Strips worthy of Nomination...

[Dandy Q. Dog]

I've missed out on participating in the WCCA's for a little while now, so I'm looking forward to getting involved this year. As such, I wanted to use this space to point out some of the webcomics i've been reading that I think deserve the nod...

Read 'em and enjoy...

NORM AND CORY by Andrew Kaiko
A long form web comic told in chapter form, Norm and Kory is the beautifully rendered, hillarious and often touching tale of a Squirrel and a Chipmunk as they re-enter the great outdoors. A total must read!
Suggested Categories:
Outstanding Environment Design
Outstanding Comic
Outstanding use of color

JACK MAGIC by Andrew Kaiko
Can you tell I like Andrew's stuff. JACK MAGIC is another long form web comic about a real life magician and his enchanted, troublemaker rabbit partner. Like Andrew's "Norm and Cory", this comic frequently goes from serious drama to laugh-out-loud humor and is freakin' BEAUTIFUL!
Suggested Categories:
Outstanding Newcomer
Outstanding Comic
Outstanding use of color

MANGLED STARE by Will Rodriguez
This has been a favorite of mine for a while and has REALLY jumped up a few steps artistically this year by going full color with clever, photo backgrounds.
Suggested Categories:
Outstanding Superhero/Action Comic
Outstanding Photographic Comic
Outstanding use of color

UGLY HILL by Paul Southworth
Always hillarious and insanely detailed and expressive artwork. With all due respect to the other Blank Label cartoonists, this is my favorite of the bunch and the one that keeps me coming back day after day.
Suggested Categories:
Outstanding Artist
Outstanding Comic
Outstanding use of color

You'll Have That by Wes Molebash
YHT is my favorite "relationship" comic going, and I love how fluid the character art has gotten over time.
Suggested Categories:
Outstanding Character Writing
Outstanding Comedic Comic
Outstanding Slice-of-Life Comic

COW AND BUFFALO by Mike Maihack
I absolutely LOVE his fluid, old school line work. VERY clean and simple without missing a step, and the humor is funy and sweet at the same time without being irritating.
Suggested Categories:
Outstanding Anthropomorphic Comic
Outstanding Comic
Outstanding Artist

OZY AND MILLIE by D.C. Simpson
This is a comic that's been around for a long time and doesn't get the attention it deserves! It's one of the funniest, best drawn and consistantly GOOD comics online. One of my favs, no doubt!
Suggested Categories:
Outstanding Anthropomorphic Comic
Outstanding Comic
Outstanding Artist

Now I need to figure out how I'm gonna narrow down my OWN favs in to only 3 comics a categorie. Anywho, I'll be sure to post more of my favs as I think of 'em...

In the mean time, my FAVORITE strip can be found below.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Jdalton]

Two can play at that game! Here are some of the comics on my short-list for nomination this year. Some of them are not as popular as they could be (or should be!) so I'm trying to increase their chances of making it to the next round by posting them all over the place. Check 'em out!

Best Comic, Best Writing, Best Long-form Comic: Between Two Worlds

Best Art, Best Colour: Jellaby

Best Layout: Dresden Codak

Best Black and White Art, Best Sci-Fi Comic: Airshell

Best Character Rendering: Aki Alliance

Best Website Design: Crowfeathers

Best Use of the Medium: True Loves

Best Character Writing: Templar, Arizona

Best Short-form Comic: Multiplex

Best Comedic Comic: Masters of the Art

Best Dramatic Comic, Best Action Comic: Rainbow Orchid

Best Fantasy Comic: Pewfell

Best Slice-of-Life Comic: Smile

Best Romantic Comic: Century of Love

Best Environmental Design: Lords of Death and Life

Actually, that last one is mine. I figured I'd give it a shot though.

And I second your appreciation of Cow and Buffalo. I hadn't thought to nominate it- maybe I should!

[Davidcsimon]

Here's what I've come up with so far, more to come...

Outstanding Layout
Dresden Codak

Outstanding Use of Color
Dreams in Synergy

Outstanding Black and White Art
The Adventures of Dr McNinja

Outstanding Environment Design
Gone with the Blastwave

Outstanding Use of The Medium
I am a Rocket Builder
Sam & Max: The Big Sleep

Outstanding Character Writing
Comedity

Outstanding Single Panel Comic
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

Outstanding Comedic Comic
Shortpacked!

Outstanding Slice-of-Life Comic
Planet Karen
The Devil’s Panties


Outstanding Fantasy Comic
Charby the Vampirate
Gunnerkrigg Court
Undertow

Outstanding Science Fiction Comic
Cowboys And Aliens
Nine Planets Without Intelligent Life

(PS: I kind of like Crimson Dark too )

[Netpoet]

Honestly, this might seem like self promotion, but it's not. I'm the writer for TTG, so I can and will freely plug Michelle for awards pretty much everywhere I can. My vote for Outstanding Artist - Michelle Mayo of Tales of the Traveling Gnome. Click it, and you tell me if you don't think it's some amazing artwork. Come on, I dare you. One of my favorite pages.

>Net

[Returntodonnelly]

Here are some that I like and have to decide how to nominate!:

ROSA AND THE HORSE PRINCE by Kelly Hamilton
This is simply one of the most beautiful comics and most talented artists out there. I would nominate her for any art category, including site design.


FANTASY REALMS by Niko Geyer and Clay Gardner
Again, more stunning artwork. Niko is a master of color, backgrounds, manga character and costume design. Both his cel style and shading are top notch. Any art category.


GUNNERKRIGG COURT by Tom Siddell
Everyone knows about Gunnerkrigg- it won a few awards last year and well deservedly so. This quirky, unique series is a personal favorite. It is stylistically individual both in writing and art. I'd like to see a writing nod go to this, as well as use of color, environmental and character designs.


TALES OF PYLEA by A."Humbug" Chow and Matt Summers
This is another one that not enough people visit. Outstanding panel work and character designs, and with Matt in the writer's chair, great writing to boot.


ALPHA SHADE Another one of the 'big ones'. These guys can't be beaten in terms of environmental design (except by maybe my following suggestion Michael Morris...). Very complex story as well. These guys should always get something!

PINKY TA by Michael John Morris
Awesome use of color- this guy's backgrounds and mechanical illustrations are to die for whether he is rendering organic pastoral sea scapes or palacial interiors.


EDGE THE DEVIL HUNTER by ?
My apologies- Im writing at work and can't access the site (its an adult comic) to find this guy's name- but this is my defienate entry for Black and White.

Lot's of others, but again, I'm at work and so that's all for now.

~B

[Rdpulfer]

My good friend B.J. Ibeas' webcomic "This is Gravity" deserves several at least several nods, including best fantasy, best newcomer and best long comic. Check him out at:

http://thisisgravity.doomsdayblaze.com/comic.htm

I'd also submit El and JJ's Between Two Worlds for best science fiction and best long comic as well outstanding use of color. They've done tremendous work on the webcomic so far

http://www.between-two-worlds.net/

I can think of no better site design or use of black and white that Zachary Parker's atmospheric and stylized "Flatwood". If ever Stanley Kubrick and Dante had a love child, it would probably look a lot like Flatwood (if a love-child was unfortunate enough to look like a webcomic)

http://flatwoodcomic.com/index.php

[Ian Jay]

*Sigh.*

I wish I could come to you guys with a massive list of awesome comics for you to peruse like I did last year, but to tell the truth, I haven't really been as involved in the webcomics world recently. I've been too plain busy, or lazy, or whatever, to scour the Web for bright young talent, and as a result, most of the comics I'm listing here are either ones you've probably heard of before, or are already pretty well-established.

Many have already been listed here. Andrew Kaiko's work is, of course, stupendous-- he seems to dance through pages instead of just draw them. Lackadaisy is a wonderfully-concieved new comic that is almost too good to be true-- you keep waiting for the dang thing to end, because something this good cannot possibly survive this long without cruel Fate stepping in. Dresden Codak has risen from a relatively obscure artsy comic to the heir apparent for A Lesson Is Learned; not only is it visually captivating, but the other four comics in its newly-forged alliance Koala Wallop-- Perfect Stars, I Am A Rocket Builder, Minus, and the Secret Crocodile Adventure Club-- all deserve the loads of recognition and praise that they are finally beginning to get. (Did I call that one or what last year? I think I called that one.) And, of course, The Adventures of Dr. McNinja has sucessfully turned a pile of over-used, outdated Internet memes into pure violence-riddled gloriousness. ...Also, Pinky TAis good. I know the guy who draws it. He's a good guy.

Let's see... any others of note? Has anyone mentioned Pirate and Alien yet? Again? They were sort of the big newcomer last year, and I honestly didn't expect them to work, but it's still doing fine a year later. I especially like the art-- it's a fun antithesis to the "oooh, let me melt your face off with my full spectrum of colors and my photorealistic characters" attitude that seems to be growing in webcomics these days. (No offense meant, Barb... your comic is cool, too...)

Also of note: Platinum Grit. It got a lot of press a while back, and I can't remember whether that was before or after the '06 WCCAs, but I'll throw it in here because its writing is excellent, so excellent. Check it out if you don't believe me. And let's not forget Shaenon Garrity's perennial critic fave Smithson. Everybody these days seems to be moaning about her leaving the webcomics world, what with Narbonic ending and all, but as far as I know she hasn't stopped writing this. ...Also, you've probably heard about this guy, but have you read S. "Endling" Healey's Ever After yet? I know the whole fairy-tales-gone-wrong thing has been played out a lot in this past decade, but I think if there's anyone who can squeeze something fresh out of the idea, it's this fellow.

In conclusion, let me make a shout-out to all my colleagues and acquaintances: Lancaster the Ghost Detective not only has both a rapidly growing fan following and an expected sci-fi spin-off series Lance Starcaster, but the guy who draws it also draws a metric buttload of other comics for Radio Comix... and only some of them are porn, trust me. (Ha! ...Seriously, Phil, if you're reading this, don't kill me.) Greater Than Colon O (pronounced >:O) just went on indeterminate hiatus-- and I mean just, as in "last Sunday"-- but it's still the best comic I've seen out there that consists of a bunch of inside jokes made by college students. Caggage is weird, but in a good way, like eating Starburst with the wrappers still on. Eggbert has gotten better than last year, though Kent doesn't update nearly enough as he should. And of course KC Green is a flipping genius.

If I think of any others, I'll let you know. Until then, adieu. And may I remind you that a certain webcomic Try Everything Once is also still available for nomination, and has gotten much better-looking, and much stranger, since the past year, if I may be bold enough to say so. Read it. Seriously. I'll wait here until you get back.

...

...See? I told you it was better than last year.

[Dandy Q. Dog]

Wicked! Some of the posts in here reminded me of awesome comics I'd overlooked in y first list like the ever-beautiful TALISMEN and the organically drawn Templar, Az.

I also really dig Justin Stewart's Popped Culture for some edgier satire on all the comics and cartoons I love so.

[Spqrblues]

My list so far. A bit incomplete, as I don't read comics in some of the categories, so I'm seeking out recommendations. My list includes some comics that have already been mentioned, to add another noodge to folks to look at them; and some that haven't been mentioned yet.

Lords of Death and Life: (by the artist of A Mad Tea Party, mentioned up above) Beautiful site layout, and beautifully packed with visual details. Oustanding Comic, Use of Color, Environmental Design, Website Design. For selfish reasons I wish there were an Historical category, but also so I could give this one a nomination for that, too.

I Am a Rocket Builder: This one can keep me entertained like a kitten with a piece of fluff on a string. Birds squabbling over sedition, octopus eyeballs, and hungry hungry fishies--can't beat it. Oustanding Comic, Website Design, Use of the Medium, Antropomorphic Comic, Fantasy Comic. As you can see, this one really impressed me. Or, I actually am a kitten.

Alexandros: Sensuous black & white work. A bit old fashioned in style, but suitable for its classical subject. Outstanding Artist, Outstanding Black & White

Antagonist: Love the artist's use of both black ink and white ink. And the protagonist (if I may) is charmingly awful. Outstanding Artist, Outstanding Black & White

Withershins: A softly sepia site, like an old Victorian parlour. Lushly gothy. Outstanding Layout, Outstanding Environment Design Outstanding Website Design

Grittie: Spooky, moody, and the creator is always looking for new ways to use the web as a medium and expand the borders of comics. Outstanding Use of the Medium

Platinum Grit: I agree with the person above that this weird, snarky, emotionally entangling comic needs more attention. Also: Sometimes it has nekkid people! Sort of! (Did I get your attention?) Outstanding Long Form Comic, Outstanding Character Writing

SPQR Blues: Also has nekkid people! Sort of! Sometimes! And I'm actually pushing my own comic by saying it has nekkid people! Criminey! Alas, I'd consider it to fit in some of the same nomination categories as Platinum Grit, and Platinum Grit has a polish and self-assurance I think is gold standard. I mean, platinum standard.

I Drew This: By the creator of Ozy & Millie. This one is razor-sharp social and political commentary. And funny as very funny razors.

Two photographic comics I highly recommend are:

1. Fluff in Brooklyn: Took a while to get rolling, but now is yummily surreal, and full of snark.

2. A Softer World: Makes my brain fire up extra neurons.

Three Gaming Comics:

1. Order of the Stick: Nominating it as a gaming comic, sure. But why not also for Outstanding Character Rendering and Outstanding Long Form Comic? He works magic with simple lines.

2. The Noob: Well, heck. It's my life. I play ClanLord every night.

3. Yamara: I've been in love with this comic since I can't remember when. I'm glad to see it alive online.

I'll be nominating the addition of a category for Historical comics. I feel there are more than enough out there to merit a category.

We'll see what else I come up with. What I like best about the process is how it makes me think about both what comics I'm reading, and which ones I've been missing.

[Angermouse]

Withershins: A softly sepia site, like an old Victorian parlour. Lushly gothy. Outstanding Layout, Outstanding Environment Design Outstanding Website Design

I second nominating Withershins for anything. Prolly gonna nom her myself for Environment Design.

[Princess]

I'll be nominating the addition of a category for Historical comics. I feel there are more than enough out there to merit a category.

[El]

Grittie: Spooky, moody, and the creator is always looking for new ways to use the web as a medium and expand the borders of comics. Outstanding Use of the Medium

Seconded - I couldn't think of a better comic for this award - it's hideously under recognised given the amount of work, time and talent that goes into it.

[Davidcsimon]

Grittie: Spooky, moody, and the creator is always looking for new ways to use the web as a medium and expand the borders of comics. Outstanding Use of the Medium

Seconded - I couldn't think of a better comic for this award - it's hideously under recognised given the amount of work, time and talent that goes into it.

Aye, excellent stuff... but is it a webcomic? I would have called it an animation.

[Spqrblues]

Grittie: Spooky, moody, and the creator is always looking for new ways to use the web as a medium and expand the borders of comics. Outstanding Use of the Medium

Seconded - I couldn't think of a better comic for this award - it's hideously under recognised given the amount of work, time and talent that goes into it.

Aye, excellent stuff... but is it a webcomic? I would have called it an animation.

It definitely started as a webcomic, albeit one with fades and fireflies and other unusual happenings; and the author has been converting it into something different. I'm looking for the archives of the original chapters....

[El]

They're here. http://www.fableforge.org/grittie/fable01.html

N I think the new version qualifies for use of the medium if nothing else.

[Spqrblues]

Here's a Slice of Life comic I'd meant to add:

No, Seriously... I Rule

A nice guy who teaches a batch of unruly kids in a New York school. Who is only periodically driven crazy. Comics about school, his girl, his cat, other comics, etc. etc.

Yesterday he announced a hiatus but he has a large 2006 archive.

[Pab Sungenis]

Some of my favorites, which I'm afraid might get overlooked:

<a href="http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/featur ... =cslpx">44 Union Avenue</a>



<a href="http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/featur ... pe">Hoover, The Rechargeable Dog</a>



<a href="http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/featur ... htickle</a>

[Davidcsimon]

N I think the new version qualifies for use of the medium if nothing else.

I'm not so sure about that. As I said, the new version would be best described as animation - but it would happily work in other media (ie: you could put it on a Video, or a DVD, or project it in a cinema) and the experience would be essentially the same. I think the "Use of the Medium" category is more about projects which use the web/PCs in ways which are unique to the format - ie: interactivity.

[Spqrblues]

I think the "Use of the Medium" category is more about projects which use the web/PCs in ways which are unique to the format - ie: interactivity.

This is an interesting discussion. It began life as a webcomic--but one that already uses a few subtle tricks to create an otherworldly atmosphere. Now, because the web and computer technology allow everyone access to resources and to audiences, he can change to a new format. Once your comic looks, say, like an animated Bugs Bunny feature, then is it something else? I'm not 100% sure. I'm not arguing either way, but I'm thinking about what the "medium" actually is, and what makes a comic truly "interactive." A few things to click on? Or could it be like a "choose your own adventure"? Or how about more like interactive fiction, where you can do more than take choice A or choice B, and can actually make items interact? When does it stop being a comic?

I feel inspired, suddenly... I feel a new project coming on. I occasionally write interactive fiction--text-only games. What if I made it images only, instead? That would still be sequential art, right, albeit with the reader deciding the sequence. Anyone know of any examples currently out there? Okay, I am veering way off topic here. Thank you for your indulgence. The muse bit me.

[Biev]

El, I didn't know that you were here too! *waves*

Here's a few from my list that I haven't seen mentioned yet. My choices should make some CGers happy : )

Oustanding Comic, Layout, Use of Color, Environment Design, Long Form Comic, Fantasy Comic: Hell's Corners

Outstanding Newcomer, Short Form Comic, Comedic Comic: Out There

Outstanding Artist, Black&White Art: Penny Tribute

Outstanding Character Rendering: Kanami

Outstanding Website Design: Soccer is Full of Cheese : )

Outstanding Use of the Medium, Sience Fiction Comic: Schism

Outstanding Character Writing: Satisfied?

Outstanding Dramatic Comic, Romantic Comic: No Crap!

Outstanding Antropomorphic Comic: Two Kinds

Outstanding Slice-of-Life Comic: Life's a Witch

Outstanding Superhero/Action Comic: Indefensible Positions