Thunderpaw Essay

In the early 90s, the newfound ability to display images using a web browser led to the emergence of the first webcomics – comics which were created specifically for display and distribution via the internet. These early webcomics primarily conformed to the limitations of print-based comics, with their only real differences being the way they were displayed and distributed. It wasn’t long, however, until the benefits of this new outlet became apparent, with some artists embracing the practice of learning as they went along (leading to a mass of relatively amateur comics which were allowed to mature and improve over time), some experimenting with a structure of gradual “one-or-two page a week” serialization and others seeking to take advantage

McCloud foresaw comics which would stretch beyond the limitations of the page, and Lee’s work exemplifies this prediction. Far more extensive in its use of animated GIFs than Homestuck, although decidedly less experimental elsewhere, it also features significantly larger “pages” than would be possible by way of traditional means – with many reaching lengths more than triple the height of the screen, and the vast majority of panels within featuring small, looping animations which bring the unique compositions to

In addition to this, there have been numerous attempts made over the years to find a way to bring these comics into the physical realm, with the aforementioned Club Salsa being “restored” for 2014’s “Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy” exhibition. In 2010, “Hypercomics: The Shape of Things to Come” featured numerous works which attempted to translate the narrative possibilities allowed by hypercomics into a gallery setting – incorporating a variety of interactive elements, and using the space provided to create sprawling stories visitors could navigate in unconventional