Comics

These are some of the comics that I read every day. They each resonate with me in some way, perhaps through their cynicism or intellectual appeal. Some of these comics, Dilbert and Boasas, have two main characters, one of which is normal person and the other, an amoral animal (dog or snake), who typically offers an objective, detached commentary on society. Because the amoral character is an animal, its unorthrodox views questioning popular sentiments appear less threatening.

BugBash (RSS) – Ever wondered what it is like to work at a product group at Microsoft but didn’t want to read a book. BugBash is the official comic strip of the MicroNews, Microsoft’s weekly internal newsletter, about the life of a product group from the perspective of a tester and typically revolving around meetings. (Dilbert isn’t too far off.)

PhD “Piled High and Deeper” Comics (RSS) – Follows the lives of several Stanford graduate students on their way to a PhD. Stanford might have been a better fit for me than Harvard, given my interests in technology, not to mention the astonishingly beautiful campus and the perpetually warm weather. I also regret not getting an advanced degree in computer science; on the other hand, the work that I am doing on my own makes me feel like a graduate student. Ever notice that the companies that stand up to Microsoft were also started by a couple of Stanford doctoral candidates—Google, Yahoo, Sun, …

• Call of the Wild – grad student documentary
• New to PhD – Fills you in on the background of the main characters.

XKCD (RSS) – A web comic that mixes romance, sarcasm, math and language.

• “Movie seating” demonstrates how going to the movies can become an NP-hard problem.
• “Angular Momentum” and “Centrifugal Force” applies principles of physics to real life
• “Devil’s Advocate” explains how we can prove global warming

Calvin and Hobbes (Unofficial RSS) – Follows imaginative and bright Calvin and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes.

• 25 Great Calvin and Hobbes Strips has a list of twenty-five of the best Calvin strips.

Dilbert (RSS) – Cubicle life from the eyes of an engineer.

• Dilbert Blog (RSS) – Scott Adams, the author, maintains a blog that he updates daily. We happen to share similar philosophical views on a wide range of issues. We are both cynics and also determinists, who believe free will is just an illusion.
• God’s Debris – Scott’s thought experiment as a free e-book.

BOASES “Boy on a Stick and Slither” (RSS) – A comic strip revolving around two main characters, who although simply drawn, often talk about large philosophical issues. He also has a lot to say about politics and religion, especially with his depiction of Bush and God [2]. The author, Steven L. Cloud, also maintains a blog.

• Failure – Do you live in constant fear people will discover you are incompetent?

Doonesbury (RSS) – Well-known political cartoonist.

 

Comments

[Eric W. Bachtal]

Thanks for sharing the BugBash link, don't know how I've missed it before now. Like they say, "It's funny because it's true!". I've already forwarded links to a half dozen of its strips to various folks, the measure of a fine comic. :)

[Wesner Moise]

I forgot to mention Rory Blythe, whose blog is filled with .NET and Microsoft-related comic strips. http://neopoleon.com/home/default.aspx

[Judah]

Yes, of course Rory. His explanation of the technical side of 720p vs. 1080i TV screens was truely comic.

p.s. "the most best Calvin strips" is comic English, eh Wes? ;-)

[Amil]

> They each resonate with me in some way, perhaps through their cynicism
> or intellectual appeal.

If that's the case, this comic is highly recommended:
http://www.qwantz.com/ !

It's better if you start with the very beginning. It has a complete archive.