Day by Day (webcomic)
| Day by Day | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Chris Muir |
| Website | http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/ |
| Current status/schedule | Updating every day |
| Launch date | 2002 November 1 |
| Genre(s) | political |
Day by Day is an American political webcomic by Chris Muir. The humor usually centers on four coworkers at an unspecified firm (until the firm went out of business on December 25, 2007), but some strips focus on public figures and feature none of the main cast, in a manner similar to Doonesbury. Compared to most webcomics, the strip has a conservative/libertarian viewpoint. The strip often makes reference to political weblogs. It is a Yahoo! Pick in the "Comics and Animation" category.[1]
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 "Doonesbury-esque" 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.
Artist Muir often highlights sensual aspects of the female characters, drawing them in professional wear that shows off their bodies. The characters have also frequently been drawn in beachside settings, and presented in angles that highlight both Sam and Jan.[2]
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.
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.
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 and was carried by the Hemingford Ledger, the Knoxville News-Sentinel, the North County Times and The San Diego Union-Tribune. In October 2007, Day by Day Cartoon discontinued service to newspapers. Also in October 2007, eBook compilations of Day by Day Cartoon became available for free.[3]
Characters
- Zedediah "Zed" Owens 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, who has since been recalled back to duty in Iraq, where, as one strip revealed, he is now actively hunting insurgents as a sniper once again. [4] He has recently proposed to Sam, and they have married in Las Vegas.
- Samantha "Sam" Owens (formerly Samantha Flanagan) is a red-headed, cautious engineer, recently married to Zed. In 2006, it was revealed that her father is Irish and her mother (Kimiko Flanagan[5]) is Japanese. She gave birth to twin daughters[6]. While Zed and Sam are supposed to be centrist, they more often than not side with Damon, and both carry concealed handguns. Strips often centre about the generational aspects between the forty-something Zed and Sam and the twenty-something Damon and Jan.
- Damon Thomas is an African-American Republican and a self-made programmer. He has explicitly stated in the past that he was orphaned in early childhood. He frequently accuses the Democratic Party as a whole of being racist. When his beachfront home was razed by the town (in a commentary on Kelo v. New London), he began living with Jan.
- Jan Portago is an ardent liberal marketing director, 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. At one point suspected that she was pregnant. Recently, someone stole her Volkswagen, which was struck by a truck, killing the thief.
- Caroline Owens & Catherine Owens are Zed & Sam's twin daughters.
- 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.
- Skye Flanagan 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 tattoos. She is happy for Sam and Zed, despite the fact that he's "some conservative guy".
- Suzi was a young intern who was openly attracted to Zed, despite the large age gap between them. (Zed did not reciprocate.) She left the company off-panel at some point in 2006.
- Naomi is a PMC working in Iraq, who had previously served as Zed's spotter during his time as a sniper. It is revealed that Jan's father has hired her to keep an eye on his daughter while she is in Iraq, but Jan's obvious and undisguised disdain of her and mercenaries in general complicates matters. She is Israeli, as Jan seems somewhat shocked to note. [7]
- Lieutenant Markos Anderson is a U.S. Army Infantry Officer in Iraq whose platoon Jan is embedded with. He is dedicated and takes his work seriously, reprimanding his troops for ogling Jan on numerous occasions, but also demonstrates a wry sense of humour when Jan's preconceptions about Iraq and the American military are made known.