Linkage

You'll note, if you haven't already, that we've been migrating various links up from our BlogRoll to a set of categorized links in the sidebar. These categories include "geek culture," music," "art and design," politics," and "general interest," as well as the coveted "must-read" category at the very top. The truth is, however, that certain blogs have made us question what we're doing.

Comics blogs are geek culture, right? If you're reading comics and writing about them, then you probably fit that description. But what about owners of comics shops? Are they just trying to generate some business, and therefore more commerce-related than geek-driven? What about the folks who actually write and draw comics for a living, just blogging on the side? Wouldn't such creative types fit better in the "art and design" section? (This is a sore spot for many, I know, as comic art has often been seen as an ugly stepsister of traditional art, just as graphic design is still sometimes seen as the opposite of art -- more on that later, perhaps.)

"Why categorize them at all?" you may ask. The reason is, I think, a good one: because we three don't feel that you, the faithful readers of Toner Mishap, should have to slog through a BlogRoll that we keep adding to and subtracting from. When we find ourselves regularly hitting a blog, we bump it up in the hopes that you may choose to patronize it as well, and we add a little description to help you better decide. Some of the descriptions help, and others don't -- how to describe Hector Vex, for example?

The types of blogs that make the cut are regularly updated (daily or semi-weekly), easy to read (usually because of short posts or riveting writing), or just plain fascinating to one of us (for example: I don't imagine The Misanthrope or On the Mark read the Incredible Hulk's blog, and it updates only sporadically, but I check it often... way too often).

We read the blogs in the BlogRoll, too -- but they haven't been promoted because either (1) we're not sure if they're always entertaining, (2) they don't update regularly, (3) we can't figure out how to categorize them, (4) we're not sure they'd have wide appeal, or (5) we're too damn lazy to remember to promote them. Mostly it's #5.

If a blog is in one of those categories, you've got our recommendation to check it out. Even if you don't think you care about geek culture, music, or art...check them out; we think you'll be glad that you did.