Comics are of course a big part of our culture. Whether you prefer Manga, American Graphic Novels, or the funny pages, chances are you read at least one regularly. But the comics for sale in the world of dead trees have had a new rival for a while now; comics published on the internet.
What this means is that instead of being sold in issues or as a part of newspapers, internet comic strips are published on their creators website, as often or as seldom as that creator wishes, although the most popular ones do have a daily or semi-daily schedule. Mostly, they are free, although there are exeptions, see below.
Just as their paper counterparts, internet comics are a diverse crowd and therefore hard to describe. But since they have evolved in a certain environment, there are features that can be compared.
The pros and cons of the digital medium are slightly more than this article can chew, but the there are some main differences between the traditional comics media, and the new, some of which, but probably not all, will be described here.

Infinity

The main difference, when it comes to how things look, is that internet comics have no limitation on size or layout. Being digital, there is no need to take the cost of paper, or the demands of newspaper layouts into consideration.
Referred to as the Infinite Canvas, this phenomenon means that the artists may publish their work in whatever format they please. Squares are only the most popular shape, they are by no means the only one available. Comics drawn as series of circles, triangles and stars are by no means unheard of. More common variations are simply larger panels, or asymmetric pages. The point is, the author of an internet comic is free to create whatever layout he or she prefers, as opposed to having a standard to fit his images into.
Jokes on this theme are, of course, common, and fifty-foot panels abound. But mostly, it just means that each individual artist has a unique style.

Freedom

As touched upon above, the main difference between internet comics and traditional ones, is that the artist has complete creative control. There is no syndicate to please, no backing money to keep coming. While this means that most internet comic artists often have to work at a loss, it does mean that they can work as they please. They can draw whatever they choose, and make whatever point they want. Or just draw boots. It's up to them.
The internet, with its, in theory, world-wide market, is a happy playing ground for aspiring artists who might otherwise never have had a chance to find an audience for their work. Not because what they make is low-quality, but because it does not have direct commercial potential. However, the internet is also a great place to develop whatever skills one has. Internet audiences are more forgiving then those who buy comics in a shop, and many an internet artist, now supplying beautiful work to devoted fans, started out with little or no artistic skills whatever (since most internet comic strips provide free access to their entire archive of past strips, this can be easily verified). And even if the quality started out okay, almost none of the comics available do not show signs if development.
The flipside of this is that there is a lot of substandard work out there. But, unlike comics that you have to pay for, on the internet you are free to browse, and read what you like. This means that everyone can find something that suits them, and that most artist can find a following with which to share their work. And that brings us to the next bit.

Feedback

The readers of internet comics have direct access to the creators of what they read.
Think about that again. If a reader has something to say, they can usually just send an e-mail. Most artists even provide forums where their readers can talk about their work, or just get to know each other. Many comics spawn their own communities, with a culture uniquely their own. The artists take part in discussions with their fans, react to criticism and share trade secret and personal stories. Some fans get to know the creator of their favourite comic well, and get to share in the ups and downs in the lives of each other. Announcements of good fortune will cause general jubilations, while admittance of tragedies big and small will cause everyone to offer sympathy and support. This level of contact between fans, and between fans and artists, is unheard of in the traditional comic media.
Another advantage of this is that the artist can receive the opinions of his fans directly. He can see if a particular move went down well almost as soon as a comic strip hits the net, and he can share his plans and ask for criticism. No-one says he or she has to listen, but the option is there, and often fans do have an impact.

Economy

There is, of course, one main drawback to this form of publishing: money. Since most of these comics are free, money is made through the sale of merchandise, advertising, or donations from fans. Very seldom can an artist make a living from this, although there are exeptions, see below.
Modern Tales, and its sister sites, is a business model which offers readers the option to subscribe to 25-30 comics for a monthly charge, usually not much. While many claim that this is a violation of the whole "point" of internet comics, the fact remains that the this gets the artists a relatively steady income and reasonable working conditions, and offers to readers a selection of the best the internet has to offer, since these comics must necessarily hold a certain standard. Another attempt at solving the money problem is to offer comics for free, but together. Keenspot is such a phenomenon. The Keenspot community is a collection of the most popular comics on the internet. The comics here are still free, but since more comics means more readers, they are more lucrative for advertisers. Individual artists also offer such merchandise and T-shirts and books (see below), but the main thing is the comics themselves. The case remains that since very few internet comic artists make much money, their work is a labour of love.

Offline

Funnily enough, a company has sprung up that turns internet comics into printed books. Plan 9 is an internet publishing company that caters only to the online comics fans, publishing their favourites in book form. The irony involved in this is too much for the author of this article to tease out, but never the less, it proves that it is possible to make money form publishing something that is also offered for free. The books often contain additional material, such as extra stories, bonus drawings and the like, and a great amount of work is put into them. The results are usually good, so this is definitely a Good Thing.

Examples

How many of you scrolled directly down here?
Joke aside, here are a couple of strictly subjective recommendations. However, there are enough to choose from, so don't limit yourself; go find some that you like.

College Roomies From Hell!!!

Having gathered a rather large following, this comic is the ultimate in the bizarre. Following the misadventures of six college students, it has, as stated in the newbie introduction, a tendency to grow on you, like evil mold. Featuring such elements as freaky super-powers, resident devil-worshippers, possessed appliances and more weirdness than you can shake a rocket-launcher at, the main attraction of this one is that you never know where it will stop.

Clan of the Cats

A classic adventure comic, this follows the life of Chelsea Chattan, who one day discovers that she is not only a werepanther, a witch and very, very cursed, she is apparently also the subject of a prophesy. Top notch art and knack for mixing the supernatural with everyday themes are the main reason for the recommendation, since it features both epic hero tales, and stories dealing with Chelsea’s family and life away from magic. A strong cast of characters is an added bonus.

Sluggy Freelance

This is a true gem of oddness, more a phenomenon in its own right than a simply a webcomic. A testament to its popularity is that this one actually manages to pay the bills for its creator. Featuring a switchblade-wielding mini-lop, assorted demons, a mad inventor with a penchant for exploding giant robots and resident ghost named Beth, it is really a treat to just watch the long, involved, and totally incomprehensible storylines unfold before your very eyes.

Bruno the Bandit


Think Robin Hood with cellphones. And without Robin Hood.
This is the most topical of the ones shown here, ocasionally centering entire storylines around the issue of the day. On the other hand, the brilliant use of anachronisms, the great art and the dialogue in themselves are worth a peek, and the author is not above sending sense and sanity into merry oblivion. Be warned though, puns galore. To be avoided by anyone with cracked ribs.

And if you don't mind paying for your pleasure, try Graphic Smash a Modern Tales sister site, focusing on action and adventure. There are many gems here, my personal favorite being Digger, a chronicle of the adventures of a talking wombat. Or should I say pickaxe-wielding smart-alecky wombat? Anyway, the price is something like three dollars a month, and you get thirthy-somthing comics, with anything from westerns to space-adventure, and from serious to really, really goofy.