I haven’t done an Off-Screen post for while, and I was thinking about all the other web projects I enjoy and support. Of all of them, the ones I enjoy most on a daily and weekly basis are webcomics. I’ve realized that I read easily more than a dozen webcomics on a regular basis… some of them are once a week, some are a few times a week, some are daily. There are even a few that have come to a close, but I still go back every once in a while and reread the story.

I’ll probably do more of these lists on another day, so for now I’m going to talk about a few of my favorite webcomics that are more off the beaten path (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Let’s start with two whose artists I know.

[citation_needed]
Started almost two years ago by my friends Chris and Amy, [c_n] is irreverent and silly. Partially storyline based, the comic is not afraid of going off onto tangents. Plus, there are plenty of nerd references without being a gaming comic. Also, I totally wrote them a guest comic. Oh, and you might remember writer Chris, who was nice enough to write a guest review for me earlier in the year.

Chris O’Brien/Amy Falcone

Multiplex
Written by Gordon McAlpin, Multiplex is about a movie theater and the people who work there. So much of the dialogue is about movies new and old, but even the character-focused storylines are interesting. He’s also a regular advertiser for Just Plain Something, but I honestly do read his comic every week. Half jokingly, I offered to write him a bad poem when he asked for guest strips. He took me up on my offer and you can find it somewhere in the site’s archive.

Gordon McAlpin

Gunnerkrigg Court
I really can’t say enough about this comic. Starting off as a simple mysterious boarding school story has become a complex tale of raging nature clashing with cold technology and the beings in between. Creator Tom Siddell has only gotten better with his artistry, which is stunning at this point. The intricate world he has created is absorbing. The characters are so wonderfully done and I love how he has brought in different cultures and mythos into this setting. I only with he’d update more than three days a week so I can gobble up more.

Tom Siddell

Bite Me!
Way before Twilight came along, Dylan Meconis wrote a webcomic about vampires. During the French Revolution. And it was hilarious. Part monster story, part historical farce. I really fell in love with these characters, especially protagonist Claire, who is spunky and awesome. And my Bavarian heart beats proudly for Luthur the German werewolf. Seriously, all history buffs need to read it because it will make you laugh. Also, check out her newer comic Family Man, which is still a historical fantasy with a more serious tone and style.

Dylan Meconis

Selkie
OK, this one’s art style is still being established, but the story is so good so far that I felt I needed to include it. It’s about a man and his newly adopted daughter. There’s a scifi twist, but the characters already feel very real. It’s really about family. Anyway, I’m excited to read more.

Dave Warren

Hark, a Vagrant!
Like Bite Me, Kate Beaton makes history funny for the masses. She also makes literature funny; I especially love her jabs at the different versions of Watson and Sherlock Holmes. Her interpretations of old book covers is also great and I have her sexy feminist vampires still make me laugh.

Kate Beaton

Awkward Zombie
And the only video game comic on this list! I’ve been reading this comic when author Katie Tiedrich was only 16 years old. Focusing mostly on Nintendo and WoW humor, Tiedrich makes me laugh every week. Her Zelda and Pokemon pages are the best in my opinion, but really all of her stuff is good. Oh, and you have to check out the flash cartoon she did for Mythbusters.

Katie Tiedrich

These are just a few of the webcomics that I love. Which ones do you love? If you are mad that I didn’t write about the ones you like, its not that I don’t like them. In fact, I might write about how much I DO like them another day. So don’t fret. Oh, and go check out the ones I did mention because they are great.

Slight warning: while these comics are all great, some of them are more PG-13 than others. I think most of them are safe for work… if your work, you know, lets you read comics.