Webcomics are one of the best and most affordable ways of enjoying comics. Considering how expensive comics can be and how expensive giving holiday gifts can get, it is worth checking some classic webcomics for a bit of free entertainment.
There is no genre lacking in the wonderful world of webcomics, from comedy to drama and horror to fantasy. However, seeing as many comics are befitting for the holiday season, it seems like the perfect time to shine a light on those iconic webcomics that have taken the time to celebrate. Here are 10 classic webcomics that are packed full of fun stories for the holidays.
10 Least I Could Do
The main character of Least I Could Do, Rayne Summers, is a charismatic womanizer and childishly impulsive young man who engages in various hijinks, harassing his friends, picking up women, and generally causing mischief wherever he can. Over the years, he has evolved with the times, and while it is a stretch to claim he has "matured," Rayne is at least more respectful of boundaries and ethics.
Christmas and New Years' comics are fairly common. One of the classic ongoing stories involving his interest in a woman from a traditional family culminated with the two finally hooking up after a New Year's Party. Interestingly, Valentine's Day is actually the biggest holiday celebrated by this book, where fans can send in applications to appear on a date with one of the characters.
9 Something Positive
This hilariously transgressive comic from Randy Milholland first debuted on December 19th, 2001, and it is still going. The characters began as a group of nerdy goth-leaning 20-somethings living in Boston, cracking wise and trying to get through their daily lives.
The edgy humor and references to various subcultures made this one of the best comics of the early 00s. Since the comic began in December, Christmas and New Year's were key to the first few stories, a tradition echoed every winter. As one of the characters, Kim, is Wiccan, there are also at least two stories addressing her worship of Pagan holidays.
8 Devil’s Panties
This is one of many great comics by the artist Jennie Breedan and is, in fact, her autobiography told in comic form. This awesome nerdy creator has plenty of real-life adventures that range from drunken shenanigans to using leaf blowers to lift kilts at Dragon Conーall detailed in Devil's Panties (which, despite the name, is rated "PG-13").
As this is based on Jenny's real life, some comics feature get-togethers with family for special occasions or her general shock at how people behave during different holidays.
7 The Zombie Nation
The Zombie Nation is about zombies who are less than ambitious about their role in the zombie apocalypse. The series finds humor and absurdism within the horror genre, dealing with everything from the whiny undead corpses to the Great Old Ones' personal livess.
A few of the comics are also inspired by the life of the author, Carter Reid. In 2012, he made several comics about the doomsayers predicting the end of the world would commence with the New Year. Still, he also had a Kwanzaa comic inspired by his daughter's interest in learning about her own African heritage.
6 SMBC
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (or SMBC, for short) is a comic created by the prolific Zack Weinersmith (who also has multiple other comics and books to his name as well as a podcast and the web series SMBC Theater). The comic posts seven days a week, and each new comic is a totally self-contained story (though there are some recurring characters). A single comic can range from one panel to about twenty.
Many stories over the year have dealt with Christmas and Hanukkah, always in a comedic way. Some are funny, nuanced hot takes on the traditions, while others are a bit more absurd.
5 Ctrl+Alt+Del
This comic by Tim Buckley about a couple of gamers who live together in an apartment has evolved a lot over the years. The protagonist, Ethan, is a misanthropic lazy video game addict. However, over time he grows to become more ambitious, responsible, wise, and compassionate.
Ethan even invents his own holiday for gaming: Winter-een-mas. This January celebration lasts a few weeks and is dedicated to the sheer joys of playing video games. There are even different patron saints of gaming representing the different genres. Year after year, Ethan spreads the holiday spirit of Winter-een-mas, reaching more and more people. It is also worth noting that the comic discusses the broader Christmas season.
4 Sexy Losers
This comic follows several different characters through their romantic lives. The humor is raunchy and gets into some serious taboos, so this series is not for everyone, but it has a huge cult.
Every so often, the comic goes on a prolonged hiatus, then returns. That said, some of the funniest comics are tied to holiday stories, usually combining multiple characters or plotlines in a short vignette.
3 Penny Arcade
One of the longest-running and most popular webcomics around, Penny Arcade was created by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins and debuted November 18, 1998. Its primary focus is video games and gamer culture, but it also has such recurring characters as Santa Clause, Jesus, and various video game characters.
There have been many Penny Arcade Christmas posts over the comic's very long run. Some such stories include the two-parters "The Ungift" and "On the Worst Day of Christmas."
2 Cyanide and Happiness
Admittedly, Cyanide and Happiness does not have a traditional "story" structure beyond the occasional repeating gag or character, as it is usually just a series of stick figures who set up a single joke for that day's comic. The series has four creators: Rob DenBleyker, Dave McElfatrick, Kris Wilson, and Matt Melvin (the last of whom quit in 2014).
That said, every year, there are comics specifically for the holiday season. There are also a series of Cyanide and Happiness animated shorts which include the skit "It's a Sad Christmas, Larry," a hilarious tragicomedy about a man named Larry having a particularly awful Christmas morning. Some of the merch for the comic includes Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa cards for those people in your life with an irreverently twisted sense of humor.
1 Scandinavia and the World
To those unfamiliar with Scandinavia and the World, you've been missing out. This delightful comic about the cultures of different Scandinavian countries personifies each nation as a character.
SATW has many creators but the vast majority of strips (more than 600) were written and drawn by the artist known as Humon, including all of the Christmas comics. Some of these stories include the different countries arguing about which country Santa Klaus lives in and the contentious topic of how Scandinavian Christmas traditions still include some older Heathen religious elements.