Gelotology

Gelotology (n) is the scientific study of humor. Gelotology, the comic, explores the humor of science. Dave and Becky find themselves among some of the strangest demonstrations, experiments, and researchers the science expo has to offer.

I've really liked Gelotology since it first debuted, and I was already a fan of Vickie's first comic, Used Books. Gelotology is almost the complete opposite of UB, however, and that suits this comic perfectly!

Art 4/5 - Vickie has modified her art for this comic, using a new coloring approach that works extremely well. Her lineart has also improved and she is trying some new directions artistically that work very well. It's just the right style for this comic and it's pretty cute, too. In a nutshell, I'm impressed!

Story/Concept 5/5 - This is a comedic "gag" strip. It changes from day to day, has an open-ended cast of characters, not really any regulars because it's situational. More than that, it's smart and it really is funny!

Overall 5/5 - I don't give high praise like this often, but in this case, I think it really is deserved. Readers of UB have known Vickie can be funny when she's not focused on the nitty gritty of mystery and crime drama. But this comic shows she can harness that humor and fuse it with an enhanced art style that really pulls it all together! Everyone may not agree with me, but that's fine. I stand by my review.

Well done, Vickie!

One of the funniest gag comics I've read in a while. Gelotology follows in the footsteps of xkcd by using intellectually themed humour. The focus is largely on science gags, but with a few mathematical and historical giggles thrown in too.
The three panel format works remarkably well, and the jokes and comic timing are good enough that usedbooks never needs to throw in extra panels. Occasionally there's a deeper message about environmentalism etc. but the comic never becomes preachy, and maintains a light touch.

The art is simple, but works fine for a gag strip. In places the digital inking is just a little stiff perhaps, because of the lack of line weight variation, but ultimately I'd say that's just me nitpicking for something to criticise. The colours are clean and smooth, and the art is always clear and easy to make out.

There's not really a lot more I can say. If you like original humour with a bit of science geekery, I would strongly recommend this comic. I laughed out loud at quite a few of the strips.

Thanks, guys!

You made me Google "xkcd." (I don't follow many webcomics outside of DD. Heh.) What a fun comic! Thanks for the comparison.

My comic inspiration has probably been The Far Side. It was the first comic I ever read as a kid, and I have always been exposed to that more than anything. (My parents are science teachers, and I majored in Biology. There was not a single office in the College of Science that lacked a Far Side cartoon on the door.) But I'm sure I have other influences too -- T-shirts, TV, etc.

To me this comic seems very much in the spirit of The Far Side. It's got the same sort of simple layouts and science jokes, and like The Far Side sometimes I'm just not knowledgeable enough to get the joke which is why I'll often read this comic with an open tab of Wikipedia. The drawing style is simple but reads very clearly and for the purpose of getting the gag across it's perfect.

From a reader's point of view, I love this comic. It's nothing like it, but it reminds me of Beakman's World, simply because it educates me at the same time it entertains me. I can't get enough of it.
I love that Vicky (the author) talks a lot about the issue's topic in her author's note, answering all the questions I have in mind right after reading the strip. It's one of those comics that you start reading the actual comic page and end up reading all the user comments just to find out a little more.

As for the art, although it fits perfectly the mood and the coloring of Vicky is always good, the character's anatomy is not my favorite. For me, it isn't there just yet (not the style in general, just the anatomy). The character design and personality, on the other hand, it's great. I love them and they are perfect for the comic's mood.
What caught my attention about the style is that I understand perfectly the actions, and the composition of each panel is superior to a lot of past things I've seen from Vicky. Working with only three panels is quite a challenge and I bet it taught her a lot about composition and planning, which shows.

In conclusion, it's funny, educating, and looks cute. I look forward for "getting my fix" of Gelotology every week.

Pffft learning.

Actually I like this comic from what little I've read so far. I like it more than xkcd which is in this vain.. but this is much better. I guess stick figures just aren't my preference.

Here is my review...

The art style is simple and rather clear. I did not have any trouble following any of the art in the stories. At times the art places the people in awkward poses which seem difficult or odd, but this is a minor gripe.

I really want to make this 'review' as humbly as possible. To be honest I wasn't blown away by this strip. I found that at best I would feel that a specific strip was "not bad" (as in the chromosome comic in which the chickens have the highest chromosomes and are thus superior), but at worst I feel the comics jokes fall flat.

I believe that this is simply a case of bad fit. I notice that all the other reviews are positive and I am extremely happy for Vicky in that respect. Simply put, these comics did not make me laugh as much as I have come to expect from web comics. Series such as Perry Bible Fellowship (PBF) have raised the bar and I now have some lofty expectations.

I do appreciate how Vicky does create humor around the academic field. This does give her comic a unique appeal. However, I do not find that to be enough to make the strip consistently funny. Bill Waterson's Calvin and Hobbes definitely has an intellectual humor associated with it and I feel that that strip executes far better.

I feel bad going on about what i don't like about the comic. I simply feel that the internet is inundated with web comics. There is NO shortage of choice.

So long as you have fans (as is evident from this thread) I completely feel that you should continue to write up your strip. I hope I haven't discouraged you but I know that you can learn very little from positive feedback (which is all I've noted in this thread thus far). Perhaps my critiques may give you insights as to how you may reach a greater audience.

I'm not sure exactly how you are suggesting to improve. Simply naming strips you like doesn't help me much, particularly since I never read them and they aren't really in the same realm as my attempts. I am more in tune with Far Side and Natural Selection. (I'm not sure the ones you mentioned have anything to do with science, and that's sort of the point. ;) )

From your critique, I'm not sure how to make my jokes "better," because from what I'm gathering, we just don't have the same sense of humor. That's cool with me. I don't really want to make what others make. They do it better, and it's not "me." (I actually create this mainly for my parents' science teacher friends.)

But definitely thanks for that! I submitted it for review here not with the hopes of garnishing tons of praise. I really wanted to get some honest reactions outside my small (but much appreciated) readership.

I am glad that my drawings are clear, and I know I get lazy on some of the poses. I will put more effort into improving that. -- Oh, and thanks, Locoma, for mentioning that too.

Ha-ha! That's my two-word review.

Anyway, I'm a huge fan of puns--and the more inventive the better in my book--and this strip is full of inventive puns. The writing is sharp and clever, not to mention laugh-out-loud funny. Plus there is a Mark Twain reference, which will always get bonus points in my book. It may also be worth mentioning that I may be a bit prejudiced on the subject matter: I spend my working day editing scientific research articles, so to see scientific topics handled in a fun and goofy way (yet intelligently) is thoroughly enjoyable for me.

The art serves the strip well. It's along the lines of you daily comic strip in the newspaper (only in full color). That's not to say it's always simple, though. Each panel is packed with detail, and a joke never fails because the reader can't identify an object as drawn.

So far, this is probably my favorite series I've read here so far. The writing is good, the jokes are clever, the puns are hilarious, and the art is fun to look at. I'm definitely gonna have to check out some of this writer's other work.

Very interesting read. The dialogue is so witty. The idea is great and it worked out well. You had my attention from the start! All the punch lines have just the right amount of well—punch! The art on the other hand…I honestly must say it just doesn’t match up with the great humor. I know your style is cartoony, but your proportions need working on. All the characters also seem to have the same face shape. Vary it a little so that they are more distinct and unique from one another. Also, the colors are too bright. To see what I’m saying, you may want to stop by this tutorial--- http://nightmarehound.deviantart.com/art/Colour-Tutorial-89870508
Another to help you with your style could be---
http://nightmarehound.deviantart.com/art/How-to-use-Style-tutorial-102294184
You also seem to go into profile/side view when it makes it is not necessary. This look awkward and makes it feel rushed. Put more effort forth so that this doesn’t have to happen. So-great comedy value, but the art could use a little work. Way to go though!

Thanks for the tutorial links!

You're right. I do rush and sketch things (plus "ink" and color) very quickly with very little thought. Just enough to discern the joke. I'll put more effort into it. I know it shows when I actually take time.

I'm glad the jokes hit the mark with a lot of people. That would be a much harder to improve. Heh. But better art is something I can work on.

Gelotology, what can I say? I think this strip was hand crafted for my type of humor. This is a truly brilliant comic. I am so glad that Usedbooks decided to try her hand at comedy. She has a natural talent for it. I love it because it is nerdy and science-y and I love it because it is clean. There are too few clean comics around.

So lets break it down into its component parts:

Dialogue:
This is mainly a gag-a-day format so there isn't much in the way of continuing dialog. That said, the dialog is handled marvelously. Usedbooks knows just what to say and HOW to say it. Never too wordy. The punch-lines are clear and concise.

I love how witty the writing is. The author has a firm understanding of many different scientific fields and principles and it shows. The great thing about this comic is that despite knowing all of these things she is not hampered by that knowledge (like my university math and science teachers of yore who couldn't explain to a class of students if the room were on fire....)

Usedbooks blends science and humor wonderfully. It does not come off as preachy, dry or confusing. It is truly a gift.

I laugh at every joke. I love it!

Tone:
The tone of this comic is light-hearted, whimsical, and full of curiosity. A lot of tongue-in-cheek. The comic is just pure fun.

This is accomplished my the simplified, colorful art, and the concise funny delivery.

Drawing:
I have read that Usedbooks does not consider herself an artist. I would dare say that she is wrong. She may not be DaVinci, or a French Impressionist, but she knows her craft and her skill gets better and better as she goes.

The art in Gelotology is very simple, but not too simple. The characters have been slightly abstracted to fit her general style, but they are very consistent. The whole comic feels like it fits together, there is no jarring mish mash of styles. I love all of the details that she puts into each frame. Little in-jokes and other references can be found through-out. I still love the Ex-parrot hiding in her "adopt a scientific lab animal" page.

Keep practicing with the artwork and it will shine even more. I love the style. It is very original, and fulfills the purpose of the comic wonderfully.

I'd say consistency in anatomy, and practice with facial expressions are the tw areas to work on. All in all I am pleased with the art.

Colour:
The coloring is really quite good in this comic. It is a happy, bright coloring that adds to the mood. I really like all the special texturing that goes on in the background.

Layout: The layout is most the general newspaper comic layout. This is the tried and true layout for comics. It seems to be the perfect way to go with Gelotology.

Conclusion:

I cannot say enough good things about this comic. I have read every page, and plan to keep on reading them until Usedbooks decides to stop making them (please don't stop!!). I would definitely recommend this comic to everyone. It is a very smart, witty comic. Yes, it has a scientific theme, but it is very approachable even to the layman. That takes talent! Good work!

Writing: 9.5/10

The writing in Gelotology is educational and witty. It uses knowledge from several different scientific studies to create quirky gags and puns. Even people who don't know a lot about science would find this comic funny. No lie, I chuckled at every single page while reading this. The only reason the writing lost a few points was because a few pages do require more of an advanced knowledge to get the joke, such as this page: http://www.drunkduck.com/Gelotology/index.php?p=476428 . Other than that, I enjoyed the writing.

Art: 8/10

The art style of this comic can probably be described best as "simplistic". It has a cute cartoony style that works very well with the gags in the comic. The panels are neatly formatted and the dialogue is easy to read and follow in each page. There is room for improvement in the quality of the art itself, mainly in areas such as anatomy and perspective (this page is a good example: http://www.drunkduck.com/Gelotology/index.php?p=554985 ). Besides this, I really like the art style overall.

Overall: 8.8/10

This is definitely a comic I would recommend to people. Despite the advanced knowledge required in some pages of this comic, I would say that it can be enjoyed by all ages, both young and old, which is pretty rare nowadays. I really enjoyed reading this comic, and I'm looking forward to reading more in the future.

8.8/10! :D

Gelotology:

A likeable, simply but appealingly drawn strip that shows that Science can be funny and isn't all stuffy and bookish.

The art is clean and rather flat but that is a small flaw that doesn't detract from the humor that is a droll swipe at how Science has become even more influential in our modern world than ever before. Though the science depicted is humorously detrimental or impractical (like in one strip a scientist creates a urine recycling machine to make drinking water. It is page 45 'UR in trouble').

The characters are easily distinguished and thus everyones an individual in spite of their flat, noseless faces, unlike supposedly professional comics like 'Archie' where all the girls look alike except for their hair.

All in all I would give Gelotology a 8 out of 10 lopping off two points only for the flattish artwork.

Thanks for the reviews and the art critiques especially.

I want the art to be simple but not flat or bad. There are definitely some flaws I want to work on fixing/improving. In any case, to do this, I need to consider the reasons the art is the way it is.

1. Choice. At least the "simple" part. I don't like art to overshadow a gag or detail to hide big picture stuff. I like creating facial expressions with as few features as possible. I also want it to translate well to print, which means getting "shrunken down." It was a deliberate choice I made for this comic, though simplifying can be more challenging than drawing realism sometimes.

2. Laziness. This should be the easiest thing to fix. Right? I know I can do better, but I also want to do things fast, and some weeks I'm just pouting on Sunday because I "have to finish a strip by midnight." When I put in the effort, it looks good. -- But I am a lazy person.

3. Lack of Skill. So far my best option to fix this is choising angles and subjects that I know I CAN draw and throw out things I can't. I don't like to choose easy angles if it hurts a joke, though. I figure I should practice those hard angles and anatomy more. My other webcomic helps me get practice with that, especially as I script fight scenes and dramatic angles.

I think the "flatness" might also be a result of color choices. I have been adding shading to things at times, but I think flat colors work okay (and will look better in print) provided I try to use more subdued colors and more variety of hues and tints. I'm definitely trying to be more aware of that.

Oh, and kudos to the admins (skoolmunkee) for a feature. I didn't think Gelotology was worthy of that particular honor. ^_^; Makes me a little nervous to have so many more sets of eyes on me, but the DD reviews really helped prepare for and understand the way different people perceive my work and my sense of humor. I definitely feel pressure to step up my game. It's a lot different than drawing for my mom.

One more review!

Writing
This is an intelligently written comic. To be frank, if you're ignorant -- you won't get it. Many of the jokes are based on scientific knowledge. The result is something that either lends itself to dry humour or a scientific pun, which means it will either work or it won't. Some comics include a stealth joke if you understand the theory behind the words followed with a more accessible joke.

This means that not every comic will produce a laugh, but if you like science, learning or trivia, then the author notes will be an enjoyable extra.

Artwork
Having had my comic reviewed, I know what it's like to be hit with criticisms on artwork when you're trying your best. I suggest two things: Very the thickness of the line work, and stylize the work more. Stylizing takes a long time, a lot of effort, but it's well worth it as it allows you to ignore realism for something pleasingly abstract. In other words, work less on realism... I think it will work better overall.

I can tell you this from experience -- when your linework looks good, when there's no shading or colour at all, and it still looks decent -- you've found your style. This is something that took years for me to find for Super Temps.

Originality
Very original. No gamers, catgirls, bishi, hot lesbians, Internet Humour or sprites to be seen. This is what the web should produce a little more often.

Style
Probably the weakest point, and unfortunately there's no advice other than "experiment". I'll do my best by examples of style:
Charby the Vampirate uses a manga style, but with better colours and shading and a distinctive cute-to-horror transformation. It's a hybrid of many things and a love of twisted, organic curves.
http://www.drunkduck.com/Anyone_but_Virginia]Anyone but Virginia has a somewhat manga-influence to it, but very organic and natrual, imperfect people. People who are allowed to have imperfect hair, bulges, lumps, and fleshiness than other comics (my own included) leave out... but manages to do so without being ugly.
The Unthinkable Hybrid is done very old-school cartoon. Very lively and simple but with good expression.

I think any artistic problems you're encountering will be best fixed by finding your style. Taking your response regarding your artwork -- you will find that the more you look at your choices as to why you are doing what you're doing, the easier it will be to address what you feel is a lack of skill.

Recommendation
Going to be a bit different. In a nutshell -- if you're smart, inquisitive, curious, scientific, and tired of more typical lowest common denominator, I can heartily recommend Gelotology to you. You will be overjoyed that there's something other than random stupidity available online.

If you LIKE the lowest common denominator... read something else as you won't find it.

One last thing -- it's not 'laziness' if you're trying to make a deadline. That's called 'I have to finish this NOW to make my deadline!!'. Keep that up, I find it's a great way to help ensure you improve by necessity!! :)

Vickie has become a good friend of mine here on the Duck and I'm always impressed with her writing. Gelotology is not only an amusing gag a day strip I have actually learned things from reading it. I see alot of people talking about the art. Which yes... There is alot of room for improvement but have you read her archives on Usedbooks? She's come such a long way and continues to improve always.

In short I recommend Gelotology I give it 4 jokes I'm not smart enough to understand until I read the cliffnotes out of 5.

straight to the point, gelotology is disturbed. read it only if you have a sense of humor,