Thanks to my favorite game blog Kotaku, I learned that this week's Time magazine tackles the issue of webcomics. In New Zip for an Old Strip we learn about the webcomics revolution that has been underway. Currently there are thousands of artists working on redefining the genre. I guess that McCloud guy is ahead of his time.

But the most compelling point to note in this article is the subject matter these comics have taken.

Time goes out of their way to make comparisons to the birth of syndicated newspaper comic strips like Krazy Kat and Nemo, and each of these strips tend to cover wildly different grounds. Time's webcomic samples on the other hand are of two varieties: With Video Game references and Without.

So why two distinct groups?

I feel this is the interesting question that needs answering. Especially as I continue to plug away on my own webcomic which clearly falls into one of those categories. I think Peter Moore (leader of Microsoft's Games Division) hit the nail on the head while addressing the audience of the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2006, "Games are our shared heritage".

Never before has a society had a chance to collectively experience something. Games are vivid representations that transcend movies and books in the sense that a user has the perceived ability to act. This option makes users feel invested as the actions of a hero aren't merely of a third-party but of their own.

On top of this we add the modern myths games have created. The ancient Greeks had magnificent Gods to wrap epic stories around that were ultimately parables. Today we have game icons that do the same thing. Solid Snake as the stoic freedom fighter. Link as the plucky youthful hero to defeat evil. Mario doing whatever it takes to save his love. Joseph Campbell would swoon at the rich retellings of age old ideas. These aren't new concepts, but they have never been wrapped into such a compelling engaging package before.

We have an entire generation that can speak the same language, so it is no wonder that when we branch out to other forms of communication we attempt to add to and repurpose these tales.

In other words - Go Webcomics Go!