Web Comics: Gabe on Rick Dees

As many know, (possibly from the numerous web comic links in my sidebar), I'm a big fan of web comics. They're quite good, often touch on dangerous topics, and are predominately free. In general, I think of them as alternative as well, but today I had a little surprise.

I'm listening to Rick Dees Weekly Top Forty this morning, and all the sudden, Rick Dees starts talking about the Sony PSP. No surprise there, after all, it's an upcoming gadget with a lot riding on it, and Sony is doubtlessly dishing out the millions to anyone that's willing to shill. Suddenly Rick Dees says, "...and I have Gabe from Penny Arcade here in the studio."

For those who aren't in the know, Gabe is the alter-ego of one of the two creators of one of the most successful web comics, Penny Arcade. It's a pretty good comic, with the proviso that you often need to either read the rant or know about happenings in the world of computer games. I read it regularly, along with lots of other folks. But I wouldn't have thought that elevated its creators to the kind of celebrity status I typically associate with guests on national top 40 radio shows.

To be honest, since the strip can be very off-color, it must be even more popular than I thought for Rick Dees to be willing to directly link to it, seeing as it'll almost certainly generate some complaints from parents. The only reason I could see that they'd be willing to deal with that is a big paycheck from Sony. And why would Sony pay to have Gabe talk about the PSP unless it was a big draw?

I don't know, maybe web comics are moving up in the world.

So, just in case I can ride that particular wave, here are some other excellent web comics for you to check out.

Life on Forbez: This sci-fi comic, set in a school on an alien world, is incredibly well drawn black and white. While it is often more dramatic than funny, it's worth reading through the archives to see the storyline and characters develop. I believe that the creator is about to try and achieve three postings a week, which is close to being the web-comics standard. (Possibly because of the influence of Penny Arcade, interestingly enough.)

Questionable Content: This interpersonal romantic tension comic has soap-opera tendencies, but I'm liking it anyway. Despite the name, I doesn't really have any questionable happenings. It also makes a lot of jokes about the indie music scene and the young hipsters that follow its trends. It updates every weekday, and is well worth a look see.

Fallen: I think the full color art here is simply amazing, and setting is complicated enough to be truly intruiging. Unfortunately, once you've plowed through the archives, you may be left hanging for a while, because the creator lost her scriptbook and some finished pages, and the comic hasn't been updated lately. Here's hoping she brings more soon.

The Wotch: This Buffy-esque comic about a young girl with special powers who moves to town is a lot of fun, if a little silly.

Alice!: This sweet and fairly traditional comic strip about an over-imaginative girl has been around for quite a while, but has been defunct until just recently, when it returned with a vengeance. The current update schedule seems to be every weekday.