Day by Day (webcomic)
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| Day by Day | |
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| Author(s) | Chris Muir |
| Website | http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/ |
| Update schedule | Updating every day |
| Launch date | 2002 November 1 |
| Genre | political |
Day by Day is a popular American political webcomic by Chris Muir. The humor usually centers on four coworkers at an unspecified firm, but some strips focus on public figures and feature none of the main cast, similar to Doonesbury. Compared to most webcomics, the strip has a decidedly conservative slant. The strip often makes reference to political weblogs.
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[edit] Storylines and Characters
Updates are daily, and generally follow a loose "strip story arc" throughout a given week. However, since there are no "print press" lead times, the author will sometimes react to breaking news by crafting a relevant comic and putting it up the next day, breaking or delaying the storyline. Generally, the strip features a running commentary on political events with the characters interacting in a vaguely seen office setting. In addition, the author often shows a "Doonesburyesque" White House strip with an unseen President talking to his staff. Muir has often used the same treatment to show goings-on at the United Nations and the New York Times.
It must be noted that the author is unafraid to show the sensual aspects of the female characters, drawing them in professional wear that shows off their best features. The characters have also frequently been drawn in beachside settings, and presented in angles that highlight both Sam and Jan.
[edit] Display Format
The strip is usually three colorized panels, comprising a combination of newly drawn art and a library of hand drawn elements that Muir has digitized and reuses. Muir has stated in interviews that by crafting the cartoons digitally, and using previously drawn faces, expressions, and body postures, he can react quickly to the news. Sunday strips began running in 2005, but due to site coding, could only be seen in their entirety on the Sunday they appeared. On other days, if one looked at a Sunday strip on the site's archive, only the first two panels at the top of a fairly traditional six panel layout would appear. In mid 2006, the site was updated, and now Sunday strips can be seen in their entirety.
The home URL was written vertically on the leftmost edge of the strip, beginning on May 2, 2003, running until the site's redesign in 2006. The comic itself has run since November 1, 2002, with a hiatus from September 12, 2004 to November 30, 2004.
[edit] Financial Model
Like many other web comics, Day by Day Cartoon is supported by a combination of contributions from readers (via PayPal, Amazon and other payment vehicles), banner advertising, and merchandise. In 2005, the strip became available for print newspaper syndication.
[edit] Characters
- Zed is a laconic, goateed product designer who is frequently worried that he may be over the hill. It has been revealed that he is a former Special Operations sniper. He has recently proposed to Sam.
- Sam is a red-headed, cautious engineer, recently engaged to Zed. In 2006, it was revealed that her father is Irish and her mother is Japanese. While Zed and Sam are supposed to be centrist, they more often than not side with Damon, and both carry concealed handguns.
- Damon is a African-American Republican and programmer. He has implied in the past that he was orphaned in early childhood. He frequently accuses the Democratic Party as a whole of being racist. When his home was razed by the town (in a commentary on Kelo v. New London), he began living with Jan.
- Jan is an ardent liberal, who does not seem to understand how Damon can be both black and conservative. At some point after Damon moved in with her after losing his house, they began a romantic relationship, and have been shown in the bedroom together. Prior to the beginning of their romance, Jan secretly went out of her way to prevent him from leaving their company. She suspected that she was pregnant, but she found out that she was not with child. Recently, someone stole her Volkswagen, which was struck by a truck, killing the thief.
- M. Luciano de la Portago y Verrillo is Jan's father and an entrepreneur. When Damon took offense at the politics of the company's majority shareholder, he, at Jan's request, persuaded them to sell their stock so that Damon would not resign.
- Suzi is an intern who has recently joined the company. She has an attraction towards Zed, who doesn't seem to care or notice since she's too young for him, but pursues him nonetheless, which puts her at odds with Sam.
- Skye is Sam's younger sister, introduced to the strip in June 2006. She is as liberal as Jan, if not more so. Facially, she resembles Sam, but she has brown hair rather than Sam's flaming red, and has a number of piercings and tatoos. She is happy for Sam and Zed, despite the fact that he's "some conservative guy".
