Many webcomics have been influenced by video games and video game culture.
Background Webcomics often satirize:
Video game logic
Industry practices
Gamer stereotypes
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. Low-quality video game webcomics were particularly common in the mid-2000s, often featuring author stand-ins with poor dialogue and unrealistic relationships. 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.
Webcomics set in a video game world Title Creator Run Based on 8-Bit Theater 2001–2010 Various Nintendo Entertainment System games, including Final Fantasy, Metroid and River City Ransom. Awkward Zombie 2006– Various, most notably Super Smash Bros. Bob and George 2000–2007 Mega Man Brawl in the Family 2008–2014 Super Smash Bros. Concerned 2005–2006 Half-Life 2 Dueling Analogs 2005–2018 Various Little Devil (webcomic) 2025– Little Devil Prequel (or Making A Cat Cry: The Adventure) Kazerad 2011– The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Super Effective 2008–2018 Pokémon
Webcomics about video games Title Creator Run Style Ctrl+Alt+Del 2002– "Gamer on a couch" comic GU Comics 2000– Megatokyo and 2000– Follows the adventures of a manga and video game fan in Tokyo, Japan. Penny Arcade and 1998– "Gamer on a couch" comic Polymer City Chronicles Chris Morrison 1995–2007 PvP 1998– Follows a fictional video game magazine company and its employees. VG Cats 2001– "Gamer on a couch" comic in which the characters frequently take on the role of their player character.
Webcomics inspired by video games Title Creator Run Inspiration Cucumber Quest Gigi D.G. 2011– Adventure webcomic influenced by Kirby and Paper Mario. MS Paint Adventures 2007– Webcomics 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.
Other
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. ShiftyLook has released webcomics based on Dig Dug, Dragon Spirit, Klonoa, and various other video games.
See also :Category:Video game webcomics Sprite comic
References