Zero Punctuation: Webcomics

[Arbitrary13]

Every criticism that can be leveled against CAD, can just as easily apply to virtually every webcomic ever made. Indeed, it's equally applicable to modern comedy in general.

I guess you haven't picked up a newspaper recently.

You guys talk about hackneyed comic writing as though that's the EXCEPTION. Drooling on about "Oh, any idiot can publish on the internet" would be compelling if it weren't for the general lack of content among the so-called "legitimate, published comic artists." Scott Kurtz is a hack and deserves to have been rejected repeatedly by newspapers, but the truth is that his lack of talent is still of a higher quality than every Marmaduke comic ever drawn.

On another note entirely, I'm saddened that no one has plugged Something Positive.

 

[Tempdude0]

Every criticism that can be leveled against CAD, can just as easily apply to virtually every webcomic ever made. Indeed, it's equally applicable to modern comedy in general.

I guess you haven't picked up a newspaper recently.

You guys talk about hackneyed comic writing as though that's the EXCEPTION. Drooling on about "Oh, any idiot can publish on the internet" would be compelling if it weren't for the general lack of content among the so-called "legitimate, published comic artists." Scott Kurtz is a hack and deserves to have been rejected repeatedly by newspapers, but the truth is that his lack of talent is still of a higher quality than every Marmaduke comic ever drawn.

On another note entirely, I'm saddened that no one has plugged Something Positive.

The problem is that those "artists" don't really count as such. They intentionally aim for bland and safe. Just like I said about Jim Davis, it's a different method of going about things and I'd actually respect Buckley more if that was his intent.

As for "Something Positive" It's more of a niche thing. I enjoy it, but most of the humor relies on the reader having a dead, blackened heart. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it limits the amount of people who can enjoy it.

To KrabiPatty, sure they can. How about this, you make a well thought out and convincing argument to support your statement. I'm not being sarcastic, I'm not kidding around, I really want you to give it a shot.

So, shit or get off the pot, as it were.

Also, bringing up Carlin in this thread only further distances Buckley from others with comedic abilities.

 

[Evilducks]

awesome review, as a regular reader of CAD and other web comics I have to say this review is ridiculously spot on. I myself am also fed up with the miscarriage episodes of CAD. I know it could be a hard thing to deal with but dealing with it on a public forum that is aimed towards the gaming community is not the right outlet to let your feelings known, unless of course those feelings are about video games.

The problem is he's not dealing with anything that happened to him in reality. He wrote himself into a corner when he created the baby storyline. He is incapable of actually developing his characters in any meaningful way so as he has admitted he planned to dump the baby at some point along the way so he could continue not doing any character development. He only knows how to write self absorbed prick, it's all he knows (its what he is).

 

[invertedgamer]

All gaming related web comics are terrible, even the popular Penny Arcade comics are shit. I didn't realize so many people read that crap, you're rotting your brain.

Go read something original like Cyanide and Happiness.

 

[Lord_Seth]

All gaming related web comics are terrible, even the popular Penny Arcade comics are shit. I didn't realize so many people read that crap, you're rotting your brain.

Go read something original like Cyanide and Happiness.

Penny Arcade IS original...

I still find this elitism attitude hilarious. "You like this? Then you're stupid!"

 

[invertedgamer]

All gaming related web comics are terrible, even the popular Penny Arcade comics are shit. I didn't realize so many people read that crap, you're rotting your brain.

Go read something original like Cyanide and Happiness.

Penny Arcade IS original...

I still find this elitism attitude hilarious. "You like this? Then you're stupid!"

I fail to see how making video game parodies = original.

Like Yahtzee said, it takes about 1min to think up some sort of gaming related joke. As long as you can illustrate said joke, throw in a few swear words and try to sound witty, dumb asses like you will think it's cool.

 

[The Existentialist]

All gaming related web comics are terrible, even the popular Penny Arcade comics are shit. I didn't realize so many people read that crap, you're rotting your brain.

Go read something original like Cyanide and Happiness.

Your troll-fu is weak. If you had picked something like Achewood, Dr. McNinja, Templar,Arizona, Rice Boy, Order of the Stick, or any of the other hundreds of non-video game related webcomics, I might have actually given you credit as having a point. That you used something as lacking in talent and writing ability as Cyanide and Happiness kind of ruins your argument. C&H is basically aimed at the same crowd that find "Family Guy" hysterical. Hell, it makes "Family Guy" look hysterical in comparison. I've read through their archives, and I've yet to see anything from them that has made me crack a smile, let alone laugh.

 

[MikePhilbin]

wow, like where did THAT anger come from. No, what am I saying, I know where the anger comes from but come on, that one with the two green and red dinosaurs inhabiting the same four panels every episode is a hoot? No?

I think you'd find it more funny if ... oh, it's not funny. You're right. It was a Hellish diatribe of mind-f***ed anacrhonism. Just the way we like it. The snarkier the better. Go Mr C.

Anyway, what (you're wondering) have little "i" been up to this week. Well, getting ready for the release of my two new short anti-corporate angel-bestiality novels from Silverthought Press (NY) and forgetting to watch this episode for a full 12 hours would be one, and seeing that there are already 500 Comments to be buried under, like a dolphin under a pile of Auschwitz corpses.

This week I wrote a blog entry hailing the winner of the DEATH TO OBTRUSIVE 2D INTERFACE AWARD [http://mikephilbin.blogspot.com/2008/07/death-to-obtrusive-2d-interface-award.html], not that anyone's gonna read it now that it's 16 pages down. At least I'm not banned, like the twerp who posted first. Was it ever worth it?

 

[Spokker]

While I loved this video and thought it was hilarious, I must admit, not all web comics are bad. There are a few I read like VG Cats, Megatokyo, and an oldie but goodie, Yahtzee Takes on the World.

Fuck the haters. Webcomics can be great.

 

[The Existentialist]

wow, like where did THAT anger come from. No, what am I saying, I know where the anger comes from but come on, that one with the two green and red dinosaurs inhabiting the same four panels every episode is a hoot? No?

I think you'd find it more funny if ... oh, it's not funny. You're right. It was a Hellish diatribe of mind-f***ed anacrhonism. Just the way we like it. The snarkier the better. Go Mr C.

Anyway, what (you're wondering) have little "i" been up to this week. Well, getting ready for the release of my two new short anti-corporate angel-bestiality novels from Silverthought Press (NY) and forgetting to watch this episode for a full 12 hours would be one, and seeing that there are already 500 Comments to be buried under, like a dolphin under a pile of Auschwitz corpses.

This week I wrote a blog entry hailing the winner of the DEATH TO OBTRUSIVE 2D INTERFACE AWARD, not that anyone's gonna read it now that it's 16 pages down. At least I'm not banned, like the twerp who posted first. Was it ever worth it?

What the hell is the point of your post? To tell us that you didn't feel like you had the time to read through the thread and to present us with crap you want us to read? Are you being serious or just trolling, because I honestly can't tell.

 

[invertedgamer]

All gaming related web comics are terrible, even the popular Penny Arcade comics are shit. I didn't realize so many people read that crap, you're rotting your brain.

Go read something original like Cyanide and Happiness.

Your troll-fu is weak. If you had picked something like Achewood, Dr. McNinja, Templar,Arizona, Rice Boy, Order of the Stick, or any of the other hundreds of non-video game related webcomics, I might have actually given you credit as having a point. That you used something as lacking in talent and writing ability as Cyanide and Happiness kind of ruins your argument. C&H is basically aimed at the same crowd that find "Family Guy" hysterical. Hell, it makes "Family Guy" look hysterical in comparison. I've read through their archives, and I've yet to see anything from them that has made me crack a smile, let alone laugh.

Yet you watch Zero Punctuation?

Yahtzee's jokes are about as crude and interchangeable as any of Family Guy's jokes.

 

[Friendly_Neighborhood_Misanthrope]

Many people here seem to forget that theirs is not the only way of looking at things.

 

[stompy]

I think Yahtzee did this one quite well. The constant references, along with the "It's not CAD..." feel did add to the humour.

As for CAD, all I can say that Buckley is a prick, but I liked his comic strips. They're not the best (VG Cats is good, as well as Concerned and F@NBOY$), but they made me chuckle on occasion. That was then though, and now, I'm feeling that his comic strip has jumped the shark, and maybe it's time he put down the pen. Or people will have to cut his hands off...

 

[Tempdude0]

There were a couple points people made that I wanted to touch on, but since logging in sent me back to page 1, I'm not going to be arsed about the quote function.

Regarding a medium (webcomics in this case) being drowned in mediocrity due to increased accessiblity and easy-of-creation: Yes, this does seem to lend itself to oversaturation of 'me too' novice production, but it also lifts the restrictions barring ambitious, creative individuals from publication - allowing the formation of diamonds in the aforementioned rough. Further, since there is no subscription fee or entry cost to peruse the materials presented, an abundance of uncertified publication isn't going to destabilize anyone's cultural establishment or emergant industry. Consequently, the only real harm amature productions do is waste the time of readers pig-headedly committed to plowing through material they've already established they dislike... I suppose common sense would say that it's better to spend your time exploring greener pastures than finding fault things you already dislike and hating them for being popular, but I think we're all aware on some level that mindset doesn't facilitate the vicarious pleasures of indulging in generating buzzing, gossipy pulp at the speed of information.

I believe the idea is that it lowers standards overall. When people can start to call things such as the miscarriage story and orc rape story "deep and moving" something is wrong. Granted, there are bound to be a certain number of people who go "Ooh, mediocre shite for free, SIGN ME UP!" but It's assumed most people can still see what it is they're about to wade through. Considering the level of popularity associated with CAD, we fall back to "Where are all the crazies coming from?" and to be frank I'm vexed. I would almost say it's contrary to logic, but then I remember comics/newspaper funnies.

All gaming related web comics are terrible, even the popular Penny Arcade comics are shit. I didn't realize so many people read that crap, you're rotting your brain.

Go read something original like Cyanide and Happiness.

Penny Arcade IS original...

I still find this elitism attitude hilarious. "You like this? Then you're stupid!"

I fail to see how making video game parodies = original.

Like Yahtzee said, it takes about 1min to think up some sort of gaming related joke. As long as you can illustrate said joke, throw in a few swear words and try to sound witty, dumb asses like you will think it's cool.

You realize that Penny Arcade more often than not shies away from making video game jokes. It still makes them every now and again, but the reference to the medium isn't really what makes the joke. Just like you don't need to be intelligent to use violence, that shouldn't lump people who actually understand slapstick comedy with all the stupids.

All gaming related web comics are terrible, even the popular Penny Arcade comics are shit. I didn't realize so many people read that crap, you're rotting your brain.

Go read something original like Cyanide and Happiness.

Your troll-fu is weak. If you had picked something like Achewood, Dr. McNinja, Templar,Arizona, Rice Boy, Order of the Stick, or any of the other hundreds of non-video game related webcomics, I might have actually given you credit as having a point. That you used something as lacking in talent and writing ability as Cyanide and Happiness kind of ruins your argument. C&H is basically aimed at the same crowd that find "Family Guy" hysterical. Hell, it makes "Family Guy" look hysterical in comparison. I've read through their archives, and I've yet to see anything from them that has made me crack a smile, let alone laugh.

Yet you watch Zero Punctuation?

Yahtzee's jokes are about as crude and interchangeable as any of Family Guy's jokes.

...Did you even read that before you posted it? While Yahtzee relies on crude humor every now and then, Family Guy relies on the same thing CAD does, referential "humor" and by that I mean "It's funny because I know about it." The scene where Stewie goes on to Punch Will Feril (Or however you spell that last name) because of Bewitched is a perfect example. The lead up was obvious, it drug on for a good minute or two, and there wasn't even a payoff beyond "Hurr hurr he punched a famous person for doing a bad movie."

Many people here seem to forget that theirs is not the only way of looking at things.

And others forget that just because they enjoy something it doesn't make it's inherently good.

 

[The Existentialist]

Yet you watch Zero Punctuation?

Yahtzee's jokes are about as crude and interchangeable as any of Family Guy's jokes.

Touche. I really can't think of a way to respond, other than that I still enjoy Yahtzee but can't bear Cyanide and Happiness. I recognize the subjectivity of humor, but I honestly feel that, to some degree, Yahtzee still pulls off what he does better than C&H or recent Family Guy.

Though it does look like Tempdude0 found a way to refute you that I missed, so he (or she, if that happens to be the case) is smarter than I am.

Though, at the same time, it could be argued that C&H isn't especially original, considering it's a lot like most of the other non-sequitor webcomics out there.

 

[Spokker]

The only good web comic ever made was Pokey the Penguin. End of story.

 

[Evil Genius for a Better Tomorrow]

Why am I not amazed that this weeks ZP has created the perfect sh*tstorm of controversy?
Over 500 comments on this thread and the postcount is still roaring away skywards like a Saturn V rocket.

I liked this weeks installment as it was Yahtzees standard act of verbally crapping over something he doesn't like, which he does eruditely and well. It the great use of language he employs as well as actually thinking about his subject material that keep me coming back.

CAD itself is a pretty lame webcomic as are pretty much most of the rest of them. Sure some of them have large fan bases and the authors get sponsorship from advertisers which in a few cases means they can quit their day jobs [if they ever had one in the first place?] and wallow obscenely in being webcelebs. And more power to 'em is what I say. If they are doing something that they like and are getting paid for it and people like it [even if it is crap] then they're on a winning ticket.

And as for Buckleys intollerance of criticism, well thats his problem. It makes him less of a man as if he can't accept constructive criticisms then as Yahtzee points out, he'll never grow and develop further. However, there is no reason whatsoever that he or anyone else for that matter, has to listen to f*ckwits who just want to be abusive distended monkey rectums and use the anonimity of the internet to hurl their virtual poo at anyone or thing that provokes their ire. The interesting thing to note that if a lot of the flame and abusive behaviour that we see on forums, when someone disagrees or takes offense, were enacted out in real life then there'd be fists flying in pretty short order. The fact that there is no physical threat from retaliation for obnoxious behaviour means that the worst that can happen is a ban from a forum rather than laying on the floor spitting out blood and broken teeth because you happen be piss the wrong person off by being an inconsiderate & mouthy dickhead.

 

[Kryten1029a]

It does seem as though Webcomics are doing their best to prove Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crap.

 

[JonahNYC]

Ben's a few months late on this one. VG Cats basically said the same thing in 4 panels:

http://www.vgcats.com/cadaprilfools/

 

[Tempdude0]

...when someone disagrees or takes offense, were enacted out in real life then there'd be fists flying in pretty short order. The fact that there is no physical threat from retaliation for obnoxious behaviour means that the worst that can happen is a ban from a forum rather than laying on the floor spitting out blood and broken teeth because you happen be piss the wrong person off by being an inconsiderate & mouthy dickhead.

What about those of us who are inconsiderate and mouthy dickheads in real life as well? Sometimes you need to be less than subtle when dealing with people, especially people who think a good argument is "I like it" "It's popular" "You don't understand it" "[insert other whiny cliche argument]". When defending something it normally takes more than a sentence even when the subject matter is something that's subjective and not enough to provoke any strong emotions. Worse comes to worse you get your ass kicked.