Daily Archives: April 27, 2005

Loserz

Warning, some contents of web comic may be offensive and not suitable for younger readers.

Loserz is another recent acquisition of mine, thanks to a Boardie friend of mine. The comic can be quite funny, true-to-life, and touching… but it can also turn quickly into something offensive. The Kittens still haven’t forgiven Erik Schoenek (who writes/draws the comic) for the “let’s offend everyone” strips which included such things as beating a box of kittens to death with bats. This, along with the sexual situations and constant swearing, is why I actually labeled the above link with a warning.

The thing is… Loserz is actually funny, when Erik doesn’t think he has something to prove. Of course, this type of review is probably offensive to him because it makes it sound like I’m trying to censor him or something… and that’s not it at all. It’s just… I wish he’d focus more on Ben, Jodie, and Eric.

And I identify with these characters. 19 years ago I was in their shoes. I was the outcast loser as well (though I did hang out with the cheerleaders and popular girls – I was probably considered harmless and amusing enough, and they knew I’d not ask most of them out). I could understand what it’s like to be in this soulless environment (school culture – not that school itself is bad… it’s just that students can feel alienated by their peers, and the one group they’re supposed to turn to for help (the teachers) are “the enemy” in their eyes because they’re “grown ups”).

The recent storyline has been amusing enough… but also predictable as well. Eric’s been dating Alice, one of the “popular girls” and has gained at least one enemy for this – a “socially minded” girl who feels that Eric is overstepping his bounds. She seems intent on turning Alice on Eric using the oldest trick in the book – jealousy about Jodie (who is rather promiscuous). I honestly can’t see Ms. Popularity getting hoisted on her own petard (though it would be a nice twist), so very likely Eric is going to have to choose – friendship with Jodie or dating Alice.

I can guess what his choice will be. Eric’s too decent a chap to abandon a friend, especially one who’s been going stir-crazy of late. Anyway… I definitely have to suggest Loserz as a comic to read. But if you’re offended by frequent swearing, sexual situations, rear-nudity, and occasional bouts into Political Incorrectness… you might want to avoid it. At the very least, you’ve been warned.

Addendum note: Fixed a mixup with Ben and Eric (Eric having started as a self-insertion character for the author Erik). As for the Ben/Eric mistake, there is also the fact that Jessica showed considerable interest toward Ben, and Ms. Social Conscience basically told Jess (within hearing range of Ben) that he was a complete loser and idiot, and not worth her time. So I think the mistake is an honest one, no? Still, if you see any other mistakes, let me know over the forums.

Addendum the Second: Loserz itself is gone into the vast internet wasteland of dead comics. There’s still early comics over at the old Comic Genesis site, but those archives are nowhere near complete. I’ve heard rumor that it may be appearing on Slipshine, but that’s only rumor.

Todd and Penguin

For the past few weeks, Todd and Penguin has been on a wild ride through a mindscape of imagination and mystery, with such scenes as comics empty of Peanuts or Calvin and Hobbes. I’ve wondered at times just what the point of all of this was. It’s not the cute whimsical Todd and Penguin I’ve so enjoyed since Holly’s return was Snarked. I’ve even considered putting aside TaP until the current storyline is complete (I’m currently doing that with GPF, as I’m uninterested in the alternative universe storyline). Now, however, I’m glad I didn’t. Tonight is the culmination of the comic… and a message to not only all us fans out there, but all the web cartoonists out there as well: Don’t quit. Keep trying, you’ll get better.

This strikes especially home to me, as I did quit drawing the Tangents web comic, partly because my artwork just wasn’t good. Sally’s words are my own: But I stink. Nobody likes my stuff. But… if I look at the earliest works of the cartoonists who mean the most to me… Charles Schultz, Maritza Campos, Faith Hicks, Jamie Robertson… their early works were not that good, not when compared to current work. All web cartoonists, and probably most artists (and definitely quite a few writers!) are unhappy with their work. They feel it could be better. They feel they’re just “dabblers” and that their “scribbles” aren’t that good. It could be better. It suffers a flaw here and there. The artists (I include writers as artists here) often point out the flaws to others, flaws that would otherwise go unnoticed. Even when someone notices, more often than not it’s with an addendum of “other than this, it’s quite good!”

David Wright is pointing out a fundamental fact to all of us. In time, with repetition and practice, we all improve. Just because things aren’t going well at the start doesn’t mean it will always remain that way. Hell, if Maritza Campos or Jamie Robertson quit after a few months or a year of drawing because they were unhappy with their art… then we’d not have two delightful comics today. Tonight’s Todd and Penguin makes me want to take out the pen and paper and start drawing again. Not to restart the comic though. Maybe just a few sketches at first, so that my characters heads don’t change shape from panel to panel. That and write a few more Tangents…