Thread "Trolling Around" in forum "The Webcomic Review Forum for the Webcomic Review Comic on the Web"

Posted at 12:10PM, Oct. 15, 2010

Neither of us were too impressed with Trolling Around. What about you guys?

Posted at 1:10PM, Oct. 15, 2010

This is a horrible review, especially coming from you Harkovast. I thought you were a fan of her work, as you comment often enough. Her art is NOT bad, it's her style.

She isn't aiming to draw realisticly…as if she COULD. It's a comic about a Troll, an Elf, a Goblind, and a Over-Sized Pixie. Not to mention it IS a parody.

I can tell what everthing is and what is going on. Sometimes the text is small, but I think the text itself fits the setting of the comic great.

Her "slap stick comedy" is exactly that…SLAP STICK. If you read Trolling Around as a serious story driven comic, you are TROLLING yourself. It's a slap stick fantasy story, and it gets its point across perfect.

This is a great comic, I give it a 7/10. Atleast when I read HER comic I don't stare at page after page blankly, until SOMETHING interesting happens that makes me perk up.

And as a fan of her other comics, you should be ashamed Harkovast. She considered you a fan and a friend. You ripped her comic to peices in this review for no other reason then to be mean.

Posted at 1:10PM, Oct. 15, 2010

Well, I asked for the review, so I'll take my medicine. Thank you for at least spending the time to write out your commentary on it, Hark and Kev.

Posted at 1:10PM, Oct. 15, 2010

Happyinthedark, why are you blaming me? I liked it more than Kev! I found the writing rather likeable.

DisgruntledDM, I am glad you are taking the review in the constructive spirit it was intended and thanks for taking part.

Posted at 2:10PM, Oct. 15, 2010

Yeah,the art definitely has problems but I find it adorable nonetheless.
I wouldn't really feel comfortable criticizing it cause it would feel like telling your 8 year old brother his drawing sucks.
I don't know the authors age,but from my little art understanding the problems don't stem from author's lazyness,but the lack of skills.
Most obivious problems are: overcrowded panels,the same waist-up perspective,inconsistent facial features in each panel,characters are mostly drawn in same 2 poses(front view and profile),stiff poses,wonky anatomy,lack of fingers(maybe it's deliberate,but fists should be bigger),"animu snouts"like you guys mentioned(these are generaly a bit hard to get right if author doesn't understand the basic construction work),lineart is too thick,shading should be more present,also the should be atleast some highlighting to it,awkward choice of colors at times,and finally,composition problems.
But,there is effort put in there.It always has backgrounds present,all of the characters have unique and distinctive design,fair amount of detail,interesting facial expressions and I do find texture experiments amusing(despite not always looking right,to be more specific I'm talking about grass texture) and…it's bloody adorable =)

Anatomy and poses require some time to learn but it would be best to start with simpler things like composition(avoiding to make panels overcrowded,planning which character/object stands where),using ruler when drawing tables and shelfs,experimenting with different perspectives,showing characters's feet a bit more,thinner line art and different line weights(thin for lighter parts,thicker for the darker parts),when there are 2 or more characters in the same panel,either make the panel bigger or characters smaller,so they all fit =)

The writing is nice and easy to follow.Though I didn't find the humor really funny,it's so neutrally light-hearted that I really can't find anything wrong with it.

Posted at 5:10PM, Oct. 15, 2010

I wouldn't really feel comfortable criticizing it cause it would feel like telling your 8 year old brother his drawing sucks.

Plague doctor I almost feel like your comment there were even crueller than me and Kev!

I want to emphasise that this comic has potential.
The writing is okay, and with better presentation this comic could be pretty good.
Certainly I don't think the author should be discouraged.
Take it as a challenge to improve.

Posted at 4:10AM, Oct. 16, 2010

I wouldn't really feel comfortable criticizing it cause it would feel like telling your 8 year old brother his drawing sucks.
Plague doctor I almost feel like your comment there were even crueller than me and Kev!

I want to emphasise that this comic has potential.
The writing is okay, and with better presentation this comic could be pretty good.
Certainly I don't think the author should be discouraged.
Take it as a challenge to improve.

Aw,no,I wasn't trying to be patronising,I was just trying to say the art isn't plain lazy,hence it deserved to be bashed,it just lacks fundamental art skills,either cause author is "maybe" a younger teen,or just never had proper art lessons,if any(well,this isn't really that good of excuse,since internet is clogged with art tutorials) but still,you can see it is trying to look good.
And I didn't discourage him/her,you can see in my previous post how I'm explaining the very simple art rules that can improve the look of the comic tremendeously.
This isn't just to make the comic look better,this will make drawing alot easier to the author.For example,he/she struggles to fit 2 or more characters in one small panel.Simply by widening the panels and drawing the characters smaller he/she will get the scenario he/she wants.

Posted at 4:10PM, Oct. 16, 2010

Hmm. I read it and found it mildly entertaining. The art is… well, I found it more distracting than anything. Sometimes it's kinda surreal, and sometimes I just don't know what to make of it. Perhaps it could be called a "style" of art that I'm just not all that comfortable with. Normally I'm the kind of person who can ignore or get used to art (I rarely, consciously, notice it unless there is a change in style; even when it's good). I just couldn't do that here.

Other than that though I liked everything else.

I guess I'm just no good as an art critic, I find art difficult to note, but I did here. Some people may like this art style, I'll concede that, and the story is pretty good, but it's too distracting for me.

Posted at 9:10AM, Oct. 17, 2010

Canuovea my feelings on the art were similar and distracting is definitely the right word.
It took away from the comic and dragged everything down.

Posted at 1:10PM, Oct. 17, 2010

Read a couple of pages, and I didn't like the art either. Most of the time there's a sort of "off-ness " to the art. Everything else was okay though, but since art's the first thing people see bad art is a major problem.

Posted at 4:10AM, Oct. 20, 2010

The fill textures on the art kill it, the pages look far too busy, overall I just didn't really care for it enough to read much.

Posted at 10:10AM, Oct. 21, 2010

Peoples comments here seem to vindicating my feelings on the art.
I think the point about the fill effects is a good one, its just not very pleasing 'look'.