Monday, January 09, 2006
Webcomics Examiner Adopts New Format and Schedule
January 3rd, 2006– The Webcomics Examiner has converted to a new format, and beginning today will publish on a weekly schedule. Says editor Joe Zabel, “The quarterly magazine format served us well, but we decided to change to a new look that showcases each individual article to the max.”
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The Webcomics Examiner is a forum of reviews, interviews, and critical articles evaluating webcomics as a fine art. The free-access website is at http://webcomicsreview.com.
The format change also adds a host of new features, including a site search engine, a comments section at the end of each article, and archive indexing by article type and author name. Behind the scenes, a new content management system will save the editors signifigant amounts of time in preparing and publishing articles.
The new format was designed by Alexander Danner, using WordPress, an open source content management system.
The premiere feature in the new format is a review by Tym Godek of Nathan Castle’s comics. Upcoming are reviews of Girl Genius, Little Dee, Nine Planets Without Intelligent Life, and numerous other comics. The Examiner continues its tradition of free-ranging critical roundtables with a summit on experimental webcomics coming up in February.
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Saturday, December 10, 2005
Frankly, Narnia gave me the creeps a bit
Narnia is a very good effort, with nice special effects and good acting all around. But it did give me the creeps a bit. I haven't read the original Lewis stories, but I wonder if the scene with Santa Claus is from the original story. Here we have Santa Claus gifting the kids with deadly weapons. Sure, it's to defend themselves from evil minotaurs and stuff, but it really sends quite a message.
As for Aslan, we had the makings of a great character, but it turns out he's so serious and lacking in humor; and that sacrificial scene really was depressing. As Christian allegory, it was quite bizaare, too, since Jesus was quite the pacifist, and Aslan is show munching on the White Queen's face!
A very odd thing about the ending, too. Here the four children are shown having become young adults in Narnia. Well, what do young adults think about 99% of the time? But there weren't any other humans there except for their brothers and sisters. Wouldn't these kids be going wack out of their minds? And then they go through the wardrobe door and are once again kids. So they have to relive their childhoods? Shit!
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As for Aslan, we had the makings of a great character, but it turns out he's so serious and lacking in humor; and that sacrificial scene really was depressing. As Christian allegory, it was quite bizaare, too, since Jesus was quite the pacifist, and Aslan is show munching on the White Queen's face!
A very odd thing about the ending, too. Here the four children are shown having become young adults in Narnia. Well, what do young adults think about 99% of the time? But there weren't any other humans there except for their brothers and sisters. Wouldn't these kids be going wack out of their minds? And then they go through the wardrobe door and are once again kids. So they have to relive their childhoods? Shit!
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Monday, December 05, 2005
Webcomics Examiner lists Best Webcomics of 2005
December 05, 2005-- The Best Webcomics of 2005 are featured in the special end-of-year issue of The Webcomics Examiner. The editorial advisory board surveyed the field and debated to come up with a list of the most noteworthy series and completed works. Says editor Joe Zabel, "Everyone has their own opinion about which comics are best; but we hope our listing efforts will stimulate discussion and attract new readers to a very fine group of cartoonists."
The Webcomics Examiner is a monthly forum of reviews, interviews, and critical articles evaluating webcomics as a fine art. The free-access website is at http://webcomicsreview.com.
This issue also features Part 2 of an editorial roundtable on The Artistic History of Webcomics, with T Campbell, Shaenon Garrity, William G., Phil Kahn, Bob Stevenson, Eric Burns, Wednesday White, A. G. Hopkins, Rob Balder, Tim Godek, Zabel, Alexander and Brandy Danner. Chronicling the webcomics medium's creative evolution, the discussion includes profiles of Cat Garza, Tristan Farnon, Demian5, Patrick Farley, Broken Saints, Justine Shaw, James Kochalka, Roger Langridge, Jim Zubkavich and many more.
Also this issue:
--Webcomics pioneer Tracy White discusses her innovative approach to webcomics in an interview conducted by Zabel.
--Philip Sandifer probes the secret life of James Kochalka's legendary autobiographical comic American Elf.
--Tristan Farnon's Leisure Town is analyzed by Zabel.
The cover artist this issue is David Hellman, of A Lesson Is Learned But The Damage Is Irreversible fame.
Press contact: Joe Zabel, joezabel@webcomicsreview.com
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The Webcomics Examiner is a monthly forum of reviews, interviews, and critical articles evaluating webcomics as a fine art. The free-access website is at http://webcomicsreview.com.
This issue also features Part 2 of an editorial roundtable on The Artistic History of Webcomics, with T Campbell, Shaenon Garrity, William G., Phil Kahn, Bob Stevenson, Eric Burns, Wednesday White, A. G. Hopkins, Rob Balder, Tim Godek, Zabel, Alexander and Brandy Danner. Chronicling the webcomics medium's creative evolution, the discussion includes profiles of Cat Garza, Tristan Farnon, Demian5, Patrick Farley, Broken Saints, Justine Shaw, James Kochalka, Roger Langridge, Jim Zubkavich and many more.
Also this issue:
--Webcomics pioneer Tracy White discusses her innovative approach to webcomics in an interview conducted by Zabel.
--Philip Sandifer probes the secret life of James Kochalka's legendary autobiographical comic American Elf.
--Tristan Farnon's Leisure Town is analyzed by Zabel.
The cover artist this issue is David Hellman, of A Lesson Is Learned But The Damage Is Irreversible fame.
Press contact: Joe Zabel, joezabel@webcomicsreview.com
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Sunday, October 23, 2005
Comments on Websnark comments on The Webcomics Examiner
Eric Burns contributed to the discussion in The Artistic History of Webcomics roundtable in the latest issue of The Webcomics Examiner. I wanted to respond to some very kind remarks he has made over at his popular blog, Websnark.
Eric writes, "It generates quotes that a Class of 2019 Art History student will be able to insert into her paper and make it march."
This is of course certainly a possibility, you might even say it's a likely occurence. My past writings about comics have already been quoted in an academic paper by John Barber, and I had the impression, though I can't confirm it, that the Future of Webcomics roundtable from The Examiner's December issue wound up in some student's paper. Citations like that make me feel really good. But they're not a big deal. If you write lots of stuff on the Internet, and somehow you're able to coax a number of people to read it, somebody's bound to pick up on something you've said. After all, how many millions of liberal arts students are there?
In any case, I don't write about webcomics for the year 2019. I write about them for the here and now.
Back in the early 1970s when I was a young cartoonist taking college art courses, I happened across "An Examination of 'Master Race'" by John Benson, David Kasakove and Art Spiegelman, from Squa Tront no. 6. A panel-by-panel dissection of Bernie Kriegstein's groundbreaking story, the essay totally changed my understanding of comics. I became very excited about the conceptual potential of the comics medium, and wrote several college papers on the subject. I've continued to write about comics off and on ever since then, and have tried to realize my ideas in my own cartooning work.
I write about comics mainly for my own enjoyment. Formulating an idea and trying to build convincing arguments for it is a sublime pleasure. To the extent that I write for an audience, I guess I'm writing for others like my younger self, people who are excited about ideas, and want to experience the new worlds and new dimensions that only ideas can create.
Or, as The Examiner's mission statement puts it, "We are embarking on an exciting journey. We invite you to join us!"
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Eric writes, "It generates quotes that a Class of 2019 Art History student will be able to insert into her paper and make it march."
This is of course certainly a possibility, you might even say it's a likely occurence. My past writings about comics have already been quoted in an academic paper by John Barber, and I had the impression, though I can't confirm it, that the Future of Webcomics roundtable from The Examiner's December issue wound up in some student's paper. Citations like that make me feel really good. But they're not a big deal. If you write lots of stuff on the Internet, and somehow you're able to coax a number of people to read it, somebody's bound to pick up on something you've said. After all, how many millions of liberal arts students are there?
In any case, I don't write about webcomics for the year 2019. I write about them for the here and now.
Back in the early 1970s when I was a young cartoonist taking college art courses, I happened across "An Examination of 'Master Race'" by John Benson, David Kasakove and Art Spiegelman, from Squa Tront no. 6. A panel-by-panel dissection of Bernie Kriegstein's groundbreaking story, the essay totally changed my understanding of comics. I became very excited about the conceptual potential of the comics medium, and wrote several college papers on the subject. I've continued to write about comics off and on ever since then, and have tried to realize my ideas in my own cartooning work.
I write about comics mainly for my own enjoyment. Formulating an idea and trying to build convincing arguments for it is a sublime pleasure. To the extent that I write for an audience, I guess I'm writing for others like my younger self, people who are excited about ideas, and want to experience the new worlds and new dimensions that only ideas can create.
Or, as The Examiner's mission statement puts it, "We are embarking on an exciting journey. We invite you to join us!"
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Monday, September 19, 2005
Some brief comments on Surface and Threshhold
Two new shows from the big networks, both reportedly created as imitations of the mega-hit Lost. Neither one is similar to Lost, except that they deal with mysterious phenomena on a large scale, in a broad season-long story arc. The third of this triad is "Invasion," which premieres this Wednesday.
The big find so far is "Surface," which TV Guide inexplicably panned. This show has good storytelling and an impressive appearance, like a good feature-film. The shots of the sea creatures are intriguing and extremely well-done. One shot of a massive creature is quite impressive and involving, and I have no idea how it was achieved!
More important, this show has a great atmosphere, with a particularly effective soundtrack. Lake Bell looks overly-solemn in the advertisements, but she does a good job of playing an edgy, likeable lead in the story. The rest of the cast is solid, and devoid of any overly-familiar faces (at least for me.) This doesn't promise to be a character-driven gem like Lost, but these characters might grow on you.
The premise sounds very intriguing, and I really don't know where it's going. I'll be watching for a while, I think.
Threshhold, on the other hand, is a disappointment. I really like Carla Gugino's previous series, Karen Cisco; but in this new role she is bland. The Writing and directing of the two-hour pilot was too over-the-top, and often quite dumb. And the writers pretty much forgot to make the show mysterious-- you know pretty much everything that's going on. The premise is somewhat novel, but it doesn't have any limits or any tangible presence. I guess things will just become weirder and weirder as all life on Earth is gradually absorbed by this genetic virus. And the repeated use of the renegade passenger from Lost as the main alienized human just serves to remind us that this show can't hold a candle to Lost.
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The big find so far is "Surface," which TV Guide inexplicably panned. This show has good storytelling and an impressive appearance, like a good feature-film. The shots of the sea creatures are intriguing and extremely well-done. One shot of a massive creature is quite impressive and involving, and I have no idea how it was achieved!
More important, this show has a great atmosphere, with a particularly effective soundtrack. Lake Bell looks overly-solemn in the advertisements, but she does a good job of playing an edgy, likeable lead in the story. The rest of the cast is solid, and devoid of any overly-familiar faces (at least for me.) This doesn't promise to be a character-driven gem like Lost, but these characters might grow on you.
The premise sounds very intriguing, and I really don't know where it's going. I'll be watching for a while, I think.
Threshhold, on the other hand, is a disappointment. I really like Carla Gugino's previous series, Karen Cisco; but in this new role she is bland. The Writing and directing of the two-hour pilot was too over-the-top, and often quite dumb. And the writers pretty much forgot to make the show mysterious-- you know pretty much everything that's going on. The premise is somewhat novel, but it doesn't have any limits or any tangible presence. I guess things will just become weirder and weirder as all life on Earth is gradually absorbed by this genetic virus. And the repeated use of the renegade passenger from Lost as the main alienized human just serves to remind us that this show can't hold a candle to Lost.
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Monday, July 04, 2005
Webcomics How-to Book Arrives in August!
An upcoming book by Modern Tales' own Steven Withrow and John Barber features a number of Modern Tales artists (Shaenon Garrity, Tom Hart, Cat Garza, and tons more). It also includes an illustrated Poser comics step-by-step by yours truly! Here's the press release:WEBCOMICS HOW-TO BOOK ARRIVES IN AUGUST
Authors explore the tools and techniques behind today’s best online comics.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Barron’s Education Series, in collaboration with The Ilex Press, will release Webcomics: Tools & Techniques for Digital Cartooning by Steven Withrow and John Barber on August 1, 2005.
Webcomics is an introduction to one of today’s fastest growing and most exciting new media -- online comics. Created digitally and distributed on the Internet, webcomics represent both a new publishing model and a brand new art form. They range in style from traditional-looking cartoon strips to innovative, experimental works that may integrate imagery from photography, video, and other sources, and feature audio soundtracks, animation, and interactivity.
Webcomics offers an in-depth look at what is happening in this area -- revealing who the pioneers are, what sort of work they’re doing, and what kind of digital tools and techniques they employ. Combining profiles of well-known webcomics creators with detailed workthroughs that reveal the nuts and bolts of every aspect of comic creation and presentation, this book is a must for anyone interested in where comics are headed in the 21st century.
Paperback: 192 pages
Barron’s Educational Series (August 1, 2005)
ISBN: 0764129821
For more information, please visit http://www.webcomicsthebook.com/.
About the Authors
Steven Withrow is also the author of Toon Art: The Graphic Art of Digital Cartooning (Watson-Guptill Publications/The Ilex Press; 2003), and John Barber is the creator of the innovative webcomic Vicious Souvenirs at ModernTales.com.
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Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Just saw War of the Worlds!
Go see it!
This is a surprisingly frightening and effective SF film. One of the reasons is that it's handled so realistically! The spectacular opening scene is on an overcast day, and there is very little use of theme music to undercut the sense of immediacy.
The special effects are spectacular, quite unique looking, and entirely convincing. The war machines project a startling sense of menace!
This may be Tom Cruise's best performance; he has us 100% of the time. Dakota Fanning is excellent as well.
Tim Robbins does an excellent job, but his placement in the movie is unfortunate, because it undercuts the realism. He just has too much star power to suddenly show up 2/3rds of the way in. The subplot involving him no doubt looked great on paper, but it's unnecessarily dark. We already have been exposed to enough sheer horror by this point.
I'll always have a soft spot for the Gene Barry version (Spielberg's version has a nice little homage to it at the end, with the hand drooping out of the war machine), but this is a worthy successor and makes a credible bid for best genre film of the year. It's got tough competition from King Kong, I'll bet (and I haven't seen Batman yet, but everybody says it's good.)
I also certainly hope that this film is influential. We've had enough of the flashy, eye-candy style special effects. Realistic special effects are where it's at!
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This is a surprisingly frightening and effective SF film. One of the reasons is that it's handled so realistically! The spectacular opening scene is on an overcast day, and there is very little use of theme music to undercut the sense of immediacy.
The special effects are spectacular, quite unique looking, and entirely convincing. The war machines project a startling sense of menace!
This may be Tom Cruise's best performance; he has us 100% of the time. Dakota Fanning is excellent as well.
Tim Robbins does an excellent job, but his placement in the movie is unfortunate, because it undercuts the realism. He just has too much star power to suddenly show up 2/3rds of the way in. The subplot involving him no doubt looked great on paper, but it's unnecessarily dark. We already have been exposed to enough sheer horror by this point.
I'll always have a soft spot for the Gene Barry version (Spielberg's version has a nice little homage to it at the end, with the hand drooping out of the war machine), but this is a worthy successor and makes a credible bid for best genre film of the year. It's got tough competition from King Kong, I'll bet (and I haven't seen Batman yet, but everybody says it's good.)
I also certainly hope that this film is influential. We've had enough of the flashy, eye-candy style special effects. Realistic special effects are where it's at!
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Sunday, June 26, 2005
Argon Zark celebrates 10th anniversary!
I got this from webcomics legend Charley Parker:
10 years ago this month, I launched my webcomic, Argon Zark!
As far as I have been able to establish in the subsequent 10 years,
Argon Zark! is still the first true webcomic, i.e. the first comic
created specifically for distribution on the Web.
By extension, that makes webcomics as we know them 10 years old this
month.
Some history:
Although it was preceded on the Internet by Where the Buffalo Roam By
Hans Bjordahl, a college newspaper strip that was made available for
distribution through Usenet downloads prior to the advent of the Web,
and Dr. Fun, a single panel gag cartoon that was originally created
for print distribution and later migrated to the Web, Argon Zark! was
the first comic created exclusively to be published on the Web, and
represents the beginning of webcomics as we know them today.
The Philadelphia Inquirer ran an article on Argon Zark! in the
tech.life section in 1997. It was picked up by the Knight-Ridder wire
service and later archived here.
You can read more about Argon Zark! here.
More about the 10 year anniversary here.
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10 years ago this month, I launched my webcomic, Argon Zark!
As far as I have been able to establish in the subsequent 10 years,
Argon Zark! is still the first true webcomic, i.e. the first comic
created specifically for distribution on the Web.
By extension, that makes webcomics as we know them 10 years old this
month.
Some history:
Although it was preceded on the Internet by Where the Buffalo Roam By
Hans Bjordahl, a college newspaper strip that was made available for
distribution through Usenet downloads prior to the advent of the Web,
and Dr. Fun, a single panel gag cartoon that was originally created
for print distribution and later migrated to the Web, Argon Zark! was
the first comic created exclusively to be published on the Web, and
represents the beginning of webcomics as we know them today.
The Philadelphia Inquirer ran an article on Argon Zark! in the
tech.life section in 1997. It was picked up by the Knight-Ridder wire
service and later archived here.
You can read more about Argon Zark! here.
More about the 10 year anniversary here.
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Monday, June 13, 2005
New Issue of The Webcomics Examiner!
I gotta say that this is tough to get together in the middle of a 90 degree heat wave with no air conditioning!
Here's the official PR:
Webcomics Examiner's Triangulation Challenge
June 13, 2005-- The search for a Grand Theory of Webcomics prompts essay contestants Alexander Danner, Brandy Danner, Steven Withrow, Tym Godek, Eric Burns, Shaenon Garrity, Rob Balder, Welton Colbert, Ryan Estrada, and Joe Zabel to consider 27 webcomics from uniquely skewed perspectives, in the latest issue of The Webcomics Examiner.
Zabel conceived of the Challenge as "a way of encouraging new and unusual ideas." Contest entries range from surreal to satirical, and the winning entry injects an especially odd aspect.
The Webcomics Examiner is a monthly forum of reviews, interviews, and critical articles evaluating webcomics as a fine art. The free-access website is at http://webcomicsreview.com. This is the first anniversary issue of the webzine.
Also this issue:
* Tym Godek considers the deeper meaning of speech patterns in Scary Go Round, Achewood, and 1/0 in the essay "Who Talks Like That?"
* Shaenon Garrity reviews Spike's Lucas and Odessa.
* The Webcartoonist Choice Awards nominees are listed with links to associated Examiner reviews.
Press contact: Joe Zabel, joezabel@yahoo.com
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Here's the official PR:
Webcomics Examiner's Triangulation Challenge
June 13, 2005-- The search for a Grand Theory of Webcomics prompts essay contestants Alexander Danner, Brandy Danner, Steven Withrow, Tym Godek, Eric Burns, Shaenon Garrity, Rob Balder, Welton Colbert, Ryan Estrada, and Joe Zabel to consider 27 webcomics from uniquely skewed perspectives, in the latest issue of The Webcomics Examiner.
Zabel conceived of the Challenge as "a way of encouraging new and unusual ideas." Contest entries range from surreal to satirical, and the winning entry injects an especially odd aspect.
The Webcomics Examiner is a monthly forum of reviews, interviews, and critical articles evaluating webcomics as a fine art. The free-access website is at http://webcomicsreview.com. This is the first anniversary issue of the webzine.
Also this issue:
* Tym Godek considers the deeper meaning of speech patterns in Scary Go Round, Achewood, and 1/0 in the essay "Who Talks Like That?"
* Shaenon Garrity reviews Spike's Lucas and Odessa.
* The Webcartoonist Choice Awards nominees are listed with links to associated Examiner reviews.
Press contact: Joe Zabel, joezabel@yahoo.com
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New issue of The Webcomics Examiner
June 13, 2005-- The search for a Grand Theory of Webcomics prompts essay contestants Alexander Danner, Brandy Danner, Steven Withrow, Tym Godek, Eric Burns, Shaenon Garrity, Rob Balder, Welton Colbert, Ryan Estrada, and Joe Zabel to consider 27 webcomics from uniquely skewed perspectives, in the latest issue of The Webcomics Examiner.
Zabel conceived of the Challenge as "a way of encouraging new and unusual ideas." Contest entries range from surreal to satirical, and the winning entry injects an especially odd aspect.
The Webcomics Examiner is a monthly forum of reviews, interviews, and critical articles evaluating webcomics as a fine art. The free-access website is at http://webcomicsreview.com. This is the first anniversary issue of the webzine.
Also this issue:
* Tym Godek considers the deeper meaning of speech patterns in Scary Go Round, Achewood, and 1/0 in the essay "Who Talks Like That?"
* Shaenon Garrity reviews Spike's Lucas and Odessa.
* The Webcartoonist Choice Awards nominees are listed with links to associated Examiner reviews.
Press contact: Joe Zabel, joezabel@yahoo.com
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Zabel conceived of the Challenge as "a way of encouraging new and unusual ideas." Contest entries range from surreal to satirical, and the winning entry injects an especially odd aspect.
The Webcomics Examiner is a monthly forum of reviews, interviews, and critical articles evaluating webcomics as a fine art. The free-access website is at http://webcomicsreview.com. This is the first anniversary issue of the webzine.
Also this issue:
* Tym Godek considers the deeper meaning of speech patterns in Scary Go Round, Achewood, and 1/0 in the essay "Who Talks Like That?"
* Shaenon Garrity reviews Spike's Lucas and Odessa.
* The Webcartoonist Choice Awards nominees are listed with links to associated Examiner reviews.
Press contact: Joe Zabel, joezabel@yahoo.com
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