Comments on: King Features Launches Zits Audio Comics

By: woody

woody — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:41:45 +0000

I have to disagree with those who don’t feel that jeremy doesn’t match his voice. Watching the audio toons was effortless and enjoyable. Spot on!! Without understanding the finer nuances you can’t enjoy the humor. I will say that the strips seemed to be rushed a bit. The strips are too short to be flashed so rapidly.

By: The Sonion

The Sonion — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:53:09 +0000

It’s cute but it detracts from the original pacing set up by the cartoonist. It’s like adding 3-D glasses to movies. It doesn’t improve the medium. Just makes it cute and gimmicky. Otherwise all movies would be 3-D.

By: Jason Boneasaurus

Jason Boneasaurus — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:33:04 +0000

I think the ultimate goal should be to get a smile out of someone – should it matter if the format transcends traditional boundaries?

I enjoyed the “motion comic,” but I also agree with everyone else about Jeremy’s voice.

By: A. Bensen

A. Bensen — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:15:00 +0000

This is absolutely the worst trend in comics. I love to READ Zits, and I don’t need anyone to read it for me. Either make a real animated cartoon or just print the strips. I don’t see how anyone can find cheap flash animation and bad acting better than just reading the strip themselves.

By: Garey Mckee

Garey Mckee — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:01:02 +0000

Internally humorous illusions? I’m on psych drugs to suppress those. I do, however, like playing with the ink pen pointer on your website.

By: RS Davis

RS Davis — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:54:46 +0000

I kind of liked it, although the voice was waaaaaaaay off what I imagined. Its interesting to see folks pushing out of the envelope to try to evolve print comics.

On a related note, I have really enjoyed ‘The Doozies’ by Tom Gammill – his YouTube videos made to accompany his strips are a novel ‘mixed media’ package that I was reminded of by the Zits video above. Although I’d have to argue some of his vids are better than a lot of his strips….

By: Mike Cope

Mike Cope — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:48:43 +0000

@Garey: The future technology will be cerebral implants that allow us to enjoy comics internally as humorous illusions. You can read all about it here.

By: Garey Mckee

Garey Mckee — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:45:47 +0000

I don’t think the answer to these questions about the evolution of the comic strip on new media technology is one that can be readily answered. If only because the technology itself is evolving so fast.

How can we know what the comic strip format will be if we don’t even know what the technology will be?

And you can try to predict that all you want but the end product might be something completely different than what we forsee now. It kind of reminds me of those “failed icons of the future” like hover cars, moon colonies and personal rocket ships. There were those that were so sure of that future, but I’m still waiting for it.

By: Alex Hallatt

Alex Hallatt — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:33:17 +0000

We are comic geeks who love comic strips and their nuances. What matters is what regular readers think.

We take time to read them and savour our favourites. But how do you get new fans? How do you reach out to kids who have never read comics, but have had a mobile phone since the age of eight?

Hopefully this is an evolutionary starting point to the new species of comic strip, adapted to an online environment.

By: Rich Diesslin

Rich Diesslin — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:42:00 +0000

I dunno, I just don’t see the point. I agree with you guys that experimentation with media formats is a good idea. It’s important to know what doesn’t work and hope to find what does. Oddly the media that may be booming is cell/pda devices … which either get need bigger screens or print of any kind will continue to be a tough sell.

The syndicates lost me (in terms of understanding what they are trying to accomplish) when they went online with syndicated strips for free (and/or allowed newspapers to do so).

It really makes my interest in a newspaper drop to about zero further hurting the newspaper industry. I can get most syndicated cartoons from online newspapers and everyone loses (but me) in that deal … AND I still don’t have to read the newspaper. ;)

I think the motion comic idea will either evolve into animation or devolve back to serial panel presentation. I could be way off though, since YouTube isn’t something I spend much time with.