Fun_Escape!Arrives

Just to update what we're looking at here, Escape! is now out in print! You can find some incredible original comics, and a beautiful cover, but we've also collected a bunch of great reprints from the Herald and the YDN.

Free bookmark not included with purchase of free Escape!. Only available while supplies last. Void where prohibited. Please drink responsibly.

All my reprinted comics that were posted on this site with "updated art coming soon" have been touched up so they now look better than originally printed, and are in line with their Removal versions.

But what I'm most excited about is that you may now view certain comics "uncensored." I don't like that sensationalist word, but it's technically true, and it's hecka funny saying that I've been censored. Multiple times.

Imagine that.

The YDN's Zero Like Me gets a section.

So if you're a Rumpus person and you think you're clever second guessing me, guess what, you're not. Yeah, I said it. Just kidding. But seriously, now you can see the original for yourself. Isn't that neat how the depth you're looking for in a comic actually did/does exist?

The Herald's Zero Like Me: Zero Romance also gets a section.

No censorship issues there, just updated aesthetics, but that fool jack kelly does get to print some cut material, too. Might want to drink that all in, it'll have to last for a while.

So take a look at me now,

Reuxben

Fun_RumpusGirl

While I was selling shirts, Rumpus set up shop across the hall to sell theirs. So a Rumpus-er came over, checked out our designs, then asked me for a sketch. She was wearing a really cool hat so I drew her throughout her shift. She checked in a little later but we agreed to let it be a surprise.

I started this new angle before she left. There's also a little bulldog which didn't come out so well. Anyway, she forgot to pick up the sketches afterward, so this sketchpage is currently homeless.

If you're out there somewhere, Rumpus Girl, these are your sketches.

In related news, my last post actually made a dent.

Probably just due to the two buzz words, "Harvard," and "Girl."

The above is from the college.alltop display page.

And to the left and below are from TCBN, which was pretty neat.

The site feels pretty inactive, but then it just springs to life sometimes.

I don't think I'll ever stack that high again, so it was cool when it happened.

Reuxben

Fun_GildaFinal_Dvp

These are development sketches for Gilda.

So I picked up an issue of the Rumpus Monday night and flipped to its only section worth reading: Remedial Media. I was flattered to see our humble comics section mentioned, leading off with praise for jack kelly's comic, "ydn". But the segment attempted to mock Herald Comics as being just as ugly and unfunny as YDN comics. I intend on sending the editor a letter, and this is me collecting my thoughts.

The Rumpus can criticize the Record for being unfunny because the Rumpus is funny/er and the Record is basically not funny; no one's going to dispute that. The Rumpus can criticize the YDN and the Herald's writing because it is objectively bad at times--misinformation, misquotes and other measurable flaws running counter to the publications' very purpose for existing. No one can deny these shortcomings and thus the Rumpus is indisputably justified in calling them out.

However in this issue, although they concede jack's "unfunny" comic is actually, in fact funny (take that, Herald EIC!), they chastise me, Herald Comics Editor, for not putting the same disclaimer on all Herald Comics. That means the anonymous Wizard(s) of Odd behind Remedial Media find Herald Comics neither beautiful nor funny. This is where the Rumpus loses its footing: they can't just say that and expect anyone with eyes and the ability to read to simply accept that judgment because--guess what?--Herald Comics are beautiful and funny reliably. This is not just my opinion; unrelated Yalies also believe this. IvyGate brought out passionate Yalies to despise YDN comics and their unfunny ugliness while some valiantly, independently lauded the Herald's superior comics in the bottom comments section of this IvyGate article, which has nothing to do with the Herald at all.

In addition, I get positive feedback in person from people I don't even know just while walking around. They approach me just to let me know they enjoy my stuff. Other Herald artists have similar experiences. Clearly Herald Comics can't be blanketly dismissed by some Remedial writer pathetically trying to make fun of something clearly not nigh unanimously disliked like Record/YDN/Herald writing.

The segment came across as desperate because it tried (and failed) to mock Herald Comics. It would be like me trying to tell Michael Jordan he can't play basketball for beans. Who am I to speak? I can't even play--and even after Michael invited me to play, I refused (still waiting for Rumpus comics). But I have the gall to criticize and even attempt to mock Jordan by lumping him in the same class as some C-string Ivy League basketballer? It's quite sad that the Rumpus would fail so outrageously at what they normally excell at--they even included a four-letter word, which is guaranteed comedy gold, you know. If you're doing insult comedy, you ought to do it well or you defeat the purpose.


So I renew my challenge to the Rumpus: if you think you know comics, I dare you to demonstrate what a good comic would look like under Herald conditions--meaning no blue Rumpus humor, and if you want to be truly authentic, you'd have at most 12 hours to create it in. So be funny, be beautiful, and be tactful, or kindly be quiet.

And to close, me and the rest of the Herald Comics staff have certainly earned the right to mock YDN comics because every single week we prove that we know what we're doing, while every single day the YDN proves it does not. Rumpus, you have no credibility in our world, so put up or shut up (please).

Best wishes otherwise,

Reuxben