The Master List of Webcomic Cliches

JexKerome · Post by **JexKerome** » Sat May 29, 2004 1:18 am

KittyKatBlack wrote:Cracks at Microsoft. Even if it's not a computer based comic anything modern-day related generally has a crack at Microsoft or Bill Gates at one time or another.

Hey, Bill gates is The Man. And you've GOT to take down The Man.

Deathbringer · Post by **Deathbringer** » Sat May 29, 2004 3:10 am

Japanese characters. Just because the comic is done in Japanese Anime STYLE does not mean the main characters HAVE to be Japanese. I don't understand why people make characters that don't LOOK Japanese (Most anime characters do NOT look Japanese), they don't ACT Japanese, and they don't LIVE in Japan, yet they have a Japanese name, and spout random japanese phrases (That one was covered partially, though).

*Cacke* its so true! "Hi i'm asuka watanabe, i'm from ohio!"

[AOD] · Post by **[AOD]** » Sat May 29, 2004 7:20 am

The guy who can create any form of sci-fi technology (lasers, teleporters, etc).
Not unless you're talking about me...

Universities.
Fah! In a postapocalyptic wasteland? I think not!

Talking pets
Unless you count an animate rag doll... then yes...

Megaman and Final Fantasy sprites.
The very thought!

Fourth wall (or lack thereof).
I usually appear in the fillers to make political statements. Sometimes characters may put slight references to the panel layout or something, but usually not.

Manga.
Sometimes my style leans dangerously close to manga, but I definitely cannot draw that way.

Lesbianism
Heck, my comic doesn't even have sexuality much less discussion thereof.

The big dumb guy who means well
Does a giant unsentient mech piloted by a ten year old lunatic count?

The nerd that by all rights should not have a date but women literally fall over
There are no nerds! Nerds cannot survive in a postapocalyptic desert! Survival of the Fittest!

An evil villain that acts like a buffoon
There IS no evil villain! MUWAAHAHAHHAHA!

Celebrity cameos
See 'nerds'.

Big-breasted ladies with loose morals.
Wellll..... one of my characters IS a spike-haired, gutter-mouthed punk girl with a C-cup, who has no trouble with killing people and cussing up a blue streak while at it. Does that count as having 'loose morals'?

And anything "goth".
Okay, okay, ONE character is a goth. Sue me. The Goth look is cool.

Naked furrys instead of a good story.
Guh! The horror!

"At least it can't get any worse" followed by something worse (yes, I got peevee on that)
Ohhhh only once or twice...

Wacky college roommates.
You can't have a room in a world where everything has been incinerated by some great cataclysm! MORE ROOM! MORE ROOM!

Smart and reasonable but very bad tempered female character.
Eeeehhhhhhhhhh..... Maybe?

Gaming references.
HA! I piss on gaming references! DROWN IN MY UREA, COMPUTER GAMES!

Amorous robots.
A strip did feature a robot gigolo...

Parodies of superheroes.
What do you think I am? Some kind of HACK?! *cough cough hack cough hack hack HAAAAAAAACCCKKKK* *spit* Ugh.

Parallel dimensions and a multiverse taken as a matter of fact, even as a "given".
Given that the strip revolves around multiple universes and alternate timelines, well, then yes... I guess so.

Fanboy references to Trek, Star Wars, or Buffy.
Well... in the crossover, the U.P.A agents torture Pimpette characters with episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise

Self-depreciating humor about how bad your art is.
No... even though I do admit that my art IS definitely excrable.

Young girl/boy DESTINED to be a princess/prince that saves the world and gets a gooey romance with some hot person
Not in the 'normal' sense of the word...

The token fanservice character
I don't think so... maybe not ... uh.. yet?

ELVES!! BLOODY ELVES!!
NO! NO! NOT THE ELVES! NOT THE ELVES! BWAAAAAAAHHHH!!!! *cringes*

Seems like Jesus pops up quite a bit.
Yeah. He had a filler once. JUST ONCE. And he got blown up by the USA and Osama Bin Laden. At the same time.

ROOM MATES
Didn't I answer this before?

Computer game players who become heroes or otherwise extremely important to the fate of the <insert here>
HA! I spit upon you computer game nerds! SPITTEESPITTEESPITTEE!

Highly intelligent sarcastic character surrounded by idiots: Well, yes, I suppose, except the others aren't exactly idiots...

Characters who wear sunglasses all the time, so you never see their eyes: Would the Universe Protection Agency count?

Dullard idiot characters who yell stuff like "MONKEYS!" and "PIE!" for no reason: Aww geez, no way!

Ultra-violent female characters: Uh... <.< Yes. Definitely.

Shy characters who rarely, if ever, speak, but gradually come out of their shell more and more as the story goes along: Nahhhhhh!

Super-hot babe that the main male characters...:
No, I don't think so. Not quite. I don't think ANY of my female characters are supposed to be sexually attractive.

Archnemesis: NEVAAAAARRR!!

Dwarves being the first to die (fantasy in general actualy): I hate fantasy.

The unsufferable glass-wearing Know-It-All: Does wearing a gas-mask count?

The dark, stubble-chinned, sexy, brooding stranger: Would Frank the Angry Soldier count?... he's stubble-chinned, definitely.

Trench-coat and fedora wearing detective: No but I should... they're AWESOME <-- I'm gonna go with this guy.

Cat girls: BLEAAUGH!

Random violence in place of sophisticated humor: Yes. Quite often, in fact.

Psycho Character : Dude - they're ALL PSYCHO!!!

Deathbringer · Post by **Deathbringer** » Sat May 29, 2004 8:49 am

What where we told not to do at the end of page 6?

Soap Soaperson · Post by **Soap Soaperson** » Sat May 29, 2004 9:08 am

KKB wrote:Japanese characters. Just because the comic is done in Japanese Anime STYLE does not mean the main characters HAVE to be Japanese. I don't understand why people make characters that don't LOOK Japanese (Most anime characters do NOT look Japanese), they don't ACT Japanese, and they don't LIVE in Japan, yet they have a Japanese name, and spout random japanese phrases (That one was covered partially, though).

I hope that was not a slam on my comic.

KittyKatBlack · Post by **KittyKatBlack** » Sat May 29, 2004 9:47 am

Soap Soaperson wrote:
KKB wrote:Japanese characters. Just because the comic is done in Japanese Anime STYLE does not mean the main characters HAVE to be Japanese. I don't understand why people make characters that don't LOOK Japanese (Most anime characters do NOT look Japanese), they don't ACT Japanese, and they don't LIVE in Japan, yet they have a Japanese name, and spout random japanese phrases (That one was covered partially, though).
I hope that was not a slam on my comic.

No no! Not at all. I love your comic.

More or less I was talking about the people that aren't Japanese but want to be so badly that they pretend they actually are by making everything in their comic as Japanese as possible, even though they probably really have no idea what they're doing. (Megatokyo is sort of an example, but I like it too, sometimes.) I'm just saying in general, I've seen people who make characters that are Japanese for the sole purpose of them being Japanese. Not because it actually has anything to do with the plot.

JexKerome wrote:
KittyKatBlack wrote:Cracks at Microsoft. Even if it's not a computer based comic anything modern-day related generally has a crack at Microsoft or Bill Gates at one time or another.
Hey, Bill gates is The Man. And you've GOT to take down The Man.

Unless you're a gaming comic. Then you can add in 'Sony/Nintendo' to that mixture. Though, I've noticed that no matter how many bad buisness decisions Nintendo makes everyone makes a joke about them but then goes, 'Actually, I like Nintendo, but this was really dumb.' You'd think after the 10th time doing it people would go, 'You know, they deserve this one.'

IVstudios · Post by **IVstudios** » Sat May 29, 2004 1:09 pm

KittyKatBlack wrote:Katanas. (Sorry Brockway.) I like them, but god damn, does EVERY thing with swords in it HAVE to use Katanas? There are thousands of other sword types in the world, yet Katanas are always at the forefront of every swordslinging comic, even if it takes place a half a world away from Japan.

Bastard Swords all the way!

Orion · Post by **Orion** » Sat May 29, 2004 1:11 pm

No, Bigger, Better, less realistic!

Soap Soaperson · Post by **Soap Soaperson** » Sat May 29, 2004 1:52 pm

KittyKatBlack wrote:
Soap Soaperson wrote:
KKB wrote:Japanese characters. Just because the comic is done in Japanese Anime STYLE does not mean the main characters HAVE to be Japanese. I don't understand why people make characters that don't LOOK Japanese (Most anime characters do NOT look Japanese), they don't ACT Japanese, and they don't LIVE in Japan, yet they have a Japanese name, and spout random japanese phrases (That one was covered partially, though).
I hope that was not a slam on my comic.
No no! Not at all. I love your comic.

Oops.

Carry on, then! I just worry that people think that I just made a Japanese character for no reason. Please, forgive my paranoia!

Mr.Bob · Post by **Mr.Bob** » Sat May 29, 2004 2:27 pm

Comics with the initials D.P.
That is soooo... Done...Plenty?

Ruxen · Post by **Ruxen** » Sat May 29, 2004 3:15 pm

I'm really surprised that no one mentioned long haired ultra elegent bishounen yet. Or did you and I missed it, anyway I'm really REALLY guilty of that one but it's a pretty common cliche.

IVstudios · Post by **IVstudios** » Sat May 29, 2004 3:17 pm

ruxen wrote:I'm really surprised that no one mentioned long haired ultra elegent bishounen yet. Or did you and I missed it, anyway I'm really REALLY guilty of that one but it's a pretty common cliche.

Umm...is there such a thing as an uncommon cliche?

Axonite · Post by **Axonite** » Sat May 29, 2004 3:17 pm

deathbringer wrote:What where we told not to do at the end of page 6?

Eat quiche?

Soap Soaperson · Post by **Soap Soaperson** » Sat May 29, 2004 3:28 pm

Mr.Bob wrote:Comics with the initials D.P.
That is soooo... Done...Plenty?

Wait...really? Or are you just pulling my leg?

Orion · Post by **Orion** » Sat May 29, 2004 3:32 pm

you really are paranoid soap.

and so hopelessly cliched.

MixedMyth · Post by **MixedMyth** » Sat May 29, 2004 4:49 pm

Along the lines of the reasonable but short tempered female character, there's the "disaproving girlfriend who mostly coments from the background." Y'find it alot in gaming comics and college life comics. I'm getting pretty tired of it.

Oh yeah! Here's another one. Extreme use of Engrish. Aka, kawaii this, and kawaii that.

Hiye · Post by **Hiye** » Sat May 29, 2004 8:28 pm

Another cliche I just remembered: the unemotional, drop-out school bully who broods behind in the alleys and spray paints obscene things on the walls...

And then there's the insane crack addict who always sleeps in class.

And the innocent, unsuspecting young teacher's pet who is always suspected of sleeping with the teacher.

And the overly happy, overly sweet, and unrealistically feminine gay guy. In anime, he often has long hair, too.

RPin · Post by **RPin** » Sat May 29, 2004 8:30 pm

hiye wrote:Another cliche I just remembered: the unemotional, drop-out school bully who broods behind in the alleys and spray paints obscene things on the walls...

And then there's the insane crack addict who always sleeps in class.

And the innocent, unsuspecting young teacher's pet who is always suspected of sleeping with the teacher.

And the overly happy, overly sweet, and unrealistically feminine gay guy. In anime, he often has long hair, too.

I need to read more manga...

IVstudios · Post by **IVstudios** » Sat May 29, 2004 8:46 pm

hiye wrote:And the overly happy, overly sweet, and unrealistically feminine gay guy. In anime, he often has long hair, too.

This guy was in my Drawing II class last semester. Minus the long hair.

Deathbringer · Post by **Deathbringer** » Sun May 30, 2004 3:28 am

I'm really surprised that no one mentioned long haired ultra elegent bishounen yet. Or did you and I missed it, anyway I'm really REALLY guilty of that one but it's a pretty common cliche

, i mentioned that, though i wouldnt really call mine "elegant"

but oh well