Basic Instructions is a webcomic by artist, comedian and writer Scott Meyer.
| Basic Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Scott Meyer |
| Website | http://basicinstructions.net/ |
| Current status / schedule | Monday, Wednesday & Friday |
| Launch date | July 1, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | Comedy |
The theme of the comic is the 'basic instructions for life' in a twisted and humorous manner. The comic follows a four-panel layout in a 'window' format, with 2 panels on the top and two on the bottom. Occasional he has gone with a one panel design. Each panel is headed with instructions on dealing with various situations such as, "How to Lie for Recreational Purposes" or "How to Win at Monopoly Without Losing a Friend." Below the heading are characters - analogues of the author and his friends - carrying out the instructions, albeit in a way that usually ends up making the situations worse, or embarrasses someone.
So far the comic has not been syndicated, mainly due to its unusual four panel design (newspaper comics tend to be of a small three panel design) that the author feels is important to the story development in the various strips. The comic has been available on LiveJournal since 2003 [1] and on the author's Web site since 2006 [2]. In September 2008 the first book, Help Is on the Way, a compilation of the strips, was published by Dark Horse Books, a division of Dark Horse Comics.
Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic, has been a big supporter of Basic Instructions[3].