One of the reasons I love webcomics is that they give readers the opportunity to see an artist grow and change. Webcomics are, with a few exceptions, published quickly after they are created, giving the reader a chance to engage with a work while the artist is still living through the experiences that influenced the art. Of…
Let Me Desire Myself: Sexy Drawings That Don’t Hurt [NSFW]
Erotica, one might hope, is intended to make people feel good. Erotica, as has been discussed at length on this site, can cause people to feel bad. All art containing bodies has the potential to push the viewer into a state of comparison. Desiring to encourage reflection upon the differences and the the reasons which span this…
Incredible Indie Tuesday: We Have This Conversation Every Year
Sorry about the disappearance last week! I know I missed a biggie: the announcement of the Eisner nominations. The up side of my absence is that it gave me a lot of time to think about how webcomics fit into the Eisners as a whole. And plenty of time for me to have the same argument I…
Colorist on Coloring: What Is a Flatter?
Hey there, have you been wondering just what the heck a flatter does? Well I am going to give you another long serious professional dissection of what a flatter does and why it is important. To further prove that I am a very boring person obsessed with minutia. [You’re very interesting actually — Ed.] A…
Comics’ Infinite Scroll: To The Rim and Beyond
The launch of Stela, a new comics app which publishes titles optimized for the downward scrolling function of smartphones, has kicked up some talk about Scott McCloud’s Reinventing Comics. Published in 2000 as a sequel to Understanding Comics, Reinventing Comics considers the kinds of innovations that McCloud believed would advance the medium. He paid particular attention to…
MAN PLUS Take Two (and Three): Araujo’s Midsection
Man Plus is currently being published by Titan Comics as a four issue mini; it’s also being serialised for free online through page by page release. Claire and J.A. discuss the second and third issues of Araújo’s Shirowpunk passion project, as they did for part one previously.
Colorist on Color: The Introduction
Introducing the first of hopefully many articles on color. Our new columnist Marissa Louise is a colorist, but here she’s a color commentator. Why? She’ll tell you.
Incredible Indie Tuesday: Kickstart All the Comics
Hi everyone! My name is KM, and I’m takin’ over this ship. You’ll still get your weekly dose of indie comics goodness, you just might see a bit more about webcomics and self-published comics because I spend too much time on the internet. But enough about that. Let’s talk comics! This month has seen a…
Fashion Comics! Fashion SUPERHEROINE Comics? Let’s Talk About This
The world of fashion isn’t always one explored in superhero comics, but recently many writers and artists are changing that. Whether it’s designing and sewing superhero (or supervillain!) costumes, or juggling fighting crime and working in fashion, comics are exploring the industry and mechanics of garmentry. We looked at Scarlett Couture from Titan (previously covered by Wendy), Heroine Chic,…
Mooncakes and Hearing Loss: Taking My Own Advice
Last time we talked I wrote about representation from big publishers. This month, let’s get personal. I write the webcomic Mooncakes. I almost gave up writing comics this year. My scripts felt clunky and confusing, I didn’t have an artist to co-create with, and any time I had something close to an original idea I…
Get your Optimistic Sci Fi Fix with The Immortal Nerd
I first encountered H-P Lehkonen’s comics when their activism group, Femicomix Finland, visited Chicago and teamed up with local comics activists The LadyDrawers to discuss their work. Lehkonen radiates positivity; whether its with stories that look to the future or biographical works that look to the past, they always seem to celebrate the brighter, more…
Starting Points: 4 Webcomics (Written by Women) You Should Check Out
I know you’re in a rush. But—looking for some reading material? How about a space opera military science fiction comic? Or two characters on a road trip from one coast of the U.S. to the other, dealing with adventure, sexuality, political intrigue, pie baking, and more? Allow me to introduce you to some of the…