Spread Some Easter Online Comic Love

You know, sometimes, my online pals make me feel like a slacker...especially since I have yet to do what I want to do with the blog, like get a domain and a three column template....much less, write a comic.

Although I didn't weigh in when DC initially announced its Zuda line, I have to admit - the concept of web comics was a little foreign to me. I'm learning to accept it - gradually - much like I had to accept that Trapper John was gone, and that we were stuck with nine years of B.J. Hunnicutt. (How's that for an obscure pop culture reference?)

But I have to admit, I'm starting to get hooked...especially since two of my online pals now have comics up for your enjoyment.

The first, Spy6Teen, was lettered by Brant Fowler, aka Gonzogoose. If the name doesn't sound familiar, he and I actually "hang out" over at Comic Related (he writes the sublime Journey of A Wannabe column, and I actually met him at Wizard World last year). His work (and when I say "his", I actually mean "the comic written by Tim Simmons, illustrated by DJ Keawekan, with Brant's awesome letterin"). It's a pretty snappy action/adventure piece - the art is solid, the writing is pretty good. Good enough to warrant the strip being selected as a finalist in its April competition.

However, sometimes being friends with web creators means I have to choose....and if loving cyborg monkeys is wrong, I just don't wanna be right.

Fellow comics blogger/troublemaker Rich also has an entry on Zuda, and his is the appropriately titled Mecha Simian. It's the story about...well, a cyborg monkey in space. He has adventures. The wisecracks fly freely and the wit just drips off the page. And knowing Rich, he's too humble to ask his blog's readership to help vote for his strip.

Actually, it's a really good, short, comic script - both MechaSimian and Spy6Teen. are pleasant, enjoyable reads that show off one of the strengths of online comics - the ability to focus on concepts that might not get attention when actually published. I'm not saying these are the second coming of Jack Kirby...but quite frankly, with all the drama in modern comics, these are just flat-out fun.

So please - read them. Vote early. Vote often. You'll thank me later.