The Digital Strips Podcast
Bring the 5% of webcomics worth reading to the rest of the world. The Digital Strips blog provides coverage of the webcomic community with news and commentary from our crack team of reporters. It consists of reviews of webcomics, with the occasional interview, round-table discussions, and general advice on how to create and run a webcomic.

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March 2020
S M T W T F S
     
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Syndication

On literally the last day of this god-awful year, we bring you a bounty of very, very good things with our final GOOD PULL of 2020. Listen to us gush about Marc Lapierre's Second Extinction companion comic, the ethereal Frenchness of Yatuu, Danielle Corsetto's sweet ode to her hometown, Elephant Town, the best-in-class Johnny Wander story, Barbarous, and gut-busting weirdness on the 'Gram courtesy of KC Green and his Funny Online Animals. Read something good and send 2020 off in style!

Direct download: ds-621-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:36pm EDT

After a tangent towards fighting games that Jason sincerely regrets, the guys get down to the seriously cute business of Leigh Davis' Jailbird! The titular bird, along with many other friends they meet along the way, travels to the Temple of Daisies for reasons that still aren't quite clear to any of the many characters we've thus far met. What is obvious, however, is the joy you'll have reading about this eclectic, fun group and their individual quests to find what was once lost.

Direct download: ds-620-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:31pm EDT

Noir or not, the world of M. Lee Lunsford's Speak of the Devil can be a dangerous one for wisps and balisks alike (and yes, that entire sentence confuses the heck out of Jason). But you'll want to take a dive in after you hear our review about the complex character relationships and stunning artwork.

Direct download: ds-619-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:45pm EDT

What do you get for the person who has everything? Great webcomics! Jason discovered the precocious adorableness of Sedna and brings news of new Gastrophobia comics, while Steve finds out that his co-host still doesn't quite get Order of the Stick and falls in love with his first magical girls story, Sleepless Domain, all over again. It's the most wonderful podcast of the year!

Direct download: ds-618-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:36pm EDT

Purpah's Suitor Armor is a medieval fantasy tale that's got it all: magic, battles, and fairies falling in love with enchanted, soulless suits of armor. Outside of Steve's dislike of lazy secret identities, this is one fun, sweet, adventurous story we can recommend with all our hearts. Which we have, because we're not just magically animated suits of armor.

Direct download: ds-617-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 2:50pm EDT

Chris Grine is the creator behind the quirky adventures Chickenhare and Time Shifters. His latest work, a graphic novel of the young adult adventure series, Animorphs, has brought him a new perspective on working with a known property, dealing with the fandom of that universe, and coming to grips with possibly working on too many things at once. Chris talked with Jason about all of this and more, including his melancholy time at summer camp and why the story of Time Shifters is an incredibly personal one for him.

Direct download: ds-616-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:08pm EDT

Welcome to Wonderland, where humans like us aren't welcome and might even turn into evil creatures ... er, more so than here on Earth. Michelle Krivanek has taken many elements of Alice's classic tale and added more modern elements, with just a hint of a certain boy wizard thrown in. The result is a lore-heavy story called Alice and the Nightmare that has heart (and spade and club and diamond).

Direct download: ds-615-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:51pm EDT

If there's one thing you think of when you hear a podcast by two cis white men, it's magical girls. But dang it, those are some captivating, fun stories to read and Mildred Louis' Agents of the Realm is a great take on the genre, featuring minority characters and fashion that brings a tear to Jason's eye. You'll fall in love with these girls and root them on while reminiscing about your college days at the same time.

Direct download: ds-614-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:27am EDT

They have a massively successful webcomic on the Webtoons platform, two amazing careers in comics already, and a new Kickstarter to bring their Webtoon, Urban Animal, to life in print. Jason talked with both of the creators behind Urban Animal, Justin Jordan and John Amor, about everything from working with the Webtoons platform to their forays into the Zuda Comics contests of over a decade ago.

Direct download: ds-613-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 11:12pm EDT

It's not easy to walk the tightrope between awesome mech action and dramatic familial interactions, but Mike Stamm's The Automan's Daughter does just that. It's equal parts technically-depicted marvels and heartwarming, gut-wrenching actions that threaten to tear a loving family apart. Hear our thoughts on this special comic and learn why the mom is the one you should revere (and fear) the most.

Direct download: ds-612-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:40pm EDT

It's time for another sampling of webcomics goodness with our GOOD PULL for October! We're revisiting dystopia with Ten Earth Shattering Blows, getting a taste of pumpkin spice from bridgedflickered, looking forward to more of Katie Cook's licensed goodies, taking a quick look at Scape, and enjoy a bounty of Abby Howard's good works, including a return of The Last Halloween, just in time for the haunted holiday.

Direct download: ds-611-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:18pm EDT

Some ghosts wake up and wonder where they are. Some ghosts wake up and wonder why they suddenly have extra body parts. It's a weird world in Eliana Falcon's Cosmic Fish, but it's also very beautiful and full of compelling mysteries. The answers are not quickly revealed, but we think you'll find this comic worth spending some time with.

Direct download: ds-610-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:43pm EDT

When it comes to interviewing creative teams, you get lucky if you get the chance to talk with more than one of the esteemed team members. Somehow, Jason was able to convince both Julian Dominguez and Esther Pimentel of Littlelight Asylum to chat with him about the origins of the kid-friendly comic, including the inspiration for some character names that took even Esther by surprise!

Direct download: ds-609-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 11:01pm EDT

Take one part Muppet Babies, one part Beetlejuice, a little mayhem, and shake it all up. The resulting explosion is the madcap fun of Littlelight Asylum. Join the growing cast of youngsters, Headmistress Light, and more in this mostly-kid-friendly tale about some special kids with magical tendencies and the adventures they spring on everyone around them.

Direct download: ds-608-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 5:18pm EDT

This is our first episode of GOOD PULL, where we take time to find some quick hits of things that might have missed your attention otherwise. Steve recalls Kochab, hypes up Dwarf Fortress comic, Losing is Fun, and introduces everyone to Ramshackle. Jason recommends Hannah Templer's GLOW work, updates us on the latest Patrik the Vampire pages, takes a trip to Lake Gary, and posits a theory about Penny Arcade's artwork. Catch it all!

Direct download: ds-607-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:31pm EDT

It's no secret that the life of a princess isn't always a great one, but in the world of Hannah Templer's Cosmoknights, things are so bad that two adventurers have taken to freeing them of their captivity through an elaborate, loosely-regulated sport. It's a great basis for a fun story and the characters you meet will ensure you want to keep reading until you're begging for another chapter.

Direct download: ds-606-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:32pm EDT

Patrik the Vampire is a case of what you see is what you get, and what you see is an undead guy who's willing to cut loose and murder a person or two just as much as he'd like to sit at home on the couch and learn to sew from his elderly gal pal. Bree Paulsen brings us this man-of-the-ages in a unique and touching story that we absolutely loved in the previous episode. Here, Jason sits down with Bree to discover the origins of the titular vamp and get her take on the vampire/monster genre and why funny can sometimes be the better way to go.

Direct download: ds-605-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:49pm EDT

Finally, an episode you can really sink your teeth into! After Steve and Jason hash out the details on Fangr, their new dating app for vampires, they invite you in to listen to their review of Bree Paulsen's Patrik the Vampire. At times both full of slapstick and heart, Patrik is a story that can do it all, and while jumping from timeline to timeline, no less. Listen to the review and then read the whole, engrossing story thus far.

Direct download: ds-604-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:18pm EDT

J. Alice Bown's Damsels Don't Wear Glasses is a compelling read, with visuals that compliment and amplify a fun, kinetic story. Jason called across the pond to have a chat with Alice, learning about her process and experiences creating a webcomics for over a decade and how it's shaped her abilities from writing to encompassing everything needed to tell a good and convincing comic story.

Direct download: ds-603-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:40pm EDT

It's time to save the world from ... something, and we've got our psychic blades ready to ... do something, I guess? We don't feel incredibly motivated to fight evil after reading J. Alice Bown's Damsels Don't Wear Glasses, but we certainly dig the vibe that Lave and company are putting out into the world. The comic has a visual style all its own that shows a clear delineation between the "real" world and the magical one. Get off the couch and don't sleep through this one!

Direct download: ds-602-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:44pm EDT

The first episode on the other side of our first 600 takes a look at Urban Animal, a comic on Webtoons from a talented team who took inspiration from everything from Filipino folklore to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and created a great tale of teenagers transforming into animals. Jason prefers John Hughes-type lame parents to the cool mom and dad in this comic, but Steve is just concerned the libido of a wolf might be more than a young man/chimera can handle.

Direct download: ds-601-complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 11:15pm EDT

It's time for another milestone! Steve and Jason are celebrating the 600th episode of the first, and best, webcomics podcast on the planet and you're invited to the party! After Jason talks about a handy summary of the story on Tiger, Tiger to catch you up before the next chapter begins and a syndication deal for Brian Anderson's Dog Eat Doug, the guys take a walk down memory lane, recalling everything from the first comic they ever read for the site to what the future holds for the show.

Direct download: DS600Complete2.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:57pm EDT

When magic is present in any given webcomic world, you can bet that Steve will be grinning from ear to ear, partly because he loves it, and partly because he understands it better than Jason. This is true of the simple but fantastic Tistow by Elli Puukangas and Mark Thomas. Come for the possibly murderous wisp rats, stay for many, many people with loose morals.

Direct download: DS599Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:27pm EDT

Did you know that Gary Larson got a digital tablet and decided to pass this pandemic by with a return to The Far Side, the wildly popular comic strip that many of proudly wore on T-shirts in the 90's? Then go read the new strips, we'll wait. Now that you're back, you can listen to our confused but effusive thoughts on Broken, a comic by Kristina Caruso that inspired a great discussion about the art of comics and webcomics standards some of us might take for granted. The comic itself is exceptional, and worth a read, after you listen to our review.

Direct download: DS598Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 1:44pm EDT

As kids, we sometimes feared the dark (in Jason's case, childhood continues). Manek D'Silva's Bonabyl tells us that maybe we were right to fear it all along, and maybe even still. Follow along with us as we explore the world with Miro and Vick, discovering once and for all what those bumps in the night are all about.

Direct download: DS597Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:34pm EDT

The stars of Tracy MacLauchlan and Yesenia Carrero's Gemini Journey are like an odd couple, but not THAT Odd Couple. One is vivacious, the other dour, and that difference makes for some fun and dangerous situations! Also, one of them drives Jason INSANE. Listen in to see which one it is along with why the guys describe the comic as Tiny Kitten Teeth by way of H.P. Lovecraft and how the structure of comics on Webtoons is going to drive both guys crazy before too long.

Direct download: DS596Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:14pm EDT

Year in Hereafter by Mikael Hankonen introduces us to a sweet, practical family before confirming that, yes, there are forces of evil in the world that you absolutely want to avoid. Running afoul of these entities takes our boys, Veeti and Mikael (no relation) on a journey you absolutely must take with them into worlds unknown. But please, leave your smartphone behind. Trust us.

Direct download: DS595Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:35pm EDT

You'd think a fellow who trains mythic and fantastic creatures would have a higher status than a white collar schmoe with friends named Garth and Kevin, but that's exactly where Ulrick, the titular character of Mythic Creature Trainer by Rene Pfitzner, lives. But will he be any help when the invading orcs arrive? Read the comic and listen to our review to find out (not really, we don't know yet, but read and listen anyways).

Direct download: DS594Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:22pm EDT

After Jason lays out his reboot of Old Yeller (the twist is that the dog shoots his owner), it's time to travel to the fun, fanciful, and frightening world of Knucklejelly! Creator Benjamin Hall has weaved together a story of both heartache and adventure, full of monsters and ... well, more monsters. Though it's a comic that would probably be better served outside the restrictive confines of the Webtoons platform, it's got a charm and joy all to itself that comes through no matter where you read it. Make sure that you do!

Direct download: DS593Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:56pm EDT

Eldrick is the wussy chosen one of Crookshaw Creative's Helm. After the guys talk about comics news, including Star Power coming to a somewhat abrupt end and a new life for PvP, they delve into the excellently-produced but thus-far soulless fantasy comic that's all about following someone else's dreams.

Direct download: DS592Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:54pm EDT

Return with us to the world of mice, cats, fantastic, epic battles, and missing humans. In Mac Smith's Scurry, danger awaits around every corner and just when you think you're safe, your fellow rodents are waiting to take your place. It's wild, it's dangerous, and it's a thrill you have to read for yourself. Hear our take on this adventurously tiny tale and then go check it out!

Direct download: DS591Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:08pm EDT

When several characters take center stage in a comic, how do you know which one is the focus? Look to the fanart, says Jason, webcomics supergenius. That advice might help when reading Star Prichard's Castoff, a tale about journeys, mysteries, and the mysterious journey that our three intrepid adventurers undertake. It's one that's worth taking, so listen to our review and get prepared for what's ahead.

Direct download: DS590Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:16pm EDT

He's Toivo, he's very insecure about his position in life, and he's also a wildly powerful wizard. What could go wrong? The answer is a lot, just so much wrongness, and those stories are contained in Kay Rossbach's Ingress Adventuring Company. Hear our gushing good words about this outstanding comic and then go read the whole thing for yourself!

Direct download: DS589Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:35am EDT

It's not every day that a cute alien girl crash lands in your backyard and changes your life, possibly for good, but Kade certainly treats it that way in Pookie Senpai's Down to Earth. Steve is convinced this comic is plotted like a sitcom, explaining why he's not a huge fan and Jason doesn't buy that he never set foot in a Hot Topic. Stay up late, go to the store, and listen to our review!

Direct download: DS588Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:37pm EDT

Sure, we looked at this comic back in episode 562, but maybe that was actually another version of us and this is brand new? We're back with Shen's (and Megan McKay's and Dave Mercier's) Live With Yourself! and it's just as fun and insane as we (or our other selves) remembered. Jason really enjoyed getting to know all the characters that Steve had already made friends with months ago. Join them and make these loveable weirdos your friends, too!

Direct download: DS587Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:55pm EDT

We're diving back into the fanciful and fun world of fruit stacking competitions with Sam Kim's Plum! When last we reviewed this delightfully unique comic, the fun was plentiful and the fruit was flying. Hear our joy as we read on and meet even more colorful teams and learn their creative techniques in this bizarrely cute take on ... sports? Gonna go with sports.

Direct download: DS586Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:40pm EDT

There's no feeling like flying down a steep hill at high speeds on your sweet bike. It's even better when you literally can't lose a race or look anything other than a super rad dude. That's the story of Wind Breaker, which follows a mysterious guy with a beat-up bike and the students and other figures that surround him. Hear our voyeuristic views on this exciting world and then catch the virus of competition and read it for yourself.

Direct download: DS585Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:53pm EDT

Ever think you could get a bunch of friends together and bounce around the galaxy, having adventures and maybe saving a life or two? Temerity by Jemma Young and Chad Hardin is a Guardians of the Galaxy-like romp that turns zeroes into heroes, with a fantasy bend to the sci-fi that lends to a flavor all its own. See what we thought about this fast-paced adventure and then get on the train early with us!

Direct download: DS584Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:43pm EDT

Welcome to the wasteland! It's terrible! Seriously, don't go. If you're not terribly lucky or disfigured in some way, you're doomed. But Nuclearpasta's Ten Earth Shattering Blows makes it seem like so much darn fun, you'll want to join the party and ride a lizard to almost-certain doom. Hear us gush about the ridiculous ride this comic takes you on and then join in yourself!

Direct download: DS583Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:10pm EDT

Brave the Spiderforest with us once again to discover a tropey tale of daring do and daring don'ts. James Nelson's Monster Lands follows a set of heroes, most of whom are just barely scraping by in that category. But when the rest of the world sucks so much, how else is a good-hearted person/elf/dwarf/whatever supposed to make a living?

Direct download: DS582Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:29pm EDT

It's largely NSFW, it's Perry Bible Fellowship-esque, and it's not apologizing for any of it's jokes. It has no qualms with killing both the boy and the grandmother, questioning Jesus' water-based powers, and slapping a d___ on a unicorn. It's Zach Stafford's Extra Fabulous Comics and you must now read it.

Direct download: DS581Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:06am EDT

Once we get around the idea of childhood Steve really wanting a cool old man friend, it's time to talk about characters. Specifically, a comic with many, many characters to keep track of. O Sarilho also has plenty of lore and mystery to keep things going as well, including just what is in the satellite that came crashing back to Earth and how many of the multitude of soliders we just met will it claim? Listen to our thoughts on it and then give it a read for yourself!

Direct download: DS580Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 11:41pm EDT

The combination of Witches Get Stitches and 666 Bistro from demon-centric creator Laura Graves is one that at once creeps you out and draws you in. Though we agree the color palette could stand to add a few colors and shades, the detail is amazing and the action in particular is bound to get you out of your seat in preparation for a massive kaiju battle to break out. ... wait what

Direct download: DS579Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 3:59pm EDT

While looking at a portfolio site for a comic review is outside our normal process, sometimes a creator is just so good, we can't turn it down. Lee Gatlin is one such creator. Who knew that combining poop/fart jokes with beloved fantasy/sci-fi characters would be right up our alley? But that's also selling this timeless, mostly all-ages comic work way too short. Do yourself a favor and spend a few unfortunately short moments pouring over the offerings on Lee's site and hope along with us that more is coming some day.

Direct download: DS578Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:38pm EDT

Fantastical worlds with fearsome dragons, kings and queens of valor, and knights showing off their cunning and bravery are plentiful but welcome escapes from our everyday lives. The Stoop Gallants is ... like that. Kind of. But the characters of yore are more akin to burnout dudes who accidentally become necromancers and nosy bards who just can't stay out of everyone's business. Your mileage may vary with the mundane fantasy in this comic, but mindless zombie companions are always funny and we can all at least agree on that.

Direct download: DS577Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 11:07pm EDT

Raise your hand if you're fatigued by superhero stuff. Ok, put your hands down, because WE DON'T CARE! Folklore has a unique twist on a worn and well-traveled genre that's well worth checking out. After hearing about their greatest fears (mummies vs. the darkness, FIGHT) and a quick news update about a series option for Gunnerkrigg Court, the guys offer their opinions on this highly-kinetic story.

Direct download: DS576Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:06am EDT

The world of Zoul is a complex and messy one, full of vast technological advances and grounding references to many places we ourselves know and love. Creator Maria Valentina presents this lush, detailed world in both English and Spanish, sometimes with mixed results. Hear our full thoughts in this episode and then check it out in one of the many ways she has made possible!

Direct download: DS575Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:13am EDT

We're returning to an old format for a good old fashioned Horizons Watch! These comics are young and hungry for your time and attention. Check out our thoughts on the delightfully dour Jack Of All Grades and the molecularly specific Under the Lion.

Direct download: DS574Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:13am EDT

If you like deep dives on a society of owls that explores the silly nuances of their government, currency, entertainment, and more, then plant yourself in front of a computing device and absorb the dry, Monty Python-esque wit of Realm of Owls. It even features a URL that can be read as a near-expletive!

Direct download: DS573Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:17am EDT

The promise of the afterlife is just too enticing, so we're dying and coming back to life with Don Juan Mancha III's Purgatory. But just what is going on in this life after life? Is it worth living in again? And why do we still have to go to work?

Direct download: DS572Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 10:09am EDT

For this brave new decade, we're looking at a comic we all wish was real life: living that role-playing life as our real life. Three brave(?) souls do just that in Myisha Haynes' The Substitutes. Jason found it to be a little confusing but Steve is confident he's just a moron. Have a listen to their thoughts and then give it a look to judge for yourself!

Direct download: DS571Complete.mp3
Category:Digital Strips -- posted at: 9:22am EDT

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