Awkward Zombie
{{Short description|Webcomic by Katie Tiedrich}}
{{Infobox comic strip
| title = Awkward Zombie
| image = Awkward Zombie.png
| caption =
| author = Katie Tiedrich
| current =
| url = {{official URL}}
| status = Ongoing / Weekly (updates on Monday)
| first = [https://www.awkwardzombie.com/awkward-zombie/coin-battle 20 September 2006]
| syndicate =
| publisher =
| genre = Comedy
}}
Awkward Zombie is an ongoing video game webcomic by Katie Tiedrich. Starting in 2006, the webcomic parodies the unusual aspects of video games in a comedic fashion. Initially gaining steam by parodying Super Smash Bros., Awkward Zombie is known for covering a broad selection of games. The webcomic has been featured by various gaming-related websites.
Overview
Updating approximately once a week, Awkward Zombie consists of gag-a-day parodies of a broad selection of video games, such as Super Smash Bros., Fire Emblem, Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, World of Warcraft, Red Dead Redemption, and the Metal Gear series.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399081,00.asp|magazine=PC Magazine|title=The Best Webcomics 2015|last=Griffith|first=Eric|date=2015-02-14}} Focusing on the "ridiculous situations" that could occur in video game worlds, Awkward Zombie is entirely non-sequential, with no main characters or plotlines. Because of this, the comic can be read entirely out of order. Tiedrich occasionally makes cameos in her own webcomic.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/galleryoftheday/15301-8-Great-Classic-Webcomic|magazine=The Escapist|title=8 Classic Webcomics You Should be Reading|page=4|last=Bogos|first=Steven|date=2016-01-22}}
Tiedrich occasionally does penciled 24-hour comics on the Awkward Zombie website. Tiedrich studied mechanical engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology.{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2010-04-09/rome-elliot-kenneth-robert-marlo-and-katie-tiedrich-to-attend-cpac-as-special-guests|work=Anime News Network|title=Rome Elliot, Kenneth Robert Marlo, and Katie Tiedrich to Attend CPAC as Special Guests|date=2010-04-09|access-date=2016-02-04|archive-date=2023-08-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815120630/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2010-04-09/rome-elliot-kenneth-robert-marlo-and-katie-tiedrich-to-attend-cpac-as-special-guests|url-status=live}}
Reception
Graham Smith, editor-in-chief of Rock, Paper, Shotgun, praised Awkward Zombie for its focus on comedy rather than story. Stating that video game webcomics usually "start off being about videogames and then they drift ... to being more about the characters contained within the comic," he said that Awkward Zombie{{'}}s great strength is not having a regular cast of characters.{{cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/07/22/awkward-zombie/|publisher=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|title=Awkward Zombie: A Gaming Webcomic About Games|last=Smith|first=Graham|date=2014-07-22|access-date=2016-02-04|archive-date=2015-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151027062018/http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/07/22/awkward-zombie/|url-status=live}} The staff of Paste Magazine described Awkward Zombie as "consistently hilarious".{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/11/required-reading-40-of-the-best-webcomics.html|work=Paste Magazine|title=Required Reading: 40 of the Best Webcomics|date=2016-11-11|access-date=2017-01-25|archive-date=2017-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202032914/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/11/required-reading-40-of-the-best-webcomics.html|url-status=live}}
PC Magazine editor Eric Griffith listed Awkward Zombie among the "best webcomics of 2015". Awkward Zombie has frequently been featured in Kotaku{{'}}s "Sunday Comics" column,{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/5317186/sunday-comics |title=Sunday Comics |author=Owen Good |publisher=Kotaku |date=2009-07-19 |access-date=2016-02-19 |archive-date=2016-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302070942/http://kotaku.com/5317186/sunday-comics |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/5322302/sunday-comics |title=Sunday Comics |author=Owen Good |publisher=Kotaku |date=2009-07-26 |access-date=2016-02-19 |archive-date=2016-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302073150/http://kotaku.com/5322302/sunday-comics |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/5328056/sunday-comics |title=Sunday Comics |author=Owen Good |publisher=Kotaku |date=2009-08-02 |access-date=2016-02-19 |archive-date=2016-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302065238/http://kotaku.com/5328056/sunday-comics |url-status=live }} and multiple pages of the webcomic have been voted in Joystiq's "Weekly Webcomic Wrapup" poll as the best comic of their respective weeks.{{cite web |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/readers-pick-best-webcomic-the-pokemon-effect?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_joystiq |title=Readers pick best webcomic: The Pokemon Effect |publisher=Joystiq |author=Griffin McElroy |date=2010-04-10 |access-date=2016-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018021316/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/readers-pick-best-webcomic-the-pokemon-effect?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_joystiq |archive-date=2012-10-18 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/31/readers-pick-best-webcomic-off-track/ |title=Readers pick best webcomic: Off Track |publisher=Joystiq |author=Griffin McElroy |date=2010-07-31 |access-date=2016-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128162351/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/31/readers-pick-best-webcomic-off-track/ |archive-date=2015-01-28 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/30/readers-pick-best-webcomic-vwingtone/ |title=Readers pick best webcomic: Vwingtone |publisher=Joystiq |author=Griffin McElroy |date=2010-08-30 |access-date=2016-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211021856/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/30/readers-pick-best-webcomic-vwingtone/ |archive-date=2015-02-11 |url-status=dead }}
References
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