Updating vs. Not......

Today I decided to go back and check every single comic I've reviewed from the beginning of this site and check which ones were still updating, and which had fallen by the wayside. Well, what did I find out by doing this? I found out that this is not something a good portion of people take seriously. I get that it's basically a hobby, and to really attempt to make a go of it professionally you have to put your all into it. With that said, out of fifty reviews, the tally is as follows: twenty four webcomics still updating; twenty six not. Wow. They all requested reviews of their "babies". It just shows that other things really can put a strain on your ability to continue a daily, weekly, or even monthly comic. It's no wonder that webcomics still aren't considered a serious medium. But, as I said earlier, it is still basically a hobby to most, and that includes me. I just didn't expect the numbers to be so close. And I ESPECIALLY didn't think that they number of comics NOT updating would be greater than the number of them still updating. A bit of a bummer, but I'll keep on reviewing, and hope that the number of comics that continue the fight increases with time. Onward!

Review: Odd Fish....

I used to go fishing a lot when I was a kid. Loved yanking those cat fish outta the water, yessiree. Just something about the impending tug of the line, the excitement of you versus a little critter that can't possibly defend itself...urr...how about we get to the review? Nobby Nobody's(Phillip Blackman, for those not into cool net names) OddFish is a gag-style humor strip teaming with aquatic life, but focusing mainly on the misadventures of Lovecraft, an octopus with designs on destroying humanity, and a puffer fish named Howard. Updates? Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The ocean is rife with creatures big and small, far and wide, friendly and not so friendly...so you would think that it would be tough to handle the artistic chores of this world. Not so for Nobby. The "biro" art(which is explained as being the UK name for ballpoint pens. Neat!) is exceptional. I've never actually known a webcomic to be drawn in all ball point pens, unless it were some scribbly lined paper mess. This ain't no mess. I was wondering how he was able to achieve that soft blue look before I read the "about" page. It's a really neat and simple concept that gives ODD FISH a unique style all it's own.

Even without the biro look, Phillip has an amazing eye for detail that left me more than a bit jealous. The enormous level of cross hatching must take him forever, and every sea creature is lovingly hand drawn, right down to each individual suction cup on the tentacle of an octopus. Great work.

I know what you're thinking. "Yeah yeah, pile on the praise for the art. I bet the writing sucks." Well buddy, I've got news for you. The writing is just as good as the art! What, you say? Here's why. Clever jokes. That's right. From "internet prawnography rocks!" to "giving my mussels a workout!" I got the jokes and got a kick out of them at the same time. While a majority of them come from "ocean" humor, and it borders on overkill with a side of cheesiness, it never quite walks the plank in my opinion. I mean hey, what would be the "porpoise" of an underwater strip if you couldn't rely on the humor that comes from it? Heh, I couldn't help myself with that one...

The writer clearly shows an indepth knowledge of the creatures he incorporates into his comic. The amount of detail shown and facts used would make Jacques Cousteau proud, if he were still alive and kickin'. I wonder if Phillip has a ton of books on sea creatures. Definitely good to see someone with a love for what he does.

From the review, I guess you can pretty much tell I loved this comic. I don't have anything overtly negative to say because OddFish ranks right up there with the best of what webcomics have to offer. Solid, clever writing and beautiful hand drawn artwork. You would not go wrong bookmarking this one and making it a must read on your list. "Immerse" yourself in OddFish!
I give OddFish...

TEN CHIMPS!!!!!!!

And the slow going continues...

Hey people, Jack here to apologize for the lack of a solid update schedule. I've been doing what I can, but things have been a wee bit tight in the ole personal life as of late. Not to worry though, I'm going to have a new review up in the next couple days, as well as new interviews. Speaking of interviews, if you have a webcomic, and said webcomic has been reviewed on this site, and you would like to BE interviewed, drop me a line at uncaringmachine@aol.com. Well, I'm out, but hey, while you wait for new updates, why not check out the new poll I put up, as well as links to some of my fave comics, such as Scary Go Round(love the art), Exploding Dog(love the idea of sending him a sentence and he draws it up as a comic!), Buttersafe(funny!), and that rascally Herman The Manatee(He gets hit by motorboats ALL the time!). Enjoy, and come back soon!

Interview with...Chain Bear creators Lauren Farnsworth and Stuart Taylor!

Yessirreee, time for another all new webcomic creator interview, this time with the creators of that rascally Chain Bear himself, Lauren Farnsworth and Stuart Taylor. So what could be lurking in the deepest and darkest caverns of their collective brains? Well, read the interview why don'tcha!
1. So. Chain Bear. Why a bear, and why in chains?
Lauren: The name 'Chain Bear' does have a story behind it. I can't speak for Stuart but I'm not willing to reveal that story to the world yet. Just be assured that any wonderment or curiosity you feel towards it is not in vain. Despite that, its meaning is not beyond the realms of some clever guesswork, so if you figure it out, answers on a postcard - or an email. Maybe you'll get a prize or something.

Stuart: And I was about to reveal the secret! I think it would have to be a very clever guess to work out where it came from, but I can reveal that name Chain Bear was being used by us before he became reborn as the character he is. The chains provide him with interesting situations, and I feel sad for him often. We used to wonder if he would have been sustainable as a comic by himself - I think that he could, as long as each episode wasn't focused solely on the chains!

2. I gave a very positive review of your comic. Did you do cartwheels soon after, or was it much more mellow?
Lauren: It was certainly great to have our first review be a positive one, and it was also a bonus that, within it, you seemed to grasp what Chain Bear was essentially all about.

Stuart: Exactly - at first we were just relieved! I think Chain Bear appeals to a selective audience so we were glad you were able to appreciate it.

Lauren: Some people don't 'get it', which is always the story when working with humour, and that's fine. So yes, I was very pleased and showed off to all my friends. I haven't been able to cartwheel since I was about ten years old, so let's say I did a few very enthusiastic hops instead.

Stuart: I can cartwheel. Just for the record.


3. So do any of these comics reflect your personal mindstate? What I'm trying to say is, are you two crazy?
Stuart. Well, to start – I'd like to clarify that we're not psychiatrists by day as you suggested in your review!

Lauren: Many of the first strips came from my Fine Art degree, and you have to be moody and resentful of the world when you're an artist. Now, however, I wouldn't say any of it reflected my current state of mind. I'll see something sad, sweet or funny and put it down on paper and that's really as far as it goes. To be honest I sometimes don't even 'get' Stuart's strips at all, I just try to have faith that some other viewer will.

Stuart: I think, personally, my comics are more reflective of my own mindstate in that the ideas shoot into my mind and I commit them to paper quite quickly and spruce them up later. Often, in fact, I'll jump out of bed in the middle of the night and write down an idea for fear I'll forget it later. Lauren's strips I think tend to be more reflective. Though we've made a point not to clarify who made each strip, I think you'd notice mine tend to look inward and Lauren's look outward.

4. How long do you two see yourselves doing Chain Bear? Do either of you have any other projects waiting in the wings?
Stuart: Personally I'd like to do it for as long as it remains enjoyable. Obviously if other life commitments get in the way, it could become a bit of a struggle, but we can adapt. After all, Chain Bear used to update 5 times a week, but we soon realised that we couldn't keep up with that kind of demand. Myself, I also get stuck into photography projects and Lauren is a writer at heart.

Lauren: I personally have no other projects I'm waiting to unleash, not for the internet anyway. I sometimes have the odd idea for a new webcomic or blog, but work and other life activities take up a lot of my time and even Chain Bear is a struggle to keep up with. As for how long the comic will run, I honestly see us doing it until we're old and wrinkly.

5. What are your favorite webcomics and do you ever find yourselves trying to emulate them, whether on purpose or subconsciously?
Stuart: I first got into webcomics through the fantastic Sluggy Freelance, about 6 or 7 years ago. That was one of the very first internet-published comics and I think still is my favourite at heart. I am in awe of Pete Abrams' ridiculously long and twisting storylines that he manages to combines with a daily 'joke'. The first comic I ever loved, though, was Charles Schultz's Peanuts. My mum dug out her old books when I was 6 and I couldn't put them down. I think both of these are somewhere in the heart of how I approach creating a comic, but I would never try to use their style, unless in satire.

Lauren: My favourite webcomics are Married to the Sea and Buttersafe. I also like Dinosaur Comics and White Ninja. I wouldn't say I try to emulate them though. Trying to imitate Married to the Sea would be pretty obvious and wouldn't get past anybody. Though I guess if I do it subconsciously, I wouldn't be aware of it. Maybe you can tell me?

6. Have you ever done any guest work for other comics? If so, which ones?
Stuart: The only guest work we were ever involved in was through an April Fool's comic switch-around in which we were delighted to step into Marko's Roomies (link: http://roomiescomic.com/archive.php?comic=398). There's a good chance we spent more time on that comic swap that anyone else!

Lauren: We pretty much exhausted ourselves with that one. I'd like to do more guest strips, but as I say, I find myself busy enough with Chain Bear alone.

7. If you had to end your comic suddenly tomorrow, what would the final Chain Bear strip be?
Lauren: I hate to say it, but I'd probably have to kill off Chain Bear himself. Like a good captain, I like to think Chain Bear would go down with his strip.

Stuart: I was going to say we'd have to kill Chain Bear, but I think he's already died once hasn't he? He went down with his ship (link, if you want it: http://www.chainbear.com/?issue=56)! Lauren, you forget yourself. I would probably rid him of his chains; it would be bittersweet as I think he would have real problems with it, like the old man who got released from prison in The Shawshank Redemption and struggled terribly with the freedom.

8. Any plans to compile your best strips into a book?
Stuart: That's the dream! I think Lauren wanted to do it after about two days!

Lauren: Yes, we do. Though currently, I don't personally feel like we have enough 'best strips' to fill a decent-sized book, and I doubt many people would buy it. It's certainly something to aspire to though.

Stuart: We've discussed it quite a lot. I think it would be a tremendous challenge to put Chain Bear into a book form, though I think with some commentary and a layout similar to an art book it might work. I always think of the book 'You Don't Look 40, Charlie Brown', when I think of a Chain Bear book; it was half comics, half the autobiography of Charles Schultz.

9. Last movie you watched and your thoughts on it. Go!
Stuart: We rented the old black-and-white version of Lord of the Flies the other day, which I have never seen or read. Er… I had troubles with it. I think if Lauren hadn't been given me a running, book-knowledge commentary of who everyone was and why, I would have been very confused. I did, however, like the choir chanting. And Piggy. Why, oh why, didn't they listen to Piggy?

Lauren: I'd just finished reading the book for probably the 5th time and wanted to see what the film was like. It was okay. I'm not much of a film critic, but it was watchable. The best part was probably the song "Kyrie Eleison", which is a big part of the score.

10. I want to thank you for taking the time to be interviewed for the site. It was pretty darn fun! Now, one last question. Why should people check out Chain Bear? No, seriously. Why should they?
Stuart: Oh God… You know, Chain Bear is very unusual in that it's such a mixed bag. People who have good things to say have all come back with very different strips as examples; often these strips overlap with examples people have used as awful or baffling strips. On top of that, it takes a little while to actually understand Chain Bear as a continous comic, especially as the jokes are rarely handed out on a plate. So to answer your question I'd say people should read Chain Bear if they want a bit more of a challenge, or the comic equivalent of Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans.

Lauren: Because there's probably something for everyone's tastes in it. Also because you might be bored at work, and because Stuart and I are good people who work very hard. So in summary, Something for everyone + Boredom + Good people = Do it!

Gotta love those two! They really brought some flavor to the interview, didn't they? Do give em a shot and check out Chain Bear! Oh, one last thing, the infamous.....SELF PORTRAIT!!!!

Review: Mighty Mau...

Well, my first review after having no real internet connection for a whole month. What do I have for you guys? How about a review of a comic from Mexico City called Mighty Mau? Okay, Arturo Rubio and Miguel Garcia have fashioned a superhero story about a not particularly super heroic character who seems to be on the skids. There doesn't seem to be a real update schedule from what I could gather, so I'll just say it's updated a few times per week. For my first comic back will this one give me the boost I need to get back into the game? Let's see....

When I think superhero comic I tend to think Jim Lee era X-Men, or Erik Larsen's time on Spiderman(loved that run). The bold, dynamic art is primarily what held my interest in comic books at the time. Mighty Mau has a totally different style than those comics, but on a good chunk of the later updates, I actually did enjoy the artwork. The earlier comics were very tiny and a little more straightforward with the cartoony art, which I didn't care for. Luckily, if you can make it through the first few, you'll be rewarded with a sketchy, watercolor-esque style that works well. Some of the action panels are stilted and could use a better flow, but as a whole the art evolves to a decent level. Does the writing do the same? Keep reading...

I know I said earlier that I loved certain runs on comic books because of the art, but of course the writing and storylines played a pretty important part as well. A twenty-two page comic with nothing but punches and kicks wouldn't be much of a comic, now would it? Art and writing go hand in hand, much like a hot dog and relish. I love me some relish. Ahem. To begin, let me take you to a few lines of dialogue from a fight scene from the storyline, "Mau vs. the Shopping Cart Transformer". "We've got the eggs up to the throat!" and "You thought I was frucked, but November, I survipers!" I.....that is to say....you....what? That was what I felt when I read this comic. Being from Mexico City, and from reading an email from the creators, I assume their first language is Spanish, so that explains a lot. But to write a comic in English, you really should have a decent grasp on the language, or it's just going to sound a bit silly and most likely not going to make a lot of sense. Don't get me wrong, I do get what's going on, but it's hard to want to follow a comic written this way. I'm sure with time they will get a better handle on things, but for now it just reads awkward.

Another problem I had with the writing was the gratuitous use of foul language. It just seems out of place, like they are attempting to sound all grown up but failing at it. I like my superhero comics a bit more, I dunno, super heroey. Of course, Mau is a drunk who has a lot of violence in his past, so I don't know how super heroey he is, exactly. I do give the writer credit for attempting a pretty deep backstory for the character, and I have to say it's not half bad. Not the best writing, but not the worst by any means.

In closing, Mighty Mau has a few things going for it, such as the ever improving art and deeper character building direction the comic is going in. It had some wobbly legs at the beginning, enough so that I would recommend dropping some of the early strips since they really have no bearing on the new style. But even with some improvements, I don't see where this comic is going. I hope that the current origin story is a glimpse of what's to come, as what came before it was pretty bad. Let's just hope that Mau can find some solid footing and it's own voice so I can recommend it.

I give this comic...

My internets are working!

Yep, you heard it here first folks, I now have internet again. Now if I could only get my freakin' Xbox Live to work(I've tried everything). I'm having Fight Night withdrawals!! Anyway, I'll be back at it soon with new reviews and interviews for your peepers, as well as new comics on my others sites(of which I just put up a new one on Off Kilter Comics, link below!). So, thanks for those of you who are returning readers, and to all the new people, welcome, take a look around, and become returning readers! Thanks!

Internet troubles....

Don't you just hate it when your internet is crap? Or rather, the neighbors internet that you sorta piggyback off of doesn't work so well in your house, even with your laptop right up against the window? Yeah, me too. That's one reason it's been hard for me to do a review the last week and a half. Until we get our own, it's gonna be a little slowgoing here at the Asylum. Not to say I won't get a review up by the end of the week, but I can only get the internet to work for a few minutes at a time, so it takes quite a while to read an archive. With that said, I'll still be updating, but I just wanted to let you all know what's going on. I did just start a new job making more money, so maybe I'll have internet in the next month or two. I'll work hard to keep the reviews coming!