SW10/REVIEW: Catalog of Earths, 2013 Update #3 : The Web Comics

[Scott Eiler]

--- PART 3:  The Web Comics ---

UNIVERSE:  Ripping Off King Arthur

- Type:  Mystic, apparently

- Chronicler:  Arthur Spitzer

- Chronicler's Web Site:  http://www.rippingoffkingarthur.com/

- Activity:  every two days, when the writer feels like; otherwise, 
about monthly

- Relevance:  Major.  This continuum derives from LNH and has *at least* 
one cosmic threat which might ravage any universe it touches.

- Threat Analysis:  Major.  This universe is self-contained and does not 
let its residents out, even when they want to escape.  But as noted 
under "Relevance", its threat level is cosmic.

- Critique:  As stories go, this is the most interesting one to come 
from RACC this year...  A Lizard-Pope is collecting web cartoonists for 
a mysterious purpose related to King Arthur.  He is imprisoning a 
sentient cartoon which can reproduce itself without limit.  One visitor 
has come from Earth-LNH - and pronounced this universe doomed...  Its 
Writer may not even realize the full sinister thrust of this story, but 
the story goes there none the less.  This is a fine story which could 
take years to develop.  It takes detours when it feels like, which is 
the mark of an *especially* fine story.  *And* it's funny.

- Psychovant's Comments:  No one gives a $#!+ about *quality* of art 
nowadays.  Who cares how *good* the pictures are, as long as we can 
still *look*?  Hey, that's how Dilbert became famous.  But if this 
Artist ever learns to make his black and white art %^&!ing *black and 
white* instead of 256 shades of inadvertent gray and beige, he could 
spew his $#!+ across networks ten times as fast!  Yah, I know it's extra 
work, but you could *waugh* download GIMP and do some color fill on the 
drawings after you scan 'em! *waugh*

---

UNIVERSE:  Continentals

- Type:  Tech

- Chroniclers:  Darryl Hughes and Monique MacNaughton

- Chronicler's Web Site: 
http://www.webcomicsnation.com/moniquem/continentals/series.php

- Activity:  Weekly

- Relevance:  Unlikely.  This universe is self-contained and unlikely to 
interact with others.

- Threat Analysis:  Inconsequential.  This universe has low-level tech, 
and its adventures take place in Victorian England.

- Critique:  It's a Victorian detective-adventurer comic book, published 
one page per week.  The artwork is great and the story is fine, but a 
typical single page does not advance the plot in web-comic style; it 
often leaves off in mid-sentence.  And they borrow a generic web site 
engine to publish.   If you want to see the page from last week to see 
how the sentence started, you have to press Previous.  And if you want 
to look for a previous plot point, you have to press Previous, Previous, 
Previous, Previous, Previous...

- Psychovant's Comments:  I'm losin' track of how many Jack the Rippers 
you got here.  But Fiona's hot.  Quack Quack, baby, you haven't had meat 
'til you've had *duck*!

---

UNIVERSE:  Chevalier

- Type:  Mystic (probably)

- Chronicler(s):  Darryl Hughes and Monique MacNaughton

- Chronicler's Web Site: 
http://www.webcomicsnation.com/moniquem/chev/series.php

- Activity:  Weekly

- Relevance:  Interaction with the Council is uncertain but feasible

- Threat Analysis:  This world has standard power politics, and its 
highest tech is the musket.  However, it also has talking bipedal mice 
who wear clothes.  Who knows what else the world may contain?

- Critique:  This is a children's book, published in the same way as The 
Continentals, and with the same drawbacks - but in color and assembled 
for collection in print.  The writer admits this is not a money-making 
strategy.  But this is the most *fun* continuing story from RACC.  The 
hero-mouse is of course prevailing where mankind fails - just as one 
would expect from a children's story.

- Psychovant's Comments:  Yum, mouse!  So he dresses up?  If this 
%^&!ing mousketeer were actually carrying a *musket* I might be worried.

--- Next:  PART 4:  Legacy Universes ---

-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

When you *are* the leader... whatever goes wrong... whether you did it
or not... *you* are held responsible. - Barack Obama

I know. - Archie Andrews

- from Archie #617, March 2011, scripted by Alex Simmons.