Your point about the relationship between comics and graphic novels is well made. I’m familiar with all the works you’ve mentioned, and am particularly fond of Sandman by Neil Gaiman and the Fables series. As a kid, I loved my Sunday funnies, and as such, I’ll always have time for them, but you’re right: they really are a very narrow scope, and the genre is much bigger than that. Not all webcomics are about swearing or subversion, but I love the extent to which someone like Tatsuya Ishida can take the traditional funnies format, even expertly mimic the lineart of Cathy Gueswite, Charles Schultz and Bill Waterson while still delineating his own style, and create a much more adult, R-rated version that nonetheless manages to be meaningful. It’s sad that for many people, comic strips begin and end with what appears in syndicated outlets, and if someone isn’t inclined to read through graphic novels or wants a leg-up to doing so, reading webcomics like Dresden Codak or Gunnerkrig Court are a great alternative.

Will definitely check out Att Last!

Printed comics were always crude, as well as taking many risks not possible on mediums such as TV or Radio (or for that matter, the newspaper). Although not as main-stream popular in their graphic novel forms the works of Daniel Clowes (Ghost World) Frank Millar (Sin City, 300) Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta) and Jhonen Vasquez (Invader Zim, JTHM) all pushed many boundaries and didn’t require the internet to do so.

I decided I wanted to write a weekly webcomic because I liked the format of a 9-panel comic- not because I wanted to write a swearing Garfield.

That being said, I’m glad you mentioned Dresdan Codak, as its one of my favourites. I would also like to plug Pictures for Sad Children by John Campbell as the driest humour on the internet, and of course my own comic Att Last.

on another note, a friend of mine just began his own webcomic. Kind of underplayed humour. Att Last