I'm sitting here listening to Jay Z's Black Album and wondering about classics.

As you may have noticed, the Comixpedia theme this month is "the death of newspaper comics", or webcomics that fall into a typical newspaper format. A Softer World represents one alternative to that whole subspecies of webcomics, since it represents everything a newspaper comic usually is not: subtle, understated and witty.

Also, it's not drawn.

Jennifer Miyuki Babcock is the creator of C'est la Vie, a daily comic strip that appears both in the UCLA Daily Bruin and online at Comics Sherpa. Babcock has been posting strips to Comics Sherpa since September 7, 2003. C'est la Vie is currently the highest rated strip at Comics Sherpa by visitors to the site and it is well worth checking out.

Brad Guigar is the creator of Greystone Inn, a daily comic strip published online by Keenspot. Greystone Inn is about a fictional comic strip and the crew that produces it on a weekly basis. It features a cast of colorful characters including Argus the gargoyle and recovering super villainess, Lightning Lady. Guigar is also one of the founders of Alternative Brand Studios, and has organized two webcomic "telethon" fundraisers for MDA. More recently, Guigar designed the new Keenspot logo. He took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with Comixpedia.

Last month, we spoke of arcane wonders. We learned what XML-based web content syndication is, how it works, and a few ways in which webcomic creators might make use of it. In this installment, we're going to expand on the possibilities raised briefly in the last article, and hopefully correct some misperceptions about how syndicated feeds are used by readers.Last month, we spoke of arcane wonders.

Dawn of The Drawing Dead

They don't crawl in the dark alleyways, the creaky old houses, or on the secluded tropical islands of this world, like you'd expect. They don't come from Transylvania, from Haiti, from Raccoon Town, or from Raimi's little rundown shack in the literally penetrating, deep woods.

Here's an innovative strategy to break into the newspaper comic biz: Start a webcomic. Publish daily to prove your reliability, solidify your art style, and iron out any kinks in writing or presentation. Not only does your online presence build a fanbase, it can serve as an up-to-date portfolio.

Soap on a Rope is one of the pioneers in the webcomic world, being one of the earlier comics to appear on the web. SOAR comes off not so much as a comic, but a damned good sitcom (and not the kind that get old after being around 4 years). SOAR is good because its focus is on its characters and the bizarre things that happen to them. Combine equal parts Seinfeld, Drew Carey, Soap, Simpsons, Family Guy, and throw in the movie Office Space for good measure, and you might get close to what Soap on a Rope is.

You've been doing SOAR for 7 years now! You had to have been one of the first people doing comics online. What prompted you to put the comic on the web?
Cartooning looked like something I'd like to get into for years and years, but I had no way of starting. The web gave me an opportunity to start out drawing and immediately have an audience to show it to.

Former comic-strip star Jeffie P. Wunderkill, who as a child costarred in the wholesome newspaper strip The Family Circus, and as an adult seemed bedeviled by its reputed curse, died of an accidental prescription-drug overdose Saturday in West Virginia, just one day after declaring on nationwide radio, "I've never been happier, ya chiseling bastards."

He was 43.

I think Gremlins eat away at my time.

Let me clarify that. I KNOW that Gremlins eat away at my time. I don't know what color they are just yet or how tall they are, but they've got to be real. There's no other explanation for hours and hours tumbling away with no way for me to get the time back.