Glenn Hauman

Mix March Madness 2016 Webcomics Tournament Championship!

News
April 28, 2016

This is it– a battle two months in the making!

The Final Four fought the good fight, and there are only two left standing. In another context they may be a Dynamic Duo, but as the Scots say, there can be only one. Voting was hot and feverish but knocked out in the Semi-Finals were Not A Villain and Girl Genius, who move on into a contest for the bronze. The stakes are high and the prize is grand. No other web comic will be able to claim bragging rights to winning the ComicMix March Madness 2016. Over 500 were considered, 128 were chosen and one will remain champion. Who will it be…

Erfworld or Unsounded?

All will be known after polls close this Friday, April 29– vote now!

One last time, the brackets…

Erfworld
284-6
Misfile

Girl Genius
8-5
Grrl Power

Erfworld
1012-492
Stand Still. Stay Silent

Girl Genius
92-34
Paranatural

Erfworld
620-332
White Board

Erfworld
Game 15 Details
Unsounded

Girl Genius
98-253
Unsounded

Power Nap
8-105
Stand Still. Stay Silent

Something Positive
4-5
Paranatural

Order of the Stick
10-6
Lackadaisy

Gunnerkrigg Court
12-4
PVP

Order of the Stick
37-185
White Board

Gunnerkrigg Court
54-69
Unsounded

White Board
109-12
xkcd

Unsounded
8-0
Dead Winter

Mix March Madness 2016 Final ROUND

//scripts.poll-maker.com/3012/scpolls.js

As always, we’re letting you support your favorite strips by paying for additional votes, simply click on the Donate button, and during checkout, click on “Which comic are you donating for?” and tell us who you’re voting for. The price is 25¢ a vote this round, with a minimum of four votes purchased at a time, split any way you want. All proceeds from paid votes will go to the Hero Initiative, an organization that helps comic book creators in need. At the close of the round, we’ll add the paid votes to the totals and announce the winner.

Voting ends at midnight Eastern Time on Friday night! Good luck to everyone!

2016 Hugo Award Nominations announced

News
April 26, 2016

The finalists for this year’s Hugo Awards and John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer were announced on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, at 12:00 PM CDT. The announcement was made live to social media, including the Twitter and Facebook accounts of MidAmeriCon II, and via press release.

4032 valid nominating ballots (4015 electronic and 17 paper) were received and counted from the members of Sasquan, MidAmeriCon II, and Worldcon 75.

As was noted by Mike Glyer at File770 before traffic took down his site, it’s very much “Puppies all the way down”.

Theodore Beale, a.k.a. Vox Day’s Rabid Puppies slate placed 64 of its 81 recommendations on the final Hugo ballot. (Withdrawals or items ruled ineligible will not be made known until the voting statistics are released at the Worldcon.)

The following table shows in red the Hugo Nominees that were NOT on the Rabid Puppies List.

The Sad Puppies List is included for the sake of curiosity. It was handled much differently from last year. Items on the SP4 list were ranked in order of the number of recommendations they received. In only four categories did anything get double-digit numbers of recommendations.

We look forward to Mr. Beale crowing how he, Vox Day, got Neil Gaiman a Hugo nomination.

For further reading on the topic, we recommend Hugo Award winning author John Scalzi’s writeup at the Los Angeles Times.

Hugo Nominees	Rabid Puppies List	Sad Puppies List
BEST NOVEL Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin Seveneves: A Novel by Neal Stephenson Uprooted by Naomi Novik	BEST NOVEL Seveneves: A Novel, Neal Stephenson Golden Son, Pierce Brown Somewhither: A Tale of the Unwithering Realm, John C. Wright The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass, Jim Butcher Agent of the Imperium, Marc Miller	BEST NOVEL Somewhither – John C Wright Honor At Stake – Declan Finn The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass – Jim Butcher Uprooted – Naomi Novik A Long Time Until Now – Michael Z Williamson Seveneves – Neal Stephenson Son of the Black Sword – Larry Correia Strands of Sorrow – John Ringo Nethereal – Brian Niemeier Ancillary Mercy – Ann Leckie
BEST NOVELLA Binti by Nnedi Okorafor The Builders by Daniel Polansky Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold Perfect State by Brandon Sanderson Slow Bullets by Alastair Reynolds	BEST NOVELLA Fear and Self-Loathing in Hollywood, Nick Cole Penric’s Demon, Lois McMaster Bujold Perfect State, Brandon Sanderson The Builders, Daniel Polansky Slow Bullets, Alastair Reynolds	BEST NOVELLA Binti – Nnedi Okorafor Penric’s Demon – Lois McMaster Bujold Slow Bullets – Alastair Reynolds Perfect State – Brandon Sanderson The End of All Things 1: The Life of the Mind – John Scalzi Speak Easy – Catherynne M. Valente The Builders – Daniel Polansky
BEST NOVELETTE “And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead” by Brooke Bolander “Flashpoint: Titan” by CHEAH Kai Wai “Folding Beijing” by Hao Jingfang, trans. Ken Liu “Obits” by Stephen King “What Price Humanity?” by David VanDyke	BEST NOVELETTE “Flashpoint: Titan,” Cheah Kai Wai “Folding Beijing,” Hao Jingfang “What Price Humanity?,” David VanDyke “Hyperspace Demons,” Jonathan Moeller “Obits,” Stephen King	BEST NOVELETTE “And You Shall Know Her By The Trail Of Dead” – Brooke Bolander “Pure Attentions” – T. R. Dillon “Folding Beijing” – Hao Jingfang translated by Ken Liu “If I Had No Head and My Eyes Were Floating Way Up In the Air” – Clifford D. Simak “Obits” – Stephen King “Our Lady of the Open Road” – Sarah Pinsker
BEST SHORT STORY “Asymmetrical Warfare” by S. R. Algernon The Commuter by Thomas A. Mays “If You Were an Award, My Love” by Juan Tabo and S. Harris “Seven Kill Tiger” by Charles Shao Space Raptor Butt Invasion by Chuck Tingle	BEST SHORT STORY “Asymmetrical Warfare,” S. R. Algernon “The Commuter,” Thomas Mays “If You Were an Award, My Love,” Juan Tabo and S. Harris “Seven Kill Tiger,” Charles Shao “Space Raptor Butt Invasion,” Chuck Tingle	BEST SHORT STORY “Tuesdays With Molakesh The Destroyer” – Megan Grey “Today I am Paul” – Martin L Shoemaker “… And I Show You How Deep the Rabbit Hole Goes” – Scott Alexander “Asymmetrical Warfare” – S. R. Algernon “Cat Pictures, Please” – Naomi Kritzer “Damage” – David Levine “A Flat Effect” – Eric Flint “Daedelus” – Niall Burke “Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers” – Alyssa Wong “I am Graalnak of the Vroon Empire, Destroyer of Galaxies, Supreme Overlord of the Planet Earth. Ask Me Anything” – Laura Pearlman
BEST RELATED WORK Between Light and Shadow: An Exploration of the Fiction of Gene Wolfe, 1951 to 1986 by Marc Aramini “The First Draft of My Appendix N Book” by Jeffro Johnson “Safe Space as Rape Room” by Daniel Eness SJWs Always Lie: Taking Down the Thought Police by Vox Day “The Story of Moira Greyland” by Moira Greyland	BEST RELATED WORK Appendix N, Jeffro Johnson Between Light and Shadow: An Exploration of the Fiction of Gene Wolfe, 1951 to 1986, Marc Aramini The Story of Moira Greyland, Moira Greyland Safe Space as Rape Room, Daniel Eness SJWs Always Lie, Vox Day	BEST RELATED WORK Sad Puppies Bite Back – Declan Finn Appendix N – Jeffro Johnson Safe Space as Rape Room: Science Fiction Culture and Childhood’s End – Daniel A History of Epic Fantasy – Adam Whitehead Atomic Rockets – Winchell Chung Legosity – Tom Simon There Will Be War Vol X – Edited Jerry Pournelle You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) – Felicia Day Frazetta Sketchbook Number 2 Galactic Journey – http://galacticjourney.org/
BEST GRAPHIC STORY The Divine written by Boaz Lavie, art by Asaf Hanuka and Tomer Hanuka Erin Dies Alone written by Grey Carter, art by Cory Rydell Full Frontal Nerdity by Aaron Williams Invisible Republic Vol 1 written by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman, art by Gabriel Hardman The Sandman: Overture written by Neil Gaiman, art by J.H. Williams III	BEST GRAPHIC STORY The Divine, Boaz Lavie, Asaf Hanuka, Tomer Hanuka Full Frontal Nerdity, Aaron Williams “Erin Dies Alone”, Cory Rydell and Grey Carter The Sandman: Overture, Neil Gaiman and JH Williams III Invisible Republic Vol 1 (#1–5), Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman	BEST GRAPHIC STORY Order of the Stick Stand Still Stay Silent – any 2015 plot arc Schlock Mercenary Book 15 Empowered Volume 9 Saga Volume 5 Erfworld Fables: Farewell Volume 22 Gunnerkrigg Court Chapter 15: Totem Invisible Republic Volume 1 Lazarus: Conclave
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION – LONG FORM Avengers: Age of Ultron written and directed by Joss Whedon Ex Machina written and directed by Alex Garland Mad Max: Fury Road written by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nico Lathouris, directed by George Miller The Martian screenplay by Drew Goddard, directed by Ridley Scott Star Wars: The Force Awakens written by Lawrence Kasdan, J. J. Abrams, and Michael Arndt, directed by J.J. Abrams	BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION – LONG FORM The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Until Dawn Avengers: Age of Ultron The Martian	BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION – LONG FORM Mad Max: Fury Road The Martian Predestination Ant-Man Star Wars: The Force Awakens Inside Out iZombie (Season 1 as a whole) Person of Interest (Season 4 as a whole) Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Ex Machina
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION – SHORT FORM Doctor Who: “Heaven Sent” written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay Grimm: “Headache” written by Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, directed by Jim Kouf Jessica Jones: “AKA Smile” written by Scott Reynolds, Melissa Rosenberg, and Jamie King, directed by Michael Rymer My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: “The Cutie Map” Parts 1 and 2 written by Scott Sonneborn, M.A. Larson, and Meghan McCarthy, directed by Jayson Thiessen and Jim Miller Supernatural: “Just My Imagination” written by Jenny Klein, directed by Richard Speight Jr.	BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION – SHORT FORM Supernatural, “Just My Imagination” Season 11, Episode 8 Grimm, Season 4 Episode 21, “Headache” Tales from the Borderlands Episode 5, “The Vault of the Traveller” Life is Strange, Episode 1 My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic, Season 5, Episodes 1-2, “The Cutie Map”	BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION – SHORT FORM Daredevil Season 1 Episode 2 My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Person of Interest Season 4 Episode 11: If-Then-Else Kung Fury: Laser Unicorns TIE Fighter animation by Otaking 77077 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: Melinda Daredevil Season 1 Episode 13 Doctor Who: Heaven Sent Gravity Falls: Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons Gravity Falls: Northwest Mansion Mystery
BEST EDITOR – SHORT FORM John Joseph Adams Neil Clarke Ellen Datlow Jerry Pournelle Sheila Williams	BEST EDITOR – SHORT FORM Jerry Pournelle	BEST EDITOR – SHORT FORM Jerry Pournelle John Joseph Adams S. M. Sterling Jason Rennie Paula Goodlett Bryan Thomas Schmidt
BEST EDITOR – LONG FORM Vox Day Sheila E. Gilbert Liz Gorinsky Jim Minz Toni Weisskopf	BEST EDITOR – LONG FORM Anne Sowards Bryan Thomas Schmidt Mike Braff Toni Weisskopf Vox Day	BEST EDITOR – LONG FORM Toni Weisskopf Jim Minz Tony Daniel
BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST Lars Braad Andersen Larry Elmore Abigail Larson Michal Karcz Larry Rostant	BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST Larry Elmore Michal Karcz (Karezoid on Deviant Art) Abigail Larson Lars Braad Anderson Larry Rostant	BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST Abigail Larson Sam Weber Frank Cho Larry Elmore Dustin Nguyen Richard Anderson
BEST SEMIPROZINE Beneath Ceaseless Skies edited by Scott H. Andrews, Nicole Lavigne, and Kate Marshall Daily Science Fiction edited by Michele?Lee Barasso and Jonathan Laden Sci Phi Journal edited by Jason Rennie Strange Horizons edited by Catherine Krahe, Julia Rios, A. J. Odasso, Vanessa Rose Phin, Maureen Kincaid Speller, and the Strange Horizons staff Uncanny Magazine edited by Edited by Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, and Erika Ensign & Steven Schapansky	BEST SEMIPROZINE Abyss & Apex Beneath Ceaseless Skies Daily Science Fiction Sci-Phi Journal Strange Horizons	BEST SEMIPROZINE Sci Phi Journal
BEST FANZINE Black Gate edited by John O’Neill Castalia House Blog edited by Jeffro Johnson File 770 edited by Mike Glyer Superversive SF edited by Jason Rennie Tangent Online edited by Dave Truesdale	BEST FANZINE Black Gate Castalia House blog File 770 Superversive SF Tangent Online	BEST FANZINE File 770 Nuke Mars Superversive SF Otherwhere Gazette Tangent Online
BEST FANCAST 8?4 Play, Mark MacDonald, John Ricciardi, Hiroko Minamoto, and Justin Epperson Cane and Rinse, Cane and Rinse HelloGreedo, HelloGreedo The Rageaholic, RazörFist Tales to Terrify, Stephen Kilpatrick	BEST FANCAST The Rageaholic Hello Greedo 8-4 Play Cane and Rinse Tales to Terrify	BEST FANCAST Tea and Jeopardy Geek Gab Hello Greedo
BEST FAN WRITER Douglas Ernst Mike Glyer Morgan Holmes Jeffro Johnson Shamus Young	BEST FAN WRITER Jeffro Johnson Morgan (Castalia House) Shamus Young Zenopus Douglas Ernst	BEST FAN WRITER Jeffro Johnson Declan Finn Eric Flint Mike Glyer Brandon Kempner Charles Akins Dave Freer Dorothy Grant (fynbospress) Ron Edwards
BEST FAN ARTIST Matthew Callahan disse86 Kukuruyo Christian Quinot Steve Stiles	BEST FAN ARTIST Rgus Matthew Callahan Disse86 Darkcloud013 (aka Christian Quinot) Kukuruyo	BEST FAN ARTIST Otaking Karezoid (Michal Karcz) Michael Callahan Piper Thibdeau
CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER Pierce Brown * Sebastien de Castell * Brian Niemeier Andy Weir * Alyssa Wong *	CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER Pierce Brown Cheah Kai Wai Sebastien de Castell Brian Niemeier Andy Weir	CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER Andy Weir Brian Niemeier Alyssa Wong Natasha Pulley Becky Chambers Scott Hawkins Charlie N. Holmberg John Sandford & Ctein Sebastien de Castell

Mix March Madness 2016 Webcomics Tournament Final Four!

News
April 25, 2016

Semifinal time! Elite Eight eliminations now leaves us with the Comicmix April Armageddon 2016 Webcomic Tournament’s Final Four. Left to battle it out in this free for all frenzy is Erfworld, The Whiteboard, Girl Genius, and Unsounded. Which one of these fabulous competitors will be joining the ranks of previous winners like Shotgun Shuffle (2015), Paranatural (2014), Bittersweet Candy Bowl (2013), and Gunnerkrigg Court (2012)? Will Erfworld become the first repeat winner in our history?

To insure your web-horse wins, in addition to your votes, we also take donation bribes. Donations to the Hero Initiative in Round 5 from people like you brought in $270 (!) We appreciate your passion for your favorites, and your desire to help comic creators!

Let’s take a look at the final contestants!

(more…)

John Ostrander: Radical TV Surgery

Columns
April 24, 2016

It was announced this week that Stana Katic, who plays Detective Kate Beckett on the ABC series Castle, was not going to be asked back IF the series is renewed for a ninth season. The reason cited was cost cutting which also accounts for the shortened 13 episode season planned IF the show comes back.

The premise of the show is that mystery writer Richard Castle, played by Nathan Fillion, worms his way onto the NYPD and helps the detectives solve actual murder mysteries rather than the fictional ones he creates. Central to the series has also been his relationship with Beckett; he started by annoying her but, after as many complications and delays that the writers could conceive, they fell in love with each other, acknowledged they were in love, and finally married.

Which makes the loss of Katic/Beckett difficult to understand for me. The show may have been titled Castle, but its core was that relationship between the two leads. Yes, I originally tuned in the show because I had really enjoyed Fillion on Firefly (and the movie that concluded that series, Serenity) but it wasn’t the sometimes predictable mysteries or the often interminable story arcs that made me a big fan of the show. It was the relationships between the characters and central to it all was that relationship between Castle and Beckett. That WAS the show so far as I was concerned and has been since the first episode.

Look, I get the idea that the longer a show is on the more it costs to produce and ways need to be found to cut those costs. I would think that going to a 13 week season would do that but evidently not enough to suit the suits at ABC. However, it’s a big risk.

ABC and Fillion have both expressed confidence that the show can continue without Katic/Beckett but I’m not sure. One thing I have learned in comics over the years is that every time you make a big change in a title you run the risk of alienating the fans. The general reason for the gamble is that, hopefully, you will gain more new readers by making the change than the ones you will most certainly lose by making it. You don’t want to give readers a reason to stop reading.

Some titles seem immune to this for some reason. It almost doesn’t matter which creators are doing Superman, for example. The title is going to be there so long as DC keeps publishing. That’s less true for most comics, however, and even less true for most TV shows.

Could it work? Could ABC drop Katic/Beckett from Castle and hope for it to go on? Conceivably. There will be a curiosity value for some fans, at least for a few episodes. Might that bring in new viewers and/or old viewers who have been away? Conceivably. Much will depend on how they handle it starting with how they explain and then deal with the loss of Beckett. I don’t know how they’ll do it. I’m not privy to their thinking. It seems likely to me, however, that they will kill off the character. I suppose they could put her in an off screen coma but I suspect there will be a desire to close the door.

Given this great love the show has established between Castle and Beckett, Castle would have to grieve her death as part of Season 9. If they have him just go out and start romancing and/or bedding a flock of new ladies, that will be a problem for many viewers, myself included. I personally know what it’s like to lose someone you deeply love and that doesn’t get resolved in an hour minus commercials. That takes time. Castle himself would be changed by Beckett’s loss and, if he isn’t, that just trivializes the love affair that has been at the center of the show for eight seasons. It might even undercut the revenue that the reruns of the show generate on other channels.

ABC hasn’t definitively announced one way or the other if Castle is even renewed for that ninth year. My suggestion – don’t. If in order to bring the show back even for a shortened season they have to destroy the central relationship in the show, then don’t do it. Do something else. Let everyone involved go on to other work.

When Tom Mandrake and I were doing The Spectre at DC, we knew about a year ahead of time that the series would be ending due to slowly eroding sales. DC gave us the opportunity to end the book on our own terms and we were able to put a cap on it that made the entire run one story. The ending completed it.

Right now, the ones still watching Castle are the fans. Do the right thing, ABC. Don’t piss all over them. End the show and do it with some style.

It’s not always about the money.

Mix March Madness 2016 Webcomics Tournament Elite Eight!

News
April 21, 2016

It’s Round 5, starring the Elite Eight of ComicMix’s April Armageddon 2015 Webcomic Tournament. Driving forces in webcomics standing toe to toe, going head to head. Being pitted against each other, fans standing together voting for their favorite until there is just one winner. Who will it be? Every survivor has chance at the brass ring. All they need is your vote!

Speaking of votes…give yourself a round of applause for the strong support for The Hero Initiative, with donations totaling $71.00 in round 4.

The Elite Eight will narrow the field yet again, So vote soon and vote often… and tell your friends. Polls close 12 midnight, Friday, April 22nd EDT!

(more…)

Mix March Madness 2016 Webcomics Tournament Sweet 16!

News
April 14, 2016

Well, that was annoying.

Due to a bunch of fires all happening at the same time, the start of the Sweet 16 round of the April Armageddon was delayed… but now we are down to the best of the best battling to see who will be the winner and bring home the bragging rights for 2016.

Here are the updated brackets. To make it easier, from this point forward the Anderson, Obadiah, Ryan, and Trimpe divisions are being condensed into the final bracket, shown here. To see how we got to this point, look here.

Erfword
Game 1 Details
Misfile

Girl Genius
Game 5 Details
Grrl Power

Winner of 1
Game 9 Details
Winner of 2

Winner of 5
Game 11 Details
Winner of 6

Winner of 9
Game 13 Details
Winner of 10

Winner of 13
Game 15 Details
Winner of 14

Winner of 11
Game 14 Details
Winner of 12

Power Nap
Game 2 Details
Stand Still. Stay Silent

Something Positive
Game 6 Details
Paranatural

Order of the Stick
Game 3 Details
Lackadaisy

Gunnerkrigg Court
Game 7 Details
PVP

Winner of 3
Game 10 Details
Winner of 4

Winner of 7
Game 12 Details
Winner of 8

White Board
Game 4 Details
xkcd

Unsounded
Game 8 Details
Dead Winter

And to manage the polls, we’re doing it directly via Twitter! Here are the polls… vote now and then share and retweet them!

Mix March Madness Sweet 16 — @erfworld vs. @misfilecomic! https://t.co/t43M7agOUC

— ComicMix (@comicmix) April 14, 2016

Mix March Madness Sweet 16 — @maritzac vs. @SSSScomic! https://t.co/t43M7agOUC

— ComicMix (@comicmix) April 14, 2016

Mix March Madness Sweet 16 — @RichBurlew vs. @LackadaisyCats! https://t.co/WxzK6TqIhf

— ComicMix (@comicmix) April 14, 2016

Mix March Madness Sweet 16 — The Whiteboard vs. @xkcd! https://t.co/WxzK6TqIhf

— ComicMix (@comicmix) April 14, 2016

Mix March Madness Sweet 16 — It’s a Girl fight! @girlgenius vs. @grrlpowercomic! https://t.co/WxzK6TqIhf

— ComicMix (@comicmix) April 14, 2016

Mix March Madness Sweet 16 — @choochoobear vs. @paranaturalzack! https://t.co/WxzK6TqIhf

— ComicMix (@comicmix) April 14, 2016

Mix March Madness Sweet 16 — @gunnerkrigg vs. @pvponline! https://t.co/WxzK6TqIhf

— ComicMix (@comicmix) April 14, 2016

Mix March Madness Sweet 16 — @UnsoundedComic vs. @reiley! https://t.co/WxzK6TqIhf

— ComicMix (@comicmix) April 14, 2016

As usual, we’re letting you support your favorite strips by paying for additional votes, with your money going to charity. Simply click on the Donate button below, and during checkout, click on “Which comic are you donating for?” and tell us who you’re voting for. The price is 20¢ a vote, with a minimum of five votes purchased at a time, split any way you want. All proceeds from paid votes will go to the Hero Initiative, an organization that helps comic book creators in need. At the close of the round, we’ll add the paid votes to the totals and announce the winners who move on to the brackets. (And yes, your donations to Hero are tax deductible.)

Remember, voting ends at midnight Eastern Time on Saturday night, April 16th! Good luck to everyone!

New Suicide Squad Trailer Unveiled at MTV Movie Awards

Every Comic Eventually Gets Adapted / News
April 11, 2016

We have a weakness at ComicMix for the baddies from Belle Reve, and this trailer shows you a little bit more of why:

Suicide Squad comes out August 5th. Hold on tight.

Round 3 of the Mix March Madness 2016 Webcomics Tournament!

News
April 5, 2016

Now that those basketball games are over (go Wildcats!) we’re ready for Round 3 of the 2016 Mix ~~March Madness~~ April Armageddon Webcomics Tournament! Yes, it’s time to take on the Top 32… and you have until Wednesday, April 6 at midnight EST to vote!

Congratulations to everyone who made it through Round 2, and we’ve raised another $30 for the Hero Initiative. But now it gets even tougher, as we’re down to only 32 webcomics… and we know that every vote counts from you and all your friends, so make sure to share and tweet about it, because Round 3 starts now!

Here are the updated brackets. As usual, we’re dividing the candidates into four divisions. This year’s divisions are Anderson, Obadiah, Ryan, and Trimpe…

Anderson Division

Erfworld
BYE

Erfworld
127-18
Garfield Minus Garfield

Guilded Age
8-12
Garfield Minus Garfield

Erfworld
Game 25 Details
Wilde Life

Modest Medusa
9-18
Wasted Talent

Wasted Talent
8-56
Wilde Life

Winner of 25
Game 29 Details
Winner of 26

Kevin & Kell
17-105
Wilde Life

Ava’s Demon
74-6
Hijinks Ensue

Ava’s Demon
11-39
Misfile

Winner of 29
Game 31 Details
Winner of 30

Dork Tower
11-26
Misfile

Misfile
Game 26 Details
Flaky Pastry

A Girl and Her Fed
11-3
K Chronicles

A Girl and Her Fed
18-25
Flaky Pastry

Flaky Pastry
17-10
I am ARG

Goblins
23-4
Basic Instructions

Goblins
20-33
Power Nap

Power Nap
18-6
String Theory

Power Nap
Game 27 Details
Skin Horse

Skin Horse
11-8
Spinnerette

Skin Horse
19-9
Axe Cop

Winner of 27
Game 30 Details
Winner of 28

Sinfest
9-21
Axe Cop

El Goonish Shive
21-7
Battlepug

El Goonish Shive
38-10
Shortpacked

Shortpacked
8-6
Star Power

El Goonish Shive
Game 28 Details
Stand Still. Stay Silent.

Stand Still. Stay Silent.
282-6
Slightly Damned

Stand Still. Stay Silent.
253-27
Scandinavia and the World

Scandinavia and the World
71-9
Broodhollow

Obadiah Division

Order of the Stick
BYE

Order of the Stick
46-18
Awkward Zombie

Non-Adventures of Wonderella
11-67
Awkward Zombie

Order of the Stick
Game 25 Details
Sluggy Freelance

Sluggy Freelance
13-8
Superbitch

Sluggy Freelance
20-17
Devil’s Panties

Winner of 25
Game 29 Details
Winner of 26

Devil’s Panties
8-6
Delve

Namesake
26-2
Dicebox

Namesake
32-21
Romantically Apocalyptic

Winner of 29
Game 31 Details
Winner of 30

Wapsi Square
11-17
Romantically Apocalyptic

Namesake
Game 26 Details
Lackadaisy

Manly Guys Doing Manly Things
19-5
New Adventures of Queen Victoria

Manly Guys Doing Manly Things
31-41
Lackadaisy

Lackadaisy
21-11
Earthsong

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
BYE

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
27-25
Widdershins

Not A Villain
12-21
Widdershins

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Game 27 Details
The Whiteboard

Two Lumps
7-12
Strong Female Protagonist

Strong Female Protagonist
19-60
The Whiteboard

Winner of 27
Game 30 Details
Winner of 28

Cyanide & Happiness
14-15
The Whiteboard

xkcd
77-13
Derelict

xkcd
72-53
Shotgun Shuffle

The Oatmeal
6-37
Shotgun Shuffle

xkcd
Game 28 Details
League Of Super Redundant Heroes

Looking For Group
17-21
O Human Star

O Human Star
7-24
League Of Super Redundant Heroes

League Of Super Redundant Heroes
18-7
Darths & Droids

Ryan Division

Girl Genius
BYE

Girl Genius
86-14
Love Not Found

Love Not Found
40-2
Charby The Vampirate

Girl Genius
Game 25 Details
Sandra and Woo

Sandra and Woo
50-7
The End

Sandra and Woo
36-15
JL8 Comic

Winner of 25
Game 29 Details
Winner of 26

JL8 Comic
10-3
Wondermark

Blow the CARTRIDGE
2-4
The Fox Sister

The Fox Sister
7-9
Multiplex

Winner of 29
Game 31 Details
Winner of 30

Dinosaur Comics
4-5
Multiplex

Multiplex
Game 26 Details
Grrl Power

Schlock Mercenary
15-5
Lady Sabre and the Pirates of the Ineffable Aether

Schlock Mercenary
29-42
Grrl Power

Grrl Power
31-3
Evil Inc.

Something Positive
15-12
Amya

Something Positive
19-13
Three Panel Soul

Penny Arcade
5-10
Three Panel Soul

Something Positive
Game 27 Details
Scenes From A Multiverse

Scenes From A Multiverse
3-1
Steve Rogers, American Captain

Scenes From A Multiverse
11-9
A Softer World

Winner of 27
Game 30 Details
Winner of 28

Dust Bunny Mafia
1-6
A Softer World

Dumbing of Age
25-4
Bug Martini

Dumbing of Age
28-23
Skin Deep

Skin Deep
9-4
spindrift

Dumbing of Age
Game 28 Details
Paranatural

Dresden Codak
12-8
Sam and Fuzzy

Dresden Codak
24-40
Paranatural

Paranatural
28-6
Commander Kitty

Trimpe Division

Gunnerkrigg Court
BYE

Gunnerkrigg Court
74-22
Nimona

Nimona
95-6
Blaster Nation

Gunnerkrigg Court
Game 25 Details
Freefall

Sheldon
6-3
Table Titans

Sheldon
8-34
Freefall

Winner of 25
Game 29 Details
Winner of 26

Freefall
17-0
Yellow Peril

Candi
6-13
Drive

Drive
18-7
Weregeek

Winner of 29
Game 31 Details
Winner of 30

Weregeek
9-4
Nedroid Picture Diary

Drive
Game 26 Details
PVP

PVP
9-4
Medium Large

PVP
20-13
Johnny Wander

Johnny Wander
10-6
Everblue

Questionable Content
BYE

Questionable Content
48-57
Unsounded

Octopus Pie
6-35
Unsounded

Unsounded
Game 27 Details
Blindsprings

Homestuck
72-6
Stick in the Mud

Homestuck
18-32
Blindsprings

Winner of 27
Game 30 Details
Winner of 28

Blindsprings
21.7
Breaking Cat News

Dr. McNinja
19-23
Dead Winter

Dead Winter
30-21
Supernormal

Supernormal
14-12
Snow by Night

Dead Winter
Game 28 Details
Cucumber Quest

Girls With Slingshots
15-9
Piled Higher and Deeper

Girls With Slingshots
24-33
Cucumber Quest

Monster Pulse
12-106
Cucumber Quest

As usual, we’re letting you support your favorite strips by paying for additional votes, with your money going to charity. Simply click on the Donate button below, and during checkout, click on “Which comic are you donating for?” and tell us who you’re voting for. The price is 20¢ a vote, with a minimum of five votes purchased at a time, split any way you want. All proceeds from paid votes will go to the Hero Initiative, an organization that helps comic book creators in need. At the close of the round, we’ll add the paid votes to the totals and announce the winners who move on to the brackets. (And yes, your donations to Hero are tax deductible.)

Remember, voting ends at midnight Eastern Time on Wednesday night, April 6th! Good luck to everyone!

Mix March Madness 2016 Webcomics Tournament Round 2! Vote Now!

News
March 31, 2016

Round 2 of the Mix March Madness 2014 Webcomics Tournament— soon to become April Armageddon— starts here! Voting lasts until Midnight EDT on Saturday, April 2!

Congratulations to everyone who made it through Round 1! We’re down to 64 webcomics after a last minute tiebreaker, and we’re raising more money for the Hero Initiative. Let’s get on with the show!

Here are the updated brackets. As usual, we’re dividing the candidates into four divisions. This year’s divisions are Anderson, Obadiah, Ryan, and Trimpe…