The Internet has become something altogether grand in its complexity, elegance, and at times vulgar displays of inhuman cruelty most notably called the “comments section”. But despite the numerous cruelties that take place and the ever present dangers of idiots behind keyboards, many geeks choose to make the Internet more than just their home away from home. It’s a network through which they lead social lives, interact with fellow fandoms and obsessions, and congregate to enjoy all sorts of media treasures. Some geeks have taken to utilizing the internet in ways that pioneered new artistic movements that had before paralyzed authors and illustrators. Today, if you have an idea for a comic, a story, or anything that can be digitally rendered, you no longer have to worry about appeasing a publisher or having to scrape every dime out of your savings to self-publish. Every tool you need is available for free and all it costs is a couple of clicks and keystrokes. And many, MANY, painful hours lurched over a Wacom tablet. This level of freedom has lead many artists both young and old to express their creative endeavors to the entirety of the world. Web-comics are a media that, only over the past few years, have begun receiving any sort of acclaim and recognition.

 

Web-comics are a form of sequential art that, spoiler alert, takes place entirely on the Internet. Though many more successful comics will be able to sell hard-copy books, most prefer to remain both completely free and digital. As stated before, this is a level of freedom for many artists that is unprecedented. Anyone with a story, an idea, or even someone who just enjoys posting illustration after illustration with little to no story or meaning, can be seen around the entire world at the cost of some domain space. There is a web-comic out there for each and every geek. There are fan-comics that follow popular syndicated series, both cancelled and in production, such as the numerous meme comics and 4-koma. And there are other works based entirely on pseudo-reality scenarios such as PvP or Penny Arcade.

 

As an artistic movement, web-comics seem to refuse to be ignored. With growing admiration from a much larger crowd, comics like Penny Arcade and Homestuck are becoming artistic power houses, each becoming a full-time business on top of a comic. Penny Arcade alone is responsible for the PAX conventions occurring around the world, and in recent years those conventions have seen record-breaking attendance numbering in the tens of thousands. Homestuck continues to be a force to be reckoned with as its fans amass at conventions donning gray paint and candy-corn horns, many times making up the largest demographic of cosplayers.

 

It should be taken very, VERY literally when i say that there is a web-comic out there for everybody. If you’re over the age of 18, you have a twisted and lusty sense of humor, and you haven’t read Oglaf, you should head on over to Google and get ready to make funny noises as you stifle your laughs. Web comics are no exception from having an adult industry allure, and some have made themselves a fair amount of prestige and profit. But tread lightly, readers, for the abyss is great. Don’t reblog your erotic webcomic AU on Tumblr unless you’re ready to explain to your followers what they’re looking at and if they should contact the authorities.

 

If you’re searching for stories that are driven purely on character development and situational humor, your choices are a multiverse of many. Wapsi Square, a web-comic written and illustrated by Paul Taylor, follows an almost entirely female cast of everything from health and wellness physicians, museum curators, and bartenders to explore the depths of human personality and interaction, with splashes of the metaphysical and supernatural for an excellent flavor. It also passes the Bechdel test, so good on you, Wapsi Square! In that same vein lie the antics of PvP. This comic spanning multiple story arcs since 1998 written and illustrated by Scott Kurtz, is about a small geek-media magazine run by PC/Mac geeks, gamers, and role players. An off-shoot collaboration of both PvP and Penny Arcade titled “The Trenches” looks into the business side of video game creation and management, playing on the humor of inter-office politics coupled with the very sensitive task of being responsible for an MMO world. If you’ve ever been a fan of anything considered main-stream geek, then the aforementioned comics have a greater possibility of being appealing. I don’t want to jump the gun and set you up for disappointment, but if you’re disappointed in reading about how other geeks go about their daily lives in a cartoon world then I’m afraid this reader-writer relationship is going to be problematic. And it will  probably end with many sobbing messages left on your voicemail.

 

So what impact do web-comics have on the printed comic industry? If you’re an independent author/illustrator and you want to get started in comics then the digital front is probably a good choice. The reason being that, first and foremost, hosting a webcomic is free if done through proper channels like DeviantArt. This is also a way to start developing some ground, and getting recognition for your work by allowing other people to share and post your comic.

But if you’re already a working studio, then you’re most likely looking into going either purely digital or digital and print. The adamantium-clad fact is this: as technology progresses, printed comics are being bought mainly for their collective value and it’s simply more cost-effective and simpler to publish digitally and let someone on their smart phone or tablet read the comic at their leisure. I wouldn’t say that web-comics are killing the comic industry. Companies like Marvel and DC will be able to continue printing for as long as they’d like. Their long-lasting flagship titles have a legacy that their customer base will vehemently protect with as many dollars as it takes.

 

Web-comics will continue to expand for quite some time. New authors and illustrators post artwork every day, and there are multiple webcomics where updates happen daily. These comics are no threat to the printed industry, but they will help people get into comics as an art form by expanding their tastes. There’s a web-comic out there in this vast Internet-verse for each and every geek. And if there isn’t, maybe there needs to be. And maybe some Nashville geeks will take up the call and sacrifice many cups of coffee and midnight hours to the jealous Photoshop gods.