Irregular Webcomic!
Encyclopedia
Irregular Webcomic! is a webcomic
created by David Morgan-Mar
, an Australia
n physicist
. The comic is illustrated photographically, primarily with Lego figures
, although a few of the story arc
s use role playing game miniatures. The comic debuted on 31 December 2002 and ended on 29 October 2011, possibly turning into a weekly blog.
Irregular Webcomic! has no set frequency for new installments but has tended to update every day – missing only two days since 19 April 2003 – and has been one of the more regular webcomics out there, with additional strips available fortnightly to subscribers of Pyramid magazine
. It has several different 'themes', which have their own characters, with isolated story arc
s and occasional crossover
s. Some of the comics have annotation
s, sometimes with an explanation of the humour involved, a behind-the-scenes look at how a comic was made, or an explanation of an obscure reference.
On 29 October 2011, David Morgan-Mar posted a message with a strip displaying a large sign reading "The End", in which he explains his decision to discontinue the creation of new strips. Morgan-Mar's other comics, Darths & Droids and mezzacotta will continue as normal, however, and Irregular Webcomic! will continue weekly in the form of longer annotations, such as he had written for some comics in the past.
There are often oddly themed crossover
s in the comic, such as Steve being fired by Professor Dumbledore
from the position of "Professor of Care of Magical Creatures" at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
or the revelation that Hitler's Brain in a Jar from the Cliffhangers theme was actually resurrected by Mythbuster Adam Savage during a Mythbusting contest against Head Death for Adam's life. Generally these crossovers combine only two themes. There have been over ten three-way crossovers and three four-way crossovers. The 1 January 2009 comic (number 2167) contains a fourteen-way crossover; however, the comic panel space is blank to simulate the overlapping "destruction of the universe" scenarios that developed over the crossed-over themes (those IWC! universes were destroyed in the 31 December 2008 comic—the sixth anniversary of the first strip).
The characters in the Fantasy and Space themes are taken from an actual role-playing group, so the same players are behind them. The storylines sometimes reflect that.
The scripts are held in the same database that is used by the search option, so every one of the strips has the script feature available, although it wasn't available when the earliest strips appeared.
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....
created by David Morgan-Mar
David Morgan-Mar
David Morgan-Mar is a Ph.D. graduate from the University of Sydney, Australia, best known online for his webcomics, and for creating several humorous esoteric programming languages. He is also the author of several GURPS roleplaying sourcebooks for Steve Jackson Games, as well as a regular...
, an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
. The comic is illustrated photographically, primarily with Lego figures
Minifigure
A Lego minifigure is a small plastic articulated figurine available as part of the construction toy Lego, produced by Danish toy manufacturer the Lego Group. They were first produced in 1978, and have become hugely successful, with over 3.7 billion produced, and the figure appearing in a variety...
, although a few of the story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
s use role playing game miniatures. The comic debuted on 31 December 2002 and ended on 29 October 2011, possibly turning into a weekly blog.
Irregular Webcomic! has no set frequency for new installments but has tended to update every day – missing only two days since 19 April 2003 – and has been one of the more regular webcomics out there, with additional strips available fortnightly to subscribers of Pyramid magazine
Pyramid (magazine)
Pyramid is a gaming magazine, publishing articles primarily on role-playing games, but including board games, card games, and other sorts of games. It began life in 1993 as a print publication of Steve Jackson Games for its first 30 issues, though it has been published on the Internet since March...
. It has several different 'themes', which have their own characters, with isolated story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
s and occasional crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
s. Some of the comics have annotation
Annotation
An annotation is a note that is made while reading any form of text. This may be as simple as underlining or highlighting passages.Annotated bibliographies give descriptions about how each source is useful to an author in constructing a paper or argument...
s, sometimes with an explanation of the humour involved, a behind-the-scenes look at how a comic was made, or an explanation of an obscure reference.
On 29 October 2011, David Morgan-Mar posted a message with a strip displaying a large sign reading "The End", in which he explains his decision to discontinue the creation of new strips. Morgan-Mar's other comics, Darths & Droids and mezzacotta will continue as normal, however, and Irregular Webcomic! will continue weekly in the form of longer annotations, such as he had written for some comics in the past.
Themes
- Cliffhangers: Dr Montana "Monty" Jones, his father Dr North Dakota Jones, and grandfather Minnesota Jones, together with the ever-useful Sallah, find lost treasures and battle NazisNazismNazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
, primarily Colonel Haken and his loyal assistant Erwin, who are led by HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's brain in a jarThey Saved Hitler's BrainThey Saved Hitler's Brain is a 1969 science fiction film that was adapted for television from a shorter theatrical feature film, Madmen of Mandoras, directed by David Bradley. The film was lengthened with about twenty minutes additional footage shot by UCLA students at the request of the distributor...
. The original characters were a parody of Indiana JonesIndiana JonesColonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
, but later ones like Dr Ginny Smith are Morgan-Mar's own creations. Haken often declares that "Nazi science sneers" at obstacles.
- DeathDeath (personification)The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
: The basic theory is that there is one grim reaper (called a Death) for every cause of death. For example, if somebody dies by being sat on by a giant frog, in comes 'Death of Being Sat On By a Giant Frog'. The Head Death controls all other Deaths, and promotes and demotes as he sees fit. Various Deaths have appeared to 'collect' in most of the other themes in the Comic at one time or another, but the theme itself tends to center on the troubles of Death of Insanely Overpowered Fireballs, who is constantly demoted, then promoted back to his position, and his rival Death of Choking on a Giant Frog. At the present time, he has yet to appear in the Supers theme. According to polls on the Irregular Webcomic! homepage, Death is the most popular theme, and Death of Insanely Overpowered Fireballs is the most popular character. All Deaths TALK IN CAPITAL LETTERS when addressing mortals (but not when addressing each other), as does the DeathDeath (Discworld)Death is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and a parody of several other personifications of death. Like most Grim Reapers, he is a black-robed skeleton usually carrying a scythe...
in Terry PratchettTerry PratchettSir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
's DiscworldDiscworldDiscworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
series. (One of the Deaths has dialogue paraphrased from Terry Pratchett's biography; yet, in one strip, Morgan-Mar denies ever having read any of Pratchett's work – on one hand, saying "Would I lie to you?", but on the other, saying it in one of Pratchett's trademark footnotes while referencing Interesting TimesInteresting TimesInteresting Times is the seventeenth novel in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.The opening lines explain that the title refers to the phrase "may you live in interesting times".-Plot summary:...
in the comic itself. Sarcastic denials that a character is based on a source are a running gag.)
- EspionageEspionageEspionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
: A scene-by-scene re-telling of the James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
films Dr. NoDr. No (film)Dr. No is a 1962 spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film. Based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather and was directed by Terence Young. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R...
and From Russia With LoveFrom Russia with Love (film)From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond spy film series, and the second to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1963, the film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and directed by Terence Young. It is based on the 1957 novel of the...
. James Stud, Secret Agent 0x0A, under the direction of Ñ and equipped by armourer Ü, flirts with Miss Geltschilling.
- FantasyFantasyFantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
(role-play theme): Here, miniature figurines embody the players in a role-playing gameRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
with Morgan-Mar himself playing the GamemasterGamemasterA gamemaster is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for questions regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer game...
. They were set a quest, but took ages to get started, due to arson (caused by them) and other distractions while getting equipment. One of the characters, Lambert, is a hobbitHobbitHobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
, used as fodder for hobbit puns approximately every 100 strips. The other characters are Alvissa (an elf maiden bard, and the only character with a sense of responsibility or ethics), Mordekai (a lovable rogueLovable rogueThe lovable rogue is a literary trope in the form of a character, often from a dysfunctional or working-class upbringing, who tends to recklessly defy norms and social conventions but who still evokes empathy from the audience or other characters. The lovable rogue is male and is often trying to...
, not a thief), Kyros (a pyromaniac wizard who keeps Death of Insanely Overpowered Fireballs busy), Draak (Lambert's bodyguard, a monosyllabic lizard man) and Dwalin (a dwarf). These characters are represented by painted miniatures, rather than Lego figures. (See the note below for Space.)
- Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
: This lets Morgan-Mar put words into the mouths of the famous characters, and lets the reader see another side to Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
.
- Imperial RomeRoman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
: About two Roman senators. The creation of this theme was more or less the result of a poll, where readers voted for what new theme they would like. Imperial Rome beat seven other options, with SteampunkSteampunkSteampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
at second place.
- Martians: About three beings from the Red PlanetMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, who regard Earth and mankind's doings with varying degrees of interest. They encountered the Mars RoverMars RoverA Mars rover is an automated motor vehicle which propels itself across the surface of the planet Mars after landing.Rovers have several advantages over stationary landers: they examine more territory, they can be directed to interesting features, they can place themselves in sunny positions to...
s, a Man in BlackMen in BlackMen in Black , in American popular culture and in UFO conspiracy theories, are men dressed in black suits who claim to be government agents who harass or threaten UFO witnesses to keep them quiet about what they have seen. It is sometimes implied that they may be aliens themselves...
who doesn't believe in them, and a student called Ishmael whose computer they have taken over. At one point, they waged an information war on Earth and successfully invaded, but gave up after realising the staggering task of actually running the planet.
- MeDavid Morgan-MarDavid Morgan-Mar is a Ph.D. graduate from the University of Sydney, Australia, best known online for his webcomics, and for creating several humorous esoteric programming languages. He is also the author of several GURPS roleplaying sourcebooks for Steve Jackson Games, as well as a regular...
: Morgan-Mar makes cameo appearances as himself, in amusing little asides and vignettes. The 'Me' theme does not include his appearances as the GM in the role-playing themes, and Mar has stated that the "Me" character and the opinions he represents are not in fact Mar or Mar's opinions http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/1322.html.
- Miscellaneous: Strips that don't fit in elsewhere. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
references and the "AllosaurusAllosaurusAllosaurus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period . The name Allosaurus means "different lizard". It is derived from the Greek /allos and /sauros...
" are frequently seen here. In the run up to the November 2004 US electionUnited States presidential election, 2004The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
there was a series of strips of "Allosaurus for president". Born in MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
!" (No connection with Montana Jones, main character of the "Cliffhangers" theme.) Some Miscellaneous strips have been parodies of other webcomicWebcomicWebcomics, 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....
s, including Dinosaur ComicsDinosaur ComicsDinosaur Comics is a constrained webcomic by Canadian writer Ryan North. It is also known as "Qwantz", after the site's domain name, "qwantz.com". The first comic was posted on 1 February 2003, though there were earlier prototypes. Dinosaur Comics has also been printed in two collections and in a...
, A Softer WorldA Softer WorldA Softer World is a thrice weekly webcomic by Canadians Joey Comeau and Emily Horne. It first came online on February 7, 2003. Early comics had been published, intermittently, in zine form. With the launch of the website, the comic has gained wider recognition, most notably when Warren Ellis...
, Bob the Angry FlowerBob the Angry FlowerBob the Angry Flower is a black-and-white comic strip that tells the exploits of an easily angered anthropomorphic flower named Bob and his interactions with the world, often in search of either global domination or love...
and MegatokyoMegatokyois an English-language webcomic created by Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston, debuting on August 14, 2000, and then written and illustrated solely by Gallagher since July 17, 2002. Gallagher's style of writing and illustration is heavily influenced by Japanese manga. Megatokyo is freely available on...
.
- MythBustersMythBustersMythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
: Based on the popular tv showTelevision programA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
from the Discovery ChannelDiscovery ChannelDiscovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
. Like Casey and Andy, Adam and Jamie frequently die in the course of their explosive experiments, but luckily for them death in the comic as a whole is impermanent.
- Nigerian Finance Minister: Ever wonder who writes those annoying scam e-mailsAdvance fee fraudAn advance-fee fraud is a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance sums of money in the hope of realizing a significantly larger gain...
? Well it turns out it really was the NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Finance Minister. How is he supposed to get any work done when nobody answers his e-mails? He has hired both Death and Shakespeare to write emails. This character is male, although from 2003 to 2006 Nigeria’s actual Minister of Finance was a woman, Ngozi Okonjo-IwealaNgozi Okonjo-IwealaNgozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed in July 2011 as Nigeria's “de facto prime minister” and the new Minister of Finance for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Prior to this appointment, she was the Managing Director of World Bank and has also held the position of a Finance Minister and Foreign...
.
- PiratePiracyPiracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
s: Sea-faring brigands who talk like stereotypical pirates.
- Scientific RevolutionScientific revolutionThe Scientific Revolution is an era associated primarily with the 16th and 17th centuries during which new ideas and knowledge in physics, astronomy, biology, medicine and chemistry transformed medieval and ancient views of nature and laid the foundations for modern science...
: Follows Isaac NewtonIsaac NewtonSir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
while he discovers the laws of motionLaws of motionIn physics, a number of noted theories of the motion of objects have developed. Among the best-known are:* Classical mechanics** Newton's laws of motion**Euler's laws**Cauchy's equations of motion** Kepler's laws of planetary motion ** General relativity...
, the gravitationGravitationGravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
, and calculusCalculusCalculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem...
. Other famous scientists that have been depicted include Alessandro VoltaAlessandro VoltaCount Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Gerolamo Umberto Volta was a Lombard physicist known especially for the invention of the battery in 1800.-Early life and works:...
(the batteryBattery (electricity)An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
) and GalileoGalileo GalileiGalileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
(the telescopeTelescopeA telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
and his discovery of JupiterJupiterJupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
's largest moons).
- Shakespeare: What would William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
do if he were born 400 years later? Work as a technical writerTechnical writerA technical writer is a professional writer who designs, creates, and maintains technical documentation...
, apparently, with sidelines in Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
fanficFan fictionFan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
s and Nigerian internet moneymakingAdvance fee fraudAn advance-fee fraud is a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance sums of money in the hope of realizing a significantly larger gain...
. He was writing a novelisation of The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings film trilogyThe Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
films, until his colleague Ophelia managed to get his files and back-up files deleted, helped by Mercutio, the sysadmin. They work for Mr Marlowe, who doesn't know what he's supposed to be doing, or what his employees do at work, but is impressed that they know.
- SpaceSpaceSpace is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
(role-play theme): Science fictionScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
themed strips. The characters, normally painted figurines, spend some of their time on their cargo ship, Legacy, and some in a CG environment (where they appear as LegoLegoLego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
minifigures). The ship's computer steals idle computer power from the past. This gives them massive processor power, but brings a whole new meaning to the blue screen of deathBlue Screen of DeathTo forse a BSOD Open regedit.exe,Then search: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\i8042prt\ParametersThen make a new DWORD called "CrashOnCtrlScroll" And set the value to 1....
when life support is dependent on it. Paris, the ship's human pilot, died and was collected by Death, but her shipmates tried to clone her, using skin fragments and the mind pattern stored in the Legacys computer. The mind pattern was wiped out by a thoughtlessly-installed software upgrade (made possible by Serron), and now Paris is a ghost. She later returned to life when the universe restarted. Other crew members are Serron (a merchant, not a thief), Iki Piki (a diplomat and demolisher), Spanners (electronics and engineering) and Quercus (big plant assistant engineer). Paris is the only human. The Legacy also appears in a crossover with Starslip CrisisKristofer StraubKristofer Straub is the creator of webcomics Checkerboard Nightmare, Starslip, Time Friends, Origin Story, and more recently chainsawsuit and F Chords. He is also the co-founder of webcomics collectives Blank Label Comics and Halfpixel...
: The Alterverse War.
- Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
: Basically allows the author to put words in the mouths of Star Wars characters. This lets him point out some of the problems and idiosyncrasies in the Star Wars universe. The physical impossibilities of the existence of CoruscantCoruscantCoruscant is a planet in the fictional Star Wars universe. It first appeared onscreen in the 1997 Special Edition of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, but was first mentioned in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel Heir to the Empire...
using canonCanon (fiction)In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
ical dimensions and thermodynamic laws was one story arc, prompting several emails from Star Wars fans who tried to disprove his points.
- Steve and Terry: An Australian called Steve (who acts somewhat like the late TV presenter Steve IrwinSteve IrwinStephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted...
) and his wife Terry make documentaries, wrestle crocodileCrocodileA crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s, and fight ungodly beasts from the beyond. Jane GoodallJane GoodallDame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
has made appearances to try to keep Steve in check. CthulhuCthulhuCthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
has made several appearances as Steve's (im)mortal enemy. Steve jumped the sharkJumping the sharkJumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery....
in a crossover with the Mythbusters.- Ironically, a comic where Steve woke up after convalescing from injuries sustained from a crocodile appeared on the same day that Steve Irwin died after being stung by a stingray. The comic was assembled a month before it was supposed to appear, according to David Morgan-Mar.http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/1317.html The theme of "Steve and Terry" continued despite of this, with Morgan-Mar claiming that Steve and Terry are not the real couple (with the difference in Terry's name, the real one spelled TerriTerri IrwinTheresa Penelope "Terri" Irwin, AM is an Australian-based, American-born naturalist, author, the widow of Australian naturalist Steve Irwin and owner of Australia Zoo at Beerwah, Queensland, Australia...
, being the evidence he gives).http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/special/steveirwin.html
- Ironically, a comic where Steve woke up after convalescing from injuries sustained from a crocodile appeared on the same day that Steve Irwin died after being stung by a stingray. The comic was assembled a month before it was supposed to appear, according to David Morgan-Mar.http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/1317.html The theme of "Steve and Terry" continued despite of this, with Morgan-Mar claiming that Steve and Terry are not the real couple (with the difference in Terry's name, the real one spelled Terri
- SupersSuperheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
(role-play theme): These specially drawn comics only crop up occasionally, but that doesn't stop them being some of the most detailed, crazy takes on Superhero comics. These are drawn by Dean Stahl of Steelhorse studios.
There are often oddly themed crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
s in the comic, such as Steve being fired by Professor Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a major character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts...
from the position of "Professor of Care of Magical Creatures" at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Hogwarts
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or simply Hogwarts is the primary setting for the first six books of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, with each book lasting the equivalent of one school year. It is a fictional boarding school of magic for witches and wizards between the ages of...
or the revelation that Hitler's Brain in a Jar from the Cliffhangers theme was actually resurrected by Mythbuster Adam Savage during a Mythbusting contest against Head Death for Adam's life. Generally these crossovers combine only two themes. There have been over ten three-way crossovers and three four-way crossovers. The 1 January 2009 comic (number 2167) contains a fourteen-way crossover; however, the comic panel space is blank to simulate the overlapping "destruction of the universe" scenarios that developed over the crossed-over themes (those IWC! universes were destroyed in the 31 December 2008 comic—the sixth anniversary of the first strip).
The characters in the Fantasy and Space themes are taken from an actual role-playing group, so the same players are behind them. The storylines sometimes reflect that.
Linking
The comic is noted among fans for having one of the most elaborate indexing/archiving schemes around. Fans can navigate through each theme independently in either single or 5 strip at a time increments. Crossover strips will be linked into each theme they reference, of course. They can also navigate forwards and backwards chronologically. This can sometimes make the navigation area (which also links to a theme explanation, a number of option settings, and often, a poll) quite large.Vision-impaired readers
There is an option on the website to turn on a "vision-impaired" mode. When this is in use, the script of the comic being viewed appears between the strip and the navigation area, allowing screen-reader software to read the dialogue aloud, allowing people who are unable to see the art to at least enjoy the words.The scripts are held in the same database that is used by the search option, so every one of the strips has the script feature available, although it wasn't available when the earliest strips appeared.
Recent developments
- On 31 December 2006, Morgan-Mar posted a strip in the "Me" theme (number 1435) thanking his readers, critics, and inspirations for the long run of the successful comic. Like most of the comics within the "Me" theme, it consisted of photographs of Morgan-Mar himself breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the reader. His tone was thankful and suggested (though it was not explicit in any of the dialogue) that the strip had completed its run. Almost immediately, a thread within the forum was created, bemoaning the finale and its sudden nature, though some expressed doubt as to its validity. Twenty-four hours later, he posted a short message complimenting those who had figured it out. The message's posting was accompanied by a new comic, at the usual time.
- On 5 January 2007, Morgan-Mar posted his first podcastPodcastA podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, "What on Earth am I going to do in a podcast?". It is available on iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. - Infinity on 30 Credits a Day, a fan-created webcomic, utilizing user-submitted content and moderated by polls under the auspices of Morgan-Mar, is currently under construction as a sister project to Irregular Webcomic!.
- Friends of Morgan-Mar released podcast number 9, facetiously explaining that "David Morgan-Mar" was an acronym of the names of its collaborators: David, Andrew, Vladimir, Ingrid, David, Moon-unit, Oliver, Rodney, Geoff, Apple, Norbert, Michael, Andrew, and Richard. It is also mentioned that extra collaborators joined and the name may have been lengthened to "David Woggle-Morgan-Mar", the Woggle standing for Warren, Oscar, Gillian, Gandalf, Luthee, and Eggwobbler.
- On 12 July 2007, it was announced on the Modern TalesModern TalesModern Tales is a webcomics site launched on March 2, 2002 by Joey Manley, the Modern Tales publisher, and approximately 30 professional cartoonists, such as Dorothy Gambrell, author of the popular webcomic Cat and Girl and James Kochalka, the award-winning creator of Fancy Froglin...
website that Irregular Webcomic! would no longer be updated at Modern Tales, and that future updates to the comic would only be posted on the Comic's homepage at irregularwebcomic.net. The comic strip had been updated both on the Modern Tales web site as well as the comic's own since August 2006. - On 16 September 2007, a new webcomic was added to the site: "Darths and Droids" spoofsParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
the Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
movies by retelling them in the form of a role-playing campaign, in response to a challenge posed by the creator of a similar webcomic, "DM of the Rings". - On 18 July 2008, Irregular Webcomic! reached 2000 strips – becoming, by Morgan-Mar's estimate, one of only 17 webcomics to do so.
- On 31 December 2008, the complete destruction of the Irregular Webcomic! universe occurred in comic 2166. Strip 2167 on 1 January 2009 was composed of 4 solid white panels, and strip 2168 on 2 January 2009 was composed of 4 panels of very faint shades of blue. The strip changed over a few days from blue, to red, to black, before zooming out to reveal the Head Death and every single IWC character at the Infinite Featureless Plane of Death (except, of course, for James Stud, who by definition cannot die and are continuing his story from comic 2191 and forth).
- Between 01:00 and 01:30 UTC, 3 January 2009, the Irregular Webcomic! home page was replaced by that of Wheelersburg Raceway, a go-kart facility in Ohio. Some additional pages were copied from Wheelersburg Raceway into the irregularwebcomic.net domain, to make links active. At 05:00 UTC 3 January 2009 the site returned to normal. This event was unrelated to the destruction of the IWC universe, apparently caused by a glitch in the webhost's domain addressing.
- On October 29, 2011 in strip 3198, David Morgan-Mar officially ended the comic strip to continue his other hobbies. He explained his decision citing that he has grown tired and uncreative from making the comic for so many years.