A review of Checkerboard Nightmare
by Kajamir the Giant
It's been said in the past that the popular television show, Seinfeld, was a comedy series about nothing in particular. I would liken that comparison unto Checkerboard Nightmare. It's a webcomic of discernably little inspired content and a lot of gimmick. The author has mentioned CN is about deconstructing, but instead of really showing us things we didn't realize, it wallows in cliche. Because of the purposely self annihilating nature of the comic, it's a little hard to say such a thing, but the author also has a responsibility of making it interesting. While the other reviewers seemed to have liked Checkerboard Nightmare, I found it an honestly tedious experience.
To me, Checkerboard Nightmare died very fast. Within the first year, if not several months, actually. All the characters are established, and don't deviate whatsoever from their roles and personalities. Storylines last a week and have little continuity beyond that. Jokes are pretty weak (I ellicited a smirk maybe 20% of the time), and in several instances, it runs the unhallowed path of cheapness it claims to loathe. In this oxymoronic case, typical randomness for a gag which I've seen better written by just about anyone with a mind for it. (The Wendy series comes to mind) The self inflection nature of Checkerboard, which it itself espouses its own lack of content, beats itself into submission quickly. I often felt the comic was like an unpopular child making fun of itself to get attention. In other words, self degradation to appeal to others.
The main character, Chex, is established as being utterly shallow and attention seeking. The strip follows his attempts to whore out his name in returns for adoration. Chex, like Commander Kitty, I would regard as one of the most irritating individuals in existence, if I ever could meet such a type in person. Chex's narcissistic self fascination and inability to learn anything worthwhile is just tiresome. He begins as a hollow idea, and remains that way the entire time. The same could effectively go for any of the extra characters. While not anywhere near as annoying mind you, there's no life in them. The robot is an unemotive one-shot choking gag, Lyle's the straight man to Chex's wackiness, and Dot, in the few appearances she makes, plays the typical overly inoffensive and sentimental female. Now, this all wouldn't be such a problem in theory, but Checkerboard Nightmare's endless lack of direction and material makes the comic like an incomplete whirlpool, forever spinning but lacking a center to define its conclusion.
The art is so-so here, and that's putting it kindly. Black outlines show things well enough, but the overall appearance is rather bland. Chex himself looks like a modification of Sweet Tooth from the Twisted Metal game series, merged with an overly cheerful Super Saiya-jin. As lame as he is personality wise, he's probably the most eye catching of the bunch for his weird inexplicable harlequin appearance. Furthermore, backgrounds for CN are non-existent usually, giving an additional hollow feel to the comic while expressions are recycled, which just looks lazy when done often. Don't even get me started on the occasional touch of coloring, which I could best define as gaudy monotone color schemes.
On an interesting note, the best art shown in the comic is the imitation renderings the author does of other webcomics who make cameos. These look particularly snazzy, given CN's own weak appearance. I can't help but liken it unto the comparable higher appeal factor other comics have on CN, an aspect that seems to drive Chex himself, to envious schemes.
You might like Checkerboard Nightmare, or you might not. It may be an acquired taste for all I know. The bland repetitive drivel that makes up CN just leaves me day dreaming about anything more interesting. If I was in Tom Sawyer's town, and was given the choice to white wash a fence for 'fun' or read CN, that fence is going to look pretty well off in a few hours.
If you want to get a feel for this comic, just read the first three or four months, and see what you think. The comic doesn't seem to deviate from the pattern you could glean from that time period whatsoever. The only signs CN shows in improving itself, is the slight art perk over course of time. All considering, it's not very much, and the style is almost like a minimalist theme even in cartooning.
I give Checkerboard Nightmare a 2 of 10 stars. I don't intend to read it anymore and don't recommend it to anyone. It's trite, boring, and directionless, which does not equate quality or appeal to me. |
