What puts you off a gag comic?

[NickRowler]

The stuff I don't like...

Easy, common, meme jokes that everyone does
The worse one is that damn one where someone wakes up, groans about being tired, then goes back to sleep. I get that people are trying to "pull from real life" but hell, everyone does this joke and it is not funny.

Trying way to hard to be "relatable" and using "adulting" jokes
Similar to my issue with the waking up joke. Also, I'm sick of dumb jokes where someone doesn't want to "adult" they just want to play Pokemon.

Snobbiness and strawmen
The whole "popular/typical people are stupid but I am different (and better), I [insert geeky thing here]". Sort of like this one (which later was memed).

It makes the artist come off as obnoxious.

Kawaii
This is more of personal taste but I hate gag comics with cutesy anime girls who do cutesy things. There are no jokes, it's just cute. Sometimes it's not always anime girls, I've also seen it in comics with animals or one's about two people in a relationship. "Love is..." is extremely guilty of this.

[UzukiCheverie]

I love webcomicname but I don't know if I could read a whole book of it. For stuff like that it's best to stumble upon a strip every so often to get the full impact of the "joke" I think. If I were to read it one after another it would get old. I still enjoy it though.

oh god no if I had a physical copy of it in book form, it would be as like, a gag gift or just as a conversation starter on my bookshelf. I'm a book collector more than a book reader, so I'd buy a physical copy of it, but like... not to read it front to back lol

[Rhombik]

I think you've summed up a lot of the stuff I have a problem with. The introvert / geek/ over-grown child thing is a massive problem for me because, as I think your doodle showed quite well, it side steps into slut shaming a bit too easily.

Some of the best ones are where the main character is flawed in a real way sometimes in the gags - not just in a lovably lazy, introverted and obsessive compulsive way. Or where everything is just completely surreal. I think it's best if comic artists see their gag comic characters as not completely them so it's easier to rip into them once in a while.

[dawgofdawgness]

I'm a little sick of self deprecating jokes myself, and it's hard to find a gag comic that brings something new to the table.

However I just found a really hilarious one https://tapas.io/series/Thors-Thundershac

[Rai]

Same reason why I don't really read 4 komas, same jokes told over and over but in slightly different situations. Most gag comics I see these days are the same, 'oh no I'm socially anxious fuck my life' variety and it's been done to death thanks to the internet.
99% of the time I just skip over gag comics unless it's focused on something very specific.

Webcomicname and Genji Cat are the only ones to get a laugh out of me these days.

[shaylafarley5]

This is why I don't sub to gag a day comics. Some days they're funny other days seems like I've seen it done before.

[69Michi]

Typically I don't sub to any gag comics at all, not just because their jokes are stale or they stop being funny or repetitive. My sub list is something that I will definitely come back to read when a new chapter comes up, and I only come back when there is a story worthwhile for me to follow. Gag comis don't have any story for me to look forward to the next update, they are just those random things I came across on the internet, have a good laugh at and move on, forgetting about it.

[scythe]

Jokes with no set up or punchline, as in the OMG THAT'S SO ME kind of "jokes".

Ones where the art gets spotty, inconsistent or just turns bad. Just coz it's a gag thing doesn't mean it should look like a meme.

And political jokes that are overtly partisan. If you want to be a political cartoonist, do that on the side.

[bear1]

I dislike it when an artist reacts to a comment in form of a strip in which he verbally beats up the 'mean and stupid' commentator.
Like:
Blank mob character: 'hey, artist-chan, I don't like that you used orange juice in your last strip.'
Artist character:'oh, ok. Here, I give you the finger because I can. Now F-off.
Isn't that a great punchline? So funny! Like, share and support me :D'

I mean...honestly, if you are butt hurt over a comment that's ok. But it's not good comedy material nor does your frustration make you look sympathetic. It actually makes you look spoiled and rude

Also I dislike gags built on straw man arguments in general.
It's not funny, not entertaining, not natural. just lazy.

[Amberday]

i don't mind if the jokes are repeated. i quickly forget so everything seems new to me. what's a real turn off are boring jokes. like um... was this supposed to be a gag comic? they're so dull i can't stand them. and another thing is when a creator overdoes having a wacky personality for their avatar (if that's what you call it) when they're so hyped up EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE. i mean crazy characters are fun but it feels like the creator is trying too hard and it's annoying.

[Busalonium]

Wow, I was surprised to see my comic mentioned here. Thank you!

[whirlwyndstorm]

I agree with seeing the same joke recycled a hundred times and that the introverted relatable artist thing is getting old. But I'm also put off if the main character is way on the other end of the spectrum - an unapologetic, obnoxious jerk, especially if there's no consequences for being that way.

[Tes]

Speaking of repeated jokes/tropes, the biggest one that really peeves me is the "I don't have any ideas for a comic" comic. I've read it too many times and I'd rather wait for the creator to come up with an idea than use a cop-out like that.

[dawgofdawgness]

No problem! You have no idea how hard I laughed at "Flowers" lol

[juyunseen]

The biggest problem most gag a day strips have is that the characters aren't characters, but instead are just faces to deliver jokes. A newspaper strip like Get Fuzzy for example, works because the strip delivers a gag each day, AND provides ongoing characterization of Bucky, Satchel and Rob. The jokes are secondary to the world the strip is building. Pearls Before Swine is charming not because of the jokes, but because of the specific voice with which it speaks.

[Aspie_Gamer]

"MUH DUH-PWE-SHUN" and/or "MUH ANX-EYE-ITEE"

Boooooooooo freakin hoooooooooo! When that's the majority of your strips, it becomes clear that you don't actually suffer from those conditions so much as you suffer from being addicted to cheap attention on social media. I'm not to going to deny that people go through periods of depression and social anxiety. I've certainly been there myself, but again, there's only so much suspension of disbelief that can go on when the punchline for every strip is how weak you are because of your issues. Not to mention its creative stagnation too.

Also "look at me I'm quirky!" type comics.

No. You're not. You are fake though that's for sure. In fact, If you really were quirky, you wouldn't need to remind your social media followers of that 24/7 now would you? I equate this to "girl gamers" who post 90 percent boob and ass shots and maybe 10 percent gaming related content on Instagram (and even then, its bland casual fare like Call of Duty).

[Puppisama]

I barely read gag comics because, as you say, they tend to be sameish, with reading only one it counts as 1000, unless they have a heck of a crazy life, which most doesnt xD

[Puppisama]

Yeah, lately the "cute" trend is making me puke, I don't want bland cute characters doing cute stuff just because they're cute, I can't find any fun on that, and I seriously cant understand how reading that is fun.

[Luminosophy]

I really dislike political ones. Not because they're political, but because they're extremely low effort that treat always you like a 5 year old. "Hurr durr politician X is dumb LOLZ"

Wow, great social commentary. Not like anyone could just spend 5 seconds to tweet the same message and have the exact same impact.

[stiles]