Speedlink 7/4

How to be a good virtual friend in a social network, by Nick Douglas.

Via the soon-to-be-defunct Cracked magazine, The Ten Most Useless Transformers.

In defense of the anthropic principle.


Webcomics: Just after I put it on a "hiatus list" for Broken Frontier, Hate Song returns-- at least for now. I can't get over how classy creator Fred Grisolm is compared to his main character.

Sore Thumbs fears Canadians' free health care and sexual deviance.

WARNING, LIBERAL VIEWPOINTS AHEAD: Jeffrey Rowland explains why he, and probably lots of other cartoonists, aren't doing more for the Fourth.

e-Manwha Research

Reference notes for an upcoming Broken Frontier article:

Examples of e-manwha sites here and here and here.

Also, this article cites "Apartment" as a pioneer in online manwha. A little checking reveals that it has made the transition to film, as in this previously-linked story. Card Boy Bebop is another Korean comic to become a film, and Priest is going Hollywood.

Collge student's report on Korean webcomics, 2005.

2005 report on growth of market.

2005 Publisher's Weekly on Netcomics.

2005 report on more general Asian webcomic movement.

2007 report from BusinessWeek.

Netcomics, the English-language representative of Ecomix, Korean leader in e-manwha.



Netcomics' recent Alexa ranking: 110,588. 208 Technorati links. Gather Compete.com and Quantcast data and compare: Boxcarcomics, Wirepop, Tokyopop, Keenspot, Comics.com, Penny Arcade, Ecomix.co.kr.

Sergey Brin, Billionaire Romantic

No pre-nup, even.

It's one of my great frustrated ambitions to do a story about the lives of Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Last time I tried it, I got about thirty pages out of a hundred done. But I think I'm just going to have to wait until they're a lot older and history's verdict is in.

Also, via Heidi: ginormous guide to comic book podcasts.

And congratulations to webcartoonist Mitch Clem for his mention on PC World's "100 Blogs We Love." I found ABC News' version first, but they copied it over without keeping hyperlinks in the article. SERIOUSLY, ABC, GET WITH IT, GEEZ

How'd I Miss This?

I'd heard Paris was freed after three days but not that she was sent back to jail afterward. I guess that Doonesbury sequence would work after all.

And I don't know whether to be embarrassed about not knowing that...

...or proud.

UPDATE 6/27/07: Phil Kahn informs me she was re-freed late yesterday. I guess that's an example of the problems of doing a topical strip. And, oh yeah, an example of injustice.

Best Wishes and Prayers to Steve Gerber.

One of the most inventive comic-book writers of the 1970s has announced several health problems. One of said problems, ulcerative colitis, is "the nuclear equivalent of irritable bowel syndrome." Another, pulmonary fibrosis, is ultimately fatal.

"Above all, just in case anyone's tempted, do not accuse me of courage in the face of adversity. I'm scared shitless. (And no, it's not because of the colitis.)"

The HERO Initiative is helping to pay Gerber's medical bills. If it upsets you to think about the comic-book writers and artists of the 60s and 70s and how little payback they've received, you could do worse than to look into this organization.

Homeless Comic-Book Artist.

Unusual perspective.

Via Eric Millikin.

78 Myths Busted and Counting.

Good source of story ideas.

The Dangers of Spokesblogging

New technology, old conflict of interest. Naturally a professional concern for anyone who writes about the field and makes friendships or business relationships within it. Discussed here.

7 Unusual Military Animals

Yikes.

Political Cartoons From Japanese Opposition Party

Reported: Democratic Party of Japan uses comic to rally the public against a large scale tax hike.

Comic.