MS Paint Adventures

MS Paint Adventures
Author(s)	Andrew Hussie
Website	mspaintadventures.com
Current status / schedule	Active
Launch date	2006
Genre(s)	Action-Adventure, Puzzle

MS Paint Adventures is a collection of webcomics written and illustrated by Andrew Hussie.^[1] Because of the frequency with which the site is updated, MS Paint Adventures is estimated to be the longest web comic on the Internet with over 6000 pages total among its four series.^[2][3]

These comics are written in serials, or "adventures", in a manner that parodies interactive fiction games.^[3] The characters' actions are driven by commands, typically selected from suggestions provided by the comic's official forum. The comics tend to draw inspiration from video games, imitating and parodying genres such as RPGs and simulation games.^[4] In the process, the comic has evolved from simply using static images and captions to incorporate animations, music, and occasionally interactive games utilizing Adobe Flash.^[2] The current adventure, Homestuck, has given rise to a large fan community as made evident by the increasing amount of fan art^[5] and cosplay at comic book conventions.^[6] The comic currently averages over 600,000 unique views daily.^[3]

The stories also contain a variety of plot elements parodying various internet and social phenomena such as H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos,^[7] juggalo culture,^[8] and shipping.^[9]

MS Paint Adventures is one of many web comics which supports its author financially by selling merchandise on the online store TopatoCo^[10] as well the site's store and record label What Pumpkin.^[11]

Adventures

Jailbreak

Jailbreak, the first adventure written by Andrew Hussie, was conceived as a forum game following an unnamed man as he attempts to escape from a prison cell.^[3] While the adventure ends abruptly after a few hundred pages, its brief run established many ideas, patterns and running jokes that would reappear in subsequent adventures. Left unfinished for several years, the adventure was given an ending screen in September 2011 during a hiatus of updates from Homestuck.

Bard Quest

The second adventure Bard Quest took on a Choose Your Own Adventure format and featured multiple, branching paths rather than a single linear storyline. It was the first adventure to be hosted at on its own web space but was ultimately left unfinished due to the difficulty Hussie faced in maintaining the complex web of branching storylines.^[12] Bard Quest was updated from June 12, 2007 to July 6, 2007 upon which the site was left on hiatus.^[13]

Problem Sleuth

A parody of interactive fiction games and the film noir genre, Problem Sleuth began by presenting three detectives who are attempting to escape from their respective offices. Thanks largely to reader input, the story quickly grew in complexity, exploring a full fictional universe and dozens of characters. Problem Sleuth earned MS Paint Adventures major popularity in many parts of the internet, forming a strong community of fans. Unlike its predecessors, Problem Sleuth featured a complete story with a proper ending and ran from March 10, 2008 to April 7, 2009.^[14]

Homestuck

Homestuck, the current adventure, began in April 13, 2009 and follows four teenagers as they play a reality-altering video game resembling The Sims that brings about the end of the world.^[2] As in Problem Sleuth, the adventure is characterised by time travel, mystery, and a complex fictional universe. This adventure includes a large cast, including the protagonists, their families, denizens of the game world, and twelve figurative and literal trolls from another universe whose character designs are based on Zodiac symbols.^[6]

Unlike the previous adventures, which exclusively used GIF images for animation, this adventure introduced the use of complex Flash animations and games, many of them involving music provided by the comic's community. Eight major soundtrack albums have been released under the comic's own record label What Pumpkin.^[11][3], with eleven side albums also having been produced. Four other albums are available for purchase under the semi-official Homestuck Gaiden label. The Homestuck soundtrack combines includes an extreme variety of instruments, musicians, and musical genres.

Homestuck is a story in seven acts, of which five (and two intermissions) have been completed.^[15]

It is by far the largest of the four adventures, in length and popularity.

Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff

Originally conceived by Andrew Hussie as a parody of poorly made web comics, this comic is intentionally drawn crudely with images copied and pasted from other strips in the series only to be saved with increasingly lossy compression. It was incorporated into Homestuck as a comic-within-a-comic, purportedly drawn by the character Dave Strider out of irony.

See also

• Interactive fiction
• Webcomic

References

1. ^ Krell, Jason (September 22, 2010). "MS Paint Adventures provides online fun". Arizona Daily Wildcat. University of Arizona. http://wildcat.arizona.edu/wildlife/ms-paint-adventures-provides-online-fun-1.1640765. Retrieved September 23, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} McGown, Justin (October 17, 2011). "Homestuck fans prepare for webcomic release". The Tartan. Carnegie Mellon. http://thetartan.org/2011/10/17/pillbox/comics. Retrieved October 23, 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e} Baio, Andy (November 9, 2011). "Arcade Improv: Humans Pretending to Be Videogames". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/5858062/arcade-improv-humans-pretending-to-be-videogames. Retrieved November 10, 2011. 
4. ^ Weiler, Lance (January 25, 2009). "How Problem Sleuth Turns a Comic Into a Game". Culture Hacker. WorkBook Project. http://workbookproject.com/blog/2009/01/25/culture-hacker-how-problem-sleuth-turns-a-comic-into-a-game/. Retrieved September 24, 2010. 
5. ^ Price, Ada (October 19, 2011). "Manga at NYCC 2011: Viz, Yen Press, Kodansha, Vertical and 'Homestuck'". Publishers Weekly. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/49170-manga-at-nycc-2011-viz-yen-press-kodansha-vertical-and-homestuck-.html. Retrieved October 23, 2011. 
6. ^ ^{a b} Christodoulides, Alex (October 16, 2011). "Geeks in disguise: New York Comic Con enthusiasts take costumes to extreme ahead of Halloween". New York Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-10-16/local/30303666_1_costumes-dynamic-duo-proton-pack. Retrieved October 23, 2011. 
7. ^ http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=002201
8. ^ http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=003912
9. ^ http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004195
10. ^ Chen, Jialu (August 2, 2011). "See you in the funny pages". Boston.com. The New York Times Company. http://articles.boston.com/2011-08-02/lifestyle/29843469_1_comic-strip-creators-webcomics-diesel-sweeties/3. Retrieved October 24, 2011. 
11. ^ ^{a b} What Pumpkin
12. ^ http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?viewpage=new
13. ^ http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?viewlog=2
14. ^ http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?viewlog=4
15. ^ "[o] But yes, I can fix it.". May 16, 2011. http://www.mspaintadventures.com/scratch.php?s=6&p=005666. 

External links

• Official website
• The fan-made MS Paint Adventures wiki
• Official site for MSPA music