Creator: Some Guy?
	Started: 17.02.2005
	Updates: Weekly (ish)
	GENRE: Comedy/Varied/Gags
	http://simulatedcomicproduct.com

There is a disturbing trend which stalks the webcomic world. It hides in the shadows until you're settled then jumps out and throws a cream pie filled with caterpillars down your pants. That's right, RANDOM COMICS. That glimmer of ignorant inspiration that makes people think they can be funny by putting a chef in a tutu and making him quote Star Wars. It happens a lot and it's usually awful. Simulated Comic Product is random. Wait! Come back! It's okay, because SCP does things the right way. While it is haphazard in terms of setting and characters (there is no ongoing story or set cast), the writing itself is thankfully missing the "crazy because it's funny" mentality of other comics in the genre.

The comic is of the basic gag-a-day persuasion, and unfolds in something of a sketch comedy style. That is, each strip is stand-alone and requires no previous knowledge of the comic. The subject matter varies wildly and includes robots, ghosts, businessmen, a predeliction for men in animal suits, alien interrogators and Shakespeare. Kevin seems to have a good grasp on how to establish situations quickly so that we can get right into the material, which really makes this style work.

The jokes themselves are often quite funny, deriving their humour from absurdity in the tradition of works like Monty Python. A real strength of the comic is its ability to keep you guessing about where things are going. I did feel at times that good jokes were held back by some noticable issues with timing and delivery. Sometimes there is too much space after a punchline, or too little, and ocassionally I failed to laugh simply because of how the joke was worded. Perhaps Kevin could benefit from looking at more comedic references in this regard.

However, SCP is an interesting case as it isn't all about the jokes. On a regular basis the absurd nature seems to extend to more philosophical areas dealing with such things as mortality and love. This can jarr a little when you are browsing the archives and expecting a joke, but this quickly passes. The nature of the writing is such that this actually works very well, it seems like a natural movement from the off-the-wall jokes to these more esoteric strips. On top of which these pages are usually quite clever and encourage a bit of thought - which is rare for any webcomic, never mind a gag strip.

The art in SCP looks good and is very appropriate to the comic. The clean, colourful cel-shading style is practically a staple in webcomics at this point, but for a gag strip its simplicity is a boon. The characters are easy to distinguish and the setting is always made obvious - helped immensely by the use of establishing shots when necessary, such as a strip set in space. The style also feels very familiar, without being a copy of any of the big, known artists. There are some issues with line quality and anatomy, but it doesn't detract from the overall presentation. Kevin has improved substantially since the beginning of the comic, and seems to continue to forge ahead.

Looking at the layouts, they are nice and simple, with each page consisting of three or four panels arranged newspaper-strip-style. The difference in shots is appreciated, with plenty of closeups and alternate angle choices to break up the page. With all the talking head comics out there, it shouldn't be underestimated how much interest this variation adds for the reader. Word bubbles and font choice manage to avoid all the usual issues and are unobtrusive.

In the end, despite a few flaws, Simulated Comic Product is a good read. It shows exactly how to use the concept of randomness in writing without going overboard, as well as actually managing to be funny! The less humour-focused strips are also a nice touch and provide a little depth. If you like gag strips then this is certainly for you, although some pages require slightly more thought than your average poop joke. With a little tweaking to the art and writing it could easily be something special.