Explorer Reporting
Webcomics. There are a gazillion out there, done by horrible Indie types who probably live in San Francisco, they probably have cats and they probably are responsible for the AIDS. They are mostly about love, excuses to draw boobies or to show off to the world how much stuff the "artist" knows. Amongst the plethora of webcomics there are a tiny fraction about our favourite subject- Videogames. 98% of them however, are either sprite comics comme ca or ones titled "Two Noobs and a Gaymer" or "Just Another Gaming Comic". I've scoured all of these and they are without doubt awful and as the World's Second Best Videogame Blog it's time to play key service to those truly outstanding ones, or the ones that everyone thinks are outstanding. Then we will crown our Queen, the World's Best Videogame Webcomic. NB although our Queen sounds better because we are Second Best and she is the best, this isn't actually the case because webcomics are marginal at best.
In no order whatsoever, albeit arranged by badness with the 5th worst of the best first, running up to and including the 1st best of the best at the end:
5)Concerned Comics Perhaps the greatest videogame comic of all time in terms of the writing, the visuals and other things which comics are in terms of. Based on Half Life 2 it follows the adventures of Gordon Frohman and it's genius. The author Chris C. Livingston also adds technical, comical or just whimsical notes about the 'shooting' of the comic. Why is it in 5th place you ask? Because, alas, it has ended. The story finished. The upside is you can head over there and read the whole darn thing now. Do it. Do it now.
4)Penny Arcade Penny Arcade is to all those arts graduates tenuously hanging on to a "job in videogames" as Gary Larson is to scientists and science academics. They do other stuff as well like Pax which is supposed to be, like, amazing and they set up that charity where you buy toys for kids in the third world. Last year we sent some kid in Wales two yoghurt pots with a string in between. They can play phones. PA is in 4th worst best place because too many people clog up the internet talking about it. This includes me now, again. Also, a lot of people say that it's really 'high concept'. I don't think they know that PA is a webcomic about videogames though. Also the wikipedia page for it is waaaaay too long. The strips aren't that funny either. The writing on the blog bit is insufferably written too. Reading it is like reading TGAM if we were actually trying to communicate something with using longer words.
3)Ctrl alt Del A funny webcomic about videogames. Many people from the internets will try to argue with you and say that Penny Arcade is better. There are many a forum attacking and defending both but ultimately only the opinion of the World's Second Greatest Videogame Blog really counts and they say that it's the third worst of the best comics on the internet. Apparently the creator, "Tim", is really protective of the comic and kicks people off his forums if they say bad things which, by the way, is fair fucking play. If you want to insult people on their own site then go here for god's sake. Amber will sort you out if that floats your boat. There's a place for everything. However, the position in this definitive list is shaky. The comic occassionally features a character called Chef Brian who is just fucking annoying. "People" say you either love or hate Chef Brian but you'll just hate him. His like that guy you went to school with who would try to be random by uttering such random hilarity as "My Mum's golf ball is made of shoes" or who would answer every question with the word "Jam". Later they would become an orthodox Christian and refuse to talk to any non Christians. Later still, like sometime last year they would kill themselves. Not that I have a specific example. Ctrl alt del, lose Chef Brian or drop off this list. Warned, you have been.
2)VG Cats VG Cats is a webcomic by some Canadian guy. I could look his name up on Wikipedia but you can do that. VG Cats is just brilliant, the early comics were a bit slow to get going but the more recent ones are consistently brilliant. Admittedly there are some misses but the hits more than make up for it. Check them site out now! THis one is my favourite.
1) Dinosaur Comics OH SICK, the best videogame webcomic in the world and hence our new Queen is Dinosaur Comics. The shock is twofold. Fold 1. It's not really a videogame comic but occasionally the Devil talks to T-Rex about computer games. Fold 2. It's a Sprite comic which I said was bad. Dinosaur Comics is different though. It's genuinely and consistently funny whilst avoiding the usual pitfalls of cheaply using violence to end a strip or being too in-jokey. Go read all gabijjion of them now they are truly truly awesome. This time it has nothing to do with dinosaurs either! Go read it, you'll laugh and cry all at the same time.
In no order whatsoever, albeit arranged by badness with the 5th worst of the best first, running up to and including the 1st best of the best at the end:
5)Concerned Comics Perhaps the greatest videogame comic of all time in terms of the writing, the visuals and other things which comics are in terms of. Based on Half Life 2 it follows the adventures of Gordon Frohman and it's genius. The author Chris C. Livingston also adds technical, comical or just whimsical notes about the 'shooting' of the comic. Why is it in 5th place you ask? Because, alas, it has ended. The story finished. The upside is you can head over there and read the whole darn thing now. Do it. Do it now.
4)Penny Arcade Penny Arcade is to all those arts graduates tenuously hanging on to a "job in videogames" as Gary Larson is to scientists and science academics. They do other stuff as well like Pax which is supposed to be, like, amazing and they set up that charity where you buy toys for kids in the third world. Last year we sent some kid in Wales two yoghurt pots with a string in between. They can play phones. PA is in 4th worst best place because too many people clog up the internet talking about it. This includes me now, again. Also, a lot of people say that it's really 'high concept'. I don't think they know that PA is a webcomic about videogames though. Also the wikipedia page for it is waaaaay too long. The strips aren't that funny either. The writing on the blog bit is insufferably written too. Reading it is like reading TGAM if we were actually trying to communicate something with using longer words.
3)Ctrl alt Del A funny webcomic about videogames. Many people from the internets will try to argue with you and say that Penny Arcade is better. There are many a forum attacking and defending both but ultimately only the opinion of the World's Second Greatest Videogame Blog really counts and they say that it's the third worst of the best comics on the internet. Apparently the creator, "Tim", is really protective of the comic and kicks people off his forums if they say bad things which, by the way, is fair fucking play. If you want to insult people on their own site then go here for god's sake. Amber will sort you out if that floats your boat. There's a place for everything. However, the position in this definitive list is shaky. The comic occassionally features a character called Chef Brian who is just fucking annoying. "People" say you either love or hate Chef Brian but you'll just hate him. His like that guy you went to school with who would try to be random by uttering such random hilarity as "My Mum's golf ball is made of shoes" or who would answer every question with the word "Jam". Later they would become an orthodox Christian and refuse to talk to any non Christians. Later still, like sometime last year they would kill themselves. Not that I have a specific example. Ctrl alt del, lose Chef Brian or drop off this list. Warned, you have been.
2)VG Cats VG Cats is a webcomic by some Canadian guy. I could look his name up on Wikipedia but you can do that. VG Cats is just brilliant, the early comics were a bit slow to get going but the more recent ones are consistently brilliant. Admittedly there are some misses but the hits more than make up for it. Check them site out now! THis one is my favourite.
1) Dinosaur Comics OH SICK, the best videogame webcomic in the world and hence our new Queen is Dinosaur Comics. The shock is twofold. Fold 1. It's not really a videogame comic but occasionally the Devil talks to T-Rex about computer games. Fold 2. It's a Sprite comic which I said was bad. Dinosaur Comics is different though. It's genuinely and consistently funny whilst avoiding the usual pitfalls of cheaply using violence to end a strip or being too in-jokey. Go read all gabijjion of them now they are truly truly awesome. This time it has nothing to do with dinosaurs either! Go read it, you'll laugh and cry all at the same time.
Meanwhile, in video games......
OH FUCKING SICK, DINO FUCKING SAURS in the TOmb Raider 10th Anniversary Edition. I have only just seen this screenies yet my left testicle is now devoid of spunk. As I type I feel the right one emptying onto the floor x
What lovely dromaeosaurs, they've got feathered crests and everything...
ReplyDelete