Bootlegs Part 32
Just curious: What webcomics do all of you read besides this one?
– This is not an official LEGO comic. This is a tribute. Nor is it related to Best-Lock.
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WWW.SPACETHECOMIC.COM
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Tranquility base
“Tranquility Base” by Louise Dade is such an awesome comic. You know I appreciate it. 🙂
http://www.tranquilitybasecomic.co.uk/
I spy a reference to My Little Pony: Frienship is Magic.
(I’ll explain it for the nonbronies out there: It’s “Westminster Dog and Pony Show”, which is a combo of “Westminster Dog Show” and the title of a MLP episode; “A Dog and Pony Show”.)
“Dog and Pony Show” is a common expression that basically means an elaborate, overblown presentation. (although it actually derives from traveling circuses that featured performing dogs and ponies, apparently) I just combined it with Westminster Dog Show because I thought it sounded amusing. Also sounded like something DACTA would report on. Nothing against the Ponies; I just haven’t seen the show enough to have referenced that episode. 🙂
OH. Did not know that.
I haven’t watched that particular episode either, I just saw the title.
(Wait, are we both implying we have watched some of the show?)
Uh, I think we just did, lol.
In the episode I specifically remember watching, I was kind of annoyed that the main character was so pushy and telling everyone what to do, yet that wasn’t presented as being a problem. But I know the show has a lot of fans, so there must be something good there. 🙂
Which episode was it?
(I’ve seen only episodes 1-6 and 9, by the way.)
LOL, I had to look this up because this was awhile ago and I only really remember that one annoying pony. I THINK the episode I saw was “Dragonshy,” which is episode 7.
Yeah, that’s it. I saw that one yesterday (after I posted the comment). The pony you’re talking about is Twilight Sparkle. She was just being the leader of the mission.
That wasn’t the best episode to start with. The first one I watched was episode 9, Bridle Gossip. It’s better than episode 7 by comparison. Episode 9 is funnier and you’ll get a better view of the characters.
I’ll have to watch another episode at some point, if only to see what all the fuss is about.
You’ll see “what all the fuss is about”, all right. I knew soon after watching episode 9.
The other webcomics I read are, in no particular order: Tranquility Base, Brawl in the Family, The Adventures of Dr. Mcninja, Brick House, Legostar Galactica, Unsounded, and Drop the Cow. I mostly read LEGO-based comics, as you might have noticed.
LEGO is a special medium, kind of like 2D cartoons brought to life.
Hm, basically it’s Darths and Droids, Brawl in the Family, Tranquility Base, and MSPaint Masterpieces on occasion. There’s also two hand-drawn comics I follow on a forum, but I don’t see those as much as the first three and StC. Practically all of these have a different sub-medium used in them- screencaps, sprites, Lego, or just plain ‘ole 2D.
Is the common thread that they’re all funny as hell? 🙂
i now read s-team as well
Lots of good LEGO comics, many of which are on Brick Comic Network.
I “read” Shortpacked!. And by that I mean that I read the blog to keep up with what’s going on in the toy world, as the comic itself stopped being funny about 4 or 5 years ago (except on rare occasion). Ones I actually enjoy include “Gunshow Comic”, “Nedroid Picture Diary”, “Savage Chickens”, “Perry Bible Fellowship” (ended), ” Buttersafe”, and oh, how I miss “Beaver and Steve”. I kinda like “Dresden Codak” too when I wanna read something deep. Funny, how the comics I read are completely UN-like the ones I make.
I didn’t realize “Perry Bible Fellowship” had ended. That’s a bummer, because I always enjoyed that when I came across it. The diversity in your reading is a good thing. I’m sure elements of what you like in those comics are utilized to some degree in your own work. But it does bring the question that I always ask myself: “If I wasn’t writing this comic, would I read it?” For the record, I love reading your comic, The Radicals. And 12 Men Died, of course. For anyone else reading this comic, check out the link buttons to 12 Men Died and Jason’s Destiny Helix at left.
For the record, there are link buttons for other comics that I plan to add; I’m just lazy and haven’t gotten around to it.
You make some good points there! For a long time, I thought maybe his smugness was just part of his online “persona”, but as time goes by it seems to intensify. I really did enjoy his earlier comics especially “It’s Walky” and I like most of the “Shortpacked!” that are actually about toy fandom. I know its hard to update as often as he does and be consistently funny, but it just seems like his talent for marketing himself and his comics exceeds his talent for actually making them.
David Gerrold wrote that if you enjoy writing something, chances are people will enjoy reading it, but I can’t help but feel I would be getting a lot more readers (and money) if I were doing a snarky comedy about… I dunno… overqualified twenty/thirtysomething college graduates working in, say… a call center for (unspecified television retail network)*.
Honestly it seems like you have a great formula for a comic: Everyone loves Legos, so you got that going for you. Everyone likes lovable, funny slackers. And most people like far-out space adventures with an occassional zombie astronaut and a hot dominatrix girlfriend.
Maybe we’re just not selling ourselves right. I thought about signing up for this guy’s “Webcomic Marketing Masterclass” http://thecomicacademy.com/op/webcomicmarketingmasterclass/ which promises to teach you how to make money with your webcomic, but I’m afraid I’ll just get a box with a note that reads “Promise to teach people to make money with their webcomic for $37.”
P.S. I’m happy to see I was wrong about Perry Bible Fellowship. They went for like 3 years without updating, but they’ve finally put some new strips up!
* Don’t read my LinkedIn profile
I do have to give Willis credit for the reason you mention. He does a good job of lampooning fandom and action figure collecting, except for the times when the tone gets a little too bitter regarding aspects of fandom that truly annoy him.
That course you linked to is very interesting. I’m tempted to pay the $37. If you pull the trigger on this, let me know. lol
The one thing I always feel is holding me back, though, is the fact that I use official LEGO sets in my comic. It limits what I can sell, I think. Although I guess you can do okay with ads if you’re getting enough hits, and in my case LEGO is apparently pretty lax when it comes to selling books. I know most successful comic creators do convention appearances, but I imagine that comes when you have a certain level of success already.
Your comic has a fantastic formula, too. Great art, sexy ladies and writing that is really sharp. It definitely feels like we’re not maximizing our opportunities. It’s something I’ve thought a lot about, but I’ve never been entirely sure how to do that. I know you can obtain fans by taking part in various Internet discussion groups that have a similar subject to your comic, and those people end up following your work because they know YOU. But frankly, I just don’t have the time for that. It’s a struggle sometimes just to get the creative work of making a couple of comics a week accomplished, and that’s really what’s most important.
Glad Perry Bible Fellowship is back!
And of course now I want to see your LinkedIn profile, lol.
I read Legostar Galactica and Tranquility Base besides this one:
LG is a satirical mash-up of all sci-fi genres and shows; TB is a wacky exercise in time-traveling mayhem; and your S:TC is a fantastic use of the classic space sets in their original incarnations to tell a story. I love all three!
Thanks, Oldfan. It’s kind of enlightening for me to see how others describe the comic.
I used to dabble (read: obsess over) Homestuck back in my cringetastic high-school years, and recently blew through the entirety of Rock and Riot in a matter of days earlier this year.