So a few episodes back the Webcomic Beacon podcast announced that it was taking submissions/suggestions for webcomics to be “Impressioned” (not a review, just an impression) as part of a new feature of the ‘cast: the Beacon Searchlight. One day, feeling brave, I sent them my link to find out what they thought.
Webcomic Beacon Episode 35 is now live and around 56:55 you’ll hear Fes and Aaron give their (11ish minute) impression of Random Acts… It’s not completely complimentary but that’s okay because it wasn’t mean or juvenile, it was their opinions of the strip as totally uninvolved parties and that’s always good to know.
What I’m not going to do is a) obsess over it or b) do some line-item rebuttal of what they pointed out. I’m not going to be that trope, thank you very much, and it’s really not necessary. They made some observations that will be helpful in the future and others that are either assumptions that are incorrect or places where their opinion as a reader differs from mine as the creator. I was a tad disappointed that Tanya being at SDCC prevented her from being part of the Searchlight session since she also writes a female p.o.v. autobio comic. But them’s the breaks.
The one thing I did find very amusing was the idea that it’s almost as if the viewer is seeing the strip through the lens of a security camera. I’ve often thought more in terms of a “fly on the wall” aspect but the concept is the same. Autobio (whether in the guise of reality t.v., memoir or webcomics) really just boils down to voyeurism and makes us, as creators, exhibitionists to some extent. I may never be willing to set up webcams in my home and broadcast a la EdTV but I do enjoy offering up select portions of my life experiences for public viewing.
Anyway, have a listen if you’re curious and by all means feel free to let me know what you agree or disagree with, if anything. One thing to remember, though, is that I did ask for this non-review and I knew going in that they never said they wouldn’t be brutally honest. So please, friends and readers, no one go righteously indignant on my behalf and flame them or anything like that 😉
Comments
One response to “Random Acts… on the Beacon Searchlight”
It’s a very good objective look at the comic, I think. They’re being honest, not negative. I wish people would give honest concrit like this on the stuff I do. (Given, I write fanfic and I could get decent concrit if I were doing original.)
I do agree with the comments on the backgrounds fading because of the line heaviness. And the security camera bit, gawd, that’s awesome. Seeing your life through a security camera, dude.