What do you love the most about Brian's writing?
 

As the title may of explained, this thread asks : What do you love the most about Brian's writing? For me, it has to be the way he constantly brings thing back within the plot. What I mean by that is how he will have some charecter, like the onion kid, or something like sword-chucks, bring it up, let it fade from memoery, then a some hundred episodes latter bring it back. This goes especially for Nuklear Age, but definalty for 8-bit as well. What do you all think?

For me it's the moral contrast of the characters. Or more accurately, how each character sports it's own kind of amoral freedom. The way each character has clear motivations, but still keep themselves fresh and develops them in different ways.

By example, look at Sluggy Freelance. The characters suffer and whatnot... But it gets boring because you never see any kind of change. Their situations and experiences change, but they remain the same with no clear sign of progress. While Brian's 8-Bit characters have a chance to develop but continue with a certain behavioral pattern for a reason.

Oh, And I don't know if it was intentional or not... But the contrast between amorality and morality between BlackMage and WhiteMage is brilliant.
The friction is constant but it's never a static. A "relationship" between a chaotic character and one dominated by order; one who enjoys complete freedom and one bound to a fatalistic point of view.. Few people manage to do that with their characters.

It's a comedy with deep psychological contrasts and conflicts about amorality and morality beween the different characters... So deep, that I'm willing to bet it's merely accidental.

Very true. I love the stabbity death and hakoden though his creativity is what gives it the edge though, I mean sword chucks who coulda come up with that besides a genius? I would like a few more videogame references like in one of the first episodes "According to this, the giant only has 132 hp." "Gee, is that all. WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Episode 006 I also love the references to advanced physics and theories. Example: Episode 191 Real: They Both Did Their Research Keep up the stellar work.

:rmage: "I know I'm badass. Thanks for the props!"
:cool: "Anytime man. Anytime."

He made simplistic sprites from an almost twenty-year-old game have distinct personalities, and plopped them into imaginative scenarios in an effort to make people laugh their asses off. 8-bit is almost at #500, and I say here's to 500 more! ^_^

The fact that I can still go back, start at episode 1, and read through to the present, laugh like hell the whole time, and not realize it took me three hours to do it all.

The fact that each character has their own distinct role (other than BB, but he's dead now), and they fill it so perfectly.

The fact that all the characters are basically clueless to things not within their world-view. Fighter thinks BM is his friend. Black Belt refused to believe he was just a moron who got lost a lot. Red Mage is unable to comprehend a world without feats, skill points, and dice rolls. Thief is the quintessential thief, but the idea of doing something for completely selfless reasons is beyond him. White Mage believes in Fate, and when things come together that challenge this view, they tend to meet her hammer. Black Mage is unable to even consider caring about someone (except perhaps WM), and he is completely unappologetic for being completely evil.

And yet, it all works.

I like that his gags are complex, and it's not some throwaway comic with the same repeating punchline and plot every few weeks. Granted that BM stabs, Fighter goes on about swords, etc etc, but it never gets stale and played-out like other comics.

Also the vocabulary is fun to read. 8BT is like a disturbing cross between sophomoric vulgarity and intellectual science.

I love the fact that he takes something that anyone could learn the full story of, and still manage to surprise them.

Exactly. I can read this hundreds of times and never get tired of Wood-in-Steak, or Garland's antics.

The most amazing part of this humor is that it actually works. Other people have tried to do it and failed. Horribly. It usually comes out as a character being a genius one second and being dumb the second.
Brian's writing works differently. RM, for example, makes complex plans the calibur of which can only be matched by Lex Luthor. And just like Luthor, the plans are easily counteracted by the simplest stroke of logic.

What I like the most is how Brian can incorporate so many different character personalities together. Not only does each character have a personality that is unique and entertaining, but the reactions with eachother are equally true to their characteristics and quirks.