Hello, readers of my column. I have managed to fight my way through the castle to be able to get you this review.
OK, that may be a bit exaggerated, but the point is that I couldn't come up with another clever introduction to this month's column.
Yes, it's a sad fact that this sentence will lead into the month's reviews, but it's something I cannot change.
This month, we'll be taking a look at some more webcomics.
Yes, it has been quite a while, but due to a lack of funds, I have not been able to watch any movies or get any new CDs for you fine folks.
Starting off our column, we'll be taking a look at "Byron Pinkleton," www.byronpinkleton.com.
This is an ongoing comic by Chris Jones, who has worked on a plethora of popular comics, including "Grumps" and "Captain Excelsior."
The plot revolves around a European upper-classman attempting to rid the world of devices such as the typewriter, as he finds them evil.
What makes this comic interesting is that it doesn't give a set time, allowing for the character to be introduced to new devices, regardless of when they were actually invented.
That is one of the few positive things that this strip has to offer, however. The entire dialogue seems to be incredibly forced, even for a comic.
As well, at certain times, it's very hard to either grasp the joke that Mr. Jones is trying to make, or the way in which it's presented is too visually confusing or vague that the comedy falls apart.
There is often a part in each comic where the artistry is torn between being really detailed, or drawn to please the eyes via minimal detail.
This half-and-half nature detracts from the comic, and makes the drawing seem haphazard.
Overall, "Byron Pinkleton" gets 4 out of 10, for having a horrible art style and dialogue.
I'm keeping an eye on it, though.
It has potential, only because of a strange plot and an attempt to make smarter jokes.
Onward, we focus on "Secktacular," www.secktacular.com, a strip by Steve Seck. Now, I've never heard of Mr. Seck, and a quick search via the Internet didn't reveal much.
I'm going to be honest from the start of this review, despite the fact that I almost never lie. I still don't know what this strip is really about.
I've got the premise that it's an abstract world where one "normal" person is friends with a slacker, and their adventures in the city.
What makes this comic interesting, so far, is that the main character would appear to be a bottle of sorts, with supporting characters being an alligator and cat. It's interesting that the author is focusing on humanizing animals and other objects to show human traits and their natural oddities.
Returning to my train of thought, the only problem I have with this comic is the drawing. The rest of the comic is enjoyable. It has some decent humor, some good dialogue, and it even has an overall good vibe. But the quality of the artwork throws off the scent of awesomeness for this strip.
To begin, my main complaint with the drawing is the text. Mr. Seck, if you're reading this, I strongly advise trying to make the text larger, so that we don't have to zoom in to read it. It's a simple change that would make your comic much better. On top of that, there is a much clustered feel to the comic, art wise, caused by the attention to only some details. This isn't like the previous strip, where this was a contradiction. Rather, in this case the partial-detailing is in a way that supports the look of the strip. However, if there were a way to shift the balance toward detailed or minimalistic just a bit more, the quality of the strip would improve greatly. For only having some flaws with art and text, I give "Secktacular" 7 out of 10.
Well, it would seem that I've used up my space in this column. As such, I'll have to leave for a while, and return to you next month. Also, for anybody paying attention, the secret word last month was "Unicycle." Until I see you next week, I wish you all long days and pleasant nights.
Adam Munio is a 2009 graduate of Unadilla Valley Central School and is a freshman at the State University College at Fredonia. He can be reached at pentwarrior@yahoo.com.
