra comic.


Worth a Glance
These are some webcomics which are either not as good to be clubbed among the ones in the above lists or are just too specific to be for everyone's tastes. Nevertheless, they offer something different and will give good value if your taste coincides with theirs. If you're interested by its concept go for it.

Studs Up
A bloody brilliant webcomic on football, it would have definitely made it above the list if everyone loved the game. Sadly, most of the world's problems can perhaps be attributed to this failing of a good chunk of humanity. As for me, since I love both football and comics, how can I possibly not like it. Since he's best when poking fun of something current in football, here's a recent offering.

Sample:


Loli Loves Venom
A cute little webcomic with excellent art, the premise is that the mean old Marvel supervillain Venom somehow becomes the pet of a little girl. This leads to bizarrely hilarious situations (all within the awww quotient of course). A pity that the comic was cut short when real life caught up with the creator. The good news is that she is thinking of bringing it back now.

Sample:

Batman and Sons
It started out as a response by the creator who had got tired of heavy continuity laden superhero stories and wanted to see something which harkened back to the clean, fun days of yore. So he made a short stand alone story of Batman and his Robin kids and put it up on his deviantart profile. The concept became so popular that it grew and now it is a respected webcomic among superhero comic lovers. Requires a minimum knowledge of DC to properly appreciate but don't let that stop you. I have linked to his deviantart profile because that's where it all started but if you google the name, you'll find his blogs where he puts them up as well.

Sample:




Well then, that's three webcomics in each category and I think I'll stop here. There's a lot more which could have been added into any of these lists but these posts is too long already. It's not going to help my reputation of writing long, meandering posts. I can always bring out a Volume 2 if need be. Later.