I’m just saying…

(From Better You Than Me)

Right here, what’s basically going on is Lee is giving his friend Dave a guest spot for his 21st birthday. Which is awesome, because I’m sure it made Dave’s day. Seeing this comic struck it hard home for me personally, though. As a preface to my piece here, I want to make clear that I’m not trying to promote my comic, but I’m using it and the experiences involved to argue a point and express a feeling. This piece isn’t even really about this comic at all, but it was indeed inspired by it.

Lee’s comic is of a very similar nature to my own. The characters are based on the creator and his everyday friends. Most importantly, a small group of his friends. If Lee’s like me, he probably has friends all over from the internet, back home, in college, at work, etc. Let’s also say that Lee, like me has shown off his comic to his friends. Most, if not all. And they read the comic and he tells them that the characters are him and a couple of his friends and girlfriend.

This scenario leads to one of the most common problems with having a journal comic, or a quasi-journal comic. When your other friends read it, the ones who are not in the comic, they typically say five words. Those five words are iron nails, dipped in cyanide, malleted into my ears.

“Put me in your comic!”

The thing that hurts me most about that is I have to tell them “No”. And I feel guilty. Because it would really make them happy, but I don’t wanna have characters that only appear once just for the sake of appearing. I’ve done that in my earlier stages, but I won’t do it anymore. The comics I do are based on a set group of friends and my (former) roommate. It’s all based on the life view we share, and the ideas we have together. It’s just a thing you have to be a part of. The many other friends I have aren’t in that group, making it so I would be trying to write a fish out of water. It’s a personal policy of mine not to bring in friends for the sake of a one time appearance, unless it has diagetic relevance to the plot.

But it makes me feel guilty. Because some of them are indeed close friends of mine, but I still don’t want to do it. For instance, I have a friend. Let’s call her “Ms. Scarlet” for the sake of anonymity. Ms. Scarlet is a dear friend of mine. She and I have bonded, we share secrets, we’re very close. She came up to me a while ago and said to me, “When are you going to put me in your comic.” I shook my head and said “I’m sorry, but I won’t. Tell me though, why do you want to be in it so badly?” She looked me in the eye and answered, “It’s not that I want to be in it. I deserve to be in it.”

And you know what? She does. We’ve been friends very long, and she’s involved in the group the comic is based on an infrequent, yet meaningful basis. She’s earned her spot in the cast, and I may yet add her. But I still won’t throw her in unless it has some diagetic purpose. That’s just the way I run things, and I think it’s an effective method.

I have a girlfriend also. She’s closer to me than anyone else on this earth. I love her with all my heart and soul, and I’m going to stay with her forever. But I’m not adding my girlfriend to the comic because that’s the number two problem that can sometimes degrade a journal/quasi-journal comic. If you’re like me, you worry a lot about hurting the feelings or otherwise offending people, especially my lady love. And with the seemingly ritualistic abuse and ceaseless mockery I put all my friends’ characterizations through in my comic, that is not something I’d want to do to my gal, even if it is fictional. I’ll admit I let a special occasion like her birthday warrant her a little piece of art of us together instead of a comic, but that’s as far as I’d take it.

Anyway, a major problem with having your lover in your strip is that the things you’d make them say might not always be the things they would actually say. Even when the characters in my comic do some crazy things (like shooting other characters in the head), it still makes sense to who they are. And when you write for a character based on your lover, it will likely be fake because you wouldn’t be writing a characterization of them. You’d be writing a false and tame representation of that person you love so you don’t end up offending them (read: get cut off from sex), upsetting them, or breaking their heart. And no one wants that. Besides, she falls into my first issue of real life character problems anyway, in that she lives no where near my campus (it’s a long distance thing) where all the other characters are based. So she’s not involved in our activities and she’s not a part of the specific group. So having her in the comic would not work well, because to me it just wouldn’t work.

But hey. Everyone can run their comic however they please. And if they can do random guest appearances and honest significant others in their comics, then mad props to them. Lee seems to be holding up just fine doing so. But it just doesn’t work for me.

I’m just sayin’ is all…

(From Theater Hopper)

I’ve been reading Theater Hopper for a while now. I dig it. It satisfies my cravings for Hollywood spoofage on a consistent basis. The writing’s always been the highlight of this strip for as long as I’ve known it. The art, while good, hasn’t been much to scream about. My point is that Tom Brazelton does a very solid cartoon style, but it never made me say to myself “Damn that’s good,” after viewing.

Until now.

A frequent theme of the strip is the main character, oddly enough named Tom, will slip into imaginative scenes, or segue into imaginary scenes spoofing the movie du jour. For Sin City, you can’t just hold up a few guns and give some introspective narration. You gotta get into the style of it, that unique Sin City visual style of high contrast black and white with bits of solid color here and there.

One look at that first tall panel and I did had a double take. I thought to myself, “Damn that’s good.” You can look at that and clearly know the man is a fan of Sin City. He did his research, and took his and Frank’s styles and stuck them in a perfect amalgam of the two (A good amalgam, not the uncomfortable forced kind that Marvel & DC perpetrated).

Nicely done, Mr. Brazelton. 23 Awesome Points™ for you.

(From Gossamer Commons)

I thought long and hard about what to do for the first snark on this here snarkblog. I was going to do (and may yet do later) one on PvP, but the argument I wanted to touch on was one initially started by Weds & Burns, and therefore relied on their criticism to start my first criticism. And I realized that doing that is a pretty weak way to start this thing off.

But then it hit me: I’m in a pretty unique position (until snarkblogs become some sort of damned fad, which they most definitely will). I get to snark the Snark.

Oh, the power…

Anyway, this strip in question is a damned good one. Gossamer Commons had started just recently, in that it’s a brand new comic. One which already has a sizeable readership for having 7 strips under their belt. And there’s good reason for that. Even though the primary reason for the big readership early on is based on Eric Burns’ reputation, Gossamer Commons deserves to be where it is right now.

In this strip, the first strip of the first chapter (there was a concise and skillfully executed expositional prologue), we see our hero, Keith, laying eyes upon a Faye creature. He then instantly flashes back and remembers his mother’s morbid story.

We have ourselves this story’s inciting incident, right the hell away! BAM! Story! PSHOOM! Life or death situation! Burns is bringing the story, and he does it in the best way. He instantly grips us and lets us know, “Hey dude, important shit’s going down! This guy’s gonna die!”

You get what I’m saying, folks? If you are producing a story driven strip there is absolutely no point in dawdling. Shit or get off the pot. Burns knows this. He’s getting the ball rolling, and wasting no time.

Also noteworthy: Holkan’s art is damned good. The facial expressions are expressive and clear, and otherwise he does well to stand out with a unique style. And I like how they managed to work a Tasty, Tasty Biscuit into their strip with proper context so early in the game. Clever work.

50 Awesome Points™ to Eric Burns and Greg Holkan. Each.

These are the comics that are in the evaluation process. Some are comics that need to have the archives read before I make a formal opinion. Some are comics I’m saving for later. Some are comics I liked at one point, but am starting to teeter on why I’m still reading it. And some I just haven’t decided how I feel about them. In plain english, I’m still deciding about wether or not I want to become a regular reader of these comics.

But anyway, here’s The Slate:

(more…)

The list of things I read on a regular basis, from R-Z.

(more…)

The list of things I read on a regular basis, from H-Q.

(more…)

The list of things I read on a regular basis, from #-G.

(more…)

Allow me to make an analogy, if I may. Webcomics are like food.

Like food, they are put together with a set of ingredients. As diverse the appetite can be, the more diverse the ingredients can be. Whether you want the Peanut Butter and Jelly of Real Life, the Lobster of Mac Hall, the Pretzel Barrel full of Lore Brand Comics, The Veal Parmesean of Something Positive, the Toaster Strudel of Dominic Deegan, etc. Not to say any food is better than any other food. That’s impossible. Try to convince a three year old that they’d enjoy a Caesar Salad over a Chocolate Chip Cookie. Or tell Grampa that he should eat a Hershey Bar over a T-Bone Steak. Everyone has different tastes, and every food serves a different purpose. Just like webcomics.

Now most of us webcomic enthusiasts read them every day. Like eating, we feel very uncomfortable if we haven’t read comics for the day. Or sometimes you’re just aching for a snack, so you reach over to some familiar archives to satisfy the craving. And eating is something we’ve built our habits around, designating certain times of day to ingest the food. And the comics aren’t too far off. We get accustomed to the early morning updates of some, or the later updates of others. Like meals, webcomics are taken in at key points of the day. Even if it’s just that time of day or night that’s “Time to check the comics.”

With food and comics, we all have our personal tastes. I like Snow Peas, but I can’t stand Green Beans. Both green podded vegetables. I like 8-bit Theatre, but I don’t like CRTL+CVZ. Both are Sprite Comics. Things can be way similar, and we just don’t like some of them. Or say, I like a certain chef’s Kung Pao Chicken, but not his Lo Mein. I might like Greystone Inn, but I don’t really think much of Mondays with Mel. They’re each things made by the same guy, but that doesn’t mean I would like them both.

I think I had a point somewhere. Maybe not, but it’s fun segue into how I got the names for my lists. The comics and things I read on a regular basis are the things on The Plate (Separated alphabetically). In the great buffet of the internet, these are all the things I cram on my dish. The Slate, however, is like the slate on the restaurant wall, showcasing the daily specials. The Slate contains the things I plan on reading, or am currently evaluating, having not formed a complete opinion.

In any case, the blurbs I have written are mainly just short descriptions on why I read the comic. No real statements on what I think of the comic critically on the whole. Without further ado, here are the lists:

The Plate, #-G
The Plate, H-Q
The Plate, R- Z
The Slate

During your perusal, if there’s anything you think that I should be reading, but aren’t, go ahead and send an e-mail to phil@biscuitpress.com, and I’ll give it a look over. Feel free to plug your own work as well, I’m always interested in new stuff.

I thought it’d be fair to lay out for everyone the method in which I intend on running this here wagon train that is “I’m Just Saying.”

Criticisms or “Snarking”

Criticism is the number one point of this blog, its inherent purpose if you will. The criticisms shall be quite informal and based mostly on things that come by my attention. If I see something that’s just dying for commentary or analysis, I’ll post a thumbnail and link to the source of the item, followed by my thoughts on the matter. And that’s really it as far as that goes.

Opinion Pieces

Once in a while this will become my soapbox on which to deliver my thoughts and opinions on an issue of some sort. This will usually be inspired by my personal encounters, or on the rare occasion I actually pick up a damned newspaper. And each of these will probably garner me tons of flames/comments. But once in a while, you need to speak you heart out on something that really matters to you.

Slice of Life

I do have a livejournal. That’s where most of my personal life is written when I actually update the thing with something relevant. Otherwise I use that to inform my lazier friends that I’ve updated my webcomic. But if the mood takes me, or the need justifies, I’ll post about my personal life in here.

Let’s make a few things perfectly clear:

1) The criticisms in this blog are first and forever my opinion. I hold no illusions that my word is divine mandate and that you as readers must adhere to what I think, and if you think otherwise it makes you a filthy heretic. Basically I want to make sure you know that I’m well aware that my opinions are valid as far as an opinion can ever go.

2) It may strike many (including myself) as odd that I am making a habit of criticizing other webcomics while at the same time writing and drawing my own. I want to make perfectly clear that I hold no illusions that my webcomic is better than anyone else. And a lot of times I may criticize other comics on things that my own comic is also guilty of. That’s fine by me, because I don’t care how bad my own comic is. It’s just for fun and for the love of making people laugh. I’m not about to stand here and claim that I’m better than anyone else and when I’m criticizing a comic, I’m not going to criticize other comics by comparing them to mine and say that I did a better job. Because I don’t hold the standards of my comic above the standards of the comics I read, and only in a few cases, do I hold my comic at the same standard of some of the comics I read. In those cases, they’re usually people that I know and work with regularly.

3) I’m not the only one doing this. If you happen to be someone who is only aware of my blog, I highly recommend reading others (especially Websnark).

4) Commenting is open to anyone. Anyone’s allowed to comment. It’d be cool of you to register also, I encourage everyone to. I’m not going to be a comment Nazi and delete the comments I don’t agree with, because that would make me a bastard. But if all you do is post flames, I’m going to have to snuff them. Same goes for spamming and trolling. The commenting function is intended to be a fun and safe environment for argument, debate, tomfoolery, and witty banter.

5) Argue with me. If you disagree, don’t hesitate to say something. I may not always be able to argue back, but I definitely will where appropriate. I usually won’t post the simple acknowledgements of “Hey, good point,” unless you totally humble me. If I respond to every damned thing, it gets really messy. But still, argue to your hearts content, but try to have a point when you do. Just saying “ur dum! carzorthade roxx!!12″ won’t elicit a response out of me.

And that concludes the Terms of Service for “I’m Just Saying…” at the moment. It might be overly formal to go through a laundry list like that, but I’m doing it so down the road I can just point to this instead of explain for 15 minutes on what I’m all about. And this will change as time goes on, because more things will come to mind and more things will come to pass. But just for everyone’s information, this is the way I run things around here.

I’m just sayin’ is all…

Hi. I’m Phil.

Criticism is quite a funny thing to me. It’s a double-edged sword; Criticism helps the criticized by analyzing their work for all its greatness and not-at-all-greatness, but also insults them on many levels.

It’s very, very hard not to take criticism personally. I mean here’s some guy typing on his blog about what you did right or wrong. It’s someone else judging your work, as if they had earned the right to do so (that one that everyone’s born with). And if you’re lucky, they’re talking about how much you rock. How much what you do accomplishes. How much you look like a damned genius. But sometimes they’re talking about what you did wrong. How much you don’t rock. How much what you do fails at. How much you look like a damned idiot. And this person is insulting your work, your pride and joy. They’re mocking that piece of art that you created with your own two hands and gave life to. And they show no remorse, and that stings.

And what if they’re well read and well respected? That now means that a sizeable chunk of their readers have changed their minds and now think alongside your malicious critic. That’s even more people against you. That’s fewer readers, and less money in the bank.

And bad criticism can make things worse sometimes. If the creator is faint of heart, they’ll receive that negative criticism and become crushed by it. Even quit, because they don’t think they’re good enough anymore.

But critics and criticism are positively necessary. Even if it’s insulting at times (and in some cases, especially if). Critics have to criticize to enhance the overall world of media, otherwise no one improves. Obvious, right? If there were no critics, every comic would be drawn by Rob Liefeld, every movie would be directed by Uwe Boll, every game would be as fun as Catwoman, and all music would sound remarkably like Ashley Simpson (”sound,” of course, if they actually sang).

So I suppose that’s why I’m here then. I’m here to criticize based on what I like/dislike, and what I think works/fails. I’m here to reward the brilliant, and berate the moronic. I’m also here because there are few amateur criticism blogs, or “Snarkblogs” based on their purpose and method.

Like I said, my name’s Phil. I’m a Sophomore Film Major, and have grown up reading and adoring comics and comic books. I read a ton of webcomics, and I think there’s room for consistent snarkage (until I can think of a word that doesn’t belong to somebody else) from day to day with the volume that I read. Which is actively increasing, because I simply can’t get enough quality comics.

I’m here to kick ass and criticize. And I’m all out of kicking ass.