Traditional comics, like Garfield, Family Circus and Get Fuzzy, that are beloved by children whose parents pick up the Sunday paper, are slowly loosing gumption.
But there’s a new frontier for the funnies — and that’s the webcomic community.
However, this doesn’t mean that comics like Garfield will become obsolete. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Garfield is probably far more recognizable as a pop icon than webcomic character Skull. In certain online communities though, Skull is a popular and loved character.
Webcomics are rapidly forming online communities and becoming a more lucrative source of income for creators than syndicated comics.
The debate between old-fashioned newspaper comic strips and webcomics can get heated. There are veterans in the syndicated comic business that aren’t exactly welcoming the Internet with open arms.
The webcomics world holds its merits, however. The community is remarkably strong and supportive, and the Internet allows for greater communication between the artist and his or her fans.
That communication equals a greater willingness on the audience’s part to buy merchandise. Considering webcomics aren’t syndicated—and are absolutely free to view — merchandise is where the artist finds a livelihood. Many of them rely on their art as their only source of income.
There are a few distinct forms of “comics.” There are those in the newspaper, webcomics, and comic books. Each one has its own distinct audience and set of fans, but syndicated comics aren’t getting quite the Internet attention that webcomics and comic books are. Not everyone gets the daily paper anymore, so sufficient exposure is vital.
The appeal of comic books lies in the art and the storytelling. There are fans who love the weekly stories, eagerly awaiting them. Some even collect classic issues, and have a great deal of respect for the writers and artists of the stories.
The appeal of webcomics also lies in the art and storytelling, but in a unique way. Comic books often center around superheroes, and in the same way, webcomics rely on character development. Gabe and Tycho, the main characters of Penny Arcade, are highly recognizable and likable. Part of that stems from the fact that they are essentially alter egos of the writer and artist of the strip — hence the deep connection readers feel toward them.
The fact is that webcomics reach audiences like no syndicated strip can. Fans can follow the blog and Twitter account of their favorite webcomic, buy merchandise, and attend comic-cons to meet their favorite artists. The accessibility alone is a strong reason to get into webcomics.
Online comics come in a wide variety of topics and art styles, but the interesting part of it is the friendship among the many webcomic artists. During conventions or a hiatus, many comics feature guest strips, exposing fans to other gifted artists. It’s nearly impossible to be an enthusiastic fan of only one webcomic.
Garfield hasn’t been written or drawn by Jim Davis in a while, so check out Scott Kurtz, Kris Straub, or Jeph Jacques, all hardworking webcomic creators that depend solely on their talent and loyal fans.
Share your favorite webcomics to amurrell@asu.edu
