Doctor Fun
Encyclopedia
Doctor Fun is a webcomic
by David Farley, which ran from September 24, 1993 to June 9, 2006. It was one of the first online comics. It was preceded by Witches and Stitches which was distributed via CompuServe
in 1985, and Where the Buffalo Roam which was distributed via Usenet
in 1991. Dr. Funs appearance on the World Wide Web
was noted by the NCSA
, creator of the Mosaic
web browser, as "a major breakthrough for the Web" in 1993.
Most often compared to The Far Side
, Doctor Fun is a series of bizarre one-panel gags. Topics range from the mundane to the obscure. Farley reported that, based on the email he received, most readers were of a similar age to him and worked with computers, but that there were also a "disproportionate amount" of nurses.
In 1995, Doctor Fun became part of United Media
's Web site. By 2003, Farley's contract with United Media had "fallen through."
Farley stated that he "hope[d] to be allowed to continue Doctor Fun after the superintelligent robots have taken over and made us all their slaves," or for 520 weeks. On June 9, 2006, after posting the final comic of his 520th week, he announced on the Doctor Fun page that "Doctor Fun is over," concluding the series.
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
by David Farley, which ran from September 24, 1993 to June 9, 2006. It was one of the first online comics. It was preceded by Witches and Stitches which was distributed via CompuServe
CompuServe
CompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of services such as AOL with monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates...
in 1985, and Where the Buffalo Roam which was distributed via Usenet
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
in 1991. Dr. Funs appearance on the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
was noted by the NCSA
National Center for Supercomputing Applications
The National Center for Supercomputing Applications is an American state-federal partnership to develop and deploy national-scale cyberinfrastructure that advances science and engineering. NCSA operates as a unit of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign but it provides high-performance...
, creator of the Mosaic
Mosaic (web browser)
Mosaic is the web browser credited with popularizing the World Wide Web. It was also a client for earlier protocols such as FTP, NNTP, and gopher. Its clean, easily understood user interface, reliability, Windows port and simple installation all contributed to making it the application that opened...
web browser, as "a major breakthrough for the Web" in 1993.
Most often compared to The Far Side
The Far Side
The Far Side is a popular single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from January 1, 1980, to January 1, 1995. Its surrealistic humor is often based on uncomfortable social situations, improbable events, an anthropomorphic view of the world,...
, Doctor Fun is a series of bizarre one-panel gags. Topics range from the mundane to the obscure. Farley reported that, based on the email he received, most readers were of a similar age to him and worked with computers, but that there were also a "disproportionate amount" of nurses.
In 1995, Doctor Fun became part of United Media
United Media
United Media is a large editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It syndicates 150 comics and editorial columns worldwide. Its core business is the United Feature Syndicate and the Newspaper Enterprise Association...
's Web site. By 2003, Farley's contract with United Media had "fallen through."
Farley stated that he "hope[d] to be allowed to continue Doctor Fun after the superintelligent robots have taken over and made us all their slaves," or for 520 weeks. On June 9, 2006, after posting the final comic of his 520th week, he announced on the Doctor Fun page that "Doctor Fun is over," concluding the series.