Laugh Tracks

New comic: Get a Life!

Tim Lachowski's Get a Life is the latest addition to GoComics, and yep, it's another Comics Sherpa success story. Another cartoon whose creator took advantage of the benefits of Sherpa - the opportunity to show off consistent humor and artistic ability with daily deadlines and a whole community of readers and fellow cartoonists willing to chip in their two cents worth of feedback to help the cartoonist refine his/her craft. Get a Life now joins The Argyle Sweater, Rabbits Against Magic, and a whole slew of strips and cartoons that graduated to the big show.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you've been dreaming of your comic strip or cartoon hitting the big time, Comics Sherpa is really worth checking out.

About Get a Life: "Get a life!" is a common admonition, one more easily uttered than accomplished. Tim Lachowski's cartoon panel of the same name offers telling glimpses of the process in all its awkward absurdity. Whether or not its sly dry capture of life’s rimshot moments helps readers achieve the goal, it faithfully provides those engaged in the attempt an insightful daily laugh.

Comics Sherpa Comes to GoComics!

Comics Sherpa, the premier site for up-and-coming cartoonists, has received a big upgrade over the last few weeks and is now live, new and improved. And now for the first time ever, Comics Sherpa cartoons are being made available to all of our registered GoComics members - you can browse the titles, tag and comment on each comic and even add the titles you like to your comics pages!

All of these new features are designed to make the site a better value for our Sherpa cartoonists as well as a fun destination for GoComics users. So take a moment each day to check out the rising talents on Comics Sherpa and add these up-and-coming cartoonists to your comics page!

Allison Garwood Wants YOU to Draw Haiku Ewe!

Allison Garwood, creator of the colorful single-panel cartoon Haiku Ewe, needs your help!

Here's the scoop, from Allison herself:

HAIKU EWE'S ILLUSTRATOR FOR A WEEK CONTEST!

Have you always wondered what it would be like to illustrate a comic about a sheep who speaks in haiku? Now is your chance!!

I (Big Al, the gal) tore a ligament in my drawing hand (long story involving an angry shark and some floss) and I want YOU to illustrate a week of Haiku Ewe for me! Email a sketch of the following haiku to haikuewe@gmail.com:

Friends suggest mischief
Though farmer strictly forbids
It looks really fun

The best drawing will win its creator a week as the Haiku Ewe illustrator! I'll email the other four haikus for that week and you can get to work. Your artwork will be seen by thousands of people and it will go live the week of July 27-31, 2009.

* Deadline for entries is midnight July 3, 2009.
** Winner will be announced July 6, 2009.
*** No entries from family members of Big Al, the gal, or Haiku Ewe will be considered.
**** Please note: Rough sketches are fine, submissions don't need to be final art, but please keep the files small!

Sincerely,
Allison Garwood
a.k.a. Big Al, the gal

Well, what are you waiting for? Your Haiku Ewe contest entry isn't gonna draw itself! Get crackin'!

New Comic: Rabbits Against Magic!

Every once in a while - and more often than one might reasonably expect - a cartoonist will launch a new strip on Comics Sherpa (our "community of undiscovered comics creators") and begin a steady ascent to the top. We're talking about a strip that has just the right blend - unique premise, deft cartooning, unpredictable humor, consistency. The strip starts out as an unknown commodity, and before long, begins to build a small following. As more and more people try out the strip and spread the good word about it, the strip catches the attention of the decision makers here at Uclick. If the strip maintains a high level of quality over a long enough period, the dream of online syndication becomes a reality as the cartoonist is signed to a contract. Bob the Squirrel did it. The Argyle Sweater did, as well. In fact, more than a dozen strips currently in online and/or print syndication, whether on GoComics.com or a competing site, got their start on Comics Sherpa.

One of the latest to make that jump is Rabbits Against Magic, a strip by Jonathan Lemon. Lemon cites legendary Krazy Kat creator George Herriman, classic children's book author Dr. Seuss and Simpsons mastermind Matt Groening among his influences, and a glance at his cartooning style confirms all  three. In short, his stuff is very good.

So what's the strip about? Here's the description from Lemon's own Rabbits Against Magic site:

"Ever wondered what goes on inside a magician's top hat before the wand raps on the brim and the word "abracadabra" is uttered? Well here's a comic strip that delves headlong into that world of wacky weirdness and silly surrealism. A strange world where two mutant rabbits, one in superhero costume, one a cynical cyclops—no doubt warped by appearing in too many magic tricks—speculate about life, death, love, truth, beauty and the futile nature of representative democracy.  There are foxes of limited intelligence endlessly and hopelessly pursuing their carnivorous instincts.  And then there's a duck."

Rabbits Against Magic runs daily on GoComics.com.

Comics Coast to Coast talks Comics Sherpa

GoComics' own David Stanford dropped in at Comics Coast to Coast a few weeks ago to talk Comics Sherpa. Great interview for anyone who's ever wondered what Comics Sherpa is all about, as David talks about the history of Sherpa, future plans for the site and the benefits of putting your strip there.