Nick Costanzo
Aug 18, 2006, 08:38 am
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/TangledPanels.jpg" hspace=10 align=left border=0 alt="Tangled Panels Logo">By Nick Costanzo, winged.outlaw@gmail.com
Something Positively Dark
Editor's note: This column refers to a webcomic that is intended for mature audiences and includes possibly non-worksafe material. Click on links at your own risk.
Take a look outside for a moment. What's that you see? Pretty trees, sunshine, happiness perhaps? Maybe what you see before you is a world full of possibility and opportunity, with the clear blue sky representing your only limit. Well, let me tell you something. One day, you're gonna die, most likely in a pile of fluids that you produced. You'll be alone, cold, damp, and miserable without the slightest shade of light to pierce the darkness that is about to eclipse your pointless life. In short, there's no god and your idiotic human ideals are laughable.
Cool, now you're in the proper state of mind for me to introduce RK (Randy) Milholland's Something Positive (http://www.somethingpositive.net), a webcomic that boasts some of the darkest humor that you'll ever find on the Internet. The general format is typical of all reality comics, centering around the daily lives of a few friends (though as the series has progressed, the cast has grown truly massive). Most of the focus is given to Davan MacIntire, Randy's cynical, self-loathing alter-ego. Davan, well... Davan is an ass (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp02012002.shtml). A man who is used to life kicking him in the balls, his outlook on said life holds nothing sacred. I'm warning you all right now, anyone who considers themselves at all sensitive will likely be shocked (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp03082002.shtml) at what Davan is capable of doing to other people. Never one to allow an Alternative Lifestyle (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01252005.shtml) to stand in the way of his torment (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp10292002.shtml), Davan delights in delivering misery to all who deserve it. (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01152003.shtml)
However, Davan's actions often seem tame compared to the rest of the "main" cast. Take Aubrey, for example. Better known as the most depraved (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01122004.shtml) woman on the planet, and also the star of my favorite S*P strip. (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01282002.shtml) Mix her with the usually normal, but at times hyper violent (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp10292004.shtml) PeeJee Shou, and you have a recipe for pure, yet comical evil. (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp11102004.shtml) A combination of hot, down-to-earth, and Asian, men are pretty much powerless (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01092002.shtml) in their presence. And while they may be the objects of lust, they also illicit a very due amount of fear (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01112002.shtml). Rounding out the cast (and balancing the genders) is Jason Pratchett, a child genius who is the most outgoing of the group. And by outgoing, I mean he's slept with half of Boston. He first rose to infamy with his "unique" take on the Crucifixion through the multi-part Nailed! (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp03012002.shtml) storyline. Suffice it to say that if you're not offended at least a little, you're almost certainly going to hell. He arguably tops himself later when he teams up with Davan to write the "anti-play", where "Mr. Bone Cancer" (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp05192003.shtml) fights against a gay minister and Princess Di (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp05202003.shtml) in an effort to make the most offensive thing possible to the average Broadway fan. Later in the strip, he actually enters into a relationship with Aubrey, and against all odds it forms into the most stable and loving young couple seen in the entire history of the strip (with the exception of Davan's parents). They're getting married (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp07172006.shtml) pretty soon now.
Oh, and Davan has a boneless and fully-malleable cat named Choo-Choo Bear. (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp03022002.shtml) A fan-favorite, he now fields S*P's infamous Q&A (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp07122006.shtml) strips, revealing his true (and even more cynical) nature.
By now, you're probably wondering what kind of a heartless bastard would read this stuff, and to that I reply kiss my ass. But, in all actuality, Something Positive sees its real strength in its unparalleled characterization. Yes, these guys can be real asses sometimes, but they genuinely love each other, along with anyone else they call "friend". In addition, with the exception of a few lost causes (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp07312006.shtml), even the most minor cast members show depth and growth. This can be seen most strikingly in the lovable but stupid (and kinda slutty) Monette (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp04202002.shtml), as well as the geeky and hateful Mike (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp12042003.shtml), who, throughout the progression of the series, go from walking gags to characters you'll actually care about on a personal level.
There are something close to a dozen more characters that I would love to spotlight, but it would be kind of hard to do that without this column blossoming into an encyclopedia entry. But it goes to show just how much Randy cares about his creations, and, as a result, Something Positive has this organic and familiar quality about it that just makes me smile when good things happen and makes me want to cry when tragedy rears its ugly head. In a strange way, when I tune in to see the latest S*P strip, I don't do so to check up on the progression of a story. Instead, it's more like I'm just checking up on some friends. Something Positive's presentation reflects this. Stories are kept short, and while certain plot points take a while to develop, there's never an artificially-dramatic buildup for anything big. It's much more a reflection of normal life, with a bit of absurd and dark humor thrown in to make things more interesting.
The art in S*P is more in the style of newspaper cartoons than the sort of faux-anime art that we see in most webcomics these days. I'll admit that I read Something Positive for the story rather than the art, but at this point I've grown to like the art quite a bit. The story more than makes up for the fact that its not as "pretty" as some other webcomics, and, in fact, the character designs have developed into a very pleasing and consistent form that I've come to expect from this series.
Like all of the best webcomics out there, Something Positive deserves praise not only as an online media, but also as a legitimate piece of comic literature in its own right. Milholland really makes me feel for his characters, as if I truly know them. It is a work of comedy, and yet this is one of the few webcomics to have genuinely elicited a far greater emotional response through my reading. And while I'm far from the only one to praise Something Positive, it deserves every great word said about it. Totally check it out... no one can really claim to be a fan of webcomics without reading it. And if you don't like it or disagree, kindly go kill yourself (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp02072002.shtml) you waste of sperm. (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01072002.shtml)
Don't it just leave a smile on your face?
<center><hr width=75%></center>
Nick Costanzo has a cat, but she's not boneless. She will, however, fillet your flesh for the slightest infraction, including such transgressions as sitting or trying to cook. Sometimes he'll wake up in the middle of the night, only to find the cat staring at him from an inch away. He finds that alarm clocks are obsolete as any attempt at sleeping for more than two hours will result in a fury of claws and teeth against his toes.
Anybody want a cat? I mean, seriously, I can give you some cash or... oh crap she's here! She's... she's...
*non-Wolverine snikt*
<center><hr width=75%></center>
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and are not reflective of Comixfan or its other staff in general.
Something Positively Dark
Editor's note: This column refers to a webcomic that is intended for mature audiences and includes possibly non-worksafe material. Click on links at your own risk.
Take a look outside for a moment. What's that you see? Pretty trees, sunshine, happiness perhaps? Maybe what you see before you is a world full of possibility and opportunity, with the clear blue sky representing your only limit. Well, let me tell you something. One day, you're gonna die, most likely in a pile of fluids that you produced. You'll be alone, cold, damp, and miserable without the slightest shade of light to pierce the darkness that is about to eclipse your pointless life. In short, there's no god and your idiotic human ideals are laughable.
Cool, now you're in the proper state of mind for me to introduce RK (Randy) Milholland's Something Positive (http://www.somethingpositive.net), a webcomic that boasts some of the darkest humor that you'll ever find on the Internet. The general format is typical of all reality comics, centering around the daily lives of a few friends (though as the series has progressed, the cast has grown truly massive). Most of the focus is given to Davan MacIntire, Randy's cynical, self-loathing alter-ego. Davan, well... Davan is an ass (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp02012002.shtml). A man who is used to life kicking him in the balls, his outlook on said life holds nothing sacred. I'm warning you all right now, anyone who considers themselves at all sensitive will likely be shocked (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp03082002.shtml) at what Davan is capable of doing to other people. Never one to allow an Alternative Lifestyle (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01252005.shtml) to stand in the way of his torment (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp10292002.shtml), Davan delights in delivering misery to all who deserve it. (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01152003.shtml)
However, Davan's actions often seem tame compared to the rest of the "main" cast. Take Aubrey, for example. Better known as the most depraved (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01122004.shtml) woman on the planet, and also the star of my favorite S*P strip. (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01282002.shtml) Mix her with the usually normal, but at times hyper violent (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp10292004.shtml) PeeJee Shou, and you have a recipe for pure, yet comical evil. (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp11102004.shtml) A combination of hot, down-to-earth, and Asian, men are pretty much powerless (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01092002.shtml) in their presence. And while they may be the objects of lust, they also illicit a very due amount of fear (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01112002.shtml). Rounding out the cast (and balancing the genders) is Jason Pratchett, a child genius who is the most outgoing of the group. And by outgoing, I mean he's slept with half of Boston. He first rose to infamy with his "unique" take on the Crucifixion through the multi-part Nailed! (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp03012002.shtml) storyline. Suffice it to say that if you're not offended at least a little, you're almost certainly going to hell. He arguably tops himself later when he teams up with Davan to write the "anti-play", where "Mr. Bone Cancer" (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp05192003.shtml) fights against a gay minister and Princess Di (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp05202003.shtml) in an effort to make the most offensive thing possible to the average Broadway fan. Later in the strip, he actually enters into a relationship with Aubrey, and against all odds it forms into the most stable and loving young couple seen in the entire history of the strip (with the exception of Davan's parents). They're getting married (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp07172006.shtml) pretty soon now.
Oh, and Davan has a boneless and fully-malleable cat named Choo-Choo Bear. (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp03022002.shtml) A fan-favorite, he now fields S*P's infamous Q&A (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp07122006.shtml) strips, revealing his true (and even more cynical) nature.
By now, you're probably wondering what kind of a heartless bastard would read this stuff, and to that I reply kiss my ass. But, in all actuality, Something Positive sees its real strength in its unparalleled characterization. Yes, these guys can be real asses sometimes, but they genuinely love each other, along with anyone else they call "friend". In addition, with the exception of a few lost causes (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp07312006.shtml), even the most minor cast members show depth and growth. This can be seen most strikingly in the lovable but stupid (and kinda slutty) Monette (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp04202002.shtml), as well as the geeky and hateful Mike (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp12042003.shtml), who, throughout the progression of the series, go from walking gags to characters you'll actually care about on a personal level.
There are something close to a dozen more characters that I would love to spotlight, but it would be kind of hard to do that without this column blossoming into an encyclopedia entry. But it goes to show just how much Randy cares about his creations, and, as a result, Something Positive has this organic and familiar quality about it that just makes me smile when good things happen and makes me want to cry when tragedy rears its ugly head. In a strange way, when I tune in to see the latest S*P strip, I don't do so to check up on the progression of a story. Instead, it's more like I'm just checking up on some friends. Something Positive's presentation reflects this. Stories are kept short, and while certain plot points take a while to develop, there's never an artificially-dramatic buildup for anything big. It's much more a reflection of normal life, with a bit of absurd and dark humor thrown in to make things more interesting.
The art in S*P is more in the style of newspaper cartoons than the sort of faux-anime art that we see in most webcomics these days. I'll admit that I read Something Positive for the story rather than the art, but at this point I've grown to like the art quite a bit. The story more than makes up for the fact that its not as "pretty" as some other webcomics, and, in fact, the character designs have developed into a very pleasing and consistent form that I've come to expect from this series.
Like all of the best webcomics out there, Something Positive deserves praise not only as an online media, but also as a legitimate piece of comic literature in its own right. Milholland really makes me feel for his characters, as if I truly know them. It is a work of comedy, and yet this is one of the few webcomics to have genuinely elicited a far greater emotional response through my reading. And while I'm far from the only one to praise Something Positive, it deserves every great word said about it. Totally check it out... no one can really claim to be a fan of webcomics without reading it. And if you don't like it or disagree, kindly go kill yourself (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp02072002.shtml) you waste of sperm. (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp01072002.shtml)
Don't it just leave a smile on your face?
<center><hr width=75%></center>
Nick Costanzo has a cat, but she's not boneless. She will, however, fillet your flesh for the slightest infraction, including such transgressions as sitting or trying to cook. Sometimes he'll wake up in the middle of the night, only to find the cat staring at him from an inch away. He finds that alarm clocks are obsolete as any attempt at sleeping for more than two hours will result in a fury of claws and teeth against his toes.
Anybody want a cat? I mean, seriously, I can give you some cash or... oh crap she's here! She's... she's...
*non-Wolverine snikt*
<center><hr width=75%></center>
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and are not reflective of Comixfan or its other staff in general.