h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The news hit the webcomic community like a blast of dynamite when it was discovered that Drunk Duck had been purchased.

Just as rapidly, a second dynamite blast came in the forms of the webcomic community reacting harshly to the audacity that the purchasing company seems to have approached the manner in. As if it's the buyer that's being innovative.

Guys, there's a HUGE line of innovation in the world of webcomics. It predates 1996. With giants like Penny-Arcade, Sluggy Freelance, Real Life Comics, Melonpool, Kevin And Kell and others already firmly established, this group that bought Drunk Duck can't claim to break down any walls that weren't already atomized from their rubble-remains years ago.

How strong is this reaction? Penny-Arcade and Checkerboard Nightmare basically created the same strip, independantly. I think both of them even used the term "Interweb" to poke fun at these guys.

Beyond this, however, I have to wonder: this is basically an incorporation of webcomics. Will this work?

What will this company do when they learn of the long tradition of webcomics to not create new content, but to instead create "filler material" or hiatus weeks while the artist rests up after a storyline? Webcomics are very loosely run, and while the best of them never use filler material (*cough*Schlock Mercenary*cough*), it's one of the realities of the industry.

Also, I can't help but wonder how much of a profit this company is expecting from their purchase. While Drunk Duck probably makes enough to get by (as would Blank Label, Dumbrella, Keenspot, and the other major webcomic collectives), webcomic artists are frequently focussed on making their own money. Heck, that's why Howard Taylor left Keenspot.

If it becomes apparent that webcomic artists don't produce material as regularly as other artists, will the buyers suddenly become leery?

I don't know how this'll end up. Heck, this could be the best thing to ever happen to webcomics, but I won't hold my breath.

I just wish these guys wouldn't act like they're the geniuses who came up with it all.