Note to Stick Figure Comics – Give it Up, Already

I recently added StumbleUpon to my browser.  You tell it what kinds of things you’re interested in, and when you’re bored you click the icon on your taskbar and it brings to to a semi-random site that they think will interest you.  You can then rate it thumbs up or thumbs down with a mouse click, and comment on it if you’re so inclined.

It’s OK, but not great.  They repeat too many sites, including ones I’ve thumbed down.  But they also hit some great sites from time to time, ones I probably wouldn’t have found on my own.

One thing it’s taught me, though, is just how many horribly bad comics are on the tubes.  Stupid, poorly drawn, just plain bad comics.  And the worst of all are the stick figure comics.  There are hundreds of them.

You don’t have to be Da Vinci to draw a comic.  No one is expecting brilliant artwork.  But if the best you can do is stick figures: don’t bother!  Stick figure comics are stupid and ridiculous.  If you’re stupid and ridiculous you might want to avoid advertising that to the world.

4 Comment(s)

  1. While I would typically agree with this sentiment, there is one notable exception in my mind. XKCD is an absolutely brilliant stick figure comic. What he lacks in artistic ability, he more than makes up for with witty, intelligent humor.

    http://www.xkcd.com/

    John | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply

  2. I vehemently agree with John: I’ve been reading xkcd since near the beginning, and swear by it. The classhole character is my guide to life.

    Alex | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply

  3. I’ll give you XKCD, although if you scroll through a few weeks worth you’ll see him play around with backgrounds, which is beyond the ability or imagination of the other stick figure comic “artists.”

    Hittman | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply

  4. I draw some stick figure comics, and I like to think that my stick figures look good.(ex: http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss44/BellaComics/Scanned%20Comics/WaitressAwkward-ness.jpg)… haha, mine have emotions! I think as long as there’s facial expressions it can work…

    Bella | Jun 2, 2009 | Reply

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