Despite how much time I’ve spent perusing the wonderful world of webcomics, I’m still taken aback by how often I get blindsided by a classic I’ve never even heard of before. Just when I think I’ve hit the limits of the internet’s ability to hide things from me, I find myself face to face with another venerable titan of the self-publishing world. The Whiteboard, a webcomic loosely about paintball, is one such sucker punch with a hefty archive and a solid sense of humor. But, as much as I like it, The Whiteboard has enough rough edges to perhaps explain why I’d never heard about it before.
The Good
The Whiteboard is unabashedly self-indulgent in a manner that is utterly charming. Following the exploits of Doc, an anthropomorphic polar bear airsmith (i.e. someone who maintains and repairs paintball equipment), and his assorted employees, friends, and occasional nemesis, the comic is a madcap assemblage of light romance, action, and comedy as the paintball obsessed cast slowly but surely sink deeper into an increasingly off-the-wall world. From paintball tournaments to zombie outbreaks, the comic has a tendency to veer sharply into the unexpected with a wink, smile, and all its weight on the gas pedal.
The growing absurdity of the comic is one of The Whiteboard‘s most charming elements as Doc and his partner Rusty go from ordinary (if perhaps a bit reckless) airsmiths to genuine mad scientists complete with a massive lair and over-the-top collection of world-threatening inventions. This shift from the realistic to the insane is one I’ve seen over the years in more then a few long running comics, but very few of them have managed the transition with quite as much grace as The Whiteboard has. It’s a breath of fresh air to see a comic manage such a major shift in plot without losing course or forgetting what kept its characters so likable in the first place.
Beyond the insane, the comic also has a fair bit of heart to it. The cast is enjoyable, though its sheer size means that not everyone gets center stage as often as one might like, and as stupidly over-the-top as the plots can get, it’s the relationship between the characters, be they friendly, antagonistic, or something between the two, that really seals the deal. Just like any good group of friends, the cast has each other’s backs almost as much as they’re at each other’s throats, with the end result being hilarious either way. In addition, while hardly an epic love story, there are some genuinely great romantic moments between characters that make you smile.
I can also say that the paintball aspect is genuinely interesting from my perspective, as it touches on a hobby that doesn’t get a lot of attention outside of its participants, or at least not in the area I live in. It’s fun to learn about something new and the comic does a good job of laying out the basics at several points as new characters are dragged into the main cast’s obsession. Terminology, rules, and safety tips are generously interwoven into the comic, along with some hilariously scathing observations about people who use paint grenades and the general plight of airsmiths forced to contend with the stupidity of their customers.
The Bad
As much as I enjoy The Whiteboard, it’s not a perfect comic. While the self-indulgent elements of this comic are part of its charm, sometimes those elements slide over into the realm of over-indulgent which drags the comic down a bit. The very randomness that helps keep the comic interesting can also be its Achilles Heel. Storylines can come out of left field in a manner that leaves them feeling out of place and there’s no great overarching story to help keep things on track. Mix in the occasional random holiday strips and The Whiteboard can have a bit of a pacing issue at times. It’s also worth noting that there is a lot of material here to work through and the early stuff is a good bit rougher then what comes later. Even the author suggests jumping later into the comic’s run rather than starting with page one.
There was also an element that bothered me personally, namely the tendency for every male character to be a pervert. Some of the characters are distinctly worse than others, but without fail, all the guys fall into this category. It’s played for laughs and the comic’s female characters are hardly helpless in these circumstances, but the tendency for every character with a Y chromosome to be perfectly willing to peak on their female friends without a second thought grew a bit grating over time. One pervert can be funny so long as their antics are not overdone or come off feeling predatory, but when everyone is a pervert, the gag starts to lose its charm. Now, in all fairness, that’s just my personal hang-up with the comic, and it’s an annoyance rather than a deal breaker. But if this is the sort of thing that tends to bother you as well, it is something to keep in mind.
Finally, there are a few elements that, while not bothering me, might not appeal to everyone. This is a very long running comic which, while not undergoing major changes in terms of the art style, is a bit rougher at the start in terms of quality. And, even later on, the art style is pretty simple. It’s not bad, but pretty much in the realm of newspaper funnies when it comes to art quality, so if you read comics for epic visuals, maybe this isn’t the comic for you. In addition, this is also a comic populated almost entirely by anthropomorphized animals. While the background characters are generally human (or at least humanish in appearance) and some early jokes poke fun at the fact that Doc is a bear, pretty quickly the comic changes to a fully furry cast. I personally like it, but I know that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
Conclusion
The Whiteboard is the sort of comic you’ll either love quickly or forget fast. There’s a lot of heart in this webcomic, but it’s buried under a massive archive and some rough edges to the humor. Four out of five stars for a good comic that has aged shockingly well for such a self-indulgent creation.
Buried Under Books and Cats 