“A comic featuring a professional procrastinator, class-sleeper and on-beds eater.”
I’ve done slice-of-life/gag-a-day reviews before, and I find it difficult. These reviews don’t quite fit in the same format that I normally do reviews, since there is no story, and the writing is limited to a few panels that lead up to a punchline. Art-wise, these comics tend to be more of a quick, rougher style since the idea is to get out as many as possible. So instead of the regular format, I’m going to split this review up so that it makes a bit more sense for slice-of-life/gag-a-day comics.
Punchlines
Punchlines are the whole point behind this style of comic, and there is more of a science behind the delivery than you may think. The Last Pizza Slice by Q. Maryam, does deliver the punchline fairly well, but unfortunately lacks in originality. Although her art style is uniquely her own, as well as the language she uses, it just falls short of being a stand-out comic due to the fact that many of the jokes have been done before somewhere else.
Now, that doesn’t mean that just because a joke has been done before, she can’t do it better. Sometimes a joke doesn’t become well-known until another person comes along and frames it in a more humorous way, or they find a way to deliver that punchline so that it lands more successfully.
That being said, I’m a big fan of original content, and I’d much rather see you fail before you succeed with something new, than see you get popular off of something that someone else already did.
Writing
Although punchlines are the main reason why people are drawn to this style of comic, it’s the buildup and writing structure of the rest of the panels that create the perfect foundation for that punchline. The Last Pizza Slice paces the content well between each panel which allows for the most effective flow into the punchline.
There are a few instances where the spelling and grammar need some revising. The jokes still land with or without the grammar mistakes, however, the comic will come across as more professional with fewer errors. Make sure you have someone to proofread for you who knows the language very well (I am always open to looking over anything you aren’t sure about if you don’t have anyone else who can edit for you).
Art
The art in The Last Pizza Slice improves as the comic progresses. I’ve mentioned many times that I am a fan of seeing an artist improve, specifically because it shows that they are serious about their art. Of course, if you are to ever publish your content, consistency is better, and so it may be a good idea to go back and redraw the older comics. However, that doesn’t mean you have to update them on your free site. It may encourage people to buy an actual copy of your books if they knew that the book had artwork that was new and improved.
It is hard to really critique art with a comic that is created in a way that the art style is more simplistic on purpose. For this comic, it works well and complements the layout of the joke. That is the most important factor, and therefore I am not as concerned with the art as I may be for a more story-heavy comic.
However, art is important either way, and I think it is awesome that Q. Maryam has improved so much from page one, and it is great to see more shading and depth involved in her strips now. Although not vital, it would be especially pleasant to see some more backgrounds included in each panel.
Conclusion
To conclude, The Last Pizza Slice by Q. Maryam is filled with a combination of new and old jokes that continue to improve with each new comic. I would like to see more regular updates from Q. Maryam, especially since this is a slice-of-life/gag-a-day style comic and currently the releases are less than once a week. I understand schedules get messy and it can be hard to keep up with a comic. I wish Q. Maryam the best in finding a schedule that allows her to fit in more regular updates for The Last Pizza Slice. She has a lot of potential and I look forward to seeing how she improves in the future!
You can read The Last Pizza Slice by Q. Maryam on Tapastic!
WintreKitty Reviews and Contests 