2008 Woodie Awards
Internet provides new way to get daily dose of funnies
By Ashton Ruby
Rocket Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: Focus
Thanks to the Internet, comics can now be found online. Not just traditional comics you usually think of like "Superman" and "Spider-Man" or the Sunday comics like "Peanuts" or "Calvin and Hobbes," either.
Anyone that can draw or write creatively enough and has a way to host his or her own site online can become somewhat famous and have a small following of loyal readers with their own webcomics.
One of the best things about webcomics is that they are almost always free.
The people that create these comics are doing it because it is something that they love to do and they want to share their work with the world.
I love DC and Marvel comics as much as the next geek, but I can't afford to be forking over paycheck after paycheck to the local comic book stores.
Granted, you are only given about one page of content a day with the webcomics, but only if you would choose to donate to the creators or purchase merchandise from them would you ever have to pay a cent.
This may raise a question: Does this new medium threaten the print-style comic book industry? Maybe, but I don't really think so.
So far, I've never come across anything to really rival the old-school hard-hitters. Also, I don't think you could compare it to the way people use the Internet to pirate music and movies.
Of course there is the downside that, since anyone with time can create a webcomic, you may have to root through all the bad ones out there to actually find some good ones.
But what I usually do when I find a webcomic I like is to look for the comics that the creators like, or ones that are similar to their own comics.
Authors of webcomics are almost always everyday people like you and me, and many times, they run the Web site themselves and can get feedback from their readers.
The more popular ones will attend comic and anime conventions and you can meet them in person. You don't have to deal with big companies that have no time for fans. Just go on the Web site and let your voice be heard, by people who care.
Anyone that can draw or write creatively enough and has a way to host his or her own site online can become somewhat famous and have a small following of loyal readers with their own webcomics.
One of the best things about webcomics is that they are almost always free.
The people that create these comics are doing it because it is something that they love to do and they want to share their work with the world.
I love DC and Marvel comics as much as the next geek, but I can't afford to be forking over paycheck after paycheck to the local comic book stores.
Granted, you are only given about one page of content a day with the webcomics, but only if you would choose to donate to the creators or purchase merchandise from them would you ever have to pay a cent.
This may raise a question: Does this new medium threaten the print-style comic book industry? Maybe, but I don't really think so.
So far, I've never come across anything to really rival the old-school hard-hitters. Also, I don't think you could compare it to the way people use the Internet to pirate music and movies.
Of course there is the downside that, since anyone with time can create a webcomic, you may have to root through all the bad ones out there to actually find some good ones.
But what I usually do when I find a webcomic I like is to look for the comics that the creators like, or ones that are similar to their own comics.
Authors of webcomics are almost always everyday people like you and me, and many times, they run the Web site themselves and can get feedback from their readers.
The more popular ones will attend comic and anime conventions and you can meet them in person. You don't have to deal with big companies that have no time for fans. Just go on the Web site and let your voice be heard, by people who care.
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