You know, this is harder than I though it would be. I start off each Wednesday with a good collection of funny strips, but once I disqualify all the comics that require knowledge of the characters or the plotlines and the obscure references, I don’t have many left. I don’t really have a point; I just felt like sharing all I go through for you. And But do you ever write? Say thank you? No! I give you some of the best sentences of my life, and this is the thanks I get? I hate you! Wait… I didn’t mean that; come back, baby.

Ok, sorry about that. If you read this blog regularly, you may notice that I am one short on my Quick Hits for the week. I wanted to put one of the strips from PvP on the list, but their site is down for the moment. I will add that one tomorrow. I really don’t have anything else to say, so on to the Quick Hits!

Quick Hits

1. Ctrl+Alt+Del -04/08
   So what would be change for a toaster?
2. Unshelved – 04/08
   Pansy. You just need to boil it first.
3. Penny Arcade – 04/10
   Who cares about the text. I just love Gabe’s expressions.
4. Goats – 04/03
   You gotta’ love elderberries.
5. PvP – Place Holder
   It will be funny. Trust me.

Quick Hits are a series of my funny comic choices for the week in no particular order. The idea is to find strips that are entertaining without you actually needing a back-story. Sometimes, you may not understand every part of the comic, but the punchline is the only thing you have to get. Got a couple of comics you thought were funny this week? Send me your choices.

4 Comments. Published Wednesday, April 12, 2006 by Shalmdi.

Due to some changes recently, I am finding it more difficult to post during the day, but I suppose a nightly post wouldn't kill me. If I fall asleep at the keyboard, just poke me until I stir. I promise very little smiting to whoever does that. Thanks.

I thought there were some really funny Webcomics over the weekend, but I want to save most of them for Wednesday's Quick Hits. I would like to report that Dayfree Press is back up and running. I know; I never actually reported that it was down. Well, it was. On other news, Sinfest and Melonpool are still on hiatus. They aren't the only ones, but they are two of the most annoying.

Alright, so that is out of the way. It is time to talk about the point I really wanted to make. I hated my Friday review! It was unrevised and just uninspired. I stand by the comments I made, but the actual content just didn't even adhere to my low standards for my own work. I haven't decided yet whether to revise it or just add a note. I am thinking of leaving it as a monument to what happens when I rush myself. My only fear there is what if someone says it didn't seem any worse than my normal material. That would not be pleasant.

6 Comments. Published Monday, April 10, 2006 by Shalmdi.

Hello, mortal readers. I come to you again with another Webcomic review for your enjoyment. I decide to go back to the Blank Label collection for a comic I had initially skipped. The comic to read this week is Schlock Mercenary by Howard Taylor. The tagline should be “To boldly go where no Webcomics has gone before,” but that would indicate this was even the slightest bit like Star Trek. Hmm, well they both do take place in space; after that, nothing.

Once upon a time in space, there was an amorphous blob named Schlock that wanted to be a mercenary. From that humble beginning, the comic Schlock Mercenary began. Our happy blob Schlock and the group he works for does business under the name of Taggon's Toughs under the command of the fearless Captain Tagon. I know the name leaves something to be desired, but so far, these guys have been almost directly responsible for multiple wars and have saved the galaxy at least once. This is space adventures like you have never seen before. Besides Captain Tagon and Schlock (I won't give his rank away), the crew of their ship consists of dozens of characters. I won't even begin to list all the actors in this show, but I can promise you it is way in to the double digits. Of course when you main character resembles a big pile of poo, comedy will follow you around like a fly follows... well a big pile of poo. I would like to say more about this comics, but Schlock Mercenary has almost 2000 comics in their archive and will change everything at the drop of a hat. I won't even try to summarize all that.

Schlock has come a long ways artistically from its sketchy beginnings. The artwork is still far from being the best, but with seven color updates per week, this comic should definitely be cut some slack. Despite all the action, Taylor's strip is a comedy first, and it is often amusing in that aspect. One of the biggest selling points of this comic is the originality and the fluidity of its plot line. Nothing remains constant in this comic, anyone could die in tomorrow's strip. I can't begin to tell you all the amazing plot twists I have seen over the course of this run.

The biggest problem with this comic is the humor. Schlock Mercenary seems like a comedy, but more often than not, the action and plot advancement leave little room for jokes. The storyline itself is creative; the jokes are often uninspired. I wouldn't say that Schlock is never humorous, but I would warn comedy fans to look elsewhere for a laugh.

There are few other comic that compare to Schlock Mercenary in terms of originality, but there are many that beat it out in art or comedy. On the bright side, this strip updates every day without fail, and it is enjoyable to read. If you are going to start, you have to start from the beginning, and I would recommend this Webcomic to anyone looking for a good storyline to follow.

Site updates are Daily. Schlock Mercenary is rated TEEN for Violence and Adult Humor.

People that would like this comic: People that like long storylines, Sci-fi fans, Comedy fans (to a lesser extent)

5 Comments. Published Friday, April 07, 2006 by Shalmdi.