Dinosaur Comics is written by Ryan North, a Canadian dude.
One of my favourite web comics, or any sort of comics, is Dinosaur Comics. A fairly high concept comic, the panels never change. The characters, T-Rex, Utahraptor, and Dromiceiomimus all appear in the same pose day after day, but are constantly discussing different subjects. God and Satan also make appearances as voices off camera. But man, that is all information you could find on the about page of the site.
Instead, let’s listen to me talk about other things about the comic. Alright! One of my favourite things is the language used. North is limited by the space of the comic, but continually finds ways to fill each panel with words I want to read. Each character, despite appearing the same in each iteration, has a very distinct voice. T-Rex is brash and excitable (look how many exclamation marks he uses!), but his bravado and panache for solving problems are a cover for feelings of inadequacy. Maybe not inadequacy, but at least a healthy helping of social anxiety. But at least he means well.
I could go on, but you should really just read it! It’s intellectually stimulating, and a consistently high level of comedy about subjects I’ve never seen turned into jokes before. North has pushed the boundaries of comedy to new areas. Not heights, just areas.
CONCEPT: 5/5 – One of the most inventive web comics ever, which is somewhat ironic because it’s always the same. This only adds to the impressive amount of creativity present, however.
INNOVATION: 4/5 – Tied closely to the concept, the comic has remained fresh despite it’s static formula and years of updates.
SATISFACTION: 3/5 – The only complaint I have is that the font used and occasionally the amount of dialog in each comic sometimes puts off my brain from an aesthetic standpoint.
EXECUTION: 4/5 – Consistently high level of quality.
FUN FACTOR: 4/5 – Ha, ha!
OVERALL: 8/10 – I continue to read with bated eyes. And baited eyes.
