FEHR ENOUGH, #2:

I Love Webcomics

Waaaay back on August 22, Brandon said “I want you to write a column called “Fehr Enough”. I don’t know what it would be about, I just want that to happen.” James said “+1”, which in Twitterese means “I agree” or “I support this zany idea”. So I did. I wrote 650-ish words on why listening to film scores makes me a more productive worker. Why? Because that’s what was on my mind at the time. (For the record, this time around I’m listening to Bruce Springsteen. Or, as James calls him, “BRUUUUUUUUCE!” [Ed. Note: This is the correct spelling and pronunciation.])

This time around, it’s webcomics. More specifically, how much I enjoy the webcomics I read every week. Never read one? Don’t worry, I’m including a pretty hefty list at the end of this article, complete with links and stuff. There’s something for everyone, so if you don’t like one, try something else, I promise you’ll find one you like. And if you say you can’t find one, then one of is a liar. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Webcomics, and how I love them.

What exactly is it that I love about webcomics? Well, why do you love “regular” comics? It’s all about the variety, the story and the art. In some cases, it’s the story that drives the art. In others, it’s the art that steers the story.

Take a comic like Sam Logan’s Sam and Fuzzy. The story lines are absolutely ridiculous, and the art perfectly matches it. Art-wise, it’s black and white (or white on black, as need be). It’s a cartoon-ish art style, but that’s totally okay, because in one story arc our heroes take on giant mutated fruit. GIANT MUTATED FRUIT! And the recurring villain, Sin, is a … something… in a robot suit. What? I don’t know either. But it’s awesome. And it all fits together so perfectly it makes my nose bleed from its awesomeness.

Another of my favorites is Jamie Noguchi’s Yellow Peril. I know what you’re thinking: Oh yay, another office humor comic, greeeaaat. But this one’s different! The characters are Asian! [Ed. Note: Don’t be racist, readers.] Flaming Sword Burgers! Awkward romance-things! Daruma! And Jamie’s art reflects the subject matter to a tee. Jamie brings in a ton of different art influences as befits the story. Just read the “First Date” arc (start here). No no, it’s ok, I’ll wait.

…Are you back? See what I mean?

Moving on.

Art and story aren’t the only reason I loves me some webcomics. The level of engagement between creators and consumers is unreal. The majority of webcomic creators have some sort of alternate web presence, such as a LiveJournal, Tumblr or Twitter account that allows regular schlubs like me to holler and cuss and joke with them on a friendly level not typically seen outside of the convention circuit. Of course, there are always those douche-pickles out there that try to use these forums to exercise their Devil-Granted abilities to make everything good seem like total crap, but y’know, roses, thorns, etc etc. For the rest of this column, I’m going to pick on Twitter accounts, because hey, why not?

I picked Sam and Jamie to spotlight above for a specific reason – their Twitter accounts. Now, this doesn’t mean that they’re fantastic tweeters, or every tweet is pure gold. But in my experience, the way they interact with fans via Twitter is second to none. These guys actually take the time to respond to fans and let me tell you, this goes a long way to maintaining a loyal fan base. Sam is as witty and sharp as his comic leads you to believe. Jamie gives great art tips and shares his latest Super Art Fight adventures. Just ask! Interact and see what I’m talking about.

Inside Tip: Following your favorite artists on Twitter may lead to increased exposure to rough sketches, product previews, brainstorms and other such behind-the-scenes things that regular folk don’t get.

Then there’s the merchandise. And here’s where it truly gets personal. Some lucky few can survive off of website advertising, but the vast majority don’t get that luxury. Webcomic creators put out merchandise like books, plushies and t-shirts to help pay the bills. When I purchase swag from a webcomic creator, I think of it as an investment in the future of a product.

A lot of merchandise I buy comes from the Topatoco store. I had a big thing planned to explain just why they’re awesome, but this great write-up just came across my twitter feed and really, I can’t do better than that. Webcomics creators are just the best.

Basically, the internet is full of awesome, and a lot of that can be found via webcomics. And since I promised you a list of awesome webcomics to check out…. here you go. You’re welcome. Tell ‘em I sent you. They won’t have a clue who you’re talking about, but it’ll make me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Fehr enough.

APPENDIXIN’ Y’ALL: That list Ryan talked about before

This is by no means an exhaustive listing. Please don’t contact me and complain if I didn’t list your favorite webcomic. Comics are listed in no particular order. Some comics may contain NSFW material.