An appropriate way to start things off
(From Gossamer Commons)
I thought long and hard about what to do for the first snark on this here snarkblog. I was going to do (and may yet do later) one on PvP, but the argument I wanted to touch on was one initially started by Weds & Burns, and therefore relied on their criticism to start my first criticism. And I realized that doing that is a pretty weak way to start this thing off.
But then it hit me: I’m in a pretty unique position (until snarkblogs become some sort of damned fad, which they most definitely will). I get to snark the Snark.
Oh, the power…
Anyway, this strip in question is a damned good one. Gossamer Commons had started just recently, in that it’s a brand new comic. One which already has a sizeable readership for having 7 strips under their belt. And there’s good reason for that. Even though the primary reason for the big readership early on is based on Eric Burns’ reputation, Gossamer Commons deserves to be where it is right now.
In this strip, the first strip of the first chapter (there was a concise and skillfully executed expositional prologue), we see our hero, Keith, laying eyes upon a Faye creature. He then instantly flashes back and remembers his mother’s morbid story.
We have ourselves this story’s inciting incident, right the hell away! BAM! Story! PSHOOM! Life or death situation! Burns is bringing the story, and he does it in the best way. He instantly grips us and lets us know, “Hey dude, important shit’s going down! This guy’s gonna die!”
You get what I’m saying, folks? If you are producing a story driven strip there is absolutely no point in dawdling. Shit or get off the pot. Burns knows this. He’s getting the ball rolling, and wasting no time.
Also noteworthy: Holkan’s art is damned good. The facial expressions are expressive and clear, and otherwise he does well to stand out with a unique style. And I like how they managed to work a Tasty, Tasty Biscuit into their strip with proper context so early in the game. Clever work.
50 Awesome Points™ to Eric Burns and Greg Holkan. Each.
March 30th, 2005 at 1:01 am
If, on the other hand, you’re not looking for a story-driven comic that shits shortly after sitting down, you’ll enjoy Phil’s comic, The Hoojie Crew.
There’re no other comments and it’s midnight, damnit. It isn’t as though you’ve said anything controversial for me to argue with you about. It looks to be a good comic so far, with an artistic style that matches the strength of the writing. Pure b/w comics have always given me a bit of a headache as they tend to feel “cluttered”, but maybe he’s building tension with that or something. I’ll tell you this much, though. That biscuit looks damn good right now.
March 30th, 2005 at 6:50 am
If, on the other hand, you’re not looking for a story-driven comic that shits shortly after sitting down, you’ll enjoy Phil’s comic, The Hoojie Crew.
I… don’t quite get what you’re saying… thanks?
March 30th, 2005 at 10:37 am
Just a plug. Just started reading your comic, and I love it. I was writing all that after being awake for about 30 hours, so it’s all a little suspect.
March 30th, 2005 at 7:25 pm
Oh ok. Well then thanks for the kind words, man.