Many webcomics have been influenced by video games and video game culture.
Webcomics frequently poke fun at video game logic, the video game industry, and stereotypical behavior of gamers. 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.[1] Low-quality video game webcomics were particularly common in the mid-2000s, often featuring author stand-ins with poor dialogue and unrealistic relationships.[2] 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.[3]
| - | Title | Creator | Run | Based on | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-Bit Theater | 2001 - 2010 | Various Nintendo Entertainment System games, including Final Fantasy, Metroid and River City Ransom. | [4] | ||
| 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 | [5] | ||
| Super Effective | 2008 - 2018 | Pokémon |
| - | Title | Creator | Run | Style | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | [6] | |
| 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. |
| - | Title | Creator | Run | Inspiration | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cucumber Quest | Gigi D.G. | 2011 - | Adventure webcomic influenced by Kirby and Paper Mario. | [7] | |
| 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. | [8] [9] |
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.[10] ShiftyLook has released webcomics based on Dig Dug,[11] Dragon Spirit, Klonoa, and various other video games.