Guide to Indie Comics

This was made several weeks ago, but I felt I should probably hold off on releasing such a mean-spirited comic in the midst of such an intense political moment. I guess now is fine?

Truth be told, I think much of my decision/ability to be so ruthless towards these innocuous trends is that I've never really felt part of any sort of arts community; that isn't a call for pity-- in fact, I pride myself on my outsider status. Still, I hope I don't upset anyone whose work I like. 

I could talk for hours about the phenomenon of the 'Instagram relatable comic'. Popular media has always been inferior to the proportionally less popular high-art, but there seems to be something especially hollow in the case of these comics (perhaps its just bias). Formatted with the presumption of humor, but wholly replaced with a 'relatable' or 'twee' or 'quirky' phenomenon. Who benefits from this? To what end? Has internet memetics ruined our ability to grapple with comedy divorced from known context? Or am I just a hate-filled wretch who is ingrained with an inability to abide things not aimed directly at me? Are the young women who consume these comics heads REALLY filled with cotton candy? I suppose, scientifically, its impossible to know. In fairness, the art in some of them is at least sort of cute. Others however... woof. Ultimately, though, read whatever you want. 

I pondered not including the bit about porno, to save myself some embarrassment, and to try and cut down on sex jokes overall. Ultimately, though, it is an open secret that western pornography is an embarrassment, the most fetid hydra-head of western comics' broader  inferiority to manga. Anyone who thinks otherwise ought to be named, shamed, blamed, and disdained. Again, though, the soft-hearted side of me must concede; more power to anyone shameless enough to put one's own sexual fantasies to paper. Being born an American is no fault of your own, and you only live once, so-- have a go. Don't expect me to read it, though. 

Not much else to say about the rest of these. The line between 'comic' and 'essay' is starting to blur. Can't say I dislike it!