Category Archives: Webcomics

More Guest Appearances and Delicious Comics

 

This is a Worldbuilders Blog.

Okay folks, we’re in Non-Denominational-Holiday crunch-time here. So I’m going to pass along a few vital pieces of news about the fundraiser, then get straight to today’s donations.

1. I’m well aware that I owe y’all some payoff after hitting our first two stretch goals. And our 150K goal of an interview and open to the public Q&A with Amber Benson is looming on the horizon.

Rest assured, I’m getting those blogs ready. But right now isn’t the best time to post them because….

2. It’s almost Christmas. So if you’re thinking of ordering gifts like some t-shirts, signed books, or the 2013 fantasy calendar, through The Tinker’s Packs, you might want to order sooner rather than later so we can get stuff in the mail to you….

2b. There’s new stuff in The Tinker’s Packs today. Stuff I haven’t talked mentioned or described on the blog yet.

2c. Why haven’t I mentioned it on the blog yet? Because today we’re showing off stuff awesome webcomic creators have donated. Not only do we have unique art and doodle books. But some of these fabulous webcomic creators are auctioning off cameo appearances in their comics, much like our  authors did a couple days ago

3. Also because we’re perilously close to Christmas, we’ve launched some auctions early. That way you can bid now and (hopefully) get things in time for your non-denominational holiday of choice.

For a peek at all the Worldbuilders Auctions, click here. There’s all manner of unique geek swag up for grabs. Seriously.

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Remember that while a few of the items below are being auctioned off, most of them are going into the Worldbuilders lottery. That means for every 10 bucks you donate to Heifer International over on the Worldbuilders Team page, you get a chance to win these cool books as well as thousands of others.

Plus, you get to make the world a better place, too.

Let’s not forget about that.

(Click to Embiggen. It’s worth it.)

If you’re an avid reader of webcomics, you may have heard about Webcomics Rampage down in Austin. Some of the coolest webcomic artists around attend it, and this year, everyone who went made a poster just for our fundraiser. It’s 22″ x 28″ of unadulterated awesome.

Well… I won’t lie to you. Some parts of it might be slightly adulterated, especially the part with Pintsize from Questionable Content.

It’s a way cool artifact of webcomic fandom.  If you’re interested, you should bid on its auction over here.

  • A set of Volumes 1 – 4 of Shortpacked! by David Willis. Signed and doodled by the artist.

Each copy of these books has a doodle in itcheck them out.

“Dave Willis has the unique ability to deliver the most deceptively evil punchlines with the most charmingly innocent illustrations.” – Brad Guigar

  • A copy of Volume 1 of Dumbing of Age by David Willis.  Signed and doodled by the artist.

“If you enjoy Willis’ other webcomics, or if the only reason you don’t enjoy them is because you can’t catch up with all of them, “Dumbing of Age” provides a fresh start with worn characters.” – Comics Alliance

  • A set of Volumes 1 & 2 of Wasted  Talent by Angela Melick.  Signed and doodled by the artist.

I’m particularly fond of these doodles, as well.

“Angela Melick’s a mechanical engineer as well as an amateur cartoonist, and many of the entries in her Wasted Talent webcomic focus on the small joys of efficiency and rooms filled with geeky coworkers…. It’s by no means an in-depth look into the life an engineer, but it’s a delight to see Melick so delighted with her career” – Lauren Davis

  • A copy of the choose-you-own-adventure book Trial of the Clone. Signed by the author: Zach Weinersmith of SMBC.

Okay. This is a really cool thing that Zach Weinersmith of SMBC dreamed up. It’s not just a choose-your own adventure story (though that would be cool enough. It’s a gamebook too.

Here’s a quote from their online store:

Trial of the Clone is a choosable pathway gamebook that allows the reader to make choices, interact with the world, and otherwise navigate through over 500 scenes and thousands of potential pathways. Readers can choose to simply read through the story or interact more fully with the book’s game by keeping track of statistics, items, and battles.

So yeah. This is cool. Between you and me? I just went and ordered 15 of them to give away as Christmas gifts to my geek friends.

“GWS is the comic for that that enjoy a good dildo joke and farty cat humor sandwiched between excellent character development and compelling storytelling.” – Erika Moen.

There are so many doodles...

I’ve been a fan of Questionable Content for years. Years and years.

Honestly, I’ve been a fan of a lot of these comics for years, but Questionable Content holds a special place in my heart because…

Honestly. I don’t know why. I just really love it. I’m considering going over to the team page and donating some money just so I’ll have a chance to win these doodled books myself.

What the hell. I think I will….

  • Auction: A set of Volumes 1 – 8 of Penny Arcade.  Signed by Tycho and Gabriel (AKA Jerry and Mike).  Includes a sheet of Penny Arcade stickers

Penny Arcade is one of the best nerd comics out there, and they’ve got a charity of their own, so it’s nice that they could spread the love and give us some books to auction off.

“If Pantheon is just another superhero book, Tiger Woods is just another golfer.” Wizard Magazine

  • Auction: A copy of Depressing Comic Book and a plushie from Cyanide and Happiness.  Signed by Rob DenBleyker.

This book isn’t for the faint of heart.  Half the reason we put it into an auction is so a poor, unsuspecting grandma doesn’t open it up and have a heart attack.  Gram-Gram might not be able to handle this comic.

Which is why so many of us love it.

You know you want the book and the butt-signed plushy too. So bid on it over here.

  • Auction: A set of Volumes 1 -4 of Super Stupor by R.K. Milholland.  Signed by the artist.

I think I’ve been reading Randy’s comics longer than anyone else’s on this blog. While I’ll always be a fan of Something Positive, I am rather fond of his new venture: Super Stupor, to0.

“If I were to try to sum up Randy Milholland’s comics in just a couple of words, I think the words ‘delightfully twisted’ would work nicely.” – Tangents Reviews

These are seriously awesome comics.  Bid on them, and they could be yours!

  • 9 sets of Omnibus Volumes 1 & 2 of Gutters. Signed by Ryan Sohmer.

These are gorgeous, Mammoth books. And our lovely sponsors over at Blind Ferret have given us a bunch of them for our lottery.
The Gutters is truly a unique webcomic beast… At the end of the day, the combination of a rotating art cast with Sohmer’s wit and criticism of the comic industry equals a damn funny webcomic that had the Unshaven Comics crew doing spit takes while we roamed through the archives. ” – ComicMix
  • Auction: A set of Omnibus Volumes 1 & 2 of Gutters.  Signed by Ryan Sohmer.

These books are cool enough that we’re going to throw a signed pair up in an auction so you can win them for yourself.

The winning bidder will appear in a future HijiNKS ENSUE comic. You will also get to suggest topics for the final comic (tv shows, movies, geekisms, etc) that you are interested in.

The winning bidder will also receive an 11X17″ print of their comic signed by the artist.

HijiNKS ENSUE is an online comic that delves into the deepest recesses of geek pop culture searching for funny. Casual geeks and obsessed fanboys alike can appreciate HijiNKS ENSUE’s unique perspective on TV, movies, sci-fi, technology and the internet. Ed Brubaker once said HijiNKS ENSUE “is like Doonesbury for nerds.” This was probably more of a compliment than an insult… probably.

To bid on this guest appearance head over here.

  • A set of Volumes 1 & 2 of Hijinks Ensue by Joel Watson. Signed by the artist.

I could get gushy about Joel’s comic, but why listen to me when you can listen to Wil Wheaton instead?

“Every time I read HijiNKS ENSUE, it’s like Joel shoved his hand into my brain, yanked out one of the geeky things that floats around in there, and turned it into a comic that I wish I’d written myself. And it’s hilarious every. Single. Time. HEY JOE GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HEAD.” – Wil Wheaton

  • Auction: Joel Watson Print – Signed by the artist.

I feel like I should mention that Joel has been a great help to Worldbuilders this year. Not only has he sent us books and cool art (see above.) but he helped coordinate donations from a lot of the webcomic creators you see here in this blog.

Plus, he was cool enough to donate a signed copy of his Game of Thrones inspired art, too. You can bid on it here.

  • Auction: Joel Watson Wil Wheaton prints – Signed by the artist.

The staff here at Worldbuilders guesses Wil Wheaton might want to buy one of these just to keep them out of the wrong hands. Any hands, really.

You, however, should bid on them over here so you can add them to the Wil Wheaton shrine you’ve built in your closet.

  • Auction: A Cameo appearance in the webcomic The Wizard of Quippley by Adam Casalino.

Adam Casalino will Tuckerize you! (Which isn’t really as dirty as it sounds.) That means he will incorporate your name into one of his up-coming comics in his webseries: ‘The Wizard of Quippley.’  Become a mighty dwarf of legend, or perhaps a dastardly wizard, or even a strange, far-off land.  Be forewarned, your name may be subject to Adam’s typical absurd comedy (let’s face it, it definitely will be).

To bid on this awesome tuckerization from this handsome man, go here.

A cameo in the fabulous comic Looking for Group. The winner will get “Fwooshed” by the undead sorcerer Richard.

Looking For Group is a fantasy-based webcomic that updates twice a week. Written by Ryan Sohmer and illustrated by Lar deSouza, it has been ongoing since 2006.

You know you want a piece of this action. Go bid over here.

  • Auction: A set of Volumes 1 – 11 of Girl Genius.  Signed by Phil & Kaja Foglio.

If you don’t know Girl Genius, your life is a sad, sad thing, and you pretty much have to bid on these so you can remedy it.

So.  Do yourself a favor.  Go bid on this over here.

The winner will see her or his name (or the name of a designated driver, fiancee, creditor, beloved pet, etc.) appear within the Girl Genius comic story sometime within the next calendar year. The details are nebulous. Perhaps you will become the proprietor of a shop in Mechanicsburg. Perhaps you will be a walk-on character with lines. Perhaps you will die a heroes death, or go into that sweet good night sniveling like a punk. Perhaps you will become a reoccurring villain, or a last minute love interest (tricky, if we’re talking about your pet here). The possibilities are endless, mostly because we’re making this stuff up as we go along.

You know how much I love Girl Genius.  I even appeared as a Doctor in it once.

I’m not saying it was the high point of my life or anything. But it was probably up there in the top ten. Along with having sex and that one time I ate an entire cake.

So… yeah. So you should definitely go bid on this over here.

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You have to admit that there’s enough coolness in this blog to cook your brain like a toad thrown into a volcano.

Remember that you can view *ALL* the current Worldbuilders auctions here on e-bay.

Or, if you’d like a chance to win these books and thousands of others, you can donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page, over at Heifer international. For every $10 you pitch in, you get another chance to win something cool.

If you want to see the other items that have been donated to Worldbuilders, or learn more about the fundraiser itself, you can head over to the main page.

Also posted in a billion links, Worldbuilders 2012 | By Pat10 Responses

Webcomics Galore!

This is Worldbuilders blog.

Today we have a great delicious slurry of donated cool from the webcomic community.

Most of these goodies are going into the general lottery, but we’ve got a good number of auctions, too. We’ve got guest appearances in various comics, some signed art, a few cool collections, and a frikkin Dr. Who scarf that will be going to the highest bidder.

First we’ve got some stuff from Blind Ferret Entertainment

There is a place, set in a reality and time unlike our own, where the eating of small children is not necessarily frowned upon; where beings of extraordinary power can destroy entire villages with only “because I could” as an excuse; where families are comically torn apart and sold into slavery in exchange for powerful weapons or a really nice hat; where prophecy, magic, and adventure is as common place as setting fire to and then re-animating a chipmunk into a skeletal minion (it happens more than you’d think); and where an epic journey can begin by an accident of fate. This is the world of Looking For Group.

The winner of this auction will work with webcomic writer Ryan Sohmer, on making a guest appearance in Looking for Group. The guest appearance will happen sometime in February. It will be a one-time event with the possibility of a few pages. The winner of the auction will be put in touch with Ryan.

You can bid on this auction over here.

Least I Could Do is what comics should be. It makes you laugh, sometimes it makes you a little sad, but more often than not it makes you think, about who you are, and where you are going. Perhaps if everyone had just a little tiny spark of Rayne in them (and I do mean tiny. Dear God, too much Rayne would make for a terrifying world), perhaps our world would be a better, more honest place… If you aren’t reading Least I Could Do yet, then click your browser over there and get started. Believe me, you’ll be glad you did.” – Geek-life.com

  • AUCTION: Signed Hardcover of The Absolute Ultimate Gutters Omnibus Volume 1 by Ryan Sohmer

Pat’s Note: I didn’t know about this project by Ryan Sohmer until the book showed up for the fundraiser. I like to think that I’m pretty on top of the good comics that are out there, but the fact that I didn’t know about Gutters proves that I’m desperately out of touch. It’s really clever stuff.

The Absolute Ultimate Gutters Omnibus Volume 1 is the first printed collection of the wildly popular Gutters comic. Written by Ryan Sohmer (Least I Could Do, Looking For Group), Gutters is a series of standalone pages that parody the comic book industry and the heroes and characters that dwell within. Each page is penciled, inked and colored by a different artist, varying from the industry veteran to the newcomer.

Volume 1 is an over-sized full color (and glossy) printed book. With a cover by Darick Robertson (The Boys, Transmetropolitan) and a forward by Daniel Way (Deadpool, Wolverine), you won’t want to miss this.

You can bid on this giant book over here.

Pat’s Note: Okay. Fine. This isn’t a webcomic. But the lovely Jim Zub donated these books after we’d posted up the list of graphic novel donations. Rather than save these for next year, we decided to tuck them in here…

Two nameless mercenaries are mashing monsters and making a name for themselves. Image’s new hit fantasy action-comedy series has gone through multiple printings of each issue released so far and is getting rave reviews from readers and critics alike. Pick up the first collection and find out what all the excitement is about. Collects Skullkickers #1-5 and the short stories from Popgun Volumes 2 & 3.

Pat’s Note: XKCD is one of my favorite comics. Smart, funny, plus extra smart and extra funny.

Randall Munroe describes xkcd as a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. While it’s practically required reading in the geek community, xkcd fans are as varied as the comic’s subject matter. This book creates laughs from science jokes on one page to relationship humor on another.

Pat’s note: I can’t remember when I first stumbled onto Biff, but these comics are like little zen stories. They’re little haiku of bizarre misery. Fun stuff.

“R. K. Milholland has created one of the most entertaining web comics online right now. He has done this through excellent character development, precise comedic timing, a cynical attitude and a craftsman’s attention to detail in his art. The strip is not for everyone. It can be offensive, cynical, and textually graphic. Language is not filtered at all, and so the strip is not suitable for children. If you enjoy cynicism, dislike stupidity or self-righteousness, or if you simply wish you could express yourself with a baseball bat rather than a snarky letter to the editor, you’ll enjoy this.” – A.G. Hopkins at The Webcomics Examiner

  • One set of Hijinks Ensue Volume 1 and 2: Godspeed, You Fancy Bastard and My Heart Is A Hate-filled Pineapple by Joel Watson. Signed by Joel Watson.

“Watson’s account on the origins of his webcomic is a fascinating read on how he came to the decision to quit his job and do HijiNKS Ensue full time. It’s a nice testimonial on the values of following your dreams and leaving a legacy. Watson doesn’t hide the fears he has of failure. I appreciate the sometimes uncomfortable honesty of a man who’s willing to risk it all on a crazy dream.” – TheWebcomicOverlook.com

“When Willis flexes his crazy, nerdy sense of humor, he can squeeze out classics. And while the content is catered toward basement dwellers, Willis does possess a sense of comedic timing that makes the strip funny for everyone, even if you have no idea what a KISS Player Transformer is. (Philistine.)” -TheWebcomicOverlook.com

The winner of this auction will collaborate with webcomic artist Greg Dean, on making a guest appearance in a Real Life comic. While only one comic is guaranteed, the guest appearance may span more than one strip if the character becomes entangled in a longer storyline. And while the nature of the strip will be collaborative, the final call on content does belong to Greg. The winner of the auction will be put in touch with Greg.

You can bid to be in the Real Life world here.

  • Auction: Fourth Docter Who Scarf donated by Greg Dean.

Proving just how cool and talented he is, Greg Dean of Real Life Comics fame, has donated this amazing reproduction of the Fourth Doctor’s famous scarf. What makes this total win? Greg Dean spent around 70 hours knitting this beauty on his own. A month of toil led to the creation of 13 feet of woolen Doctor Who splendor. Just to make sure it was up to snuff, Greg wore the scarf a bit this winter before sending it to Worldbuilders. He also wore it in Real Life as well. So not only are you getting this neat Doctor Who inspired swag, but the creator of Real Life Comics made and briefly wore it.

You can bid here for this delicious scarf.

“Questionable Content is kind of like if the guy from Office Space turned into a disaffected twenty-something year old with a pet robot who spent his off work hours hanging out with baristas and discussing indie-rock, poop, relationships, and ladies’ bottoms.” – Examiner.com

Gaming fans will appreciate this awesome imagined scene that Jeph Jacques has created featuring the cool characters from his quirky webcomic Questionable Content.

This print measures 11 inches by 17 inches and is signed by the man himself.

You can view and bid on the auction here.

  • AUCTION: Signed & Numbered The Complete Collection of Girly by Josh Lesnick.

The super sexy Complete Collection of Girly by Josh Lesnick. Pat is donating this signed and numbered collection, 270 of 500. Josh Lesnick’s cool comic was published at girlyyy.com from 2003 to 2010 and now this auction winner can get one of the few copies of the Complete Collection of Girly.

This auction also comes with a signed illustration from Josh Lesnick.

To view and bid on this auction, click here.

“For more than 20 years, various cartoonists have jostled for the title of spiritual heir to Gary Larson, the famously weird creator of the groundbreaking strip The Far Side. Web cartoonist Gurewitch is a solid contender for the title. His preferred subject matter certainly tracks Larson: murderous mimes, vengeful T. Rexes and adulterous rolls of coins all make appearances… Subtle, sly and deeply, deeply weird, The Perry Bible Fellowship is one of the best comics out there.” – Publishers Weekly

AUCTION: A full set of the signed Girl Genius softcover collections AND your name will appear in Girl Genius in 2012.

That’s right, a full set of the Girl Genius softcover collections (That’s 10 books, each with a cover price of $22.95) mailed to you or to that special friend who once saved your life. They will all be signed by Kaja and Phil, AND- The high bidder will see their name appear within Girl Genius sometime in the next calendar year. Maybe you will just run a shop in Mechanicsburg. Maybe you will be a walk–on character with lines. Maybe you will become a recurring major villain with your own mini-series and sexy minions and an action figure and underoos and everything (this is extremely unlikely, but in an infinite universe, anything can happen).

You may recall a certain Doctor Rothfuss who made his own appearance in the Girl Genius world…

We love Kaja and Phil. They are awesome clever folks. Check them out on their webpage.

And check out this tempting auction here.

  • One copy of The Splendid Magic of Penny Arcade: The 11 1/2 Anniversary Edition by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik. Signed by Gabe and Tyco.

Pat’s Note: If you’re interested, last year I did a fun interview with Jerry.

“If you’ve been living under a rock for the last ten years or so, you might not have heard of the web comic Penny Arcade. Produced by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, the comic, featuring two cameo characters called Tycho and Gabe, covers not only the ins and outs of the latest news and releases from the video game industry, but geekdom in general. Well-known SFF figures such as John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton are staunch fans of the comic and well acquainted with the authors in real life; the foreword of this book is written lovingly by Scalzi himself… The book is an easy, often hilarious read, and an absolute must-have for fans of the comic and newcomers alike.” – SFSite.com

  • Three copies of Penny Arcade Volume 7: Be Good, Little Puppy by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik. Signed by Gabe and Tyco. Introduction by Pat Rothfuss.

Pat’s Note: I got to write the intro to this book. Which makes me feel like a big man…

“Do not be deceived by this cutesy cover of Tycho and Gabe having fun with a puppy and butterflies, for within these pages lies tales of damnation and lust; whatever you do, don’t let a child get ahold of this book… and for those who are already familiar with the unforgettable and endlessly entertaining comic know as Penny Arcade, then this cover works as an excellent camouflage for the sordid-laughter-inducing artwork within its pages…” – Bookbanter

  • One set of Penny Arcade Volumes 1-7 by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik. Signed by Gabe and Tyco.

“Forget your warm and fuzzy newspaper strips. Penny Arcade is a scathing send-up of geek culture with jokes sharp enough to injure an eye… To say that Tycho and Gabe, its, uh, heroes, are video-game enthusiasts would be like saying that Anakin Skywalker has issues.” – Booklist

  • AUCTION: Penny Arcade Signed Print of When Larry Met Mary.

Pat’s Note: Can I be honest here? Having Kvothe make a cameo appearance in a PA comic might be the biggest geek-out moment of my life. Seriously. I love Mike and Jerry with the nerdy passion of a thousand white-hot suns.

This signed print comes right from the fine folks at Penny Arcade. Pat’s mentioned this particular treat in his blog last spring. Starting as a Penny Arcade strip, this clever 12” x 18” print is signed by Gabe and Tycho.

Shouldn’t you have a visual of Kvothe and his prowess hanging from your bedroom wall?

Place your bids for this beautiful print here.

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Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on our Team Page, you get a chance to win these books and thousands of others. 

For a list of all the auctions Worldbuilders is currently running, you can head over here.

If you want to see all the other items that have been donated to Worldbuilders, or just learn more about the fundraiser itself, you head over to the main page.

Also posted in cool things, geeking out, Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat13 Responses

In the spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of Penny Arcade

So last week I attended a romance convention and did a signing with Amber Benson. Needless to say, I have some stories to tell.

But first I should deal with the current news: Kvothe got a mention in Penny Arcade today.

This fills me with a geeky joy which words can hardly express. I’m a long-time fan of Penny Arcade. When they called me this weekend to give me an early peek at the comic, I bolted upstairs to my hotel room in a most undignified manner. Then, when I saw it, I laughed uncontrollably for a solid minute.

Did they make fun of the book? Of course they did. That’s their job.

The more important question is, “Did they poke *legitimate* fun at the book.” Did they mock something that, viewed in the proper light, deserved to be mocked a little?

And the answer, again, is yes. That’s what makes them more than mere humorists. Mike and Jerry consistently stride the lofty realms of satire, where they harvest raw platonic truth, forge it in the white-hot fire of their anger, then hurl it down at the howling monkeys below.

I, for one, am honored to be their monkey.

Does it sting? Nah. Not really.

For one, I know them. They’re lovely people. And being gently mocked by skilled professionals is a treat. Like I said, they make a fair point.

But also, my best friends have always been very honest people. Mockery has always been the way we’ve shown each other love. I’d flatter a stranger. But if I’m making fun of you, you know that I like you.

So I guess what I’m saying is this: “Thanks Jerry. Thanks Mike. I love you too.”

Here’s a link to the strip. Be warned: there is some very mild spoilerage. If you’re a purist and haven’t read through Chapter 128 yet, you might want to wait before you check it out.

It’s getting late, and I’m still recovering from the convention. So I think I’ll tell my other stories in a day or two. If you want a teaser though, I’ll say this: The romance convention was a headtrip, and the reading with Amber Benson was, well, sexy.

More soon,

pat

Also posted in conventions, cool things, sexy | By Pat37 Responses

Delicious Webcomics and Guest Appearances

Before I talk about today’s donation, I need to mention that some of the auctions we’re running will be over soon. Most specifically, the signed ARC from Neil Gaiman and the signed collection of Girl Genius trades.

Fair warning. Don’t come crying to me because you weren’t paying attention and you missed out.

Also, don’t be too sad if the Gaiman ARC is out of your price range. He just sent us another cool book that we’ll be posting up in just a couple days. That one will be going into the general lottery, so everyone who donates on the team page will have a chance to win it.

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In the past most of the books we’ve given away for Worldbuilders have been… well… books. This is because most of the creative types I know personally tend to be sci-fi and fantasy authors.

This year we’re branching out a bit. We’ve put some lovely graphic novels in the mix. And, because I’ve made some webcomic friends at conventions, I can start hitting them up for donations too.

Now I’m fully aware that the distinction between cartoonist and web-cartoonist is a line so fine that in most cases it’s pretty nonsensical. I’m mostly including these comics here because I either discovered these comics on the web, or because that’s the easiest place for you to check out their work.

Anyway, here are today’s books. Some of them are donated by the authors themselves. Some of them are donated by me because I love the comics and I like to spread the word about them.

I’ve been reading webcomics since 1999. So I make the mistake of assuming I know most of the cool comics that are up and running these days. Still, sometimes I’m painfully out of the loop. Wonderella was completely off my radar until somebody sent me this link.

Description from the author: The superheroine Wonderella is lazy, crude, self-absorbed and short-sighted… which might make her the most authentically American superhero in existence. Her awkward situations and active avoidance of heroic deeds can only be categorized as “Non Adventures.”

This is a great example of a book that could easily go in just about any category. Comic. Webcomic. Graphic novel. Manga. Kim’s stories are sweet and strange and profoundly touching.

But you don’t need me to gush about him. This book has a blurb from Scott McCloud himself, calling it, “A literate, funny and beautiful piece of fiction.”

  • Two copies of Xeno’s Arrow, Book 1: The Intergalactic Zoo by Greg Beettam and Stephen Geigen-Miller. Signed and doodled.

We’ve got two copies of this book, not just signed, but doodled in too. Xeno’s Arrow is the story of a group of aliens who decide to escape from an Intergalactic Zoo. It’s more of an ongoing story than a gag comic, but that isn’t to say that it doesn’t have its funny moments, too…

Ignition is the first printed compilation of Carpe Chaos comics, a surprisingly slick-looking collection includes multiple stories: Filter Dregs, Strength in Numbers, Moments of Elation, Worst Case Scenario, Hard Lessons, and the first chapter (and half of the second) of Rising Up. There’s some cool worldbuilding going on in here, and their website puts mine to shame…

  • A copy of North World by Lars Brown. Signed and doodled by the author.

From Amazon: “Northworld really isn’t that different from our own… the biggest difference is the presence of mythical monsters, talking bears, arcane arts, and, of course, the heroes who stand ready to defend the innocent and helpless from these extraordinary threats!”

  • A set of The Book of Biff, #1-5 by Chris Halbeck. Signed and doodled by the author.

I can’t remember when I first stumbled onto Biff, but these comics are like little zen stories. They’re little haiku of bizarre misery. Fun stuff.

  • Two copies of Galaxion Book 1: The Jump by Tara Tallan. Signed and sketched by the author/illustrator.

I picked up Galaxion when I was at a Penguicon earlier this year. I always enjoy picking up books from webcomics I haven’t heard of before, just to try something new. I have to say that I enjoyed this one and I’m eagerly awaiting the second installment.

Each book includes a Galaxion-themed pad of sticky notes and a pin-back button.

“Tara Tallan has done a superb job; the cast is varied and have a viable chemistry that is fun to watch.” – Tangents Reviews

  • A set of Gunnerkrigg Court books: Vol 1 Orientation and Vol 2 Research by Tom Siddell.

You don’t need me to talk this comic up to you. It’s got a blurb from Gaiman:

“I was thrilled to hear that my favorite webcomic was going to be collected on paper. I wish that Antimony Carver and her adventures and mysteries and myths, not to mention her school, has been around when I was a boy, to shape and warp and twist my growing mind – but I don’t think you could ever grow too old to delight in Gunnerkrigg Court.” – Neil Gaiman

I’ve mentioned Lev Yilmaz  on the blog before. But it turns out that in addition to his hilarious deadpan youtube videos, Lev also does some really nice comic work too, vaguely in the style of Matt Groening.

In my experience, it’s rare that a comic is exceptionally smart, socially aware, and funny. But somehow Cat and Girl consistently manages all three.

As I mentioned long ago on the blog, this is one of my favorite comics, and I’ve been reading it forever. You should really check it out.

From Amazon: “There is a place, set in a reality and time unlike our own, where the eating of small children is not necessarily frowned upon…where prophecy, magic, and adventure is as common place as setting fire to and then re-animating a chipmunk into a skeletal minion (it happens more than you’d think); and where an epic journey can begin by an accident of fate. This is the world of Looking For Group.”

  • A copy of Goblins: Book 1 by Tarol Hunt.

Goblins has been one of my favorite webcomics ever since I found out about it. The art has grown in leaps and bounds into something really impressive. And it’s so rare that a storyline that deals with geek gaming humor also has an incredible sense of dramatic tension and an almost heartbreaking series of character arcs that stem from really emotional scenes. I swear that this comic has made me tear up a couple of times.

This is one of my absolute favorite comics, as I’ve said many times on the blog. Adding to my love is the fact that Tarol did a hysterical comic to help me promote the paperback release of The Name of the Wind.

You should really read it. But it has a strong storyline, so you have to start at the beginning…

When I stumbled onto the Devil’s Panties, it consumed about 8 hours of my life as I went through and I read the entire archive in almost one sitting. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s vaguely autobiographical, talks about the real-life adventures of comic artist Jenny Breeden.

After reading the comic, I actually met her at Dragon Con in 2007. And despite all of the other cool people who were there, she was one of the ones I was most excited to see. I was thrilled to buy this book and get it signed by her.

But now, for the good of the cause, I am donating it to Worldbuilders.

  • A copy of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories by Nicholas Gurewitch.

This is a collection of the strips from Perry Bible Fellowship. While the comic itself isn’t currently being updated, you should really check it out if you haven’t already. It’s really the pinnacle of bizarre, dark humor. Over the years I’ve bought at least five copies just to give away as gifts…

  • A full set Yu+Me Dream Volumes 1-4 By Megan Rose Gedris.

I picked this comic up on a whim at a convention. Then, after reading the first volume, I had to go back and pick up the next two. I had to wait for the fourth volume to come out in print. But now that the story’s finished, you can read it the way I wanted to, in one great gluttonous chunk.

  • A set of Side A and Side B, edited by Rachel Dukes. 

These are two comic anthologies where a boatload of talented comic artists tell stories about lives influenced by music. After reading the reviews, I went over to Poseur Ink and ordered a couple copies for myself. (Bonus: they’re on sale right now for the holidays.)

“there are lush, flowing borderless works; punky, scratchy pieces that wear aggro on their sleeve; deceptively simple illustrations that wouldn’t look out of place in a children’s book, arty tales that use tone without line (and would look good in a French cafe); and arch photo-reproduction work that is so hip it bleeds. And the range of tales! Intensely personal, autobiographical tales; whimiscal flights of fancy; love and hate; joy and loss; robots and spaceships and clockwork people – they are all in here!” George Watson for Geek Speak.

  • A copy of Errant Story Volume One by Michael Poe. Signed by the author.

I’ve been reading Michael Poe’s comics since back before I was published. This is a signed copy of the first volume of Errant Story. A series that’s worth loving if only for its name…

I love Allison’s comics because they’re funny, surreal, and have brilliant use of the language. Also, one of the main characters, Shelly, reminds me of Sarah.

Though she doesn’t read many webcomics, Sarah likes this one, too. I think its because she likes watching someone as delightfully chipper and batshit crazy as she is.

(Edit: I was going to donate my copy of Allison’s Skellington, too. But I see it’s out of print now. So I’m keeping it. There are some lines I will not cross, even for Worldbuilders.)

Odds are, if you read webcomics, you already know about PVP. But just in case you don’t, you might want to check them out. They’re one of my daily reads for years now. Kurtz’s comic is a cool mix of humor, ongoing story, healthy red-blooded American geekery.

*     *     *

Last but not least, we have two webcomic artists who really stepped up to the plate for Worldbuilders this year. The first of these is Greg Dean of Real Life.

Greg has been doing webcomics almost as long as anyone out there. He started up Real Life back in 1999, making him one of the rare people that can say they’ve been in the business more than a decade.

I met up with Greg at San Diego Comic-con in 2009, and we got to hang out. Greg wrote a comic about the encounter which is pretty much entirely true.

Despite my obvious conversational barbarism, Greg has not shunned me. Instead, he’s offered to help out Worldbuilders by donating a guest appearance in his comic.

  • A guest appearance in Greg Dean’s Real Life.

The details:

The winner of this auction will collaborate with webcomic artist Greg Dean on guest appearance in Real Life. While an appearance in only one comic is guaranteed, the guest appearance may span more than one strip if the character becomes entangled in a longer storyline or subplot. While the nature of the strip will be collaborative, the final call on content does belong to Greg.

Greg will also include a signed, framed, print of the comic as well, embossed and sparkling with all sorts of awesomeness.

You can check out the Real Life auction and place your bids over here.

*     *     *

The other webcomic artist going above and beyond the call of duty to help out Worldbuilders this year is Howard Taylor.

I met Howard at Penguicon this year, and, well… kinda made an ass of myself in front of him. (I think I might be detecting a trend here…)

But again, despite my lack of social grace, Howard was willing to help out with Worldbuilders by donating both some lovely signed books and a named appearance in his comic, Schlock Mercenary.

Let’s list the books first:

  • Two copies of Schlock Mercenary: The Teraport Wars. Numbered, first edition with signed cover and sketch by  Howard Taylor.

  • Two copies of Schlock Mercenary: Resident Mad Scientist. Numbered, first edition with signed cover and sketch by  Howard Taylor.

  • A copy of Schlock Numbered: Under New Management. Numbered, first edition with signed cover and sketch by  Howard Taylor.

Schlock Mercenary is another one of the rare webcomics that’s been around since the olden times. And when these books showed up I felt morally obliged to… inspect them. For shipping damage. On a page-by-page basis….

While I was inspecting them, I was amazed at how easy it is to start reading the comic at any point in the story. (That’s why I’m handing these comics out individually instead of as a set.) The footnotes and additional information provided in the books reminded me that Howard is scary smart, and puts a ton of thought into the science of even some of his simple throwaway gags.

Each of these books has a hand-drawn sketch on the final page.  These sketches were part of the release for each book and quantities were limited.

  • A named appearance in Howard Taylor’s Schlock Mercenary.

The details:

The winner of the auction will have one or more of their given names used as a character name in the Schlock Mercenary online comic. The name will appear at least once in the next 8 months.  The survival or death of your named character is solely at the discretion of Howard.

If the winner provides a mailing address, Howard will send the original strip art once the comic has aired.

You can check out the Schlock Mercenary auction and place your bids over here.

*     *     *

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them.

In addition to that, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations made on our Team Heifer page before Dec 13th.

For more details about Worldbuilders, the auctions we’re running, and the donated books, you can head over HERE.

Also posted in a billion links, Worldbuilders 2010 | By Pat26 Responses
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