MacTastik Weekly #30
Mactastik

MacTastik Weekly #30

on August 22nd 2009

MT30_AppBrainstorm

I’d like to hear your thoughts on the MacTastik comic – is it something you have a good laugh at each week, or would you prefer the site focuses solely on Mac app information?

Embedding this MacTastik strip elsewhere? Please provide a link back to this post and to NCWinters.com


  • broshing

    I thinks it is funny and it’s cool to have it each week.

  • Gregory

    it’s rather borring and not funny at all. I don’t remember when last time MacTastik strip made me laugh.

  • gouvernante

    Hmpf, I don’t think it’s too funny and a don’t really like how the characters are drawn.

  • scralpha

    Great art style, love the subject matter. The jokes, meh.

  • Jelle

    Don’t like it. The jokes are horrible.

  • http://reys.be/blog/ Mike

    This was not particularly the best one, but I usually enjoy them. So please go ahead.

  • http://www.codehooligans.com Paul Menard

    I think the strip it quite amusing. Always seems to provide insight into my own development/design issues. Please keep the strip. Those that don not like the strip don’t have to read it. I mean seriously there are many articles from App Storm that don’t interest me. I just move on to something that does. I don’t bother to complain since not everyone likes everything.

  • Jonathan

    I have to agree that there is a lot of insight on the script, when I read them I usually find myself saying… oh yeah… totally true! haha and then comes the laugh :p

  • Jay Jay Okocha

    I love the comic!

  • Phil

    Not a fan…

  • http://www.iynque.com iynque

    Oh who cares. It’s not the focus of the site, so it doesn’t really matter what other people think of it. It’s not like you post a comic and everyone has to read it whether they like it or not.

    Regardless of whether or not I enjoy the comic (which I do), I think the fact that -YOU- enjoy it is far more valuable. It adds character to this blog that I have enjoyed since the first time I saw it here. It’s a nice break; and alternative to business as usual. It’s important, whether people like it or not.

    “I mean seriously there are many articles from App Storm that don’t interest me. I just move on to something that does. I don’t bother to complain since not everyone likes everything.” …and the same is true for every blog I read. Most of my blog reading is scrolling past content that doesn’t interest me. It doesn’t mean the blog should change, it just means that media isn’t specifically tailored to me. Go figure. That’s the power of online media: you can control what content you consume or do not consume.

    SO basically, I guess I have a problem with the question, not the comic. :D

  • http://www.macafarian.com Justin

    I don’t really care for it, but I don’t think it needs to be removed. I think posting a tutorial as well as a comic strip would be better.

    • dixhuit

      That would be better. Good call.

  • http://thecreativelab.timothybsmith.com Tim Smith

    I love the comic! It makes me laugh all the time. Please don’t remove it!

  • http://aetherfunk.com Adelore Lessard

    I do infact like the strip. I think it adds a little something to the site. While sometimes the jokes aren’t the best, like said before I like the artistic style of the comic. I think you should keep it, but I wouldn’t suggest spending more time on it. I really come to mac.appstorm.net for the articles.

  • EGY99

    I don’t like it.

  • http://www.ryanleach.com Ryan Leach

    I like it, it’s not funny every time but it gives the blog some extra character.

    • Jason

      Ditto. Don’t get rid of it. And if anyone thinks he can come up with better jokes, he should let NC Winters know.

  • http://flickr.com/fiz FiZ

    I don’t have any problem with the art style but the jokes are pretty flat. Strangely, I think my favorite (I actually really like it) was this one: http://mac.appstorm.net/general/mactastik/mactastik-weekly-9/

    I realize that this is a mac-centric blog, but the self-referential jabs at apple culture just seem way too forced most of the time. (though I also like the comic about the Unicorn Killer iPhone app). I’d say keep it though.

  • Travis

    I have nothing against it, but I’d rather be able to filter it from my newsreader. Perhaps you could assign it a separate feed or something.

  • http://www.ejenks.com Erik Jenkins

    I love reading it every week, always makes me laugh.

  • http://www.cuby.co.nr Henry Bennett

    I love them! This one is great… I can completely relate to trying to think up that million dollar iPhone app, and they’ve all been done…

  • Ben

    I like them. They provide me with a laugh every week.
    And to all those that don’t like them stfu and just ignore it! It’s not that hard.

  • http://www.koodoz.com.au Marc Katsambis

    I don’t find it funny at all. It’s a little annoying when I have to skip in my RSS News Reader too.

    Perhaps you could make it into it’s own unique RSS, and then whoever wants to read it can just subscribe to it – keep the peace with the lovers and haters.

  • http://blog.hellopanos.co.uk obrdn

    I would prefer it if the characters were drawn in a more.. mac style (nice and fresh!). I think it has some kind of a windows feeling for me..

  • http://www.whyte-art.com Martino Palladini

    While I personally find the visual style and some of the jokes not up to the “standards” of this wonderful site, I don’t think the comic should be removed. You can alwas skip it if it does nothing for you, as with any other article.

  • Ricky

    It must be tough making a strip about web apps. I prefer Freelance Freedom, but then maybe because I freelance.

    A few crits: The blue reminds me of a Windows App. I think it would look better without the chrome background. There’s too much text in the strip above. You should be able to scan it quickly to get the joke, not get bogged down in dialogue. You loose the joke if there’s too much text, it should be more direct and immediate. Also the characters need more personality. The guys above look like two jocks.

  • Rino

    Agreed, they’re good but the best ones are the ones from freelanceswitch, that’s for sure.

  • Thomas

    Never found any of the strips funny, sorry : (

  • http://vasili.duove.com/ Vasili

    I find them very funny at times. There have only been a couple that I didn’t laugh at, but that’s bound to happen. Keep ‘em coming! :)

  • Wiehann

    I’m 50/50 on the comic. Wouldn’t remove it from the site though.

  • http://www.tufuga.net Devin

    I dont particularly care for them, but I thought the comments that said that if you enjoy doing them then you should continue, are insightful. Having something that breaks up the routine is healthy for a job like this. If you get a release from it, continue to do it! Don’t worry about what we think. It looks about 50/50 from the readership, so let the decision be yours! If you’re getting tired of doing them and just wanted to see how many of us like it before nixing it, then let it be done. Just do what you want to do with the strip!

  • DigitalMonkey

    It really does feel like 50/50 split, doesn’t it? You will never make everybody happy and it’s in a “free” environment for crying out loud. You offer all these contents for free but still have to listen to all these bitching and moaning. The ones that are mature, just skip and go on with their life. You do that on other blogs, don’t you? What makes this strip any different?

    It is so depressing for me to see all these negative comments for something that’s been offered for free and some of us do enjoy. It will be interesting to see whether you will take out the comic to please these babies.

  • e

    not a fan – it gets in the way of what the site is about.

  • Michele

    Some of these are great, but others (like this one) are just lame.

  • http://www.storm-media.co.uk/ Mark McDonnell

    I think it’s OK. I wouldn’t give up your day job for it because some of them are not that funny at all. But there are a few that make me chuckle and it does a nice job of breaking up the content a bit as well.

  • http://www.2dforever.com Tom

    I love how much some people can complain about the free content of this site.
    As for MacTastik, it was one of the pulling points of the site, however I do agree in that some of the jokes are a bit weak at times. However it’s a nice break from otherwise similar types of content.

  • http://www.azharc.com Azhar

    Haven’t found any of them funny … and most are hardly amusing.
    Maybe if the comic was more weaved into the content – like news posts (sorta like Joy of Tech subject-style) it could work.

    Well, it ain’t your fault. A comic focusing solely on Macs can’t be funny – only if it’s battling against Windows, poking at Steve Jobs or exploding spinning beach-balls can it have much character.

  • Chris

    Not a fan.

  • http://pixelgraphics.us Douglas Neiner

    I read it every time it comes out, but normally do not find it funny. In my opinion if the fall guy on the jokes were PC users or the like, I think we would find these more funny. Us Mac users like to think our computers are invincible (even though they aren’t) and so jokes about Mac “problems” aren’t funny. Jokes about Dell, HP, Microsoft, etc, are funny. Just my two cents.

    If you can’t get them to be funny most of the time, just remove the strip.

  • Jason

    The brushed metal background and the bevel on the squares are really tacky. Change the way they’re displayed, but don’t get rid of it. Fair enough, they’re not always funny, but it’s still nice to read :-)

  • http://www.labusdesign.com Bill Labus

    @Jason- Amen to that! :) If nothing else the display style really needs to be updated. That looks like a result from someone who’s used Photoshop for all of 2 hours of their life.

  • http://www.chanellehenry.com Chanelle Henry

    I agree with Digital Monkey, humans are hard to satisfy. I think it is a good touch, and makes me laugh every so often, or makes me think often. I mean that’s what comics can do, make you laugh and/or think.

    I hope you keep it.

  • Danny

    jokes are lame.

  • Matthew L.

    I really like them, please don’t get rid of them!

  • http://www.sayzlim.net Sayz

    I like them, it refreshes the site… sometimes the jokes are kind of lame… but somehow it makes me laugh, yet sometimes I don’t really get it… :)

  • Leadeye

    I don’t own a Mac, but heard of the comic thanks to Freelance Freedom. I pretty much drop by the site every few weeks just to read the comic.

    As others have said, it’s not always funny. But I do always enjoy the distraction.

  • anon

    N.C. Winters’ comics are notoriously unfunny and his artistic style is incredibly abrasive. It’s like he doesn’t want you to like his comics or find them funny, and if that’s the case then he’s clearly a Kaufmanesque genius.

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