I couldn’t decide whether to preface this review with this Mallard Fillmore parody or this San Antonio Rock City. Both are not only extremely relevant, but far funnier than the webcomic I’m about to review.
Electronic Tigers, drawn by Hapajap and penned by him and El Gato Negro, is a political gaming manga. Sound familiar? It should, except Electronic Tigers manages to be even worse than Sore Thumbs. Wow, I’m astounded that I just compared Sore Thumbs favorably to something. Savor this moment, boys, because this is one of the very few accolades I’m going to give your comic.
Okay, by “very few,” I meant “two,” and the other one is the art. Hapajap clearly has a solid grasp on anatomy and expression, as well as the all-important ability to distort them for impact. His character designs are distinct and well-realized. He possesses a unique, punchy and delightfully cartoonish style, and he would be right at home doing professional work.
Whew, that's two panels done! I'm beat, guys!
Well, except for his annoying habit of copying and pasting. Even where it is not unabashedly apparent that he has reused art, it is clear that he has rotated, flipped or otherwise slightly modified existing art for a new panel. It could not be more obvious that Electronic Tigers is fabricated from templates, perhaps a set of 5-10 poses per character.
And Electronic Tigers suffers for Hapajap’s laziness. Characters seldom physically interact with each other (or even move); sometimes they don’t even directly face the characters they’re talking to. And so, no matter how much technical skill Hapajap brings to the table, Electronic Tigers invariably looks stiff, lifeless and dull.
Please, by all means, feel free to fap to me, so long as you feel really bad while you do!
Worse still is when Hapajap writes. He likes to make his strong political bent quite clear to the reader. This is a bad thing because political cartoons, like Christian rock, tend to be repugnant to anyone outside the target group, as well as many people inside it. Hapajap helps little by expending so much space on his hamfisted political manifestos that no room is left for a punchline. Too preachy to be funny and too crude to be convincing, Electronic Tigers’s political strips read more like GOP Ideology For Frances than an editorial spot in the New Yorker–or Hustler for that matter.
Its other offerings mostly deal with the nerdy male protagonists’ passes at the token female mascot–stop me if you’ve heard this before–who’s as geeky as they are, good at video games, and head-explodingly hot (literally). But make no mistake, this is no Mary Sue we’re dealing with. After all, she’s fallible (only with regard to politics, of course.) And it’s not like she’s just there to pander to lonely nerds; she’s got morals! Which is why she features prominently in all of Electronic Tigers’s advertising.
When Electronic Tigers isn’t touting good Judeo-Christian morality, it’s being hip, edgy and politically incorrect. Unfortunately, “politically incorrect” is up there with “lol random” as one of those things that writers think will make them instantly funny. They’re wrong. Drawing racist pictures does not automatically make you funny; drawing racist pictures just because you can might say some other things about you, though.
Of course, by their own admission, the writers aren’t actually that good at being offensive in the first place. Such baseless fronting is the cornerstone of Electronic Tigers’s M.O. as a whole–it parrots racial stereotypes and claims to understand them; it pokes fun at other gaming comics and then runs day after day of played-out nerd jokes. Electronic Tigers throws up a paper-thin veneer of fresh irreverence to mask its lack of originality, character or even humor. It wants to be Lisa Lampanelli, but it isn’t even Carrot Top.
You have no idea how right you are, Hapajap
And conveniently enough, if you don’t find Electronic Tigers funny, you’re just too thin-skinned. Nobody could possibly dislike the comic on its own merits (or lack thereof)–it’s just the evil oppressive PC regime trying to keep it down! Brainwashed, controversy-fearing drones should seek their laughs elsewhere. Like, you know, a comic that’s actually good.
(As an aside, if you only click one link in this post, click the one in the previous paragraph. The irony is glorious.)
Well, Hapajap, there’s the ’succinct’ review you wanted–hope it’s not too thin-skinned for you. I’ll leave all of you following along at home with a fun activity.
Fun for the whole nuclear family unit
EDIT: Hapajap is fiscally irresponsible and he pimps his characters out like a black stereotype written by himself, news at 11.
EDIT 2: Whoops, I misspelled ’succinct’! Also, clarification on the ‘jokes.’
September 24, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I’m guessing you’re probably not a fan of their political views either, are you?
September 24, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I can’t say I agree with them, but I feel that the inherent shittiness of political cartoons transcends party lines.
Some examples on the left include Sore Thumbs (which I’ve done already) and Big Fat Whale. More on this in a future post.
September 27, 2008 at 3:39 am
Ha ha, wow. As a reviewer, you fit right in with the one-sided reviews you see all the time in movie reviews. It’s not that you don’t likely bring some points that would cause some people to agree, but that’s why it’s one sided. You, like many critiques, can’t review completely based off merit or the intended audience, you only review how it effects you. It’s like saying, “I hate action movies that are more or less one fight scene after another” but reviewing a movie that’s just that. Electronic Tigers is actually quite funny to those who enjoy that abrupt, direct humor. It’s become quite popular in such a short time.
You also mock his (in my opinion) limited use of copy and paste. Ha, that’s just ridiculous. Do you know how many comics use copy and paste? I can’t think of many daily joke comics that don’t. Hell even professional syndicated comics do. But that’s such a mute point considering how little he uses it, it shouldn’t even be mentioned in a review to be taken seriously. The same for the lack of interaction, many comics feature people standing side by side talking…I don’t see how it’s a problem. The style there fits the type of comic. I could understand if it was a “steamy love drama” comic or something that forced characters to interact, but most of the comics are based on people talking to each other, and most people don’t interact a lot when talking, but on most pages I skimmed, I saw lots of interaction when it was merited.
Basically, I don’t think you really listed anything that actually discredits the comic, as it’s a matter of taste on style. The jokes are funny to those who like the direct, politically incorrect or whatever styled humor. If the jokes were unfunny on their own merit and not in the style they were conveyed, I’d back you in your review. You did manage to show your position, but nothing universal really comes across. I mean I get your point, and a lot of your review sounds like most movie critics as I’ve said, but I just don’t think it’s a universal review. (Sorry, I admit I myself get into reviewing quite a bit and have a love for the art of it, and I don’t feel most people have the ability to non-objectively review things)
But as a last note, I don’t think he reacted very bad at all in the link you sent. From my point of view, he wasn’t nearly as defensive as you seem to be implying he was. In fact, I think his only mistake was wanting to get a genuine review in a place where no one intended to do anything but bash him. The only time he reacted was to the idea that it wasn’t subtle enough, and as he said, that’s a writing style. Some like it, some don’t. There are subtle movies and harsh ones, but we don’t (or shouldn’t) review them based on that, but isntead base the reviews on the actual content or originality.
September 27, 2008 at 11:08 pm
You should be the one writing Hapajap his ’succint’ review; it’s no small feat to use four paragraphs to convey two points!
I’ll start with the first, his use of copying and pasting. You admit yourself to giving the comic only a cursory look, so I can’t completely fault you for missing this, but even where Hapajap doesn’t reuse the whole picture (the godawful “politico” strips all use the -exact- same drawing of Politics Mary-Sue in the last panel,) he carries over most of the lines, or just the pose. He’s the Martha Stewart of minimizing actual drawing time. And while you’re correct that many other gag strips also use templates, I would hardly hold up Ctrl+Alt+Del or The Lockhorns as shining exemplars of cartooning practice.
Which brings me to point two. Some comics, most notably Dinosaur Comics or Wondermark, make up for recycled visuals with strong writing, something which Electronic Tigers cannot claim. It’s not a matter of style, it’s a matter of that quality which separates the Mona Lisa from fast-food commercials. Yes, some people may like Electronic Tigers, but then some people liked Gigli. Tastes differ, but there is an objective baseline, and that’s why there exist comedic forms–something neither Hapajap nor Gato Negro has ever studied.
Electronic Tigers, like the aforementioned Carlos Mencia, does not tell jokes. Try to explain why a given strip is funny (or, more accurately, why the writer thought it would be funny)–you’ll be hard-pressed to say more than “because he did something stupid,” or “because liberals hold the wrong views,” or “because she has tits and guys love tits AMIRITE.” It’s fascinating–the gags are so simplistic and yet still fail, probably because neither writer knows what makes jokes funny. What they do know is how to cater to 16-year-olds who haven’t yet learned that the “fresh, un-PC, keepin’ it real” straight-talk shtick is just a different flavor of bullshit.
Anyway, more on shitty faux-punchlines in the aforementioned future post. I’ll expect better from you than “it’s just his STYLE” then.
September 29, 2008 at 10:10 am
I just don’t think I can agree. I can understand your point about writing being important, but I believe the writing is quite sophisticated in their comic. It definitely plays on a lot of social stereotypes, but handles them in a way that is unoffensive and very realistic to life, which I think is unique in a comic. It also references pop culture for most jokes. Yes, a lot of it has to do with sexual innuendo or other common themes, but from what I’ve read, they have managed to make most jokes play differently, all fitting to usually move along a 4-5 page arc. As in this comic (http://comicstripclub.com/2008/05/27/economics-101/) most of the jokes are cleverly written to fall into the subtle art of puns. They’re not the most direct form of humor, but I enjoy the linguistic style.
As for your breakdown of ““because he did something stupid,” or “because liberals hold the wrong views,” or “because she has tits and guys love tits AMIRITE.”” I’d have to wonder if we were reading the same comic. I think you miss the mark on fully grasping what they are saying. Maybe you’re not as open minded as me, and seem to see the conservative opinions in some of their pages (and yes, you’re right their, his conservative bias is very evident) and ignore the obvious joke. Is he using his comic to voice his opinions sometimes? Yes, but that’s his right as an author. I don’t think it detracts from the jokes. (as in http://comicstripclub.com/2008/08/20/politico-uno/) Even in moments such as that, which are VERY strongly opinionated, he manages to put in a joke at the end, which is just right and requires no explanation to be funny. The previous is actually an example of an “aside” styled joke, where the reader gets caught up in the context of the comic, forgetting about props, only to have them create humor at the end. It’s a very common practice in much of comedy.
And last, I don’t believe much of the art is re-used at all as you say. Their are a couple dozen of them I can see, some more evident than others (and mostly when it’s crowded panels with many of the characters at once), but I can’t really blame them, when it is a daily comic. Sometimes, their just isn’t a reason to redraw things. But as for the few I see, I can skim the art and tell the subtle differences on most, so that even if they’re staring in the same direction from panel to panel, each frame has been drawn. Their are differences in spinal balance, muscle-tones, and many other elements. If he really were re-using art in those cases, he’d have to take more time editing than just re-drawing. I notice the subtleties and merits of the art. I don’t mean to sound too “high and mighty” when it comes to analyzing this kind of stuff, but I do at least feel I’m qualified, so forgive me if I seem presumptuous. (I’m currently a grad student studying painting and art history focus.)
September 29, 2008 at 10:43 am
As I read from another of your blogs, I see that one of your fundamental gripes is reference humor. This is one of those things considered “style” that you seem to brush off as nonsense. One thing an intelligent person can never do is denounce something as unimportant and trivial when they don’t enjoy that type of joke. I love reference humor myself, as I believe it’s a sophisticated form of parody. (Unlike the completely idiotic parody humor in most Hollywood parody films like the ” … (scary) Movie” franchise, that fails at actual parody and instead divulges into mindless jokes only a truly immature person enjoys. Now, I guess I’m doing the same thing as you, disregarding a type of media I hate, but I do admit it and acknowledge that it’s funny to some people. It’s like movies such as Anchorman (and 90% of Will Ferrel movies). I abhor them. I think their stupid, repetitive and require about 10 braincells, but none-the-less, theirs an audience for that humor. It’s funny to those its targeted, so I chose to disregard it instead of slander it.
I guess I just wondered what kind of humor you DO enjoy, or examples of works that are funny to you.
September 29, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I didn’t say Electronic Tigers was unimportant or trivial, I said it was a steaming turdburger that nobody who gets a chair at their job has any business liking. This is not slander, firstly because it is in writing and secondly because it is demonstrably true.
(Regarding what kind of humor I prefer, well, that should come through in some of my other posts.)
September 29, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Sorry about your earlier post, I have moderation turned off so I’m not sure how that got held up in queue.
You are correct that his opinions do not detract from the jokes; rather, they supplant them entirely. In “Politico Uno,” every line of dialogue serves the singular purpose of justifying Hapajap’s views with a feeble strawman. (The pictures don’t make it a joke, either; if she actually did skewer him, it might be a joke–a macabre joke, but still a step up for Electronic Tigers.) It’s like Plato’s Dialogues, but retarded; all nuances in a complex issue are stripped away, leaving a fairly inaccurate analogy and a level of discourse I imply in my review to be suitable perhaps for five-year-olds.
Hell, read Hapajap’s third comment on http://comicstripclub.com/2008/05/30/impeach-the-4/ – “this wasn’t supposed to be funny.” His words, not mine.
Regarding “Economics 101,” puns don’t mean what you seem to think they mean. The joke is that macroeconomic concepts are being applied to the female body (because nothing’s more hilarious than the objectification of women,) which may be a rather simplistic double-entendre, but not a pun. And here as in every strip they write, the writing pegs you with that one gag, singlemindedly ramming it in without regard for characterization, wit or mood, as if a weak (or nonexistent!) gag will by overstatement be made strong. What do they have you reading in those art history courses that you can call this sophisticated?
Finally, if a daily schedule makes recycled art a necessity, they should just scale back on the updates, because they clearly do not have enough jokes for a daily comic. They certainly won’t lose my readership by doing so.
December 26, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I happen to agree with you on this. Having read ET from its early days, I was okay with it to begin with. I mean its the Internet; whoever heard of quality control here? But the art was nice and I stuck with it.
Now whenever I see a RLC comic I groan because I know its like reading something Ann Coulter would dredge up. It’s crude, insensitive (See the recent ‘Mumbai’ comic for an example), racist, derogatory, panders to stereotypes so blatantly its not even funny, clunky and ignorant.
For a lark I registered with the site, to stick my two cents into one of the discussions (which are larger than the comic itself) and found it was like bashing my head against a brick wall. One of Hapa’s favourite ways to argue with you is to make ad hominims and attack someone directly, citing only sources that back up his point.
Considering that his politics are so right wing (even by right wing standards) its hard to even find any value in the artwork anymore.
I know I’m ranting here, but its cathartic, and I can definitiely say that although most webcomics suck, there are some that are slightly decent, but this is not one of them.
December 27, 2008 at 2:31 am
Hapajap is one of the dumbest, most self-important people in an industry of Buckleys and Gallaghers. Last I heard from him, he was a not insignificant sum into a Ponzi scheme, and trying to get his readers involved.
December 28, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Heard about that. Last I checked, the accounts been suspended. Strange how that happened after he took down a comic that sparked a racial debate (Black stereotype comic).
January 3, 2009 at 12:47 am
Sad…
The lead mantle of Islamo-nazi-marxist obscurantism is spreading everywhere.
Free thought getting throttled by the “langue de Bois” of the
politically correct.
Hapajap, if you read this, know that freedom is not dead yet
and you have thousands of fans.
You are the best of the best…bar NONE!!!
Disregard the crap from the party sniveling toadies,
they shrivel from the truth like vampires from sunlight.
January 15, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I agree with Capt. Hapajap-sama and El Gato Negro-sama were not limited to the political-socio views. In fact, and I am quite surpised the reviewers failed to mention this, they produced a triple story webcomic. There was the everyday lives of the guys with their interaction with Mika, the political opinions of Republicans and Democrats in Right Left Center, and a strongly artisitic story detailing the fate of one childhood imaginary friend and what happened to the boy he was created by in the Imaginaries. While I agree that interactions between chars are limited to facial expressions and an occasional upper torso shot with balled fists and whatnot, that in itself is a source of humor. Most recently, they had brought in family members to show off the campus and friends. Hapajap did a wonderful job showing the outdated views of racial bigotry. In conclusion, I wish Hapajap-sama and El Gato Negro-sama would manage to continue to produce their art. And I hope that they recieve the recognition due them.
January 15, 2009 at 5:19 pm
For my part, I hope Hapajap-sama gets his house taken by Dubli creditors and that his family leaves him.
I don’t really care what happens to El Gato Negro-sama-chan-baka, because he’s (ironically) total white noise. Unfunny, unoriginal, kind of useless, but ultimately harmless.
January 15, 2009 at 10:27 pm
While I respect your opinion, and I certainly agree that the comics were not for everyone, I cannot say I agree with taking such extreme measures. After all, every one is entitled to shelter, and the blessing of family. It is one of the few things the government can’t hurt us with. I must also question your linguistics, since I feel your depiction of El Gato Negro-sama is a bit off. You may or may not realize this, but in your comment, whether sarcastic or sincere, you called him your “cute, idiot teacher”. I’m not exactly sure what your reference to “white noise” is, and for that I apologize. But I do respect your opinion, and look forward to hearing your correspondence.
January 31, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Well it looks like Mike Miller / Hapajap couldn’t make it in webcomics either.
I wonder what he’ll do next.
February 4, 2009 at 9:34 am
Gavin, sama doesn’t mean teacher… chan doesn’t mean cute.
February 4, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Dalivus, the suffix “-sama” is used to generally convey respect to one of higher status. It is used for anyone of higher office than the one the speaker holds. For myself, I prefer to use it in reference to those I learn from, even though I could simply add “-senpai”, but since that sounds like I actually have recieved training from the person, I did not wish to confuse people. Likewise, the suffix “-chan” is used to convey informality among friends, while it adds a note of cuteness to objects. Most often, you find it with boy/girlfriends. My statement of the use of suffixes was merely to show that using two suffixes of opposing force is not the way to make a debate. No matter how you look at it, he is using opposing suffixes. But I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt since it sounded like he was quibbling with the artist personally.
October 20, 2009 at 12:05 am
Eat your hearts out, leftards, Hapajap
is back, just as your Hussein from
Mombasa prove himself the universal Joker!!!