Comic-a-thon in Progress. Must Have More Webcomix!

November 16, 2012 11:55 AM

Looking for webcomics recommendations. Preference: PG-13-ish. But looking to broaden my horizons, so I am interested in hearing what you like and why.

For some idea of my interests:
I regularly follow Questionable Content. I like it mainly because it is written by a man but is mostly about relationships (both romantic and platonic). I generally like the trend towards anticlimatic resolution for personal issues, but I also think it is a bit overdone, to the point where some of it just doesn't read as believable for me (doubly so since the author recently had some personal drama of his own). I also like the geek factor -- the androids, AI convos, etc.

I recently read through Girls with Slingshots. It also has a relationship focus and is PG-13-ish and has kind of a geek factor plus some characters with handicaps (one is blind, another deaf). And Chester 5000, which is very sexually explicit (NSFW at all) and is intriguing for the total lack of dialogue. Geek factor: Chester is a robot. Bonus points: Erotica written by a woman, so I found it very personally appealling in that regard. I am currently reading through That Deaf Guy, which I appreciate in part because I am handicapped.

So sex focused, relationship focused, geek factor, and handicapped characters are significant themes here. (If it matters, which it may not.) Bonus points for unusual angles, like the utter lack of dialogue in Chester 5000.

(Yes, I have searched previous threads, bookmarked them and so on. What I have found so far is kind of thin, so trying to get more recommendations.)

Thanks.

posted by Michele in California to Media & Arts (21 answers total)

Avoid Freak Angels. Not even providing a link.
posted by Billiken at 12:04 PM on November 16, 2012

There was one, Penny and Aggie, that ran for a long while. Then some college thing which I guess is okay but didn't reach me; apparently dead now.

Sordid City Blues is over but interesting. The color scheme helped.

All I can think of for now, outside of Busty Girl Comics which only has 12 episodes left.
posted by tilde at 12:07 PM on November 16, 2012

Best answer: Monster Pulse is a sort of PG-13 adventure story with a definite edge to it. (I don't want to spoil things, but the second or third chapter takes a sudden veer into dark territory that manages to be shocking while still feeling appropriate to the story.) The characters in this one are brilliant.

You've probably come across it already, but Gunnerkrigg Court is a huge story with a ton of stuff going on. Also massive spoiler on the current page, so don't read that one first if you have any intention of getting into it. It's got some great characters and a really interesting, slow-burning plot.

And if you're into relationship-focused stories, Octopus Pie is pretty great.
posted by anaximander at 12:15 PM on November 16, 2012 [2 favorites]

I dig Gunnerkrigg Court, and given some of the comics you've listed, you might as well. I also read QC and GWS. Regular reads for me are also PvP, Shortpacked, Dumbing of Age, Overcompensating and The Red String. I like Goblins, too, but it's sometimes pretty gory.
posted by jeffmshaw at 12:16 PM on November 16, 2012

Girl Genius is great if you like a plot-oriented story, with lots of interesting twists and turns.

If you're looking for quick laughs, however, it's hard to beat Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
posted by wolfdreams01 at 12:20 PM on November 16, 2012

You may like The Meek. It was dead for a while, but it's gotten back to regular updating.

I Think You're Sauceome started with the unusual gimmick of the artist drawing her daily meals while working through her body image issues; from there it's branched out into a combination of slice-of-life alongside a kind of food blogging.

DAR: A Super Girly Top Secret Comic Diary is an autobiographical comic written and drawn by a queer woman through college and a few years beyond, relationship-focused, very smart and very funny. It ended a few years ago, but there's about 6 years of issues.
posted by kagredon at 12:20 PM on November 16, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh, and Oglaf! Which is primarily raunchy silliness.
posted by kagredon at 12:22 PM on November 16, 2012 [1 favorite]

I am not a big webcomic fan by any stretch, but at some point someone on MeFi posted a link to Teahouse ("A Yaoi Webcomic About Fancy Whores.") I have no idea what Yaio is nor do I much care, but the story was really well developed and the characters were compelling, so I read the whole thing to last publication date in an evening or two. The artwork is also ace.

The only other one I liked was the one from the gay woman drawing her anorexia recovery; maybe someone could provide a link?
posted by DarlingBri at 12:25 PM on November 16, 2012

It's called I Do Not Have an Eating Disorder. Yes, it's excellent!
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:43 PM on November 16, 2012 [1 favorite]

I really enjoyed Digger by Ursula Vernon. The eponymous wombat heroine accidentally tunnels up into a temple far away from her home, and, while attempting to find her way back, gets pulled into an increasingly complex adventure involving a talking statue, a prophesying snail and a hyena called Ed, amongst others. Lots of good characters, a solid story and a really nice thread of humour running through the whole thing -- it's just really, really well done. It's PG-13, too.
posted by meronym at 12:53 PM on November 16, 2012 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Darwin Carmichael Is Going to Hell.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 1:17 PM on November 16, 2012

Yellow Peril looks like its just starting out and is terrific fun. Some of the language can be a little over PG-13, but the art generally isn't (today's comic notwithstanding...).
posted by Xoder at 1:21 PM on November 16, 2012

You might enjoy Something Positive - also written by a guy and has platonic/romantic relationships. A little more bitter and cynical than QC, but still fun.

I also find ShortPacked and Dumbing of Age fun. Also a guy, also platonic/romantic relationships. Note that some of the characters are the same in both comics, but not really - same look, same names, same personalities, but different reality, if that makes sense.
posted by dotgirl at 1:27 PM on November 16, 2012

Anders Loves Maria. Start Here and never go to the main page, because it will spoil the ending.
posted by sarastro at 2:50 PM on November 16, 2012

Response by poster: Oh, well, gee, the whole sex angle has caught somewhat more attention than I intended. (chagrinned grin)

Special thanks to those folks supplying details, not just links.

I was hoping more for "I am totally into BLAH because it has the most fascinating take on Yadda that I have ever seen." For example, I started reading QC because someone recommended it based on its frequent reference to real world indie music. The person's description intrigued me, then I stayed for reasons of my own.

So anyone up for talking me out of my sex obsessed (aka celibate) little mental space and into a larger, more fascinating world? (bats eyelash)

(Off to check out some of the above, though.)
posted by Michele in California at 2:54 PM on November 16, 2012

I'll add Dresden Codak but its extremely cerebral, and slow to update but quite fun nonetheless.
posted by elendil71 at 6:37 PM on November 16, 2012

I like Least I Can Do for it's racy content, but it's not for the faint of heart, and it's definitely not politically correct. Still, I think it's hysterical and a great look at this guy's point of view -- and boy does he have a point of view.

I also like The Devil's Panties because it's fun, sexy, based on the artist's life, and she's very funny.
posted by patheral at 8:57 PM on November 16, 2012

2nding Something Positive.

I'll add Bad Machinery and its predecessor, Scary Go Round. Light horror/mystery. I'd rate it PG.

And for something more R-rated comedy, Menage a 3.
posted by fings at 10:03 PM on November 16, 2012

3rding something positive. It is cynical, it might offend people, but its FUN.

I read xkcd, brilliant/odd stick figure humor. Quite varied and sometimes extremely profound.

Nukees, geeky nuclear engineering humor. Actually pretty funny. Giant archive.

http://www.grrlpowercomic.com/
I SERIOUSLY recommend grrlpower (to EVERYBODY. Well maybe not my grandmother. But to everybody else.) superhero insanity!

Queen of Wands is a good strip, finished but good. Its the prequel universe to punch n pie.

If you play D&D or RPGS, Order of the Stick. Brilliant writing, and oh so true to gaming humor.

Also kinda D&D/tabletop gaming is full frontal nerdity. http://ffn.nodwick.com/ more about the gamers themselves though. Kinda. just read it.

Penny Arcade is kinda the go-to for people who play video games comic.

**** dresden codak. LOATHE it. ymmv!
posted by Jacen at 11:02 PM on November 16, 2012

Seconding Gunnerkrigg Court-- it's just FUN, with a rich world, interesting art (it gets better from the beginning-- it starts interesting and gets pretty beautiful), likable characters, robots, ghosts, etc. I like Red String too. Order of the Stick is both one of the best DnD comics out there and the one of the best adventure/fantasy comics-- it starts out with a few sort of one-note jokes and absolutely grows into this great fantasy world with well-rounded villains and it STILL makes good jokes and bad puns.
posted by NoraReed at 11:57 PM on November 16, 2012

Response by poster: I apologize for the very late update. I read through a few of these, then life got in the way. I hope to come back and read more as life permits. Many thanks to everyone who participated.
posted by Michele in California at 3:07 PM on October 27, 2013