Wash that cat!

Yes, I've seen it before, maybe you've seen it before, witness....the monkey washing a cat! I know I use chimps for my reviews, but a primate is a primate....click to view!
Monkey action!

The Bullet Points...

I rock. Hard. Or at least my mom told me that once. When I was fifteen or so. Anyway, the idea behind The Bullet Points is that a business has opened that helps offices, well, rock. Yeah, I don't get it either. Created by Neal Moffitt and Jason Viola, I think, because the site is set up as an actual business, comedy abounds in an office setting every Monday.

I'm a sucker for a clean and neatly drawn strip that feels ready made for the newspapers, and Points is such a comic. It does feel a little plain at times with backgrounds existing of a desk or a picture of a banana on the wall, but more often than not the overall quality of the art more than makes up for it. Also, I'm not sure if he would even consider it because a lot of comics have a theme and seem to stick to it obsessively, but a comic once and awhile outside or maybe even with the characters out to lunch would break up the monotony. Of course, he could always plead the case that it's a comic about people at their job, which happens to take place in an office, but it was just a suggestion.

Coming across as a mix of Dilbert and a short lived NBC sitcom called Working, the jokes are for the most part spot-on, with an occasional lackluster one thrown in for good measure. The can't all be gems, or even shiny smooth pebbles. The one with Fred Durst of Limp Bizcrap attempting to get hired was awesome, as were most of the rock stars needing publicity strips. The only major problem I seem to have with The Bullet Points is...what exactly is their job? They help offices rock. It makes no sense to me. Maybe it's meant to be vague to be funny, but I would rather have some sort of explanation, because I find it kind of corny. It seems like eventually they will box themselves into a corner if they don't show them actually doing some work, but ah well. Aside from that, solid writing, good characterization, odd job.

Site design is nice and bright and there is plenty to see. One thing that I haven't seen on any other webcomic site is an actual cd based on the comic. I found that to be totally original and a great extra for readers and now listeners. Songs such as "I need staples" and "Who used my mug?" are funny and do rock, as the comic suggests. Also there is a store where you can purchase a tshirt or an office mug, and of course the cd.

I have to say that The Bullet Points left me with a feeling of mild satisfaction, like eating an apple when I'm hungry. It's good and all, but I could have used a hamburger to go with it. Tastes great, less filling. If you enjoy light comedic fare on par with a Dilbert in tone but with more pop culture references, you'll enjoy The Bullet Points. If I could work in an office, I would definitely put in an application there. Of course, I would have a hard time explaining to friends what I do for a living...
I give this comic...

New reviews coming tomorrow...

Yep. New ones. Tomorrow. I've been working on some new ones the way Lindsay Lohan works on everyones nerves, so don't worry, they're coming. Until then though, revel in a site such as Geekologie, or Comics2film, both highly entertaining and funny to boot. Later!

Mike Weiringo passes...

This man made me a big fan of his work when he did The Flash a few years ago. I loved his slightly manga influenced art style back then, and I still do today. He passed after calling 911 with chest pains but they got there too late. Man. He had a blogsite and updated everyday with new sketches and stuff. Read about it here.

Lifelike...

I enjoy reading webcomics for well established characters with rich backgrounds and storylines, but sometimes that can bite the writer in the arse. Some comics tend to box themselves in with one set of characters and a set theme to the storylines that can over time become stale and repetitive. Not so with anthology comics such as Lifelike. Written by Dara Naraghi and drawn by a rotating cast of artists, Lifelike has one core premise at its heart, and that is humanity, good and bad, at it's highest of highs and lowest of lows. Different stories, different characters. Updates are every Wednesday.

Variety is the name of the game here with eleven different stories so far each boasting a unique art style by a different artist. I really can't find anything negative to say here as I can't complain that the story should have one set style because each one is standalone, and having an artist specifically chosen for each one helps it have a unique voice. I particularly liked the Repair, with it's attention to detail and the sadness portrayed in Ruby's facial expressions. Also the coloring jobs are great and vary from story to story to fit the emotion and tone of each one. Good stuff.

Dara Naraghi does a very good job of writing completely different stories with people from all walks of life and society, while still keeping the "slice of life" theme going strong throughout. You can't have a comic without art, but the writing is what makes this comic shine. From thieves double-crossing each other and being double crossed themselves in "Double Cross at the Double Down", to a comic book artist wondering if he's doing the right thing with his life in "Art/Life", each story arc and character is given a soul in about five or six pages and Dara even makes you feel for them. One thing though. The story "Comeback" had me knowing three pages in what was going to happen at the end. It just had a bit of a cliched feel to it, like I had seen it done before. With that one arc aside though, the rest of them were winners. I read straight through and didn't once feel bored, and there is something to be said for that, especially when I'm used to reading superhero and gag comics. Grade A storytelling.

Lifelike is one of the most professional comics that I've reviewed to date, and easily one of the most impressive. There is a story here for everyone, and you'll no doubt find yourself relating to at least one of these characters and their situations. However, if you're looking for spandex wearing musclemen, or sarcastic talking monkeys, look elsewhere. This is strictly real life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I give this comic...


10 out of 12 Chimps.

Monty and Woolley...

Monty and Woolley, created by James Douglas, brings subtle humor to the well-worn dinosaur genre of webcomics. Wait, there isn't a dinosaur genre of webcomics? Okay, scratch that. The comic features a slightly sarcastic brontosaurus named Monty and a free spirited mammoth hatched from an egg(?) named Woolley. Updates are every Friday.

James has a good handle on drawing his main characters, but backgrounds and any other details are sparse. It's hard to believe that they are in a jurassic world on the brink of an ice age when there is no landscape to establish it. I would love to see ancient ferns and other vegetation from the era, as well as mountains, volcanoes, other dinos, etc. It may be expecting too much from a comic of this nature, but it would still be nice to see a little more effort put into this area. The comic starts off in black and white but eventually graduates to color, which helps to fill in some of the blank areas left by the lack of backgrounds. One last thing. I think that the comic should be a bit larger as there is a lot of wasted space on the site and the title of the comic is almost the same size as the comic itself.

I've always liked comics aimed at a nicer friendlier more innocent crowd, and Monty and Woolley feels like one of those to me. The jokes are simple and smile inducing although not laugh out loud funny. I also welcome the fact that there are no sex jokes of any kind, as those have been done to death everywhere else. I did take offense to the use of the phrase "what the hell?" in one strip. It just felt totally out of place here, and it's the only time it's been used. Apart from that the characters are established quickly and what seems like a story is starting to hatch. I really feel that having a loose story, such as the ice age beginning and Monty and Woolley trekking to safety, will benefit the comic by opening up a huge variety of mischievous situations for them to get into. If James can do this while keeping the lighthearted and one shot jokes coming, he'll have a winner. Oh, one thing that I found a bit distracting was the lack of character speech bubbles. The only thing that tells you who is speaking and when are the different colors of the text. Sometimes all of the text is over one of the characters heads, and that makes it hard to distinguish who is saying what. Maybe trying a few different bubbles, or even a small line to the character, would help.

If light and airy comics kids young and old alike can enjoy are your thing, check out Monty and Woolley. I can truthfully say that I enjoyed this comic. It was like a small breath of fresh air. A few minor tweaks here and there and this comic will undoubtedly gain an audience. Careful though, your eyes might end up dinoSORE from not being able to stop reading! Haha...ha....ahem. Yeah, that sucked.

I give this comic...

Why do I give it eight out of 12 chimps? Because I liked it! That's why!