Summer – The Season to Stay Inside It's almost here! The heat, the ice-cream, the exciting job opportunities in sales! But hey, let's face it: summer is not for everybody. It might be that you suffer from terrible allergies, burn to a crisp from the faintest beam of sunlight or are just irritated of others constantly talking about something as simple as the weather – and even you deserve something to do. Even if you've got nothing against summer, what to do when you crawl home from the park at 1AM, unwilling still to sleep? What do you do on the lonely nights when your boring friends have to work in the morning? How about the days it rains or you just don't feel like going outside?
No matter which aforementioned group you belong to, Better Than Sliced Bread has the answer for you:
Webcomics!
And hey, we're no totalitarians and hardly ever right about anything, so go ahead and share your own suggestions in the comment section of this article!
And hey, hey! Don't forget BTSB featured ‟I say humanist,you say potato!” by our very own Kaisa Leino.
BTSB Presents: Webcomic Gems for the Lonely Summer Nights
The Adventures of Dr. McNinja The adventures of a doctor (M.D.) who is also a ninja of Irish origin with a serious Batman complex. Need I say more?!
Running since 2005 (or unofficially 2004), the Adventures of Dr. McNinja constitute a whopping 16 stories that (as often with long-running webcomics) improve at least in regard to production values over time. Creator Chris Hastings is one of the most devout followers of the rule of cool out there, which is reason enough to read Dr. McNinja. Or how do Raptor-riding Mexican gunslingers, NASA-ghasts, lumberjack disease or a gorilla receptionist called Judy getting a kitten sound? If nothing else, the Top 10 Dr. McNinja moments should convince you – UNLESS YOU'RE DEAD INSIDE.
Alien Loves Predator Abe is an outspoken Alien from outer space and really interested in sexing up Earth females. He lives with Preston, a civilized Predator from another part of outer space. Situated in New York and realized with surpisingly versatile puppets and Photoshop, ALP is a cracking piece of commentary on extra-terrestial-terrestial life. For samplings, check out the archives for Abe's adventures in the world of speed-dating or the ALP Best of.
Lately, the update schedule has been rather slow, but ALP has a long history and it should take you a few summer nights (or slow days at work) to tread through the archives.
Cat Rackham As creator Steve Wolfhard puts it: ‟Cat Rackham lives in the wilderness but he isn't very good at it. [...] Cat Rackham has a little bit of depression and some anxiety problems but he's really a good lil' guy.”
Cat Rackham is one the most sympathetic fictional cats I've ever run into. He doesn't speak, but has tons of character to which it is easy to relate. Wolfhard's style has personality and power to it, which shouldn't be taken for granted with fictional cats.
Dinosaur Comics We here at BTSB have previously praised Dinosaur Comics (see this article by Kristiina Nieminen) simply because it's awesome. Dinosaur Comics relies solely on its writing and the writing is seriously clever and funny. Also, it's terribly cute and at times, even (gasp!) educational. Prepare to be amazed by what can be done in just six panels!
Musta hevonen / The Dark Side of the Horse The Finnish member of the BTSB selection, The Dark Side of the Horse is constantly updated and doesn't fail to be hilarious at all times. Heikki the Horse is cynical and egoistic, making clever remarks of everyday phenomena like hating your neighbors, sleeping at meetings and avoiding responsibility. Author Samson's style is simple, but sharp and he often breaks the three-panel comic strip form, granting glimpses to the depths of his artistic abilities.
Oglaf For those VERY lonely nights, Oglaf is a marriage of adult humour with the trappings of swords and sorcery. If you're a fan of adult entertainment and fantasy literature, you could do worse than read Oglaf. Not for the prudish or the faint of heart. Questionable Content What started out as a gag-a-day webcomic about indie music, girls and mischievous robots has evolved into a comic with a long-spanning storyline. The writing is solid and reading the comic starting from day one is a fulfilling exercise simply because you can see the art evolve from its stylized origins into the more realistic appearance that it has these days. However, with its shift into more serious territory the comic has lost some of its appeal to those looking for an indie music comic.
-Esko Suoranta with Patrik Renholm, BTSB