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Webcomic Wednesday #2: XKCD
Apr. 7th, 2010 04:32 pmLast week I started with something off-the-charts. This week I'll feature a webcomic staple. One almost everyone has heard of, but I'd be doing a disservice to the rest of you by not introducing, just in case.
Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, said in his tenth anniversary book: "The best comics have funny writing and funny drawings, but sometimes the strength of one can make up for the weakness of the other. Great writing will save boring artwork better than great drawings will save boring ideas...". XKCD's creator Randall Munroe banks on this for his webcomic, which he labels "A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language." The briefest explanation? XKCD is a webcomic for geeks, by geek.
For any given situation that can arise in a geeks life, there is a corresponding comic. It's not a comic you follow for storyline or for artwork, his wit and clever insight is what keeps you coming back for more. The main benefit of this is that you can simply drop in whenever you want and read a comic or two. You don't need to be paying attention. Of course the most hard core in the geek world will quickly spill through all of them and soon be making obscure references like a pro.
But Munroe doesn't isolate the non-geeks among us. Often there are pop culture references, and other silly frivolity. The occasionial webcomic will have the civilian scratching his head, but usually the grand masses can understand his jokes and enjoy laughing along with them. At the same time, he knows the majority of his audience will understand things like firefly, Lord of the Rings, basic physics, and as a result, he can push some silly geek boundaries.
The comic is so well known on the interwebs that it has started a few memes, the most notable being the "chess on a rollercoaster" meme, which has a website here, inspired by Comic #249. It's even been written about in the New York Times [twice] AND the guardian. The comic artist for the New Yorker also had a comic-off with him. Oh, and did I mention he actually directly inspired changes to youtube functionality? Comic #481 inspired the "read it back to me" comment functionality that youtube implemented.
XKCD is a brilliant comic, though it has its off days, that has made me laugh out loud more than any other web comic. Even going through and trying to pick strips to use as samples [which was reasonably IMPOSSIBLE.] I found myself laughing. Munroe manages to consistently be original with his humour bringing in obscure references, simple pop culture, math, and other geekery. It's a comic with an aimed audience that still finds room for everyone, and one that I, without hesitation, recommend to everyone. Remember, good art is not the only requirement for a good comic: XKCD proves that a good comic can be made simply with stick figures and a cunning sense of humor.
XKCD
Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, said in his tenth anniversary book: "The best comics have funny writing and funny drawings, but sometimes the strength of one can make up for the weakness of the other. Great writing will save boring artwork better than great drawings will save boring ideas...". XKCD's creator Randall Munroe banks on this for his webcomic, which he labels "A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language." The briefest explanation? XKCD is a webcomic for geeks, by geek.
For any given situation that can arise in a geeks life, there is a corresponding comic. It's not a comic you follow for storyline or for artwork, his wit and clever insight is what keeps you coming back for more. The main benefit of this is that you can simply drop in whenever you want and read a comic or two. You don't need to be paying attention. Of course the most hard core in the geek world will quickly spill through all of them and soon be making obscure references like a pro.
But Munroe doesn't isolate the non-geeks among us. Often there are pop culture references, and other silly frivolity. The occasionial webcomic will have the civilian scratching his head, but usually the grand masses can understand his jokes and enjoy laughing along with them. At the same time, he knows the majority of his audience will understand things like firefly, Lord of the Rings, basic physics, and as a result, he can push some silly geek boundaries.
The comic is so well known on the interwebs that it has started a few memes, the most notable being the "chess on a rollercoaster" meme, which has a website here, inspired by Comic #249. It's even been written about in the New York Times [twice] AND the guardian. The comic artist for the New Yorker also had a comic-off with him. Oh, and did I mention he actually directly inspired changes to youtube functionality? Comic #481 inspired the "read it back to me" comment functionality that youtube implemented.
XKCD is a brilliant comic, though it has its off days, that has made me laugh out loud more than any other web comic. Even going through and trying to pick strips to use as samples [which was reasonably IMPOSSIBLE.] I found myself laughing. Munroe manages to consistently be original with his humour bringing in obscure references, simple pop culture, math, and other geekery. It's a comic with an aimed audience that still finds room for everyone, and one that I, without hesitation, recommend to everyone. Remember, good art is not the only requirement for a good comic: XKCD proves that a good comic can be made simply with stick figures and a cunning sense of humor.
