Political comics have an impact that goes beyond the fiery editorial or the emotionally-charged photograph. The triple threat of humor, visuals, and commentary come together to create work that makes a powerful impression on its reader.
Given the strength of the medium, why don't more webcomics tackle the political cartoon? Most webcomics have their political moments, usually when the comics creator is irritated or inspired by a particular issue and uses his characters as mouthpieces. But few invest in sustained plotlines involved in and characters motivated by politics ala Doonsebury or Boondocks.
In the next several weeks, we'll be looking at a few issues - some near and dear to the hearts of comics-creators everywhere - through the webcomic lens. We invite you, the readers, to vote on which comic persuades you to its point of view. Or, maybe, which makes you laugh harder. Your choice. Enjoy.
THE PARTICIPANTS: Justin Pierce and Eric Millikin
Justin Pierce
Eric Millikin
ROUND ONE QUESTION: Should Artists Take Full Advantage of the Web When Creating Webcomics?
About: Eric Millikin is the son of a laid-off auto worker, grew up in a trailer park and has an IQ around 150. He is also one-half of the creative team behind Fetus-X, currently published on Serializer.net. Justin Pierce is the sound effects supervisor on the webcomic Killroy and Tina. He has a degree in English from the University of Wisconsin, and now works in ad design. As an avid fan of webcomics and saying things, Justin appreciates the realm of Comixpedia. He also enjoys being with his loving girlfriend, listening to Lyle Lovett, and playing rhythm-based video games.
