Air Raid Robertson

Air Raid Robertson is a serialized adventure strip done in the style of Sunday newspaper comics like Prince Valiant and The Phantom. The titular character is a quixotic aviator who constantly strives to be the world's greatest hero. Ridley, his far more sensible sidekick, is always at the ready to back him up or save him from trouble.

What am i first? That puts alot of pressure on me I really don't think I'm very good at doing these reviews. I wan'na say I really like the concept of this comic it's alot different from the stuff you normally see around here. The art is cute as well and has improved alot over time. It reminds me of some great classic newspaper strips I used to enjoy. Which is good for the author because that was clearly his intention. It was pulled of with excellence.

I like the little narration at the start of each strip that explains what happened before in one strip the fourth wall is broken for Ridley to complain that he isn't mentioned in it. The comic regularly breaks the fourth wall. I've always enjoyed these types of jokes ^_^ To me it makes the narration feel sort of interactive.

I actually think this comic is really good. I give it 4 Howard Hughes out of 5

Air raid robinson is the adventures of a quirky fighter pilot and his co pilot. It is light and whimsical and has that old time feel to it. The story is quite funky and full of silly exploits. They get into a lot of trouble and robinson is sort of like a larger then life type of person. He is sort of silly but likable. Ridley his copilot very much robinson’s opposite and the two work well together.

Dialogue is witty as well as silly. This works well in what it is trying to convey. Writing moves fast too. Which is good at keeping interest. Every page is pretty eventful and there are some really good jokes in here. There are also many 4th wall breaking moments, maybe too many.

The artwork is quite nice, although not the prettiest thing to look at, it works. I don’t see or read many comics like this. It is simple and the colors pop. It has a shaky feeling to everything but that adds to the whimsicalness of this comic. This makes it feel like a genuine print comic.

For pacing it actually seems best to read the comic page as a separate viewing instead of as a whole batch all at the same time as there is a recap on almost every page. And as a side note there is a lot of history to be learned by reading some of the author’s comments that I really appreciate that.

Over all it is a really good comic. It has good humor and a smart sage of comic history. If you want to learn expert drawing techniques or look at extremely pretty pictures then sorry this comic is not that. It is however a great lesson on how to plan small jokes in every page.

reminds me of
Silly Saturdays Mornings

I like the style, in terms of the lines and coloring. However, the awkwardness of the bodies threw me off sometimes. Profiles of women often look quite mannish. If that's what the author was going for, its ok, but he draws them feminine from the front, so I assume its unintentional. I'd like to see more variation in angle of characters' faces, too, instead of always either directly in front or a complete profile (ie 3/4 view, etc.). Like I said, I like the style, but I want to see it used with more variation and control.

The writing and story were honestly a little dry and slow for me. I'm not big into old-fashioned comic strips, so that's probably why. The constant recaps and narration didn't help, either. I could do without all the 4th wall-breaking, too.

There were a lot of great moments and great drawings, but overall the slow pacing and sometimes awkward drawings couldn't keep me reading. Despite all my complaints though, it does have a general feeling of being finished; it doesn't feel sketchy or amateur. I've seen other comics like this that were popular, so I think the problem is just that it doesn't match my tastes. If you like old-fashioned newspaper comics and tongue-in-cheek jokes, it might be more up your alley.

I feel somewhat obligated to comment since this review thread has finally been ousted from its tacked-on status. I am, of course, flattered about the kind words given to my webcomic from the above three commentators. Of course, I also want to address a few of the criticisms.

The fourth wall breaking was pretty heavy, especially in the early history of the comic. In retrospect, I think I went a bit overboard with it in some spots. It really annoys the crap out of me when other comics get a bit too meta, and I'm a little ashamed that I went down this slippery slope. I've toned this down in the more recent pages of the comic and I'll continue to keep it that way.

I think Edwardu raises a few good points about the art. He was tough, but overall I think he was pretty fair. I've had many issues with drawing women in the past. My main concern was to keep them from looking like empty blow-up sex dolls like in so many other comics. I perhaps went a bit too far in this.

I can also see his point in terms of facial designs. I think I could use a bit of variation in how I show them in my comic. This was something I had been contemplating myself in the past few weeks. Having someone else bring this up only highlights my need to work on my composition.

As for awkwardness in body placement, I suppose I can't fault that criticism either. I've done my best to make everything seem natural, but in the 88 pages or so that this comic has run for I suppose I've flubbed here and there. I do think that I've improved steadily though. I can't see any reason why I won't progress even more so as I continue onwards.

The only criticism in the above posts that I won't take heart to is the complaints about the constant recaps and narration. Yes, I do them because it reflects the style of old newspaper comics. However, I also consider them an integral tool for initiating a new reader to the events of the comic. I make every page with the mindset that it will be somebody's first page of Air Raid Robertson. Also, these recaps can be helpful for lapsed readers or people who have forgotten plot points in between updates.

I can understand how the recaps could vex some readers. I try to keep them short and punchy with only the basic vital details given out. Many of the recaps are only a sentence long. Still, maybe some would see them as clunky and unnecessary. I still stand by them, however. Most of the readers don't seem to mind them, and I consider their benefits to be greater than the setbacks.

Anyways, I sincerely thank all of the above posters for their reviews. They've given me much to think about in regards to how I approach making my webcomic.

This comic is really easy to love, and rather quickly. Truly one of the most important things in webcomics is the opening hook that keeps people reading, or at least, in comics that have a continuing story. The artwork also fits rather well, and i think the only way to improve that would be experimenting with screen tones, to
give it more of an old fashioned comic look to pair up with the old fashioned characters. I like the intermix of relevant lingo though, i think it adds another kind of humor. Keep it up, you're doing more than fine.

Air raid robertson

I haven't read this before today, I looked it over a few times and dismissed it s quirky stylistic throwback that did nothing for me. So I decided to raid the archives and check it out regardless.

Art.
Love it or hate it, it is what it is. A stylistic throw back which either oozes appeal or makes you go Meh!
I'm not a huge fan of said style but I do appreciate it.
It is very clean, consistent and well laid out.
The stylization makes up for the technical short comings of the art, and to be honest I only mention it because I feel I should say something negative. The art works for the comic making it easier to forgive.

Writing
Charming, mildly amusing and irreverent. I can't judge it as a story, it isn't that sort of comic, the main thing is the parodying, which it does well.
It isn't laugh out loud stuff but it always amuses. I like that it turns things on its head and plays with expectations.
It isn't exactly compelling but it is likeable.

Overall
A decent comic best taken in small but regular doses. lot of the presentation flaws get sorted out, such as the rubbish font at first.
Worth checking out but it won't please everyone, but give it chance, I'm glad I did.
7/10