Web Comics Update

Last December, we listed the Black Pope's 11 favorite web comics. A short time later, I added a few more to the "Pope Tested, Ministry Approved" list. Since then, a summer of relative inactivity at work has caused the Dark Pontiff's comic habit to expand just a little. The number of "Pope Tested, Ministry Approved" comics has grown to about 30...

To aid the Flock in finding quality web-based entertainment, we are compiling the list here. It's even alphabetical and stuff.

Aikida is the tale of a half Irish, half Japanese girl who turns out to be all demon. This one has a plot, some violence, lots of nudity and sex, and still manages to be funny.

Applegeeks
Fabulous art, Windows bashing, and a cybernetic hottie named Eve.

Bunny is usually cute, often obscure, and frequently poignant.

If you can put up with a very sketchy posting schedule, you will enjoy Butternut Squash, which chronicles the adventures of Ramon, Rob, Evan, and Vince - with special guest star Cola, sweet ginger pony nipple kitten...

If you like hot anime girls in school uniforms (and who doesn't?), then Chugworth Academy is the comic for you. Sally, Chloe, Ellice, and even Rabbit Girl are all hot, and the storylines are oddly appealing.

Clan of the Cats is a serial with spooky subject matter. It's kind of like Mary Worth meets Charmed, with a dash of Buffy for good measure. I know what you're thinking - "Oh, Hell! Not ANOTHER neo-pagan/lycanthrope/necromancy/vampire/love story comic!"

the Devil's Panties is the closest I'll ever get to really liking a raging feminist. Somehow, Jen manages to be angry and cute at the same time.

Diesel Sweeties
Pixelated robot love stories where everyone gets laid regularly. Except Metal Steve; he still has a mullet.

the Doctor Pepper Show is a bit different. I'll let the creator, Rachel Smythe, tell you about it. "This is a comic set in a world where evil doctors rule, girls wear frilly underpants and people use their manners. *May I please blow your f**king head off?* This comic features Gothic Dandys, EGL (Elegant Gothic Lolitas) and medical fetish fashion."

For those who prefer their hot anime girls with a side of tentacles, there is Ghastly's Ghastly Comic. You just can't pass up a comic with the tagline "Tentacle monsters and the women who love them." This comic is worth reading for the "Zipper Ninja" storyline alone.

Go For It is filled with scathing social commentary and angry college humor - perfect for those times when everyone on the planet is bothering you. I read it daily...

"In Soviet Russia, webcomic reads YOU." Or so the creator of Krakow promises. It's a simple tale, of two guys who share an apartment. One is dating a succubus and the other is seeing a nazi... wackiness ensues.

Little Gamers provides some of the harshest criticism of video games on the web. They also make a lot of masturbation jokes. Sort of like Penny Arcade without Tycho's stable hand on the tiller.

Loserz is the tale of highschool outcasts Ben and Eric (geeks) and Jodie (geek slut). If this all sounds disturbingly familiar to you, then you must know the members of the Flock pretty well...

Fabulous art and a strong command of the male psyche makes Mac Hall required reading, but I must confess, the almost total lack of female characters sometimes bugs me...

Sure, Marilith has hot girls with guns, but it's not that simple... which makes this relatively new comic from the creator of Krakow well worth your time. The recent side story about a date rapist getting a bit of his own medicine was great.

MegaTokyo is a towering giant among web comic pygmies. It tells the story of Largo and Piro, trapped in Tokyo, surrounded by hordes of mindless zombies and beautiful anime voice actresses. Poor Piro and Largo. See Largo hack nekkid. Hack Largo, hack.

Oh My Gods! is basically Little Gamers meets Charmed - only funny. Nice, normal, queer pagans trying to deal with the Pope, Clowns for Christ, the Booby Vampire, and a Unitarian.

the Order of the Stick is here solely for the tabletop RPG players among us (you know who you are). If you have ever thrilled to the sound of d20s hitting the table, or been inordinately pleased when your character got a new skill slot, then this comic is for you.

Ah, sweet Penny Arcade. The home of the Fruit Fucker 2000, the Carboard Tube Samurai, and radioactive scorpions - need I say more?

Questionable Content
Indie love stories where only the supporting cast gets laid. Faye lives with Marten, but he can't get anywhere with her. Dora likes Marten, but she can't get anywhere with him. Pintsize is like an iPod with legs, and the last time he got anywhere with anyone, it was with another dude (and he didn't notice 'til it was over).

Joshua, the main male character in Sanity Check tries to tell us that it's his wife who's crazy, but he has his share of neuroses as well. It's funniest if you've ever been married to a crazy person... naturally, I find it hilarious.

*Disclaimer*
This next strip is just plain fucked up. It's not work safe, not parent safe, not kid safe - hell, I'm not even sure that I'm old enough to read it. (These words coming from His Sinfulness, the Black Pope himself. Think hard about that before you click this link.) Sexy Losers is a healthy mix of incest, necrophilia, coprophagia, face shots, and obsessive masturbation. Despite that, it still manages to be funny - sort of.

Sluggy Freelance was my first webcomic love. Although the passion has cooled, Torg, Riff, Zoe, and the switchblade-wielding minilop Bun-Bun are still good friends. "Stay good Riff, stay good!"

Toy Division is nearly the most fucked up webcomic I've ever loved. Join Pepsi Von Hellswine and friends for some good old-fashioned leather fetish, sadism, pearl necklaces, and child rearing.

The now-concluded Surreal U features me as a minor character - that should be reason enough for the sycophants among you to read it...

I'm not sure, but I think laughing at the miserable life of Ugly Girl makes me a bad person. Still, I read it and chuckle - who hasn't been the ugly kid at least once in their life?

For those of us who are now post-college, there is Wapsi Square. It's a tale of five friends who are trying to figure out what to do with themselves now that school is over and they are in the real world.

A World Like My Own is a slightly saner view of the female psyche, and is a sister comic to The Devil's Panties. Push through the first few comics (which are lame) and you'll get to the good stuff.

Sandra, the main character of Zebra Girl is another hot girl who's a demon, but unlike Aikida, she's stuck with the horns and tail all the time... and she can fly.

Honorable Mention
These almost made the list...

Altermeta; Sex, Dragons, and Rock n Roll!

The creator of Clone Manga is seriously deranged. Start with "April and May" - it's the sanest. Once you've read it, try the others... but be prepared.

There are so many more! If you have a favorite that isn't here, please feel free to offer it up in comments.