Top 10 Video Game Webcomics

Ryan Sohmer and Lar deSouza

Sohmer and DeSouza had already created the popular webcomic “Least I Could Do” when they made acomic with a focus on fantasy and science fiction, particularly the MMORPG World of Warcraft with each of its four main characters representing a different race from the Horde. Although the comic began as a simple and comedic parody, over the years evolved into an epic drawing inspiration from the likes of the “Lord of the Rings” or “The Wheel of Time” series.

Steve Napierski

After inserting the Konami code into the Last Supper, and parodying the book and film “The da Vinci Code” in the strip “So Dark the Contra of Man” this comic became an overnight success. The strip is indicative of the comic as a whole, which more often than not features one shots poking fun at various trends of current events in the gaming industry. However, the comic also features a number of recurring characters, many representing gaming companies, such as Jeremy the Sony PR Gnome and of course Mario himself.

Zac Gorman

Unlike the other entries on this list, Gorman’s comics frequently combine traditional comic panel artwork with animated gifs resulting in some of the most beautiful and aesthetically unique webcomics on the internet. Strips commonly videogame characters, from Link, to Solid Snake to Star fox. For example, his Zelda centric content explores themes of the “Zelda” series including bravery, adventure, justice, and friendship also prove to be the perfect paining for the comics. Simply put, his comic is a must read for anyone who consisders themselves a gaming expert.

Rich Burlew

Originally envisioned as a simple parody of Dungeons and Dragons, “Order of the Stick” quickly evolved into a comic lampooning a variety of role playing games, including both tabletop and video games, with a complex overarching plot. Along with the comic’s deepening lore and story, the visual style of the comic, has noticeably increased significantly in quality over the years. Appealing to both casual fans with its unique brand of humor as well as die-hards with its obscure references and in jokes, it’s no wonder the comic is consistently one of the most read webcomics year after year.

Scott Kurtz

Centered around a fictional video game magazine, “PvP” is perfectly poised to provide meta commentary both on the gaming industry and those that play the games. Over the years the comic has seen that industry transform multiple times, as “PvP” was one of the first ever online comics about video games, and is rightly hailed as an innovator in the genre. Events in the series often reflect both changing trends in video games and the real life of Kurtz, and with more than a decade and a half of storylines features a rich backstory and diverse set of characters.

Scott Ramsoomair

If there are two things that the internet loves, it’s cats and video games, and combining them proved to be a stroke of genius. As the name would imply, the comic features a variety of anthropomorphic cats, including its main characters named Aeris and Leo. Of course the appeal stretches beyond its adorable main characters as the commentary and humor of the strip is what makes it truly memorable. These characters are frequently featured within a different game’s universe each strip in order to parody specific franchises as well as the industry as a whole.

Tim Buckley

Despite beginning as a comic of one off jokes, “CAD,” as it became known, became a long spanning serise with a dense plot. Following the adventures of three friends and a sentient X-Box. Despite the comic’s shift away from one off gags, and a move to a more coherent and drawn out story, its humor and popularity have remained consistent. The comic also occasionally began to touch on more serious issues, including a plot involving a tragic miscarriage. “CAD” has gone on to spinoff a number of webcomic shorts, known as “CAD Silles” and even had its own animated series.

Katie Tiedrich

Forgoing original characters, the comic instead uses exaggerated versions of iconic video game characters, presenting Marth as a narcissistic pretty boy and featuring a variety of different Links. The comic will often parody games directly, including of course the Super Smash Brothers series, giving characters from different franchises a chance to interact, including of course Roy, depressed for being banished from the series. Thecomic also occasionally even features comics about Katie’s real life adventures with video games, like Pokemon’s returning popularity and sometimes even touches on more serious and heartwarming aspects.

Brian Clevinger

This sprite comic, which utilizes blocky old school video game graphics, and began as a farce of multiple classic video game, eventually narrowed its focus to “Final Fantasy.” While the characters are parodies of the player classes in “Final Fantasy,” they take on much different roles, with the usually noble white mages from the games often acting selfishly. Likewise storylines and many of its characters act as parodies of traditional RPGs. Unlike the other comics ranking on this list, this comic’s overarching story actually came to a conclusion, in true Final Fantasy style with a battle between the forces of light and chaos.
Before we unveil our top pick here are a few honorable mentions:

“MegaTokyo” (2000-)
Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston

“Brawl in the Family” (2008-14)
Matthew Taranto

“2P Start” (2007-10)
Tim Harding

Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik

One of the longest running and most popular webcomics of all time, with more than 3.5 million readers, “Penny Arcade” helped shape webcomics as we know them today. The comic series follows the daily adventures of the easygoing Gabe and bitter Tycho, who act as the alter egos for the creators of the strip. Their misadventures rarely last longer than a single strip, as they parody a wide variety of video games in beautifully vulgar fashion. Holkins and Krahulik become some of the first webcomic artists to be totally supported by their work and have even been featured on Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people. And if all that doesn't convince you of their success, and the success of their comic, their immensely successful Penny Arcade Expos will.

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