It may just be my impression, but usually when a story is set in a dystopian setting, the dystopia is played straight. However, when the characters encounter or start off in a utopian setting, they almost always will end up realizing that the utopia is actually a mirage, and in ...

On Utopias
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, April 26, 2025When Life's Too Crazy for Fiction
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, March 29, 2025
I generally avoid using current events in my articles about webcomics, but this time I can't help it. Signalgate has been living rent free in my mind ever since the editor in chief of the Atlantic broke the story.
There are many reasons for that, most of them not ...
Against the Grain
Banes at 12:00AM, March 13, 2025
I love a character in an ensemble cast that runs counter to the rest of the people around them.
Really, it's the best way to make a character stand out. The one who has some kind of contrast to everyone else, in terms of their priorities, or beliefs, or ...
Infatuation
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Nov. 30, 2024
How do you make a clever character stupid?
You give them an infatuation. A fixation. Something that completely overrides their critical thinking and better judgment. Something that drives them nuts like a switch is thrown.
And when that happens, they're dumber than a bag of rocks. (And they're ...
Quackcast 704 - The Cultcast
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, Sept. 10, 2024 LISTEN on our player!
Or TuneinRadio - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Books–Literature/Drunkduck-Quackcast-p1150194/
The topic we're talking about today was inspired by my ruminations on Bullshido martial arts promo demonstration videos. These are the videos where a martial arts master shows off their skill in a patently fake demonstration ...
Preachy Comics
Tantz_Aerine at 12:58AM, July 6, 2024
Last night I had an interesting conversation with one of my favorite creators (you know who you are) about what makes a webcomic (or comic, or movie, or book, anything applies) preachy. Preachy as in trying to force an agenda, or ideology, or outlook down the audience's throat whether ...
Money
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, March 9, 2024
Money is the biggest generalized conditioned reinforcer or, in layman's terms, something that makes you do things because you've learned it's going to give you the good times. Whatever those good times are for you.
That's how money has always made the world go round since ...
Creator Interview: Inky Moondrop
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Jan. 27, 2024
Welcome to the first interview of the Creator Interviews! Today, we're asking the awesome Inky Moondrop questions about her, her DD award winning comics, her art, and her creative process.
I'm not using the royal ‘we’ by the way. While some questions come from me, most are from ...
Character Deep Dive: Khthonis from Tusk
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Jan. 13, 2024
Today’s Character Deep Dive is about the amazing Khthonis from Tusk by the awesome Fallopian Crusader!
What can anyone say about Tusk that hasn’t already been said?? It’s a simply gorgeous fantasy action comic centering around the adventures of an orc warrior lady named Khthonis. The art ...