5 ms·

Aaron Diaz is amazing. The time travel/transhumanism comic Hob is greatly recommended ( http://dresdencodak.com/2007/02/08/pom/ http://dresdencodak.com/2007/02/

by BoppreH 13y ago

Aaron Diaz is amazing. The time travel/transhumanism comic Hob is greatly recommended ( http://dresdencodak.com/2007/02/08/pom/ http://dresdencodak.com/2007/02/08/pom/ ).

astrodust 13y ago
Absolutely fantastic stuff. The Kurzweil and FM-2030 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM-2030 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM-2030) nod in the third strip (http://dresdencodak.com/2007/04/07/rule-110/ http://dresdencodak.com/2007/04/07/rule-110/) is hardly subtle, but amusing.
angersock 13y ago
There are many webcomics out there that are strictly better from both a plotting and dialog standpoint--however, for simply having delightful art and interesting character design, Dresden Codak is wonderful. I'm a bit skeptical of the current Kickstarter, but here's hoping, you know?
- SomeCallMeTim 13y ago
  OK, confused. "Current" Kickstarter? Is there more than one? Because the one that he finished seemed to fund quite well. Skeptical that it will be late? Well, given the normal DC schedule, that wouldn't surprise me a lot. But I don't fund projects on Kickstarter expecting a particular delivery date like it's a store. So if it arrives in November I'll still be happy.
  - angersock 13y ago
    It's funded, to the tune of a half million--I'm curious if he'll actually be able to deliver. I hope so.
    - covingkj 13y ago
      Dresden Codak has been a fully sustainable job for Aaron Diaz for years now - this is his profession. He has also participated in at least one collaborative Kickstarter that has already delivered. Given that the professionals that have been doing the Kickstarter thing this year have largely done very well, and he already has a track record of delivering, why are you so skeptical?
      - saraid216 13y ago
        The Erfworld Kickstarter pretty much bankrupted its author. FYI. He started a new Kickstarter with blessing from the KS people, which... I can't say I am happy with. Especially since he's already promising stretch goals again.
    - sp332 13y ago
      Latest update from yesterday: Hey guys! We sent The Tomorrow Girl to the printers over a week ago and will be getting the proofs shortly. It's really happening! Everything's on schedule and going lovely. I'll share any tantalizing media as I get it. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/156287353/the-tomorrow-girl-dresden-codak-volume-1/posts/481821 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/156287353/the-tomorrow-g...
Camillo 13y ago
It is the most ridiculously ham-fisted Mary Sue pastiche that I have ever seen, but the art is nice.
- scotty79 13y ago
  I think Mary Sue is only when character is posed as in any way ordinary.
  - kaybe 13y ago
    No, Mary Sues are really awesome, in all aspects. "The prototypical Mary Sue is an original female character in a fanfic who obviously serves as an idealized version of the author mainly for the purpose of Wish Fulfillment. She's exotically beautiful, often having an unusual hair or eye color, and has a similarly cool and exotic name. She's exceptionally talented in an implausibly wide variety of areas, and may possess skills that are rare or nonexistent in the canon setting. She also lacks any realistic, or at least story-relevant, character flaws — either that or her "flaws" are obviously meant to be endearing. " I apologize in advance, and DO NOT click the link if you don't have time.. (because linking to TV Tropes is evil; click it and wake up a few hours later wondering what happened - you've been warned.) http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue
    - Millennium 13y ago
      There's more to it even than that. One-dimensional perfection (within the context of the story; "flawed" characters whose flaws are treated as meaningless still quality) is an important aspect of Mary Sues, but it takes more than that to be a Sue. Perfection is, in fact, one of three critical aspects. The second critical aspect of a Mary Sue is being unnaturally placed at the center of the plot. The "unnatural" part is important: a character who makes sense as the focal point of his or her own plotlines is not a Sue. This is what makes Sues in fanfiction easier to spot than Sues in original works: you can compare a fanfiction to the original story, and see if it flows the same way. When the work itself is original, you have no basis for comparison: you have to look at more subtle (but, in some ways, more egregious) flaws in the writing. It happens, but it's easier to mask. All Sues are wish-fulfillment characters, but not all wish-fulfillment characters are Sues. The difference between them brings us to the third critical aspect. Most wish-fulfillment characters represent the reader, but a Sue, by contrast, represents the author in particular. Authors and readers can of course have the same fantasies -indeed, some would say the entire point of fiction is to make this happen- but a Sue gets too intensely personal, to the point where it becomes harder for anyone but the author to relate to the Sue: it breaks the rapport between the character and the reader.
Pxtl 13y ago
Yup. This is why I prefer comics done by a solo artist/writer. His update pace is horrifyingly glacial, but he fully exploits the form - his panels are packed with visual information, creative designs, etc. He writes for what he wants to draw, and the imagery pushes the story without being simply a meaningless parade of neat-looking-stuff. Comic art is wasted on an endless parade of spandex and soap-operas. Using the most visually creative narrative form to tell genre-bound stories about people punching each other is just such a damned shame. Dresden Codak isn't the perfect webcomic by any stretch, but it's definitely a must read if you want to understand the potential of the medium.

by BoppreH 13y ago

Aaron Diaz is amazing. The time travel/transhumanism comic Hob is greatly recommended ( http://dresdencodak.com/2007/02/08/pom/ http://dresdencodak.com/2007/02/08/pom/ ).

astrodust 13y ago

Absolutely fantastic stuff. The Kurzweil and FM-2030 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM-2030 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM-2030) nod in the third strip (http://dresdencodak.com/2007/04/07/rule-110/ http://dresdencodak.com/2007/04/07/rule-110/) is hardly subtle, but amusing.

angersock 13y ago

There are many webcomics out there that are strictly better from both a plotting and dialog standpoint--however, for simply having delightful art and interesting character design, Dresden Codak is wonderful. I'm a bit skeptical of the current Kickstarter, but here's hoping, you know?

SomeCallMeTim 13y ago
OK, confused. "Current" Kickstarter? Is there more than one? Because the one that he finished seemed to fund quite well. Skeptical that it will be late? Well, given the normal DC schedule, that wouldn't surprise me a lot. But I don't fund projects on Kickstarter expecting a particular delivery date like it's a store. So if it arrives in November I'll still be happy.
- angersock 13y ago
  It's funded, to the tune of a half million--I'm curious if he'll actually be able to deliver. I hope so.
  - covingkj 13y ago
    Dresden Codak has been a fully sustainable job for Aaron Diaz for years now - this is his profession. He has also participated in at least one collaborative Kickstarter that has already delivered. Given that the professionals that have been doing the Kickstarter thing this year have largely done very well, and he already has a track record of delivering, why are you so skeptical?
    - saraid216 13y ago
      The Erfworld Kickstarter pretty much bankrupted its author. FYI. He started a new Kickstarter with blessing from the KS people, which... I can't say I am happy with. Especially since he's already promising stretch goals again.
  - sp332 13y ago
    Latest update from yesterday: Hey guys! We sent The Tomorrow Girl to the printers over a week ago and will be getting the proofs shortly. It's really happening! Everything's on schedule and going lovely. I'll share any tantalizing media as I get it. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/156287353/the-tomorrow-girl-dresden-codak-volume-1/posts/481821 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/156287353/the-tomorrow-g...

Camillo 13y ago

It is the most ridiculously ham-fisted Mary Sue pastiche that I have ever seen, but the art is nice.

scotty79 13y ago
I think Mary Sue is only when character is posed as in any way ordinary.
- kaybe 13y ago
  No, Mary Sues are really awesome, in all aspects. "The prototypical Mary Sue is an original female character in a fanfic who obviously serves as an idealized version of the author mainly for the purpose of Wish Fulfillment. She's exotically beautiful, often having an unusual hair or eye color, and has a similarly cool and exotic name. She's exceptionally talented in an implausibly wide variety of areas, and may possess skills that are rare or nonexistent in the canon setting. She also lacks any realistic, or at least story-relevant, character flaws — either that or her "flaws" are obviously meant to be endearing. " I apologize in advance, and DO NOT click the link if you don't have time.. (because linking to TV Tropes is evil; click it and wake up a few hours later wondering what happened - you've been warned.) http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue
  - Millennium 13y ago
    There's more to it even than that. One-dimensional perfection (within the context of the story; "flawed" characters whose flaws are treated as meaningless still quality) is an important aspect of Mary Sues, but it takes more than that to be a Sue. Perfection is, in fact, one of three critical aspects. The second critical aspect of a Mary Sue is being unnaturally placed at the center of the plot. The "unnatural" part is important: a character who makes sense as the focal point of his or her own plotlines is not a Sue. This is what makes Sues in fanfiction easier to spot than Sues in original works: you can compare a fanfiction to the original story, and see if it flows the same way. When the work itself is original, you have no basis for comparison: you have to look at more subtle (but, in some ways, more egregious) flaws in the writing. It happens, but it's easier to mask. All Sues are wish-fulfillment characters, but not all wish-fulfillment characters are Sues. The difference between them brings us to the third critical aspect. Most wish-fulfillment characters represent the reader, but a Sue, by contrast, represents the author in particular. Authors and readers can of course have the same fantasies -indeed, some would say the entire point of fiction is to make this happen- but a Sue gets too intensely personal, to the point where it becomes harder for anyone but the author to relate to the Sue: it breaks the rapport between the character and the reader.

Pxtl 13y ago

Yup. This is why I prefer comics done by a solo artist/writer. His update pace is horrifyingly glacial, but he fully exploits the form - his panels are packed with visual information, creative designs, etc. He writes for what he wants to draw, and the imagery pushes the story without being simply a meaningless parade of neat-looking-stuff. Comic art is wasted on an endless parade of spandex and soap-operas. Using the most visually creative narrative form to tell genre-bound stories about people punching each other is just such a damned shame. Dresden Codak isn't the perfect webcomic by any stretch, but it's definitely a must read if you want to understand the potential of the medium.