Back when I first mentioned the Order of the Stick here, I lamented that far too many of the truly funny comic strips online have kicked the bucket or degenerated into something completely devoid of entertainment value.
Add to the list Chainmail Bikini. It never strayed from its core concept, following a group of RPG nerds fumbling through a grab-bag of hurdles both within the game and at the table. Mostly at the table. As the panels jumped back and forth between the game setting and the gaming table, the bad mix of player preferences and poor DM management of the situation created all manner of amusing conflict. The illustration was excellent, conveying the tone of both settings with deceptive ease. The artwork was unlike the American comic book or comic strip art I see all the time, nor was it some slavish weeaboo attempt at Japanese comic art.
Order of the Stick slogs on at an irregular rate, and Penny Arcade will probably always be good. Real Life Comics rounds out my final three now, which used to tickle a couple of geek niche points but now is mostly just good for poking fun at Texas and our Californian preconceptions about that odd, odd place.
