Yeah, I know the title text on this one looks goofy. I'll fix it later tonight when I am done with Wednesday's comic.
So, this weekend:
Arisia in Boston! I will be at the convention on Friday evening and all day Saturday, and possibly Sunday. I'm speaking on four panels (info copied from the
Arisia schedule PDF):
FRIDAY 8PM: "Gag versus Story: What Do Webcomics Need To Provide?" Sometimes webcomics make you laugh, and sometimes they make you cry. Gag-a-day four-panel strips, soap operas, comedies of manners, or epic adventures, webcomics often need to balance the need to be funny with the need to tell a story. Where's the balancing point? Will the author have a more successful comic concentrating on light humor, story, or both?
SATURDAY 1PM: "The Cerebus Syndrome: Can Funny Comics Become Serious?"
"The Cerebus Syndrome" covers webcomics that make the "effort to create character development by adding layer upon layer of depth to their characters, taking a character of limited dimension and making them fuller and richer." We'll look at some attempts, successful and not, at making a transition from a joke-a-day strip to a complex story, to try and discuss what works and what doesn't.
SATURDAY 2PM: "The Best Webcomics You're Not Reading"
There are thousands upon thousands of webcomics out there on the great big Internet. They range from wretched to wonderful; from the most mundane to the freakiest of the fantastic. We're going to discuss what we consider to be the best of the best from various genres--and we're sure to cover some you haven't heard of yet.
SATURDAY 8PM: "Webcomics Criticism: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly"
Webcomics reporting, reviews and criticism can be useful for both readers and creators in developing the field further. However, the immediate and interactive nature of online art can allow review and criticism to rapidly mutate into flame wars. On this panel, we'll have webcomics journalists, critics, and creators for one heck of a spirited discussion on the value of the work we each do.
Speaking of "webcomics criticism", have you heard of that blog
Fleen? It's pretty good stuff. Between that and Ye Olde
WebSnark you pretty much have worthwhile webcomics discourse covered, in my opinion.
That is all for tonight! See you tomorrow.
