List of video game webcomics

Last updated

Ethan and Lucas from Ctrl+Alt+Del playing video games on their couch CtrlAltDel Ethan Lucas.png
Ethan and Lucas from Ctrl+Alt+Del playing video games on their couch

Many webcomics have been influenced by video games and video game culture.

Contents

Background

Webcomics frequently poke fun at video game logic, the video game industry, and stereotypical behavior of gamers. The earliest video game webcomic was Polymer City Chronicles , which started in 1995. However, 1998's PvP is seen as the origin of the genre, influencing various webcomics following it. [1] Low-quality video game webcomics were particularly common in the mid-2000s, often featuring author stand-ins with poor dialogue and unrealistic relationships. [2] A common trope in video game webcomics is to have the main characters sit on a couch, talking about the game they are playing.

It is common for webcomics to exclusively use in-game art and speech bubbles, such as in sprite comics. The term gamics has been proposed by Nathan Ciprick in 2004 to refer to webcomics that consist entirely of video game graphics. Despite the fact that video game graphics are generally copyrighted, owners of the intellectual properties used have traditionally been tolerant. [3]

Webcomics set in a video game world

TitleCreatorRunBased onRef.
8-Bit Theater Brian Clevinger 20012010Various Nintendo Entertainment System games, including Final Fantasy , Metroid and River City Ransom . [1] [4]
Awkward Zombie Katie Tiedrich2006Various, most notably Super Smash Bros. [4]
Bob and George David Anez20002007 Mega Man
Brawl in the Family Matthew Taranto20082014 Super Smash Bros.
Concerned Christopher C. Livingston20052006 Half-Life 2 [3]
Dueling Analogs Steve Napierski20052018Various [4] [5]
Little Devil (webcomic) Michael Armstrong-Ingram2025Little Devil [6] [7] [8]
Super Effective Scott Ramsoomair20082018 Pokémon

Webcomics about video games

TitleCreatorRunStyleRef.
Ctrl+Alt+Del Tim Buckley2002"Gamer on a couch" comic [1] [4]
GU Comics Woody Hearn2000 [4]
Megatokyo Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston 2000Follows the adventures of a manga and video game fan in Tokyo, Japan. [9]
Penny Arcade Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik 1998"Gamer on a couch" comic [1] [4]
Polymer City Chronicles Chris Morrison19952007 [1]
PvP Scott Kurtz 1998Follows a fictional video game magazine company and its employees. [1] [4]
VG Cats Scott Ramsoomair2001"Gamer on a couch" comic in which the characters frequently take on the role of their player character. [1] [4]

Webcomics inspired by video games

TitleCreatorRunInspirationRef.
Cucumber Quest Gigi D.G.2011Adventure webcomic influenced by Kirby and Paper Mario . [10]
MS Paint Adventures Andrew Hussie 2007Webcomics on MSPaintAdventures are inspired by interactive fiction and role-playing video games, having started out as a "mock adventure game". The latest webcomic, Homestuck , follows a group of four kids playing a reality-changing video game. [11] [12]

Other

ShiftyLook moved on to cartoons in 2012, with animated web series based on Bravoman and Mappy. Mappy logo.svg
ShiftyLook moved on to cartoons in 2012, with animated web series based on Bravoman and Mappy .

ShiftyLook, a former subsidiary of Namco Bandai, focused on reviving various Namco video game franchises between 2011 and 2014. The company originally did this through English language webcomics. [14] ShiftyLook has released webcomics based on Dig Dug , [15] Dragon Spirit , Klonoa , and various other video games. [13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Maragos, Nick (2005-11-07). "Will Strip for Games". 1UP . Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  2. Hathaway, Jay (2017-06-29). "Terrible mid-2000 gaming comics are being revived on Twitter". The Daily Dot .
  3. 1 2 Sapieha, Chad (2006-04-04). "Games + Comics = Gamics". The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on 2006-06-15.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Good, Owen (2009-07-19). "Sunday Comics". Kotaku .
  5. Aziz, Hamza (2007-01-19). "Friday Comic Intermission: Dueling Analogs". Destructoid .
  6. "Little Devil Webcomic". MI Pixel. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  7. "Little Devil on Webtoon". Webtoon. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  8. "Little Devil Game Overview". MI Pixel. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  9. Hodgman, John (July 18, 2004). "Chronicle Comics; No More Wascally Wabbits". The New York Times . Retrieved April 11, 2006.
  10. Davis, Lauren (2016-06-10). "First Second Is Publishing the Hilarious and Stunning Webcomic Epic Cucumber Quest". io9 .
  11. Weiler, Lance (January 25, 2009). "How Problem Sleuth Turns a Comic Into a Game". Culture Hacker. WorkBook Project. Archived from the original on November 30, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  12. Lauren Rae Orsini (August 2, 2012). "Inside the strange, brave new world of Homestuck". The Daily Dot . Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  13. 1 2 Johnston, Rich (2012-07-14). "ShiftyLook Moves Into Cartoons – Bravoman, Jim Zub, Scott Kurtz And More". Bleeding Cool.
  14. Gera, Emily (2014-03-10). "Namco High studio ShiftyLook is shutting its doors". Polygon .
  15. Goellner, Caleb (2012-05-09). "Shiftylook Celebrating 30 Years of 'Dig Dug' With Anniversary Webcomic Collaboration". ComicsAlliance . Archived from the original on 2015-12-08.