Convooooooy!

Hey guys,
Its 6:10pm EDT and I have to do the 1 hour drive home and the Robbie and Jase part 2 JUST updated so I'll critique by the end of the day
*edit*
Art - I know that they have been introduced before but I like the new character models of Robbie and Jase, especially in color. It may just be that it is nice to see something outside the normal realm of the PVP offices, but Jase looks good and I like Robbie is excellent. The one thing i dislike is the floating button on top of Jase's hat. I know it may have been part of the original design but it is just distracting and looks stupid frankly.

I love, love, loved, (see not just tearing down) the background in the first frame as addition of the sandwich materials and pots above were nice details and drawn well with great detail. It is a shame that gets lost in the subsequent panels, but I'm happy with one panel.

Two complaints:

I don't get the shading of the eyes though the strip as the blotches of lighter skin tone look weird and doesn't seem to follow normal lighting patterns.

Robbie basically has the same facial expression in panels 2 and 4 looking like a cut and paste job (subtle differences but WAAAAY too subtle). Also, I don't know why he is looking away from Jase in the 2nd panel as the brim of his hat blocks any "rolling" Scott was trying to go for. If he just had him staring at Jase, giving a more "angry" appearance, would have been more effective.

Story - Meh. The punchline was not spectacular but the "anime" eyes with it make me smile a bit. I do like the fact that Robbie is taking the role he is taking now as he is a) Jase's most trusted friend b) right about what is going on.

Jase could be used as the default "deus ex machina" rich guy for story-lines but I hope this arc results in something worthwhile and funny. I don't think Jase is going to give up his life and will continue in that role, but getting him off his ass in a storyline sense is nice to see.


Ding! no update in 59 days for those who are counting (which i likely me and someone with a bad case of OCD) :)

Yes Really!

Y SO SRS?

Art - I do like the LOLbat style as I have always been a fan of Marvel/DC - esque art. I love the backgrounds here as well as they give a nice atmosphere while still being subtle. Also, here the shading makes sense because a) it is night and b) they are standing next to a giant spotlight.

To all those people who wonder I complain about PVP hands look at panel four, they are done VERY well, if not a little long in the fingers, and the regular fused hands just look so crappy in comparison to what can be done.

The commissioner in the scene is done well, but is a dead ringer for another famous character, so we'll call him Tim Mordon so there is no problem :).

Finally, doesn't LOLbat's codpiece look a little too "happy" in the second panel? :)

Sorry guys, nothing that was bad art-wise in this strip, so I had to nitpick.

Story - This is just basically a scene ripped from the middle of any Batman arc where a criminal, or set of criminals, happens to take over the city. I had to read it a few times to see that the commissioner wanted him to stay AWAY, rather then help the city, which I suppose is the joke. It was too subtle, especially for a LOLbat strip, and lost it's when I had to find the joke, outside of the leet speak.

*edit* The title of the strip did make me chuckle though and I wish that LOLbat said it in the strip, possibly in the first panel. *edit*

Two questions though:
What is the symbol on the LOLbat spotlight? *edit* Thanks Robert

In your opinion, is LOLbat strip the PVP version (and funnier) of Chef Brian strip from CAD?

Update

Hey guys,
Actually the whole thing was a lead up to this.

Its a great scene and movie, plus it has Kirk Douglas, Lawrence Olivier, and Tony Curtis (as a Roman?) In addition it take a camaraderie role for this site.

Really, the poster kurtz only still cares about the identity of FSM even though a) he isn't involved in the site any more b) NO ONE knows who the hell he is, oh well if that still is a splinter in his mind.

It seems I pissed more people off with my joke, so I'm sorry for that, back to normal business later today.

Update

For the reveal of the identity of FSM:

Well i got an email from one of Scott Kurtz's constituents but not from the man myself. Really there isn't a lot of interest on the issue (I am surprised frankly) so unless something changes I'll keep it to myself

Also, I still have the interview with Jim Thorpe to put up and I hope with the holiday weekend to get that to you guys.

Cream in the Face

Punk'dlash

Art - A solid piece of art here, as I like the fact Skull is seen in his entirety. It is to be expected because it is a simpler piece with 3 characters, a couch, background, and shaving cream, but done well.

However, I do agree with those people that it is a cut and paste as the only discernable change is a small smile to small frown on Francis, Skull's body position, and the couch position. As a matter of change the art should have shown a) Francis starting to laugh at the backfire b) Brent starting to move backward because Skull hitting him in the face is with some force.


Story -

Give me your clothes!

Fight the Future

Art -


Story -

Btw I have been kicking the idea of revealing the identity of FSM. He did reveal it to me when I asked him to put me on the registry to post on this site. I think it is the one source of tantalizing information to keeps some people coming back *cough**cough*. And I think we all realized it is better when that person is not around.

Anyway if that person is willing to email me at sage2153@hotmail.com saying he is interested in the information I will reveal the identity over the weekend.

And who says I can't tease things?

Sacrifices were Made

Art - I REALLY liked the art of the first two panels, and if Kurtz decided to do an adventure/comedy webcomic out of those characters I would definitely be excited.

My main problem is back in the PVP world. Like RW said Cole looks like he is choking up his coffee instead of spitting it. A wider finer spray would have done better. Also, I understand why the "adventurers" shading is the way it is, there is a glowing idol in front of them. The shading of Cole and Brent is way too strong unless there is a) a giant light bulb off screen b) Brent's mack screen is that bright c) that same idol is off screen.

Story - To be honest I didn't get the corollary of the first two panels with Dollhouse being renewed, but seeing as how people who got it liked it, I can't really poo poo it. So I'll go well with that is was done well. :)

By the way to the poster kurtz I know you said that the site "is so dead and on it's last leg" since I was sporadically posting. Can we now declare DING! dead with that logic? I mean I was posting randomly over a couple week period, it has been 7 weeks/49 days since the last update and well I don't get paid to do this.

While I'm here, I get by

With a Little Help from My Friends
Running late to see my fiancee's cousin off to the prom, review to follow.

Art - I liked the art, but unlike the previous strip, it was relatively simple. Nonetheless, solid art, good shading and the background it nice.

Story - I liked this joke a hell of a lot better than Thursdays (because Thursday's joke stunk). While it wasn't anything spectacular it is a joke most people can relate to as you can always see the one thing the other person is messing up and you just want to "help" them.

Also, wanted to let people know its been 46 days since DING! *edit* comic *edit* has updated.

That is all. :)

Previously on . . .

. . . and the rest

Art - I loved the background in this strip both in the Sienna bedroom and in the jungle. This is why we wanted COLOR! Also, the "real-life" characters of Jack, Sayid, the Skipper and Gilligan are done well. I especially like the character model of Sayid (favorite character of mine)and Jack's perpetual stubble is done well.

But I have a question, how bright is it on that island? Everyone, save for Sayid is squinting on the "show" and Lost is not really a hard-boiled crime drama that you would expect that facial expression throughout a parody of their characters.

Story - Get it? Lost and Gilligan's Island are both about castaway's but they aren't really that similar, get it?, GET IT? A joke I've heard on many occasions illustrated here, but doesn't that sum up a lot of what PVP is?

(check out Preston and Steve as they are very funny and have made me laugh out loud for the 3-4 years I have listened to them. They are on iTunes for free as well.

And to Scott, for your back problems, put a towel roll at the base of your chair and sit up straight against it. Better posture and your back muscles won't have to work hard and get sore as your posture improves.

What you gonna cry now? Cry baby, cry!

Human Emotion

Art -

Story -

Btw Anders Love Maria is back, and I only mention because it is my favorite webcomic from an art standpoint and it downright beautiful on most occasions.

A Whole Bunch of Nothing!

Noniversary

Art - I really liked the Jade's facial expressions throughout this strip especially in the first panel with the pouting face. It is something novel at least in the recent past and the faces stay strong throughout especially with the "glee!" face. Also, I am appreciative that none include the bug-eyes.

Also, with the sampling of this week where two of the strips were shaded (Mon, Wed) versus not (Tues, Thurs, Friday) I am a fan of the non-shaded version of his colored strips. The shading tends to distract the eye and unless the situation calls, like Francis/Brent in a dark room playing video games, I would rather see no shading.

Finally, I like the backgrounds, simple and effective.

As for nitpicks the line separating the back part of Jade's head disappears in the first panel, leaving more of an orange blob. Jade's clapsed hands in panel four is less detailed then panel 5, also turning blob-ish. Finally, Jade's bottom lip in panel 5 is bigger and apeears to get bigger from panels 3 - 5.

Story - A cute little premise but to me it is just preachy. The line "Most people need to set aside a special day to remind each other how important their marriage is. We DON'T." takes it from an idea to get around their memory problems to something about how they find their relationship better. Plus Scott saying they do it too in real life and the voice APPEARS pompous

Also, to make an argument against Brent/Scott in this panel anniversaries are a special day set aside to SHOW/reflect and not remind each other how important their marriage is. I don't have to be reminded how important my relationship is with my fiancee I can look at that throughout the years and see that, but the anniversary day is a day where you can take a time out (and likely more worthwhile then an arbitrary day like Valentine's) to give presents/spend time/ take a day to go over the last year/entirety of the relationship.

I do admit, however, as a story-telling device, it is clever as Scott himself doesn't have to deal with his detail oriented fans that call him on Brent/Jade's anniversary (By the way GASP! people question a detail of Scott's story telling and he doesn't come down on them? Nope he does a whole week of comics to shut them up.)

In Amazing Technicolor!

Weapon Echs!
Forget Me Not


Art -


Story -