Hussain M Elius

It has been a while since I turned the pages of a newspaper apart from reading the local news. The internet gave me the power to wrap my tentacles around the largest news sources around the world. But there was one thing that I always looked up first when I did read the local paper, and that was to turn the pages to wherever the comics were to get my morning dose of chuckle.

Even if it wasn’t the local news, many of the two/three panel comic strips published worldwide are more than mere comic strips, but rather works of art. I find myself re-reading Calvin and Hobbes or Peanuts now and it blows my mind how relevant they still are today, and how more thought provoking I find them today than I did in yesteryears.

As my news consumption has changed, so has how I consume my little pleasures in life. I therefore introduce you to a (obviously biased) short list of my favourite webcomics. Rule of the thumb is that you should go back to the first issue and start reading from there, and if you like it, you can subscribe to them via RSS.

xkcd.com and Abstruse Goose.com are for those who keep in touch with internet memes , nerd culture jokes, and did not forget their O level maths. xkcd, with it’s passion to bridge love for technology with love for someone, has gone to become one of the most successful comic strips in recent times (some even compare it with Calvin and Hobbes, but I have my reservations) while The Goose, new to the game, takes a leaf from xkcd and is quickly gaining popularity.

Am I scaring you with all the science-y comics? Well fear not! Cyanide and Happiness is one of those comics that make you laugh by bordering on the side of insanity. I like to compare it to the Simpsons really, as it starts of going in one direction and ending it another.Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal is yet another fun web comic that does not foray into any particular theme but rather points out; sometimes quiet painfully, the absurdities of real life.

Back to our themed webcomics, I give you Ctrl+Alt+Del, a comic venturing in the realm of video games. Of course, how can I put comics and video games in one sentence and not mention Penny Arcade? Really, if you are into games, try them out. DO NOT ARGUE! You will love me forever more for pointing you to their direction.

But the popular ones aren’t the only ones. And if you are like me, you won’t restrict yourself just with the popular ones. There are thousands of comics scattered all over the interwebs. And you can get access to the funniest ones of the day by typing isitfunnytoday.com in your browser, where they are rated in typical internet fashion on their funniness. It is a great place to find the jems like Garfield minus Garfield, Sinfest or Amazing Super Powers.

I can go on and on, but I fear I’ll take up all your day. If you have never read any web comics, or think they are a waste of time, try them out just once. You can thank me later.

Published in Rising Star, The Daily Star, 06, May, 2010