No seriously, as review readers, you should be interested in this, since there’s a lot more to these projects than simply, ‘LOL webcomics.’ You should really understand the insider view about what’s involved in the webcomic review medium, since it’s all fucked.

I’ll give you the breakdown of why they exist:

A. In it for the Lulz
By far the most uncommon type, since just about everyone has a different, or ulterior, motive. This is probably the second purest form of review, because the reviewer could give a shit about things such as credibility and consistency.

B. In it for ‘teh artz’ (illustration, writing, etc…)
I’m in it for a lot of things, but this would be my ‘intention,’ being a presumptuous fucker that would like to see better things (re: growth) from pre-existing talent. It’s ultimately self-serving, but with higher standards than example A.

C. In it for the traffic
This is the most common, as usually tied to an existing webcomic. There are literally hundreds of these, some with longer lives than others. They enjoy nothing more than getting an extra 12 hits a week on their own comic via their service to the community as a whole. (To ma haterz, I run a site blog, not a dedicated project to any medium. I’m not actually a webcomicker, or a pure reviewer. There’s far better ways to get traffic). In any case, I don’t think anyone’s comic actually gets hits from a review tie-in, so they really need to find a new method.

D. God Hates Faggots (In it for the hate)
Troll-blogs are a form of masturbation. See example J.

E. In it for the work
Subcategory of B, this is an exercise in journalism, writing, all without any investment in webcomics or traffic. It’s a blog. They could really give a fuck. Actually it’s the most respectable avenue, as far as detachment.

F. In it for the Monies
Are you fucking kidding me? A Project Wonberful ad-campaign to offset hosting fees is ok, and smart, but thinking this with gather you more than four-bucks-a-month is worth a public tea-bag.

G. In it for the love
See Tangents. Oft maligned, and always over-analytical, the non-comicker-yet-comic-lover lacks overt credibility because they ZOMG talk about comics they enjoy. Criticizing the motivation is fucking retarded since most review blogs hate everything. This is a polar deviation thereof.

H. Just passing through
Un-dedicated, not even for the lulz, these reviews are largely ignored since the writer doesn’t really give a shit, we don’t give a shit; they’re just filling space. It’s only different from ‘A’ at the point that said blogger may as well be talking about youtube or cooking.com recipes.

I. In it for the readers
Yeah, I feel it from time to time, but I don’t consider it a motivation. This is some selfless/selfserving shit filtered through H well into the realm of obligation. I pity these bloggers. If you don’t like what you do, on your own terms, it’s worthless.

J. In it for the e-penor
This might be the worst, and most fruitless. Money, a writer may get, any kind of e-fame that translates through to reality is a fucking joke. Anyone hoping to validate their effort and existence through internet celebrity needs a cold case of ‘no one likes you,’ if just to prove a point. The real reviewers do it for a lot of reasons, mostly for the love of comics or writing. Fame really is a joke.

K. In it for the props
I like this. A lot. Normally from webcomickers, usually in their newsposts, notably from the semi-popular to megastars, they’ll throw a link, a paragraph, or a full pimp out there to an up-and-comer or a less popular influence. Fuck, they often spotlignt a popular influence, just to give props as any artist or writer would to their favorite creator.

This is when you know there’s no motive, no catch, just pure gratitude and appreciation for a project they respect, or a project that helped shape their own.

I can’t do this, but that doesn’t mean I don’t admire it.

**

Twisted Kaiju Theater requested a review today. I’m updating my BFLoD tonight with like 10 new comics, to fill the space of the two I recently reviewed. Now the fact that the godfather of photocomics is asking me for my opinion, a parody-photo degenerate, isn’t worth jerking off, but it does say that internet press (fuck, any press) for webcomics, is an occupational hazard many view valuable enough to risk getting their ass reemed because of some douchbag’s ulterior motives.

If I wanted to suck e-cock, I’d have done it by now. If I wanted to pick on kids, I’d do it more often. This review shit isn’t hard, but it’s not gratifying. Anyone in it for anything other than the lulz, the art, or giving props, are just wasting their goddamn time.