I recently read through the entire Sinfest archive (I was considering writing a review).

I found that I didn't have anything much to say about it.

I did, however, enjoy the read -- for the most part. Some of it annoyed me. I don't understand the "big pimping" thing. I mean, I don't understand it when the middle class white guys who work with me at my dayjob talk like that, and I don't understand it in Sinfest. But I'm decidedly old and out-of-it.

I was also annoyed, on the other side of the spectrum, by the cat and dog. Too cutesy.

The running joke with God's various handpuppet personalities, though, is sheer brilliance, on par with Lucy's psychiatric booth in "Peanuts," as running jokes go.

I do agree with you that Sinfest is more foam than latte -- but that's part of what makes it so accomplished. Some strips go off the deep end of the form, pulling all kinds of strange tricks, and ultimately reinventing what we mean when we say "comics." (That's how I feel about my favorite web strip, Few and Far Between http://www.webcom.com/joda/welcome.html ). Sinfest ain't one of those. It is a tour de force of classic form and poised artwork, working the rich vein of traditions that have been established by far more inventive masters in the past. I do admire it greatly, for that reason. And for the same reason, I don't feel the need to read it every day.

Hey, maybe I had more to say about it than I thought I did. I should write that review.

Joey www.talkaboutcomics.com

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[This message has been edited by modernfear (edited 10-16-2001).]

If people were susceptible to pretty art like you say they are, then Melonpool would be the most popular strip on the planet. And Star Trek jokes abound! There has to be an audience for that. [img]/resources/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Scott and Tat write pretty tight comics. Kurtz, while writing a wretched gaming strip, has characters I like and identify with, even though the only game I play is Super Mario Bros Deluxe on GBA. It's not JUST a gaming strip, it's about people, too.

Sinfest is everything this generation is about. I can't really explain it, but it reaches into the hearts of people who normally don't read strips. I know oodles of people at school who read Sinfest and nothing else. And, his God/Satan strips are thoughtful and funny. And the cat/dog make me laugh.

And on the other hand, I know people who think PVP and Sinfest are the dullest, most trite things on Earth. And all of us are right! Ha ha ha!

Hey, Chris, when do we get a book of Sinfest?

--David

David:

>Hey, Chris, when do we get a book of Sinfest?

Whenever Tatsuya wants to do one. He's weighing his options right now, apparently. If he can find a better deal with another publisher, he should definitely go with them.

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Chris Crosby
Co-CEO, Keenspot Entertainment ( http://www.keenspot.com )
Cartoonist, SUPEROSITY ( http://www.superosity.com )

joey, thank you, that's exactly the word I was searching for to describe Sinfest. ANNOYING. it's so annoying in so many ways. Either Tetsuya honestly thinks he has something earthshattering to say, or he knows that he's got nothing to say, but wants us to think he does. I really hope it's the former.

His childish simplification of such grand/complex concepts is probably the most annoying of all. God=dumb, Me=smart. Christians=dorks, Me=pimp. And this is coming from an aethiest/left-wing guy that probably subscribes to most of the politics that Tetsuya does.

"I did, however, enjoy the read -- for the most part. Some of it annoyed me. I don't understand the "big pimping" thing. I mean, I don't understand it when the middle class white guys who work with me at my dayjob talk like that, and I don't understand it in Sinfest. But I'm decidedly old and out-of-it."

I understand it, but don't worry, it's just as annoying when you do. Probably more so when you do.

"The running joke with God's various handpuppet personalities, though, is sheer brilliance, on par with Lucy's psychiatric booth in "Peanuts," as running jokes go."

this is exactly what I'm talking about. Here, on the surface, he's founded a great set-up in which he could really be clever, but instead it's just pointless and rambling, and worst of all, not funny. Everthing is so blunt and obvious, like a spotlight being beamed into your face two feet in front of you. it doesn't have any of the subtle introspection and wisdom that made the early Peanuts so great.

it's really too bad because Tatsuya is so talented in other ways.


[This message has been edited by goat (edited 10-16-2001).]

[nevermind. problem solved.]

[This message has been edited by goat (edited 10-16-2001).]

"If people were susceptible to pretty art like you say they are, then Melonpool would be the most popular strip on the planet. And Star Trek jokes abound! There has to be an audience for that. [img]/resources/ubb/smile.gif[/img]"

I would say 80% of all teenagers/people in their twenties that i know play computer/video games. I would say a fraction of those people are into star trek. and even if they are, only the few maniacally fannish people go seeking out every star trek injoke comic strip. I'm into star wars but i don't go digging into every nook and cranny of the internet seeking parodies. As for the artwork: please. It's nice, but it doesn't come close to sinfest, or even PvP.

C'mon, david, is this even an argument; you're grasping at straws here. I myself will freely admit that I am a sucker for slick art. I was just bemoaning the fact that a lot of comics that get by on just sheer brilliance don't as much attention as these others that rely on art or built-in audiences.

"Scott and Tat write pretty tight comics. Kurtz, while writing a wretched gaming strip, has characters I like and identify with, even though the only game I play is Super Mario Bros Deluxe on GBA. It's not JUST a gaming strip, it's about people, too."

To be fair, I can't say that i've read all of PvP, but I did read a big chunk of the early strips as well as the new ones. Perhaps I need to read more to get to what you're talking about. But seriously, you don't keep reading a 500 page novel if it still fails to engage you after the fifth chapter, do you? too many injokes that don't interest me. But then I'm worse than you, the only game i play is Super Breakout.

"Sinfest is everything this generation is about. I can't really explain it"

That's because it ISN'T everything this generation is about. But then I don't think any one thing captures an entire generation. How can it? People are individuals, not pieces in a generation jigsaw puzzle. There are people that are not of my generation that i can relate to better than people of my age.

But like you said, it's all a matter of taste, and if Sinfest makes your day happier, more power to ya.

Hey Scott, just to be clear too. When I said:

And I think it is a business, and as such can be discussed and dissected in the same way you can talk about any other business.

I meant that people should relax about this discussion and not flame people.

Personally I think it's very valuable to discuss other people's businesses. By analyzing what other people do a person can better evaluate how their own business is doing. I think you were doing that, and people should relax and enjoy the discussion.

So since we're talking business here, how's yours doing?

Regards, Tim Broderick http://oddjobs.keenspace.com

Business is actually pretty good right now.

We're booked solid all the way through February with the site sponsorships. They are bringing in more than a return on investment for everyone and that's the really great thing.

The comic book keeps selling out. Issue three hit stands last week and the 2000 copies of issue one we had printed have all but sold out (those are the reprints, we sold 6000 copies before that).

Merchandise sales are down I think, but I'm not sure if that's because people can only have so many tee shirts or I'm just not marketing them right. Business with that stuff always picks up right before the holidays though.

Over all, business is good. I'm not complacent however, it could be better.

[This message has been edited by Scott Kurtz (edited 10-16-2001).]

How do you work the sponsorships. I mean, do you work with people to find them and work out contracts or are you pretty much the whole ballgame?

Tim

A lot of it is word of mouth, but most of it is Dork Storm Press' magnificent manager of business Liz Fulda. She's great at finding new prospects.