If a picture is worth a thousand words, a comic strip has got to be worth at least a million. Luckily, the internet can hold at least twice that many. Comics have transcended your daily fishwrap to the digital medium with remarkable success. You can now get all of your old favorites gratis at sites like comics.com and ucomics.com. More importantly, the Web gives aspiring cartoonists an outlet for their work. With exclusive web comics, cartoonists can cater to a particular interest groups like video gamers (www.penny-arcade.com), movie buffs (www.threaterhopper.com), and cynics (www.toothpastefordinner.com, www.boasas.com).
The digital medium has also allowed for comics to look quite a bit different from what we are used to. Illustrators are now able to retire the pen and employ drafting programs that make their characters look extremely sharp and irresistibly colorful. Furthermore, the line between comics and cartoons is sometimes blurrier than a leprechaun's vision on St. Paddy's Day. Using a technology called Macromedia Flash, sites like joecartoon.com and homestarrunner.com, are able to more thoroughly develop their characters and plots in short-form productions of usually 3 to 5 minutes.
A number of the more popular strips have developed a community of readers complete with blogs, message boards and pseudo-expert insight on the relevant topic. The most successful sites also offer a wide range of merchandise ranging from T-shirts to posters to coffee mugs emblazoned with characters and catch phrases. Many artists will even personalize items for their fans.
A few comic communities have grown to include fan sites that praise and emulate their illustrated world in creative ways. The phenomenal homestarrunner.com has spawned homestarrules.com and strongfans.com, among others, offering secrets on navigating the flagship site and portraying characters in peculiar situations and uncharacteristic garb.
Web publication also allows the cartoonist to be riskier with themes and dialogue. Some comics seem to exist solely to offend (www.sexylosers.com, www.neilswaab.com/comics/wiggles) while others just throw in the occasional curse word (www.questionablecontent.net) in an attempt to capture some street cred.
Alas, if none of this drives you to procrastination, you can still find old Blazing Sea Nuggets classics at (www.blazingseanuggets.com).
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