Line #43 SelfDeprecation/Webcomics


1	[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/ApricotCookies https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen_shot_2018_11_10_at_22721_pm.png]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Their ''print'' comic, at least.[[note]][[https://apricotcookies.net/4/11 Image]] by Louistrations. Used with permission.[[/note]]]]
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4	%%This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
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6	* ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'':
7	** There's [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] the metric buttloads of {{Filler}}, and then there's his footnoted clarification of a point about "most consistent work you've ever seen online."
8	-->''Terrible work is still consistent work.''
9	** Strip 1,000 was called "I can’t believe someone was asshole enough to make 1,000 sprite comics." Strip 1,001 was called "I can’t believe someone was asshole enough to make more than 1,000 sprite comics."
10	** In one comic, Black Mage gives a slight-induced rant about all the {{Anti Climax}}es they've been through and finally says ScrewThisImOuttaHere.
11	* Mark Shallow of ''[[Webcomic/{{Adventurers}} Adventurers!]]'' took a potshot at his older artwork towards the end. In a flashback during a conversation between Khrima and Cody, he briefly reverted to the old art style. Then had Khrima insult it.
12	--> '''Khrima:''' Hey! My head was ''not'' that square, and I believe you had ''fingers''.
13	* Chapter 4 of ''Webcomic/ApricotCookies'' starts with a ''barrage'' of this as Apricot and Starlet are discussing the comic book that the latter created:
14	** The comic reads left-to-right, the opposite direction of what would be expected, which Apricot describes as "dumb and confusing".
15	** After Starlet decides that it's too late to change the reading direction, Apricot suggests making it into "a funny meta-joke in a later chapter"—which is what Louistrations ''just did''—and Starlet dismisses the idea in order to not be seen as a "smartass".
16	** Then Starlet rails on anyone who would make their comic in full color.
17	* [[Webcomic/AwkwardZombie Katie Teidrich]] notes that SelfDeprecation is [[https://www.awkwardzombie.com/comic/a-brief-interlude the best way to get undying praise]], any ''real'' artist's bane. Jackie Lesnick, in response, obliged by offering advice on how to improve her puppy-kicking technique.
18	* ''WebComic/BasicInstructions'': [[http://basicinstructions.net/basic-instructions/2010/12/7/how-to-utilize-research-to-maximize-chances-for-success.html How to Utilize Research to Maximize Chances for Success]]
19	--> '''Ric:''' ''I searched for a field of endeavor that anyone, regardless of their lack of skill, talent or taste has a chance of success. I chose webcomics.''
20	--> '''[[AuthorAvatar Scott]]:''' ''Of course.''
21	* ''Webcomic/BecauseImDepressed'' frequently jokes about how webcomics require no artistic or writing skill to make, [[CreatorCareerSelfDeprecation and how their creators are untalented losers.]]
22	* ''{{Webcomic/Comc}}'' has [[FourthWallObserver Block]] in regular conversation and [[RageAgainstTheAuthor conflict]] with [[AuthorAvatar the author, Krixwell]], sometimes delivering jabs at the writing of the comics.
23	** In the str'p where Krixwell is introduced, Block complains that Krixwell's simple answer left the str'p without a punchline, [[http://sites.google.com/site/comccomic/archive/comc11 which ends up as the punchline]]:
24	--->'''Block:''' And with that, this str'p is left without a punchline.
25	--->'''Block:''' You're a terrible author, Krixwell.
26	* ''Webcomic/DoghouseDiaries'': The authors enjoy doing this as much as is humanly possible. A good example is in [[http://thedoghousediaries.com/5784 Movies For Aliens,]], in which the alt-text claims aliens must think Doghouse Diaries comics are epic literary tragedies.
27	* ''Webcomic/DorkTower'' creator Creator/JohnKovalic sometimes couples this with BreakingTheFourthWall to poke fun at himself.
28	-->'''Ken:''' "Let's admit it, Kovalic's about as organized as a wet mound of marmots."
29	* ''WebComic/DragonBallMultiverse'': Raditz makes a comment about Dabura "being affected by such a simple technique." The technique in question: the Makankousappo.
30	* [[http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2009-05-01 This]] ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'' strip has Mookie poking fun at his own inability to draw noticeably different faces.
31	* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': [[Creator/PhilFoglio Phil and Kaja Foglio's]] [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090817 Hugo Award acceptance speech.]] Phil's in-story avatar is a storyteller who renders anyone forced to listen to one of his stories comatose with boredom.
32	* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'':
33	** [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2010-04-26 This strip]], which is mostly LeaningOnTheFourthWall about why the current storyline is a bad idea, because "any writer who takes something ''[[SuspensionOfDisbelief no-one was questioning]]'' and tries to ''[[DoingInTheWizard explain it]]'' is a ''hack''."
34	** On the subject of ADogNamedDog -- "[[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-12-11 We were named by scientists, not writers or cartoonists.]]" Also see the title.
35	** The commentary to [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=1289 this strip]] calls EGS "a ridiculously convoluted comic written by a madman".
36	* Tom Siddell, the author of ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt''. Not so much in the comic itself (Tom doesn't write himself into the comic and promises that he never will) but in talking with his fans: If you ask him about the art, he'll probably tell you that he thinks it's bad [[ArtEvolution and that it used to be worse]]. If you ask him about the hollow-eyed cartoon self-portraits resembling male variant of [[CreepyChild Zimmy]] he uses as avatars, he'll tell you that they're more handsome than he is.
37	* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' pokes fun at its own KudzuPlot [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=002731 here.]]
38	--> '' '''GT:''' Boggle vacantly at these shenanigans.''
39	---> ''It begins to dawn on you that everything you just did may have been a colossal waste of time.''
40	** [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=003256 And then later...]]
41	---> '' '''CG:''' Boggle vacantly at these shenanigans.''
42	----> ''It begins to dawn on you that [[TimeyWimeyBall everything you are]] ''[[TimeyWimeyBall about to do]]'' may prove to have been a colossal waste of time.''
43	** [[HostileShowTakeover Doc Scratch]] calls the {{Author Guest Spot}}s "self-indulgent rubbish."
44	-->'''Hussie:''' [[AltText "Everyone is fed up with your condescending, self-indulgent narrative style. They all want to go back to my slightly less condescending, slightly more self-indulgent style."]]
45	** Hussie making fun of Vriska's CreatorsPet status by having his AuthorAvatar propose to her...only to get clocked in the face and turn up sobbing pathetically later on.
46	** From the newsposts:
47	-->I will be attending ECCC in Seattle this weekend. If you would like to come see your favorite cartoonist ever, this could be your chance. And if you go there and find your favorite cartoonist is unavailable, you can always come see me instead. I will console you. This kind of humor is known by professionals as "self-deprecation" and as you can see I'm quite good at it.
48	** Trolls have [[BizarreAlienReproduction four different kinds of romantic relationship, mapped onto the suits in a deck of cards]]. So, of course, [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=007907 leprechauns have NINE, mapped onto the types of marshmallow in Lucky Charms cereal]].
49	** Even the fandom itself is frequently self-deprecating, to the extent that "Homestuck trash" is a common FanCommunityNickname. It's especially prevalent on Tumblr, where posts mocking Homestuck tend to get insane amounts of notes...which are largely from avid fans of the comic.
50	--->'''Fan''': This fandom does so many things ironically, I can't tell if it's actual self-hate or irony. Actually let me rephrase that: I don't think ''anyone'' can tell if everyone hates ''Homestuck'' or if we're all just ironically reblogging ''Homestuck'' hate.
51	* David Morgan-Mar, author of ''Webcomic/IrregularWebcomic'', periodically mocks his own drawing skills and penchant for awful, awful puns. He even once convinced Jane Goodall to pretend to slap him for how he portrayed her LEGO alter-ego. (Well, actually, he asked her to pretend to punch him - she convinced him a monkey-slap would be more in-character for her!)
52	* In the webcomic ''Webcomic/{{Jack\|DavidHopkins}}'', Artie Sullivan dislikes an author for being too gory when he's not being too preachy. The author is (who else?) David Hopkins.
53	* Episode 6 of ''Webcomic/JupiterMen'' makes fun of starving artists not unlike the story's writer/artist when an artist is mugged at gunpoint. The mugger insists that the artist must be holding out on him, but said artist reveals his studio art major as an explanation. The mugger than shouts, "How is your poor life decision my problem?!" Jackie also tells the mugger to give the money back to the "nice bum".
54	* ''Webcomic/LatchkeyKingdom'' features Rose, a ForcedTransformation / clone of [[spoiler:Willa]]. At one point, Rose told her that she's "the real adventurer" to encourage her. It didn't work and just made her uncomfortable.
55	* [[http://www.livingwithinsanity.com/index/ Living With Insanity]] has a few of these. One has to wonder if David Herbert really does think he's a talentless hack who lucked out with a great artist.
56	* ''Webcomic/{{Maximumble}}'': In one strip, two characters labeled "Me" and "Also me" talk about how one can't think of any ideas for a new comic strip, and wants to make a strip about how he can't think of any ideas, which the other one makes fun of him for. The second character then points out that he's sitting at a fake cartoonist drawing table, and in reality he sits on a couch and draws on an iPad.
57	* Al Schroeder did it twice in ''Webcomic/{{Mindmistress}}'', making fun of his artwork.
58	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
59	** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0541.html this strip]], one of the demon roaches says, "They'll let any old hack write a sourcebook these days" in reference to the strip's acid-breathing shark. The acidborn template, with the specific example of the acidborn shark, appears in the ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragons]]'' sourcebook ''Dungeonscape'', co-written by [=OotS=] author Rich Burlew.
60	** Each print compilation of ''The Order of the Stick'' comics opens with a Foreword by one of the characters. Typically they spend the Foreword mocking the concept of the strip, the writing of the strip, the art style, and [[TakeThatAudience the reader's intellect]] for having wasted their money on an amateurish comic they could have read for free.
61	** In ''Snips, Snails, and Dragon Tales'', the Order is telling stories to one another. In Belkar's, the heroes die, which doesn't amuse the rest of the group:
62	--->'''Elan:''' Belkar, I can't think of a single story where the protagonist dies.\
63	'''Roy:''' [[BackFromTheDead Ahem]].\
64	'''Elan:''' Well, at least, not any that are worth the paper they are printed on.
65	** When Haley pulls an ImpossibleTheft and steals the diamond from the cast page, she notes that the cast page is pretty outdated and that they "all look deformed".
66	* Webcomic/OzyAndMillie creator Creator/DanaSimpson also does some songwriting. One strip had the lyrics to one of her songs appear, and Felicia mocked the heavy use of overly emotional metaphors.
67	* ''Webcomic/PennyArcade:''
68	** "Cartoonists are [[http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/06/17 society's waste products]]."
69	** They later do a more realistic drawing of themselves... [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2012/04/02 their ''actual'' selves]], rather than their cartoon personas.
70	* Several comics of ''Webcomic/ThePetriDish'' have the characters calling the cartoonist lazy.
71	* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent''
72	** Creator Jeph Jacques introduced the character of Yelling Bird into the comic, whose sole purpose is to [[http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1140 berate him]] when he is unable to get the comic up on time for various reasons. Yelling Bird doesn't [[http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1456 stop there]], though.
73	** In [[http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2175 this]] regular comic, Angus is reading ''Butts LOL: The Jeph Jacques Story''.
74	* ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'':
75	** The voteys often engage in this; a common theme is to depict a naked Zach ironically praising the joke or subject matter of the main comic.
76	--> "Ha! Any use of "decontextualised" is funny!"
77	** Another common one is to have Zach's girlfriend/wife/family looking angrily over his shoulder while he's drawing and maybe commenting. [[https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2013-12-07 One time]] she ''likes'' the strip a lot -- and Zach calls her weird.
78	** When he went back and did voteys for the first few years of strips ten or more years later, a large number of them ended up as variations of "I don't get it" and "WhoWritesThisCrap" Once, in reference to the previous point, we have older Zach looking over young Zach's shoulder angrily.
79	** There are several voteys talking about how comics suck.
80	* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'':
81	** LDS cartoonist Howard Tayler pokes fun of his own religion, with a joke about Mormons being teetotal in [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2000-11-10 this]] strip.
82	** Early strips also contain jabs at the initial poor quality of the artwork and occasionally the plot, as in [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-04-25 this strip]].
83	-->'''Kevyn:''' Look at it this way, guys. If you have an [[MonkeysOnATypewriter infinite number of monkeys banging on an infinite number of hypernet terminals, for an infinite amount of time]], eventually you'll crank out all the great works of Howard Tayler.
84	-->'''Narrator:''' Note: This can actually be done with three monkeys in fifteen minutes.
85	* ''Webcomic/ASimpleThinkingAboutBloodType'' portrays Type O as being the most [[ButtMonkey prone to misfortune]], and often receives brunt of Type AB's BrutalHonesty and snide remarks. The author/cartoonist is a Type O himself and has admitted that the character is based on himself.
86	* ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'',
87	** One character reads ''Sinfest''. Criminy's anthropomorphic feminism book [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4143 reacts badly.]] Also a regular staple for whenever the AuthorAvatar character shows up.
88	** [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4427 Also:]]
89	--> '''Drone''': Sinfest: Juvenile Humor. Lowbrow. Trashy. Cultural relevance: Low.
90	* ''Webcomic/SomethingPositive'':
91	** The comic occasionally features Choo-Choo Bear "off-stage" to address the reader directly, declaring that his author is a lazy, talentless hack who can't get his act together.
92	-->'''[[https://somethingpositive.net/comic/life-according-to-s-p-pt-1/ Choo-Choo Bear]]:''' Alas, dear readers, you know when you see me Randy is planning something "special." It'll be over quickly, I promise ... And if you hate it, don't worry. It's not like this will be the project Mr. "I swear I'll update ''Midnight Macabre''" [[AttentionDeficitCreatorDisorder will actually finish]]."
93	** In one strip, Milholland gives a nod to the FourthWall when [=PeeJee=] asks, "Why does everything around here revolve around sex?" and Davan, who's reading a book, mutters, "Bad writing." When glanced at in curiosity, he says, "I'm reading a Creator/JohnGrisham book, worst writing I've ever seen." Milholland also draws filler strips with himself in them, usually self-deprecating in some way. This version of his AuthorAvatar even has a razor blade with hands and feet as his muse, who constantly says/does whatever he can think of to make Milholland miserable or want to kill himself.
94	%%** [[https://somethingpositive.net/comic/stuck-on-friend-duty-pt-4/ This]] strip. Technically, Milholland did subvert a little of what the character predicted. A little.
95	* [[http://sluggy.com/daily.php?date=980203 This]] ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' strip joked that a (fictional) wrongful hiring scandal had drastically hurt the strip's viewership. "Two people used to read ''Sluggy Freelance''. Now only one does. In percentage terms, this is devastating for the comic."
96	* A slightly more subtle version in ''Webcomic/{{Spinnerette}}''. Protagonist Super Heroine Heather admits to hating manga-style comics. Odd considering the general art style of the comic.
97	* ''Webcomic/{{SSDD}}'': In one comic Alan Foreman's characters give him a "How to Draw Comics" book as a joke, he responds by turning them into stick figures.
98	* ''Webcomic/SquareRootOfMinusGarfield'' has the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin aptly]] titled [[https://www.mezzacotta.net/garfield/?comic=2117 Self Deprication]].
99	-->TV: And now, a list of the funniest [=SRoMG=] strips ever shown on this website!
100	-->{two beat panels}
101	* When ''[[http://www.tangcomic.com/ Tang Ho]]'' needs someone to function as a ButtMonkey, his first choice is generally his own AuthorAvatar.
102	* ''Webcomic/ThirtySomethingWolf'': When Zephyri was asked why she was dressing up as a Nature Valley bar for Halloween in one strip, she responds by calling herself a "crumbling mess."
103	* ''Webcomic/TwistedKaijuTheater'' has frequently made jokes at the expense of the webcomic's creator Shin-Goji, such as calling him "talentless" and quipping about how unsuccessful he is at getting laid.
104	* ''Webcomic/VGCats'' has at times mocked the creator's habit of ScheduleSlip. Even his AuthorAvatar, Pantsman, turns out to be a lazy freeloader with a weakness for vodka.
105	* During chapter 58 of ''Webcomic/WelcomeToTheConvenienceStore'' one character is showing off short (yet true) stories that have happened. At the end, the manager says that the artist/writer was just being incredibly lazy.
106	* Doc Nickel, of ''Webcomic/TheWhiteboard'' fame, takes a swing at himself in [[http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autotwbaf10.html this]] AprilFoolsDay strip, on the subject of OnlySixFaces[[note]]see the top and bottom right corners[[/note]].
107	* The author of Webcomic/WordSaladHumorTragicDeaths is also the main character, and he dies almost OnceAnEpisode
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Context SelfDeprecation / Webcomics