Why You Should Be Reading The Rack
Monday, September 10th, 2007--by Stephen Schleicher
Besides being created by Kevin Church and Benjamin Birdie, The Rack is quickly becoming one of my top web comics of the year.

Besides being created by Kevin Church and Benjamin Birdie, The Rack is quickly becoming one of my top web comics of the year.

Jeebus, I love this web comic. It’s no wonder it is still in my Top 57 Web Comics.

See the Scott Johnson’s My Extra Life website (a great site by the way) for the other joke featuring everyone’s favorite green giant.
We are through the looking glass here people. Good is bad. Black is white. Marvel is on top and DC is slumping. If we don’t get this solved soon cats and dogs will be living together in harmony…
Brad Guigar from Evil Inc. has started a new set of “cards” of the heroes and villains that have switched sides. First up are The Riddler and Mary Marvel.

Head over to Evil, Inc. and drop Brad an email to tell him who else should be on the list.

Why not? The web comic by Brad Guigar is perfect for superhero fans, and has had an arc going for the last year that really got interesting last week.
Last week ended with a mysterious explosion and this week began with an equally mysterious memorial service. The next nine days are not to be missed.
Want to know more about the series? Take the jump for some words from Guigar and then head over to the site to check it out for yourself.

MySpace and Dark Horse Comics announced today the two companies would partner to bring MySpace Dark Horse Presents to the online community.
This new online series, which is an homage to the original print Dark Horse Presents, will include original content, will be available exclusively on MySpace, and best of all, it’s free.
The August issue goes live on MySpace today, and will include the following comics:
The comics contained in future issues of “MySpace Dark Horse Presents” will include a mix from both established, successful, comic creators as well as talented amateurs. Site editors from both MySpace and Dark Horse Comics will search MySpace profiles for new talent to feature in every upcoming issue. New issues will be available exclusively on MySpace the first week of every month, with the second issue premiering the first week of September.
via Dark Horse

DC Comics has announced a brand new imprint called Zudacomics. Instead of a print line, Zudacomics will be the company’s first webcomic line.
“There is an explosion of creativity in web comics,” said Paul Levitz, DC Comics President & Publisher. “We want to build a great stage for this new generation of creators to perform on, a solid system for their work to reach audiences online and in print, and for the creators to share in the profits their creations can generate. In this time of rapid technological and cultural change, DC wants to be a good publisher for the evolving and growing community of online comic creators, so that we can be their partner for showcasing new kinds of works to entertain future generations.”
I’m a big fan of Wes Molebash and his webcomic You’ll Have That, so I’m more than happy to pass along information about a gallery showing of his work.

The exhibit runs from July 17 until August 25, 2007 at the
Pump House Art Gallery
Chillicothe, OH 45601
740.772.5783

Launched in 2002 by librarian Gene Ambaum and cartoonist Bill Barnes is gained an audience of over 35,000 readers a day and has just celebrated its fifth anniversary.
“Is it a comic that only librarians can appreciate? No.” says writer Gene Ambaum. “A library is basically a store — everyone has been on one side of the counter or the other. Fortunately for us there really is such a thing as a stupid question.”
“Unshelved is always a blast to make,” says artist Bill Barnes, “I get to draw Dewey saying the things everyone wishes they could say, except they’d be fired. And every Sunday I draw a scene from a different book. For a cartoonist who was practically raised in a library it’s a dream come true.”
I have not read Unshelved yet, but it is still completely free at the website at www.unshelved.com. Who knows, perhaps it will make the Major Spoilers Top 57 Web Comics list next year.
If you don’t want to read the comic at the website, there are currently four trade paperbacks available from Diamond.
I love me the Joe and Monkey. Today Joe laments on the costume changes Spider-Man has gone through during this whole Civil War and aftermath dealio.

Check the website to see the entire comic.
via Joe and Monkey (link)
This is why Apropos of Something made my Top Web Comic list

Yes, that is Superman, and yes, he is singing Paula Abdul. Check out the site for more fun, and be sure to hit up Bat-Botanist while you are there.
via Apropos of Something (link)
Just another popularity list…
There has been a lot of discussion both on Major Spoilers and various other websites regarding my Top 57 Web Comics You Should Be Reading list. Some comments were positive, some excited about where their favorite strip landed, but most about the web comics that didn’t make my list.
This installment is aptly named Viewer’s Choice. Based on the responses in the forum, comments and other websites that have linked to the original list, I’ve taken all of the recommendations and ranked them according to Alexa (a popular web ranking system).
While web ranking systems are cool, they can be corrupted very easily to give false results. I mentioned this before, but to keep the gates of Major Spoilers from being torn down by rapid fan boys and fan girls, I’ll be using a ranking system for the Viewer’s Choice.
57 varieties of web comics you should be reading
Here we are, the big day, the big reveal, the result of all the brouhaha; the big Top Ten. Those that earned a spot in my list of the best web comics have to offer.
But what makes something Top Ten worthy? In my mind it isn’t just the comic, but rather the entire website experience. While I likes me my web comics, commentary, bonus material, news, and more, make me want to linger at that website just a little bit longer. As you’ll see, when you get into the list, there are other sites in the Top 57 that also mimic the delivery of some of these comics, but in my mind these are the ones that do it the best.
57 varieties of web comics you should be reading
Didn’t want you to think that I had let the day slip by without uploading this installment of the Top 57 Web Comics. I would never do that to you just when we are hitting the teens. But isn’t that how our teenage years were? Full of disappointment, that left us the bitter bitter adults we are now… No? Well, me neither.
Really.
So today we get so close to the top ten, those on the list must be feeling the heat of being in the presence of such brilliance. That isn’t to say numbers 20 through 11 have anything to be ashamed of, they totally rock!
One thing to keep in mind - this is not a defacto, hands down, scientific, winner-take-all list. These are the web comics I think are worthy enough to qualify as Best Of…
I think The Geek over at the Digital Strips Podcast site said it best in an article he wrote today.
The list is pretty good so far. I’m surprised on a few of the entries but you have to remember the source as several of the comics listed have a comic book slant to them. Also some of the strips I’ve never even heard of, but personally I like that. It gives me a chance to read some new strips as Schleicher provided links to them.
It’s important to remember that this list is just one person’s opinion, every once in a while people will point to a list like this as if it were decided by some scientifically verifiable method. It’s not. It’s not even done by a committee of Web comics experts (can anyone even really call themselves that?). One guys, one list. Just keep that in mind should you or your favorite comic get overlooked.
Hey! The Geek found some new web comics to read! That is totally awesome, and is a great result of putting out a list like this. Maybe you too will find something worthwhile to read that will make your Top of the Best of List too…
57 varieties of web comics you should be reading
Today we get into the 20s, which is all about relationships; relationships between boys and girls, girls and girls, fantasy and reality, and even relationships between a beaver and a lizard.
But before the list, I promised I would talk briefly about all those webcomic voting sites.
I have nothing against voting sites, they are a great way to find new comics you may never have seen before, but they are in no way reflective of the popularity of a particular strip. This is because the voting systems are easy fooled, can be manipulated to increase the number of votes and so on. One of the most popular ways I have seen web comic sites get votes is to offer a “bonus” strip in return for your vote. Others simply ask for an e-mail address to confirm the vote, but if you have more than one e-mail address you use, you can vote multiple times. Plus there is also the popular notion that those on the top of the lists will automatically attract more votes simply because they hold the top spots.
Voting sites to measure popularity of a web comic - not good. Voting sites as a way to find new strips to read - very good.
With that out of the way, here is today’s installment.
