->''"It's basically ''Film/{{Clerks}}'' meets ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' meets ''Webcomic/TheaterHopper''. So is it original? Well, ''sortakindanoyesmaybeidontfuckingknow.''"''
-->-- '''Tony''' on the webcomic's originality

[[quoteright:370:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/damaged_tape_624.png]]
''Damaged Tape'' is a WorkCom {{Webcomic}} that follows four twentysomething guys working at a [[BigApplesauce New York]] video rental store called Movies, Etc. The humor of the strip is derived from referencing and disparaging movies and the way the guys deal with annoying customers.

The guys in the comic are:
* '''Dave''': An [[UnpleasableFanbase unpleasable]], snobby, and idiotic CausticCritic who desires to become a world-famous director. Named after the character of the same name in ''[[Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey 2001: A Space Odyssey]]''.[[invoked]]
* '''George:''' TheEveryman who actually enjoys his job and acts as TheLancer / TheStraightMan to his best friend Dave. Named after George Bailey from ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife''.
* '''Thomas:''' A (dense) GentleGiant who enjoys ScienceFiction and Kung Fu movies. Named after [[Creator/KeanuReeves Neo's]] name inside the Matrix in, uh, ''Franchise/TheMatrix''.
* '''Tyler:''' A DeadpanSnarker, Tyler absolutely despises his job, his employees, and his customers. He doesn't have a problem telling them this, either. He is forced to work at Movies, Etc., because [[TheFaceless his father]] is the owner. Named after the infamous Tyler Durden in ''Film/FightClub''.

It is drawn and co-written by Tony Martins and co-written, colored, and inked by Blockbuster employee Chris Powers. Tony created the webcomic as a fun, creative project that would help tone his artistic skills.

The webcomic recently moved to Website/DeviantArt, available [[http://damagedtape.deviantart.com/ here]], though it formally had its own (soon to be defunct) [[http://damagedtape.com/ website]] where you can view older strips.
----
!!''Damaged Tape'' provides examples of:
%%* BigApplesauce
%%* CausticCritic: Dave.
%%* CutawayGag: To [[http://www.damagedtape.com/2010/07/31/deja-beard/ when Dave had a beard]].
%%* DeadpanSnarker: Tyler.
%%* TheEveryman: George.
%%* TheFaceless: Tyler's dad, who runs the store and is always referred to as simply "The Old Man".
* ForcedTransformation: Dave's story has Franchise/{{Batman}} being transformed into a rabbit.
%%* GentleGiant: Thomas.
%%* TheLancer: George, to Dave.
%%* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Averted in [[http://www.damagedtape.com/2010/08/14/shyamalan/ this]].
* NoirEpisode: One appropriately titled "[[http://www.damagedtape.com/2010/09/11/dave-noir/ dave noir]]", where Dave discovers he has a PrivateEyeMonologue playing in his head ([[spoiler:it turns out, however, that he has schizophrenia]]).
* PerpetualFrowner: Tyler hasn't smiled once in the entire run of the comic. He's only had two other expressions: yelling, and a typical Nut Shot reaction face.
* PunBasedTitle: "[[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay Tea-1000]]", "Cold as Film/{{Splice}}", "[[Film/SexLiesAndVideotape Hex, Lies, and Videotape]]", "[[Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey 2010: A Dave Odyssey]]"
%%* TheRant (the author of which switches between Flash and Topher, depending on the strip)
%%* RuleThirtyFour: [[http://www.damagedtape.com/2010/06/19/cold-as-splice/ This strip]].
%%* ShoutOutThemeNaming: As mentioned in the character list above, all the four main characters are named after characters from movies.
%%* StealthPun: "Tea-1000" is pointed out as this in its compliment blog.
%%* TheStraightMan: George.
%%* TakeThat: TheStinger in [[http://www.damagedtape.com/2010/07/21/im-lovin-it/ this]], to Burger King.
%%* TheWestern: Dave imagines being in one after seeing ''ComicBook/JonahHex''.
%%* WholePlotReference: [[http://www.damagedtape.com/2010/07/10/2010-a-dave-odyssey/ This strip]] to ''[[Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey 2001: A Space Odyssey]]''.
----