Tagged: webcomic
The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances
The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances by Matthew Inman (aka The Oatmeal), 5/5
Inman’s reasons for running may be much more terrible and wonderful than my own (just as his conception of “long distances” is much longer), but a lot of this hilarious book resonated with me. On a side note: I’ve never read a collection of comics containing more illustrations of Nutella.
[Why I read it: I enjoy Inman’s webcomic, The Oatmeal, and this book came up in conversation with one of Dad’s coworkers. I’d actually almost bought it in a store just a few days previous before remembering that 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth was collecting dust on my shelf after being read just once. I hit the library up instead, which I guess makes me a bad fan.]
What If?
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe, 5/5
What would happen if everyone on Earth stood as close to each other as they could and jumped, everyone landing on the ground at the same instant? Is it possible to build a jetpack using downward-firing machine guns? From what height would you need to drop a steak for it to be cooked when it hit the ground?
With his trademark wit, scientific know-how, and ability to draw strangely hilarious stick figures, Randall Munroe answers some of the vital questions that have been asked by readers of his webcomic, xkcd. I expected this book to be underwhelming and a bit of a chore to read (à la almost all the other books based on webcomics I’ve encountered), but it was hilarious and accessible–my teenaged brother got his hands on it before me and read the whole thing in short order. The content seems well-suited to book format and, surprisingly, I found it to be even funnier and more readable than the What If? blog that inspired its creation.
[Why I read it: I’ve been a fan of xkcd for several years now.]
Hyperbole and a Half
Hyperbole and a Half: unfortunate situations, flawed coping mechanisms, mayhem and other things that happened by Allie Brosh, 4/5
Brosh’s blog is without doubt one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen, but the book format didn’t really work for me. I feel that her hilarious stories are meant to be scrolled through, not read at the rate of two panels and a paragraph per page, and her weirdly expressive artwork suits the computer screen best, in my opinion. Also, there is soooo much swearing. Usually, I’m a fan of expletives used for comedic purposes, but I guess I don’t like seeing them in print. In action movies: great. TV shows: fine, if it’s clever. Online content: ditto. Books: no thank you I can’t believe they typed that my eyes are burning.
[Why I read it: I love the blog.]
xkcd: volume 0
xkcd: volume 0 by Randall Munroe, 3/5
XKCD is my favourite webcomic–I visit the homepage several times a week to check for updates and, despite having a liberal-arts degree, I usually understand enough to get a good laugh (or two, because: alt text). However, this collection of some of Munroe’s favourite strips reflects a mind that is both keener and dirtier than my own. I did not understand much of it, and much that I did understand was pretty R-rated. But I’m not complaining; the best part of buying this book is that it supports the webcomic.
[Why I read it: I was given it as a gift (being basically the only present I hinted for last holidays).]
Hark! A Vagrant
Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton, 2/5
A couple of these comics were funny, but most were not.
OmniRambles 