Friday, July 29, 2005
Well, Frank got himself a nice and
simple cartoon to do this week. Looks nice if you ask me. But then why would you? Actually, we're building up to doing our first calendar (and maybe some cards) now, so if you have any favourites you might like to leave a comment by them. Just so we know, like.
There's a
trailer up for the new Wachowski brothers movie,
V for Vendetta. The original writer,
Alan Moore, slated it in an
interview recently; indeed he actually slated every movie adaptation of one of his works. Fair enough really, since they've all been guff. However, while I realise this is probably sacrilegious to say, so were the originals by and large. I read
V for Vendetta years ago, when I was really into comics, and I liked it then. But I read it again recently and it's pretty weak in quite a few places. It had some nice stuff but it was prone to massive self-indulgence and up-it's-own-arsery - something the
Wachowski brothers are more than a little prone to themselves.
Anarcholinks seems like a great idea. Post, review and comment on your favourite websites.
Frank linked to a
fascinating article on the motivation behind suicide bombers, at his
other site. The only reason I mention it, though, is
Frank's little complaint about the articles title cheapening it. I have to disagree. I think it's great. I think more serious and intelligent articles should be accompanied by flippant headlines. I don't why, I just do.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Well, well, well, we got ourselves a little review on
Blog Advance and, to be honest, I'm not sure how to take it. He didn't seem to review us as such, not on our merits, or lack of, anyway. He did tick us off a little for having the temerity to refer to ourselves as a blog - his logic would suggest that he wouldn't consider photoblogging as a genuine form of blogging. However, he wasn't rude but I would have to take issue on a couple of points. First off, after declaring that we shouldn't be so delusional as to imply we're a blog, he mentioned this - the musings - section and went to say that this section was more like a blog. Now, correct if I'm wrong, but doesn't that make this a blog? Aren't we now a blog that deliver cartoons aswell, even under his apparently narrow definition? The second thing I take issue with - he states that we look like an attempt to make money. We run ads, which he normally takes umbrage with but on this occasion doesn't mind. How very nice of him. We run ads because I pay hosting bills which, considering we offer cartoon feeds to other sites and blogs, are quite high and I'd like to offset the cost of that to myself. We have a shop, which hasn't made a single sale, because it's free and we thought it'd be nice to have one. But if we were trying to make money, and I really can't overemphasise this, this isn't the way we'd would be going about it. This site is about showing our funny cartoons. We want to earn money from them and I'll make no apologies for that. But if this was about making money, this isn't the way we'd go about it. The third, and last, thing I take umbrage with is his snottiness; plain and simple. He's a bit like the music reviewer dismissing a techno band because they don't use real instruments. Blogs have evolved, why don't you? And before anyway jumps on me, I'm not being bitter, Christ knows I can be but not this time. Nothing he says in the 'review' is offensive. He doesn't say anything bad about us and he's quite polite in his judgement of us. But, still, it's ill-informed(he refers to 'a cartoonist' when even a cursory reading of the site would show that there are two of us') and even then you wouldn't mind if, and this is where he really falls down, it was an even remotely entertaining read. Nobody actually cares what a reviewer thinks, we've all got our own minds to make decisions with. Reviews should be like any other area of the media, they should be entertaining and that's where he fell down the most. If you want to read an entertaining blog review, go to
blogg'd. He's not fair or impartial but he's a damn good read.
Blog Advance reads like a tourist brochure.
In other news: The IRA has issued a
statement declaring an end to armed conflict. John Rogers has an interesting piece on the concept of
4th generation warfare as applied to the evolving media landscape (thanks to Xerex at
Comixpedia).
Make guns out of office equipment (thanks to
NSFW).
Cork City are playing the second leg of their
UEFA cup tie tonight - they're 2-0 up form the first leg, so things are looking good.
Friday, July 22, 2005
The
Zoinks website is up and running. Zoinks is Bill 'Voices In My Hand' Charbonneau's new Webcomics magazine. Each issue will feature interviews with webcomic creators and industry professionals. It'll also have previews and reviews of some of the best in online comics, and, most importantly, it'll feature tons of webcomics. Amonst the contributors, besides Bill himself, will be Nathaniel Payne of the
Evil Network and the
Digital Strips boys, Daku and Zampzon. For the next two issues, at least, there'll also be one of our funny cartoons.
I was listening to the radio today, while having my lunch, and they were talking all about the man who was shot on the London Underground. Then I sit down to my computer and start browsing through my usual slew of websites - amongst which is
Beaver & Steve, where James is
explaining why the comic was posted a little late.
Found an excerpt from Mark Frauenfelder's new book '
The World's Worst: A Guide to the Most Disgusting, Hideous, Inept and Dangerous, People, Places and Things on Earth' on
Boing Boing. It's a piece about Dr. Sidney Gottlieb, who headed up the CIA's MK-ULTRA programme during the fifties and sixties. The programme seemed to involve not much more than the good doctor running around spiking people with industrial grade LSD.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
It was brought to my attention this morning, not by Frank I might add, that Frank has started himself a
new blog. Apparently Frank is learning to play poker and he's detailing his efforts in his new blog. I'm just glad to know he has so much time and money on his hands.
Animation World Magazine has an
article on digital comics, focusing mostly on the Eisner award nominees. Interesting enough but not really very representative of the scene as a whole I don't think.
Liverpool are through to the next round of the Champions League and have announced the signing of
Peter Crouch. It's an odd move in most peoples minds but I have a sneaking feeling he's going to become a bit of a legend.
Cork City are still going strong and we've got a UEFA cup qualifier second leg coming up. We're 2-0 up on
Ekranas, so we're fairly confident. We are short on goalkeepers though and thanks to some moronic UEFA ruling, we can't get any from the UK on a short term loan. Which means we need to get someone from an Irish team and exactly which League of Ireland club is going to lend the league leaders a quality keeper.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
So someone spat on
Scott Kurtz and it ended up being mentioned in a
Wired News article on webcomics. I know everyone in working in webcomics is supposed to be really grateful for any attention given but, really, that was a pretty piss poor piece of journalism. Or no, I'm being harsh, it's just that it's the sort of article you'd espect to find in a local newspaper - one that's aimed at Mr. and Mrs. Joe Soap who've never even heard of webcomics. I'd have expected something a little more informative from Wired. Still, someone spat on Scott Kurtz.
I found this great
little piece through
Kottke. It's a just a short list of reasons Hollywood is in trouble and it doesn't once mention piracy. No. 2 in the list is the one that caught me. Television gets an awful slating, far more so than film and yet, it's where creativity and innovation are thriving - not in the cinemas. From The Simpsons to The Sopranos to The Wire to Six Feet Under, televison is creating the cultural landmarks of our time. How many truly innovative, potentially significant works have you seen in a cinema over the last ten years? I can think of very little I'd even consider memorable - certainly very few I wouldn't wait to see on DVD. Yet I know in years to come I will be looking back on Homer sneaking Lisa into a musuem to show her that life is all about taking risks or Tony taking time out to kill a rat while driving his daughter on a tour of colleges or the look on McNulty's face in the final episode of The Wire's first season when Rawls asks him what's the one detail he doesn't want. Yes, of course, there's alot of guff on telly but most mediums are dominated by crap. For the time being, televison, not cinema, is what gets me sitting up and attentive.
Friday, July 15, 2005
So
Reuben and Emmet are
back. Yeah, actually the subjects of those funny cartoons are real people. Reuben just got married or, at least, he was supposed to and I haven't heard anything to the contrary. I was hoping to go but I just couldn't afford to in the end. Emmet went and, while he wasn't best man, he was roped into making the best man's speech. I was also asked to make the best man's speech. We have yet to ascertain how many people were actually asked to give a best man speech. My guess is everyone Reuben went drinking with in the run up to the wedding got asked. Anyways, congratulations Boobs and Emily. With any luck I'll see you soon.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Well, the Web Cartoonists Choice Award
winners were announced. I'm glad to see
Beaver and Steve and
Daily Dinosaur Comics got something. Surprised
Achewood didn't though. I also find the fact that
Count Your Sheep got Outstanding Story Concept a little weird. I mean, I've nothing against the strip but outstanding story concept is not the first thing that jumps to my mind when I look at it.
The lads over at
Yirmumah are having a
fundraiser week. So if you're a fan, drop them a tip.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Ah, even as I write this, I haven't yet seen this weeks funny cartoon. Frank was delayed yesterday and is working on it now. He'll probably be finished before I post this anyway, so I'm just wasting my time again.
Bit of a controversy blew up over at
Websnark. Some argument between
Comic-Nation and
Queen of Wands. Apparently Comic-Nation used to run a ratings system and had added Queen of Wands to it without the creators permission. She objected, they objected to her objection and so on and so forth. Eventually Queen of Wands was removed from their list and Comic-Nation stopped running a ratings system. Then two years later, or something like that, Comic-Nation added Queen of Wands to their roster again. She objected again. This time she was removed with apologies. Then somewhere along the line, someone said something and pretty soon a slanging match ensued - with plenty of other people throwing in their two cents worth. Much to Eric's chagrin, Websnark became the forum for this whole debate. Now, as loathed as I am to get involved in such a nothing controversy, I have to say that, from what I know of the situation, any removal from their listings by Comic-Nation was a courtesy and not an obligation. Queen of Wands is out there and if any one wants to set up a site that offers people the chance to rate or review it, then they're perfectly entitled. No permission needed. If our funny little cartoons ever turned up in a snark and we didn't like the content of it, would Eric be obliged to remove it. Of course not. He'll even fight to keep it, as is his right. To look at it from a slightly different angle - someone runs a software review site, on this site they review and link to a particular package from, lets say, Microsoft and then ask users to rate this software. Then Microsoft get wind of this and request that their product be removed. The software reviewer refuses, feeling that if he does he is not offering the best service that he can. Microsoft argue. The reviewer argues. Now how many of the people who have come down on Queen of Wands' side in this argument, would come down on Microsoft's side? Not many is my guess. Comic-Nation removed Queen of Wands as a courtesy, they didn't have to and, in the interest of providing the best service they could possibly provide, they were right to argue against doing it. I'm ignoring the whole slagging each other, who said what and when, side of this because that's just between them. That's just people's personal behaviour and I've just no interest in it. I'd also like to point out that this isn't in any way an attack on Queen of Wands' creator Aerie. From what's she said on the matter, her reasons for wanting to be removed were entirely fair and her behaviour, public at least, has been appropriately restrained. I just think that Comic-Nation were perfectly entitled to refuse.
Well that took up alot more space than it should have. So I'll just mention
webcomic tattoos. I especially like this
one because, some how, I understand the little guy's motivation. Which reminds me that everyone should have a look at
Creatures In My Head. I'm particularly impressed with
some of the products in his
shop.
As I thought
today's funny cartoon is up before I managed to finish.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Like most football fans, I'm exceptionally fickle towards players. We jeered
Billy Woods when he was at Shamrock Rovers but lavished him with praise once he togged out in a
Cork City jersey again. Of course, this fickleness has never been so obvious than in the last two days. Yesterday
Stevie Gerrard was a greedy bollocks and a Judas. Today he is a God again. It was an amazing and dramatic u-turn.
Anyway, back to the world of
funny cartoons and online comics. Over at
Voices In My Hand, Bill has announced that
Zoinks Magazine is making a return to print. The magazine is aimed at promoting online comics and should be worth a look.
According to
Comixpedia,
T Campbell is updating the
online version of his
History of Webcomics series. This is in preparation for the upcoming print version. He's soliciting for
feedback at his
blog.
Also spotted on
Comixpedia -
Creative Comix are a small syndication company serving the alternative press market. They seem to have a number of webcomics on their books, even though there does seem to be some doubts over their
creators agreement. The main sticking point is that they want exclusive rights to control online syndication, which is not something most webcomic creators would be willing to give up. In the end, it would boil down to us having to ask permission to post our toons to this site and/or our
free cartoon feeds. Now, by all means, they'll probably be happy to allow that but you never know when these things could turn sour. Really, I think there should probably be some more clarification on these issues and on merchandising. Other than that it's fantastic idea for anyone, like us, who is disinclined to go chasing syndication for themselves.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
I don't know but it seems everything has gone very quiet around here. Site traffic has dropped, there's very few people commenting and my credits at
blogexplosion seem to be dwindling at a snail's pace. I guess it's because of the summer and people have better things to be doing than sitting at their computers, reading our funny cartoons.
Anyway for those that are interested. The latest
Digital Strips podcast features an interview with Sébastien Dumesnil and Robert Nichols, the filmmakers behind the now infamous documentary
'Adventures Into Digital Comics'.
Also,
Krishna M. Sadasivam has uploaded the
second installment of his how to create a PCW tutorial.
Regular readers will know of my interest in football (soccer) and my support for Liverpool. Well then, you won't be in the least surprised to discover that I feel the need to comment on
this. Stevie Gerrard has been holding the club to ransom for months now. He wanted to see the club was moving forward. Midway through last season, I was pretty much resigned to losing him. In fact, I was happy for him to go. He's been disruptive and clearly thinks that he's bigger than the club. Then we won the Champions League, the biggest competition in football. So suddenly, Stevie was staying - his love for the club, that made him what he is, won through. But we should have all known. There was no great epiphany, he didn't suddenly see the light and realise he was just a cog, albeit a very important one, in the the wheels of the Liverpool Rafalution. So he's going after all. Good. He can piss off. Micheal Owen went to Real Madrid to win medals and ended up sitting on the bench, while his former team-mates won the Champions League in one of the best finals of the tournaments history. Now Stevie Gerrard can fuck off too. The 30 odd million the club get for him will replace him two to three times over and it's Rafa's name that will go down in club history. While Stevie G will be remembered largely for being a Judas.
Elsewhere though, another contract saga came to a close last week.
George O'Callaghan has finally agreed to put pen to paper on a new contract at
Cork City. The creative midfielder stated that he felt leaving the club before helping them to a championship title is something he could have regretted for the rest of his career. Cork are currently on top of the league and looking strong.
Friday, July 01, 2005
It's kind of a day for strangeness (I wrote the best part of a radio ad by text message while lying in bed, hungover). So I wasn't at all surprised to find out through
Boing Boing that
David Lynch is now doing
weather reports online. Then I found
this at
This Is Anfield and at last I've found a cause I can really get behind. And just to round it all off on a
highly unsavoury note, thanks to
A Welsh View. Hope you enjoy the funny cartoons.
