Put simply, I hated it.
so…
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Review Discussions
Something To Do
In response to "…there's no reason the author can't exagerate what happened or even fabricate a story." there actually is a reason I can't do this. That reason is that it would go against the entire concept of the comic. The thig I love about journal comics is that they are a look into someone elses life, and allow you to see the world through their perspective. Making something up or exagerating the story ruins that effect.
Salsa, maybe you should lead by example and post the giant rants on the forum?
*headdesk*
Yeah that'd be the smart thing to do. I'll just copy paste my rant here.
First off. I remember asking people to discuss this review in the forums, seeing as that is the reason we have them.
Second, I appreciate that you didn't use the Anon feature to post your comment, Wolfmaine. I's also like to know which comic you're referring to and why you think it "sucks balls."
Third, Any reviewer is a person with opinions, which can color a review, but there is a general consensus on what makes good writing and what makes good art. I feel that Something To Do doesn't meet either of those. I'm not saying people don't like it. It's obvious others do. I'm saying that as far as I'm concerned, this isn't a good comic.
Fourth, We don't review a comic unless the person asks us to. I will admit that Shikersama probably didn't have a good idea of how our reviews go at the time. Saying "don't like don't read" when we were asked to review it is kind of a jerk move.
Fifth, as it has been said, this is a journal comic. As I have said a few times, real life often makes for a boring comic. We have reviewed a comic that is similar to this one by Rokulily. The art was good and the writing is consistently good. While many of the things that happen in the comic happened in real life it was entertaining. This wasn't. A solution to that might be to pare down the events depicted to the ones that are the funniest. This leads me to why I feel that journal comics aren't good comics in general. The author feels the need to document everything and put it up on the web. Honestly, unless the person is an adrenaline junkie, most of what goes up is boring and has been heard, or read a hundred times before. Maybe if I had made that clearer in the review or in my responses you would have understood why I feel the way I do about this comic.
I'd like to take a moment to remind people that we have a forum for a reason and it's rather bare at the moment. I do appreciate all the comments though.
@Shikersama: Thanks for not flame war. I apologize for my overreaction in the review.
@Larry: At least I didn't outr- oh what I did…oops.
@Hark: Wait, what? I'm being called harsh, by you? Okay so I was, but I think I overreacted more than anything.
@Everyone: Sorry about the eye straining color. I'll fix it asap. As for the harshness of my side of the review, yes this is not typically the kind of comic I enjoy. I read what I read because I enjoy reading them. I found reading this a chore. I made the comparison to CAD and PA because the style of the humor in Something To Do reminds me of those comics. The pages right before the ones about the senior prom feature a page where the music suggestion list is basically "Mainstream Song by Mainstream band that both suck." I very much dislike humor like that, which is one of the reasons I dislike this comic. As I said in the review, I like to be entertained by what I read. I understand it's a journal comic and it probably sticks close to real life, but there's no reason the author can't exaggerate what happened, or even fabricate a story. He doesn't have to fight monsters per say, but right now I find this comic rather boring. Could it be the presentation? Yes, but it could be other things too. Please reply to this in the forum, it makes it much easier to keep track of things.
@salsa while obviously everyone will have opinions a reviewer is not supposed to let said opinions filter into their reviews it simply seems unprofessional and more like a childish rant. Now I'm not trying to be unreasonable at all, simply trying to point out somethings that make your comic look less like a real review and more like you just vomiting insults upon the comic.
I feel you disliked the art or possably some parts of the story and simply discredited the comic compleatly. There is quite a bit of substantial humor that by far outmatches most of what passes for "comedy" in mainstream programing in this day and age, and whats more it's based on real events, real conversations, and real thoughts. Nothing could be more genuine than that. Thats what a project like this is about giving a distinct personal view of his own life. If your a person who finds real life boring then obviously this type of story is not for you, but in your review it seems your instead of trying to judge it as a journal comic( which is what it is) your trying to judge it by the merits of another genre.
Also after having read your review of Blank life( of which I am an avid reader, I love the comic) your review seems even more biased. While anyone with eyes can tell you the art is far superior in Blank life insert player Rokulily. The writing is much of the same consistancy. Alot of one line set ups. Simple banter, that leads to often times humerous situations or phrasing.
Back to the point( sorry I get ADD sometimes…) I think you failed to give STD's author the credit he is due for sticking to the very core of his project and writing style through the whole comic. He is consistant in giving his life events unabashed and unfiltered ( luckily he isn't a seceret perv, as I'm sure with his writing honesty it would make it in……)
While You have points with credit I believe your total lack of balance leaves your review sinking into the piles of incredulous internet banter.
@TFGM That would be funny, and there have been times……
@Salsa I wouldn't use the Anon button…I'm no troll
-Wolfmaine
Ya know, I was going to write a monster argument about why I wrote what I wrote and why I feel the way I do about Something To Do, but I just got done with a 17 and a half work day, and I'm tired. I do have my reasons for not liking this comic. I'll post them when I can think a little more clearly.
I do have one thing I'd like to say. Any reviewer is influenced by their opinions. Art, such as drawing and writing is very subjective. What one person may think is a masterwork, another will think is a piece trash not even good enough to be called garbage. It's just the way we are. To say a reviewer of comics shouldn't let their opinions color their reviews is basically saying that there is a standard of art that everyone can agree upon. Their isn't. That's why a movie or game that is critically acclaimed can flop and one that isn't can be a blockbuster. That's why some people (me included) want to burn ever Twilight Saga book we can get our grubby hands one and why other's want to enshrine it as one of our generation's finest literary accomplishments, and still other's wonder what the big deal is. Basically, any reviewer is going to have opinions, and those opinions are going to come out in the review.
If you disagree, then that's okay, but keep in mind your opinions about this comic and comics in general are probably coloring the way you see this review and Something to Do.
lol first let me start by saying….who doesn't want to burn twilight(besides teenage girls).
@ salsa I know how that feels I'm about to head off for another sixteen hour shift, and they keep sticking me with trainees so no lunch break either…bleh
It will effect my view and I'm not saying opinions shouldn't play a roll in review. after all then they'd be dull and useless. I'm just saying if your gonna strongly vomit insults on a comic there should be some balance taken into consideration in the review as well, or else you just look like a flame spouting fuck tard( not saying thats what you are at all)
It just appears to me the review of this comic wasn't as balanced as your previous reviews and therefore it looks in context as an attack on the author or his project less than it looks like a review. not saying thats what it is but to a third party it has the easy potential to come off this way.
But all things considered thats why we continue to work on our art forms is it not? practice makes perfect.
-Wolfmaine
I guess I did come off as a jerk and I'm sorry about that. I still stand by what I said about the writing though.
The main problem with Something To Do's writing is that it isn't that funny. Hark and Kev have said numerous times that if the art or the writing is bad the other needs to be good in order to make up for the lack in the one. You said that the writing is leagues beyond what is on TV and in many other mediums. I don't like the style of humor that's popular either, it's crude and relies on too many cheap shots. Something To Do's humor isn't as crude as what's popular, but it's not that good either. There are times it comes off as juvenile, and other times it just isn't funny. A good example is the comic that points out the Acronym for the title is STD. I honestly can't remember cracking a smile at any of the pages. I know I didn't laugh at any of them.
I compared Something To Do to comics such as CAD and Penny Arcade because both of the have examples of "It's popular so it must suck" mentalities. The pages leading up to Prom Night included a page which had a list that basically read "Shitty mainstream song, shittier mainstream song, etc." I am no fan of pop music, or hip-hop, or rap, but I feel that listing the songs the way the author did makes him seem like a jerk. I know he said he was, but still.
The last thing is, as you and Shikersama have pointed out, this is a journal comic. I honestly don't get why you'd want something like this reviewed. It's about real life and most people don't like reading about it, unless they like biographies and documentaries, and even then it's really only biographies of people who have lead exceptional lives and documentaries about interesting events, animals, and machines. Personally, I believe that this is one reason that webcomics are never taken seriously, with a very few exceptions. Too many people make a comic about their life and, frankly, it's boring as hell. Journals are meant to be something personal and I'd rather journal comics be kept that way.
Salsa, I also find journal comics boring.
I also find big brother pretty boring.
But my wife loves it and so do millions of others.
Just because you dont like a genre, does not mean it has no merit.
I dont like a lot of genres, but I can appreciated when they are done well or badly.
I dont enjoy sprite comics, but some sprite comics are better than others.
Beinga reviewer means stepping back and considering these things if you want to get taken seriously and not just seem like an angry jerk.
Salsa, I also find journal comics boring.
I also find big brother pretty boring.
But my wife loves it and so do millions of others.
Just because you dont like a genre, does not mean it has no merit.
I dont like a lot of genres, but I can appreciated when they are done well or badly.
I dont enjoy sprite comics, but some sprite comics are better than others.
Beinga reviewer means stepping back and considering these things if you want to get taken seriously and not just seem like an angry jerk.
point taken (and I just realized I can mess with your post muahahaha)
You COULD mess with my posts….but then I would stop posting.
So who really wins when we abuse our power?
Salsa I still find it amusing that you set out to do nicer reviewers and then proceed to make a review way more angry then anything me and Kv have done just 4 pages in! I am just worried what will happen when a REALLY bad comic comes along for you!
You COULD mess with my posts….but then I would stop posting.
So who really wins when we abuse our power?
Salsa I still find it amusing that you set out to do nicer reviewers and then proceed to make a review way more angry then anything me and Kv have done just 4 pages in! I am just worried what will happen when a REALLY bad comic comes along for you!
Really the only thing I believe that I overreacted on is the writing. I believe I have at least partially validated my opinions. I also feel that I am in the right about my opinions of the art.
I am minoring in art and have more than a passing interest in writing. I do suffer from "KIA" syndrome (know-it-all in case you were wondering) a lot more than I like, but there are a few things that I believe most writers agree on about what makes good writing and what artists agree on about what makes good art, especially in a form as technical as comics. As I've said, journal comics are something that I believe aren't supposed to be read by the public at large. It's like posting your diary on LiveJournal, or those pics of you, puking your guts out while drunk, on FaceBook, or MySpace.
One last thing. This was TFGM's idea. I just volunteered and wound up setting up the site and the list. I just said the goal was to be less acidic, and it looks I failed that one.
My opinion:
I believe journal comics are liked because
a)They're funny
b)They're relate-able.
It's sort of like a misery loves company thing. People like to find other people who've gone through the same things they have, no matter how boring or mindless. Anyways, that's what I think of the whole appeal of journal comics. It's like a blog. With pictures that are drawn by the author.
Also, people do post diaries and such on livejournal. Don't they?
@ Harkovast. Agreed.
@ Salsa: While I realize many of the jokes at times fall flat with a lot of people simply because they are based upon real life timing and situations and some times inside jokes. As for the humor. I find it unique and as a fan of comedy( I'm pretty sure I own more stand up cd's and DVD's than comedy central….) I have to say it's unique sometimes tacky but good honest humor that pokes fun at the oddities of life.
Also on your new webcomic review…..it's Fluke :P
-Wolfmaine
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