Web comics

I'm a big fan of web comics. In the past years, they've gained popularity, growing larger and larger fan bases, all over the internet. What I think makes web comics different than, say, the comics you read in the newspaper, is that (at least to begin with) they are made completely independently of editors, publishers, etc. Pretty much any web comic was started because the author(s) wanted to share their work, not because they were looking to make money. Sure, some web comics evolve into full time jobs, but it's a slow process, something that comes after a lot of hard work, effort, and patience. The beauty of the internet, however, makes it possible for anyone to publish their work, by themselves, for free, and share it with the world. This gives the creator a certain type of freedom and anonymity that just doesn't exist in print media. There are literally countless different web comics out there, but here are a few of my favorites:

XKCD
Stick figure + nerdy jokes = lulz. My all time favorite xkcd strip? This one right here:

-If you've ever taken a physics class, you'll understand why.

Cyanide and Happiness
Where no subject is taboo, no offensive act left untouched, and no crude act left behind.... there is Cyanide and Happiness. As Wikipedia says, "Frequent topics of humor include disabilities, terrorism, rape, cancer, murder, necrophilia, pedophilia, sexual deviancy, sexually transmitted diseases, suicide, eating disorders, abortion and vehicular manslaughter." You feel kinda bad laughing, but usually it's just weirdly funny. Here's a not-so-crude one:

Poorly Drawn Lines
I just found out about this one a few days ago. Here's the comic that introduced me:

Ain't. No. One.

Three Word Phrase
When this one is funny, it's really funny. When it's not... it's okay.

Psychology jokes, hehehe.

And finally...
Hyperbole and a Half
This is more of a blog-web comic type thing, with illustrated stories and things. The first comic/story (at this time) is not the happiest one, but it still manages to tell a solid story, while illustrating it awesomely, with essentially microsoft paint. Last year, I plowed through every single post in the span of a few days, and probably at least 50% of them made me laugh out loud. While she hasn't been posting much lately, I highly suggest checking this blog out. It is hilarious. Here's one of her older ones, which tells the tale of how she accidentally poisoned herself while running:
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-finally-got-to-call-poison-control.html