Webcomics come into their own

Webcomics have taken a stand as a new art form in and of themselves. Combining the freedom of the Internet with the imaginative minds of artists, comic creators no longer have to find a publishing company to get recognized. Instead, all they need is a pen and paper, a scanner, a bit of technology savvy and some free time.

A few webcomics, however, have gone from small-time hobbies to full-blown Internet legends. Whatever genre of comic is your fancy, there is sure to be something that you and yours can enjoy.

Sinfest: Tatsuya Ishida’s comic strip first debuted in January 2000. Since then, it has been pushing the buttons of the public every day with its very stylish yet classical comic format. Ishida’s main character, Slick, is a short womanizer who is constantly hanging around such archetypical characters as God – visualized by a giant hand in the sky and large calligraphy-style speech bubbles – and Satan.Taking cues from Calvin and Hobbes and other infamous comics, Ishida has created a comic that touches quite a bit on subjects of sexuality, religion, family values and other important aspects of society in a light, humorous, if somewhat crass manner.

Megatokyo: What happens when two dysfunctional friends find themselves lost in Tokyo after a video convention? Complete insanity and romantic adventure. Piro, a fanboy of Japanese culture, and his eccentric, hacker friend, Largo, find themselves in the land of the rising sun with violent girls, young voice actors and all the explosions and drama they can take. Creators Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston started their project in 2000 with a simple, gag-a-day format that eventually grew into a dramatic English-language manga (Japanese comic) from its style of art and storytelling.

PvP: Short for Player vs. Player, this webcomic by Scott Kurtz has been running faithfully since 1998. The comic follows the exploits of the staff at PvP Magazine, including a loveable if eccentric troll who carries “the heart of PvP Magazine.” The comic began as streaming ongoing jokes about the world of gaming and technology, but eventually ebbed into more serious overtones about life and relationships.

Penny Arcade: There’s really nothing that can be taken seriously in this webcomic. Since its beginning in November of 1998, creators and main characters Tycho and Gabe have been commenting on the newest games, game systems and technological breakthroughs that have hit mainstream media. Without any sort of continuity or real sense, it’s easy for readers both into the gaming scene and out to get wrapped up in the quips and jibes thrown between the characters.

Dominic Deegan: For those more into a fantasy genre, Dominic Deegan offers a wide range of plots and subject matter as readers follow Dominic, a seer, through a medieval setting that often crosses into science fiction and drama. Serialized in several, long story arcs, the audience definitely feels the changes and growth of each character as the comic deals with the ongoing battles of good and evil and everything in between. Stories have often included war, corruption, magic and intense issues of loss, hatred and love.