Epic Default Productions

So I noticed (out of a begrudging sigh from someone eye shuh-l not mention) that I started this whole webcomic review with rom-coms. In a pitiful attempt to regain the semblance of masculinity I swear up and down I have to any girl blind enough to sleep with me, I now present to you something more closely resembling a “proper” webcomic. Let the battle begin.

So yes, the first two webcomics I chose to review (Anders Loves Maria and Girls With Slingshots) are a little more lovey-dovey than your typical webcomic. This wasn’t entirely unintentional on my part: I was trying to start things off the dead-horse-beaten path. In the last few years the webcomic community has established a standard that enough people are reading, whether I/You/Your Mother Who Is Currently Sitting On My Lap like it or not and which I might consider, as Yahtzee so eloquently states, a big plate of bullshit and chips. So the purpose of these first two reviews was to find something that was a little outside the norm for most webcomic readers. I was trying to open your eyes to a vast world of art that can be found on the internet (and no, Rule #34 is not art). To show you guys the beauty of character development, properly scripted drama, and humor that isn’t entirely based on nerd references so unfamiliar to the average Joe it takes deviations of Google searches to understand the fracking joke. I mean, I’ll admit I’m as much of a hipster as any other Andrew Jackson Jihad fan (let’s see how many hits we can get on their site). But most should agree that the moment they have to give a lecture on Paul Erdős in order to explain a joke, the humor is lost. So now that I’ve justified highlighting webcomics of a more emotional nature, I’m going to completely change gears and talk about The World Wasn’t Meant.

TWWM is a fairly recent addition to the webcomic genre. It started in March of this year, so it won’t take too long to get caught up. At a base level, the webcomic follows two males and a few friends that live together in a Boston apartment. And no, this is not Seinfeld in Massachusetts. Okay, maybe a little. But despite this, and that it’s pretty new to the game, I have definitely enjoyed it. With its great style, fun characters, and simple humor, this comic has got a lot of lasting potential.

The style of TWWM is designed with multiple photos that have a pop art filter and Photoshop-esque outline I’m pretty sure I’ve seen used on Flickr photos. But I actually like this style for a couple of different reasons. The strongly established photo-driven webcomic A Softer World uses photos with great composition, angles, and lighting to supplement its dark humor. Similarly, TWWM’s characters become all the more believable through the use of photos. In TWWM, however, the filtered backgrounds and outlining of the characters help to visually separate it from A Softer World while establishing a less artsy feel that emphasizes each of the character’s natural personas. In fact, the creators of the comic—Mike, Peter, and Brian—are the main characters portrayed, and there are points where you start wondering whether these situations have actually taken place. The photographic approach really helps to attach the audience to the comic.

The humor is far from overwhelmingly complex but still very much enjoyable. I mean hell, one of their comics is about pulling a week-old pie out of the trash and eating it. And though these guys are assuringly nerdy, the jokes aren’t horribly obscure and occasionally poke fun at their nerdtastic obsessions. This makes the webcomic less alienating without being boring as hell or mind-numbingly simple, which I can appreciate.

Overall, this is a comic that is nice to look at with good punch lines and fun characters I think you guys and girls out there can enjoy. I certainly hope it continues and gains success, otherwise I’ll feel obligated to go on a Bill Hicksian dissertation about how humans, no matter the creed, color, sex, or other defining trait, are jam-packed full of retarded imbeciles that end up ruining things for those of us that are trying to do something good or can at least appreciate it. Please don’t make me have to do this. Trust me, you’ll fully regret it. It won’t be pretty. Because us nerds, no matter how high our mean IQ or educational level may be, are far from immune to such failings. If you disagree, spend a couple hours surfing the 4chan forums and then we’ll talk.

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