Like webcomics? Of course, if you are here at the Grove you do, but do you like hearing behind the scene details about webcomics from their creators? Well then you need to visit TGT Webcomics!

TGT Webcomics was created by two guys, Kurt Sasso and his friend Phil Hofer who love webcomics. In fact, the name of the site translates to Two Guys Talking Webcomics. With their passion for webcomics, they created this site as their showcase to give other fans of webcomics insights on the creation process of their love by interviewing artists and writers of webcomics.

Once a week, (currently Thursdays at 9pm EST) you can tune in live to their show or you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. Their show is an informal journey into the inner workings of the creation process of webcomics. It sounds like friends getting together over drinks and just talking about what they love. They also take questions from listeners via the chat on Talkshoe or from people calling in by phone. This lends to the whole feeling of a being in a live studio audience.

They also take a randomly selected webcomic and give it a good review in what they call their “spotlight.” Not only does this give you, the visitor, an in depth look at how they view webcomics, it also allows you to be exposed to a webcomic you may never have heard about before. For the webcomicker being reviewed, it is a win-win scenario. They get a review and they get new readers. It is a nice exposure for artists and writers that may be just starting out or an old hand who is looking to expand their readership.

The recently redesigned website is clean and easy to navigate, allowing you to browse through their extensive archive as well as see the schedule for upcoming podcasts. One thing I found particular interesting and unique is the Webcomics: What’s Cooking. It allows webcomickers to submit recipies for meals and drinks. The menu categories include appetizers, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, deserts and drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

So if you love webcomics and would love to hear behind the scene stories about them or see a spotlight on a comic you love or have never seen before, drop on by TGT Webcomics and immerse yourself in all things webcomics! You’ll be glad you did!

Like some of my fellow webcomickers, I wanted to share with my readers and peers my inking sessions via ustream.tv. Trying to do this with a standard webcam is a tricky and often frustrating enterprise. With a call out on twitter, the folks at ustream suggested that I try webcammax to capture the entire screen while broadcasting inking sessions. I Googled the name and came across the site webcammax.com. Downloading the trial software was simple and installation a breeze. I fired up the software once it had finished and sure enough, it captures whatever is on your screen for broadcast or recording (this latter option comes in handy if you want to create tutorials for youtube).

The front end is clean and extremely user friendly and you can navigate easily between the effects and doodling on the screen for your audience to see. Of the effects available, you can put up backgrounds behind the image being recorded (namely yourself or any other person) to make it look like they are broadcasting from a host of different locations. There’s effects as well as masks that transform the subject, too. Want them to look like a rabbit or tiger? It’s there. Want to make it look like it’s snowing? It’s there. Want to put a funny hat or glasses or even a big mustache on your subject? Go right ahead, it’s there. Add text and draw on the screen, go ahead, have fun while you are recording or broadcasting to your audience, Webcammax has it for you.

The website, too is as user friendly as the software with easy to read instructions as well as examples and screenshots of all it can do. As I stated before, downloading is a breeze of the trial software and several license packages are available to suit your needs, whether it is for a few months or for a lifetime. Combine that with MSN Slidecast or MSN Recorder Max, and your ability to do things with your streaming video or recordings are expanded that many times more!

The only issue I personally had with this software was it made my computer act choppy and slow. But that is my older laptop with very little hard drive space. But don’t let that deter you from getting this software as you can change the settings so it uses a smaller window, thus freeing up more virtual memory and making it run smoother. If you are using a PC and have a need to broadcast via streaming video or want to record something from your screen using a virtual webcam, webcammax is the software for you.

Here’s the working sketch for Volume 2’s cover…see if you can guess the type of planet the gang lands on!