Online comic Distractions

We're all busy. We need to maximize our waking hours, and

that includes multitasking for every possible task.

Chances are you spend about five minutes each day brushing your teeth. OK, let's say three minutes a day. Those three minutes need to be more productive

than just gagging on a piece of plastic. Since brushing only takes one hand, let that subdominant hand take your computer mouse and lead you to some of these quick

online comic distractions.

Garfield minus Garfield:

Must-reads: 02/13, 02/16, 08/30

So simple yet so effective, the title says it all. Dan Walsh takes Garfield comics and edits out the orange cat, leaving a lonely Jon Arbuckle to lean over and scowl at nothingness. New comics are not posted on a regular basis, so it doesn't need to be bookmarked…but it's worth a visit.

Cyanide and Happiness:

Must-reads: 49, 55

The brainchild of Kris Miller, Cyanide and Happiness is a dark, sometimes offensive comic involving simple characters with even simpler minds. What I like about C&H is that the strip has developed over six years; you can see the maturation in the art and humor.

Dinosaur comics:

Must-reads: 8, 387

It's weird to think that a strip in which every comic has the exact same six panels of artwork would make this list, but alas, the sometimes- so-absurdist-to-be-not-absurd Ryan North's Dinosaur comic strip deserves its merits. Even if you just read half of each comic, that will be enough for you to check how the green T-Rex justifies stomping the log cabin…every third panel of every single comic.

XKCD:

Must-reads: 112, 123, 162

I would be excommunicated from the math and computer science department if they found out I was writing an article on online comic strips and I didn't include XKCD, so here goes. If you follow it, you know that unless you are well versed in electrical engineering and programming

in C++, at least one out of the three comics each week (it releases Mon/Wed/Fri) is certain to go over your head. So don't get frustrated if you can't understand the premise, let alone the punch line, because there are other comics like the Online Communities Map or the Movie Narratives Chart you will love so much that you'll buy the poster for $20 and hang it in your dorm room.

Perry Bible Fellowship:

Must-reads: Pyro Billy, Happy Brothers, Cave Explorer, Skub

My favorite of the bunch, PBF is chock-full of non-sequitors and last panel turns, often towards a grotesque punchline.

Nicholas Gurewitch likes to anthropomorphize vegetables,

fruits, worms and peanut butter and jelly. Go to the website and just click "random" a few times – you won't be disappointed…that is, until you run out of new ones

to read.