08 December 2012

Open-source entertainment

"Inman’s 'gripe' comics take ideas that are already being expressed by certain constituencies around the Internet and simply put them in comic form. For example, many people get irked by the incorrect use of grammar and spelling, so he writes explanatory comics on this subject to attract that traffic. Inman has admitted in multiple interviews that spelling and grammar are not actually interests of his, but the comics get traffic (and sell a lot of posters to schools, ads for which appear at the bottom of each of those comics), and he works with an editor to correct his own use of language in those comics." 

-- I don't want to wade too far into this bizarre profile/ attack on Matthew Inman, who draws the web comic The Oatmeal, but I kind of love that writing about spelling and grammar is considered one of his fiendish tactics to grow readership. (His response, including what would happen if they put a comment board next to the Mona Lisa, is also worth reading.)

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