A Penny Arcade strip you like and why

Jason_McCullough · 2010-11-20T12:33:25.000Z

Well, I’m not sure what the curve even is. I hate the Sunday comics on both style and content grounds.

Stepsongrapes · 2010-11-20T12:37:51.000Z

Jason McCullough:

Well, I’m not sure what the curve even is. I hate the Sunday comics on both style and content grounds.

I thought the curve was the universe of comic strips (at least professional ones). If we move to the curve to just those comics that the individual likes, I can see that raising the bar a touch.

Rimbo · 2010-11-20T14:07:14.000Z

Stepsongrapes:

I thought the curve was the universe of comic strips (at least professional ones). If we move to the curve to just those comics that the individual likes, I can see that raising the bar a touch.

Well, depends on the individual on whether it raises the bar or not. ;)

tork · 2010-11-20T20:48:09.000Z

Gus_Smedstad:

I’ve got the first two volumes of the full version, “In memory yet green” and “In joy still felt.” Yes, they’re long winded, since he takes 700 pages just to cover the first 34 years of his life. However, if you like Asimov’s nonfiction writing at all, they’re worth reading. It’s been a long time since I read them, but I never felt like they dragged.

I read the first two as well, and absolutely loved volume one. The second volume I didn’t find as compelling, though I have no regrets about reading it.

Sebmojo · 2010-11-21T03:38:27.000Z

Jason McCullough:

I’m not an expert in anything in this field, but by comic standards it looks amateurish and clunky to me, and not intentionally so as a consistent design approach either. The backgrounds and “camera perspective” stuff is interesting sometimes, but the people themselves are just shoddily drawn. Ok, maybe “shoddy” is too strong; “workmanlike, passable” is probably a better description. You can see this in things like, oh, a joke relying on body perspective and motion being unrecognizable to a non-trivial number of people in the target audience who should immediately get it.

I’ve read the entire thread, I’ve laughed at most of them, I just don’t think the art is that good. God knows it laps the rest of the gamer comics out there, like, say, VG Cats, but that’s not saying much.

So it’s not as good as probably the best comic ever.

Hm.

Gabe’s faults have been laid out here in a fair bit of detail (viz: slightly too abstract notion of anatomy, poor command of sequential story telling) and I’m not sure I’d disagree that a good chunk of the strips are ‘passable’ or ‘workmanlike’. But Calvin and Hobbes has its workmanlike aspects too (LET’S GO DOWN THAT HILL ON OUR CART AGAIN SHALL WE)

Bottom line, he’s constantly pushing his own boundaries. There are missteps, but that’s what happens.

How would you critique this?

Martin_Guerre · 2010-11-21T08:08:43.000Z

What the fuck is happening with their noses?!

TurinTur · 2010-11-21T08:10:28.000Z

Jason McCullough:

I’m not an expert in anything in this field, but by comic standards it looks amateurish and clunky to me

You really have not read lots of webcomics. PA art is in the top 5%. The other 95% is not as good, and only the top 15% is not amateurish.

Jason_McCullough · 2010-11-21T12:05:42.000Z

That’s really depressing, then.

Mrenda · 2010-11-21T12:11:48.000Z

Jason McCullough:

I’m not an expert in anything in this field, but by comic standards it looks amateurish and clunky to me, and not intentionally so as a consistent design approach either.

Your mistake is in comparing it to comics. It is not a comic at all, it’s a webcomic or a comic strip, and both of those are entirely different entities to a comic.

zengonzo · 2010-11-21T17:18:40.000Z

Jason McCullough:

That’s really depressing, then.

Like with everything else on the net, the barrier to entry and distribution is ridiculously low compared to traditional methods. So anyone with a passion can do it.

Which is, ultimately, a great thing. How would you expect it to be?

That Kinect strip is some lazy shit - not just in the background, but the layout, the linework. Altogether not indicative of his regular work. Which, of late, has been beautiful. The Paint the Line series is excellently executed.

But not every strip in a webcomic serial demands full service.

Jason_McCullough · 2010-11-21T20:32:40.000Z

Oh, it’s not bad itself, I just can’t believe it’s the top of the line. Oh well. Anyway: yeah, there’s a reason people don’t get the Kinect cartoon.

Bahimiron · 2010-11-22T05:28:49.000Z

Gendal:

I think Gabe tried to get a little artsy here with the colors and it back fired on him. He could have used a wider gamut which would have made it easier to pick out the individual characters in the pile. While I got the joke quickly, I still spent time trying to figure out who was who in Mt. Doom to confirm my theory. Which of course ruined the punchline.

I’m beginning to think that some people are really trying hard not to get these things.

Jason McCullough:

Oh, it’s not bad itself, I just can’t believe it’s the top of the line.

Not everything can be Cathy.

Thomas_Wilde · 2010-11-22T16:46:28.000Z

Gus_Smedstad:

The Harlan Ellison story is a good one. He’s always come across as a egomaniac troll, even from people who like him. I’m thinking of Asimov’s autobiography here, which is where the “what would you say to a little fuck” story comes from.

To briefly diverge from the subject at hand, the Ellison “little fuck” story is an old dirty joke. Its association with Ellison actually has its own takedown on Snopes.

Thomas_Wilde · 2010-11-22T16:48:04.000Z

And, to compensate for my divergence, “As Foretold in Revelations” has always been my favorite PA. I’m a sucker for depictions of Jesus as a normal dude, and I find something funny about the phrase “I bring those [i/blue[/i] sparks.”

Sebmojo · 2010-11-22T16:53:05.000Z

Jason McCullough:

Oh, it’s not bad itself, I just can’t believe it’s the top of the line. Oh well. Anyway: yeah, there’s a reason people don’t get the Kinect cartoon.

How about today’s, Jason? Oddly, it’s probably the most Wattersonesque thing he’s ever drawn.

1100632405_k8Jbq-L.jpg800×401

Getting in ahead of the aspie rush: NO IT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE THAT’S THE POINT

Speaking of points - why I like it - the expression on the riding mouse. That dude has got some focus.

Pogo · 2010-11-22T16:57:39.000Z

Ugh, reusing the word “forgotten” to make essentially the same point in the second panel… seems so amateurish.

Anti-Bunny · 2010-11-22T17:08:03.000Z

Playing Poker Night… After asking about Tycho’s uniform (standard issue sweater since 1998) the Heavy Weapons guy asks Tycho if he has any special headgear. Tycho says he has a special motorcycle that blocks 100% of flesh searing flames.

We can’t search threads anymore, so just pretend I quoted whoever likes that original strip about the helmet.

Gus_Smedstad1 · 2010-11-22T19:11:11.000Z

Today’s strip about Onlive is a classic example of a strip where I had NO FUCKING IDEA what they were talking about until I read the accompanying news post. Even then, it took me a bit to realize they were saying “the Onlive controls are slow.”

Jamie_Madigan · 2010-11-22T21:18:16.000Z

Pogo:

Ugh, reusing the word “forgotten” to make essentially the same point in the second panel… seems so amateurish.

Yeah, that bothered me, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if that were actually a mistake on their part.

Andrew · 2010-11-22T21:20:32.000Z

Gus_Smedstad:

Today’s strip about Onlive is a classic example of a strip where I had NO FUCKING IDEA what they were talking about until I read the accompanying news post. Even then, it took me a bit to realize they were saying “the Onlive controls are slow.”

I was able to figure it out pretty quickly, even though as a PC gamer I’m not really sure what “Onlive” or “Dpad” are. Maybe because I enjoy this sort of absurd hyperbole.