AWKWARD ZOMBIE

I like Zen Pencils. I don't really get the hate for it; like, if it's too cheesy for you, whatever, but I don't think the guy is trying to be most profound artist ever. He's just taking quotes and applying his own experiences to them, and enough people happen to like what he does that he can get away with not having a "real job". What's wrong with that?

The strips where he's talking about struggling against internet trolls? I guess that could come off as self-centered? It's not like they were offensive though. I found those ones more boring than anything else just cause they didn't really apply to me.

Thats not how it comes across though. The way he draws it, it makes it seem like anyone who actually works a real job is a moron or a coward who "didnt have what it takes to follow their dream", and it just makes me absolutely furious. Art is hard, its extremely difficult to make a living with, and even the best often have to work a day job to fund it. The way this douche writes, he makes it seem like all you have to do is follow some ill defined concept of hard work and you'll make it, which couldnt be further from the truth. I probably wont ever see more than pennies for all the work I've put into my art, does that make me a failure according to this guy? Did I just not work hard enough? I dont mind doing regular jobs to pay my bills and drawing on the side, but this asshole thinks thats beneath him? Fuck him and fuck the horse he rode in on.

I'd just like to know if zen pencils thinks everyone should follow their dreams and ditch their steady, moderate-pay office job, who's going to do the work that those office workers were doing? Believe it or not, some people DO have to have mundane jobs to help society function. You think accounting is fun? No? Well it still has to get done, and accountants make enough cheddar to live comfortably. There's nothing wrong with staying practical.

My parents werent even office workers, they were life long blue collar, my stepfather was a mechanic and my mother was a cook. I wached both of them work so hard for 28 years, and it just makes me so angry to see some pretentious asshole look down on them.

I just wrote out a huge paragraph, then deleted it because getting angry at this asshole isn't worth my time.

I guess I just don't read it that way? Those comics where he talks about people quitting a mundane job they hate are just him talking about his own experiences. Even then they're exaggerations meant to tell a story. Sure he's a bit of an idealist, but I would think anyone with common sense isn't about to quit their jobs unless they're prepared to.

And I don't think he's insulting people who just want simple, practical jobs - that's just not his target audience and that's not the way his own personal experiences went. I would think that anyone with common sense could tell that if you ARE satisfied with your job, cool, keep it. A comic depiction of someone dissatisfied with their job isn't meant to represent everyone who works that job. I don't see where he's insulting anyone.

He's fucking writing a COMIC, and thats a visual medium! It doesnt matter what his personal experiences are, all he's putting into print is how much of an idiot you are if you actually put paying your bills ahead of some nebulpous concept of artistic fulfillment. He's not showing any of that, he just goes straight from quitting your job to making a living of your art, nothing inbetween. Even the fucking wrestling comics are like that. Do you have any ideas how many aspiring wreslters are out there, working by day and wrecking their knees and spine by night, in front of an audience of maybe 20 people? This shithead doesnt know the meaning of artistic sacrifcie, he jusy co-opts everyone else and draws on top of it. He makes me SICK!!!

So... all I'm getting is that he's being overly idealistic? Maybe unoriginal? I can understand not being into that. I personally have the common sense to know that "following your dreams" isn't all sunshine and rainbows. I just think he has an interesting take on things sometimes.

He's made exactly one comic I like, and thats the one about that kid who likes dance class in school and becomes a legitimate ballerina. THATS following your dream, through the good times and bad. The problem is, this guy just takes other peoples quotes and illustrates them, he doesnt show the hardship of following your dream, which the dance comic atleast hints at. Art is great, I am an artist, and my only wish is for some day to truly show what I feel to other people, but this guy doesnt do that He brings nothing new, no new interpretation, just "this is art, go do art".

In regards to Zen Pencils, I'd just like to note that in a comic about exploring the world and constantly learning, the end result is making paintings of various famous photos from around the world. The guy is a hack, is what I'm saying.

If y'all didn't know, Atomic Robo has now switched to webcomic format. Clevinger and crew are uploading it whole issue by whole issue until they catch up to where they stopped (which is killing me, because Robo and his comrades at Tesladyne were in kind of a jam) and then they'll continue from there.

Atomic Robo is a pretty awesome series, although sometimes the whole "SCIENCE!!!" aspect of it gets kind of grating, so I don't recommend reading the entire archive in one sitting. Also, another one of the characters (saying who they are is kind of a spoiler) is just a bit too quirky for me.

daisies it, Isabel, we JUST fixed that fourth wall.

I'm glad some of my suspicions about Isaac were confirmed. Or confirmed harder, since they were already pretty much confirmed earlier this chapter. Maybe one day we'll actually find out what happened. My cheddar is on his storm spirit got out of his control and caused some serious collateral damage or hurt someone but that might be way too simple.

And after trolling the comments section, it looks like there's enough evidence to put this forward: Dmitri, the journalism dude with the afro, used to be a member of the Activity Club but then Isaac did something to drive him off. 1) His cast member entry is super suspect, 2) This page shows a fourth, darker-skinned, member

With Suzy blackmailing Max we could have a big Activity Club v. Journalism Club fracas with Max caught in the middle.

[SPOILER]I want an Insolent Children shirt./SPOILER]