The online encyclopedia Wikipedia
defines "webcomics" as:
"...comics that are available
on the World Wide Web. Many of these web comics are exclusively published online, while others are published
on paper but maintain a web presence or archive, for either commercial or artistic reasons. Web comics run the
gamut from traditional cartoon strip styles to an electronic emulation of manga or graphic novels and beyond,
using the web's inexpensive costs and low entry barrier to begin publication, seek an audience and, in some cases,
advance sequential illustration as an art form.
Webcomics differ from published comic strips, in that almost anyone can start his own comic strip and publish it
on the Web; there is no longer any need to for a creator to meet the approval of a publisher or syndicate.
Currently there are hundreds of web comics, most of which are low-quality and sporadically updated. However,
a number of web comics have endured, and the best web comics rival their newspaper and magazine counterparts
in quality and quantity."
Webcomics, also known as web comics or online comics, are becoming one of the fastest growing forms of media on
the Internet. Webcomic directories like the
Belfry WebComics Index list hundreds of
webcomics from all over the globe. There are also many places for people to host webcomics (see
"Online vs
Newspaper") as well as forums for fans and cartoonists alike to talk about their comics. With such a wide
variety of comics to choose from, it may seem overwhelming at first. It can be difficult to find a comic that
is both entertaining and artistic. However, all a person has to do is search around and sooner or later, he or she
will find a webcomic that has an acceptable degree of humor and style.