Vito Cassisi – Tech Blog Delving into technology

Drawing humour: Online Comics

A hint of funny on the Interwebs

Online comics are responsible for more than just the degradation of productivity in work environments. Many life lessons can be learnt from comics, if you manage to wade through the quirky facades and look deep into the core message. But who does that! We want fun, and comics provide just that - a chance for people to sit back, relax, and have a little giggle at all the silliness the Internet offers.







http://buttersafe.com/
Buttersafe plays on undeniable quirkiness to create humour out of otherwise mediocre situations. You'll often find yourself staring at the screen thinking "well... that was random!" Proceeding the comic is the authors comment, which clarifies (read: unclarifies - see, now I've gone and made up words!) what you've just witnessed. The result is a potent mix of wit, confusion, and awesome; it's the genius that is Buttersafe.

http://cowbirdsinlove.com/
Cowbirds in Love shares a similar humour style to Buttersafe. The main difference is the sketch-esque art style which focuses on character and text placement for effect. Unlike Buttersafe which is updated Tuesdays and Thursdays, Cowbirds in Love is updated without a schedule. Read them together and you've got double the fun!

http://www.explosm.net/
Explosm's 'Cyanide and Happiness' is a joint effort by Dave, Kris, Rob, and Matt. Each day a comic is created by one of these talented men (or if you're lucky, a Flash video sketch). The type of humour differs between the artists, and you'll soon come to recognise who's who by their artistic style. It's an excellent site for those who enjoy nonsensism as a form of entertainment.

http://www.smbc-comics.com/
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal is a collection of hypothetical situations which have been intertwined with nonsensical commentary, often accompanied by a short quip. Zach Weiner does an excellent job providing a unique and amusing slant to otherwise unremarkable events. Check it out!

http://theoatmeal.com/
The Oatmeal is a series of comics which focus on providing interesting facts with stark humour. The art style is excellent, which is more than likely attributed to the fact that the author is a web designer. If you're ever up for a bit of fun whilst learning something new, there isn't a better place to do so!

http://xkcd.com/
XKCD is the comic for math, science, and computer geeks. It's an excellent mix of the aforementioned areas of study with a few dashes of awesome and win. And it's funny, too! Don't forget to hover your mouse over the comic when you've finished reading, it reveals a string of text which adds to the experience.

So, what are your favorite online comics? Tell us in the comments section below!