View source for Dinosaur Comics

{{Short description|Webcomic by Ryan North}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox Webcomic <!-- Part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Webcomics]] -->
|title=Dinosaur Comics
|image=Dinosaur comics.png
|caption=
|author=[[Ryan North]]
|url={{URL|https://www.qwantz.com/}}
|status=Updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday except [[Public holidays in Canada|Canadian holidays]]
|began={{Start date|2003|02|01}}
|ended=
|genre=Humour
}}
'''''Dinosaur Comics''''' is a [[constrained comics|constrained]] [[webcomic]] by Canadian writer [[Ryan North]]. It is also known as "Qwantz", after the site's domain name, "qwantz.com". The first comic was posted on February 1, 2003,<ref>{{cite web |first= Ryan |last= North |date= February 1, 2003 |url= http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=1 |title= Dinosaur Comics No. 1 |work= Dinosaur Comics |access-date= November 15, 2008 |archive-date= July 1, 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090701112428/http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=1 |url-status= live }}</ref> although there were earlier prototypes. ''Dinosaur Comics'' has also been printed in three collections and in a number of newspapers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/000579513.cfm|publisher=Wizarduniverse|title=North by T-Rex|last=Warmoth|first=Brian|date=2006-06-19|quote=''Is Dinosaur Comics printed anywhere else off the Internet?<br />It was in a few papers, but they tended to go bankrupt, so that was the end of that. There were a lot of university papers. If a university paper or a school paper asks to run the comics, I'm like, 'Sure! Don't worry about payment, just putting it in will be great.' But for large papers I ask for a little bit of money. Then they go bankrupt.''|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930165349/http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/000579513.cfm|archive-date=2007-09-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Doctorow|first=Cory|title=Dinosaur Comics collection: improbably fantastic re-use of dinosaur clip art|url=http://boingboing.net/2009/05/13/dinosaur-comics-coll.html|access-date=November 15, 2012|newspaper=Boing Boing|archive-date=December 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121225033845/http://boingboing.net/2009/05/13/dinosaur-comics-coll.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The comic centers on three main characters, T-Rex, Utahraptor and Dromiceiomimus.<ref>{{cite news|last=Elfring|first=Matt|title=Web Comic Spotlight: 5/30/12: Dinosaur Comics|url=http://www.comicvine.com/news/web-comic-spotlight-53012-dinosaur-comics/144761/|access-date=November 15, 2012|newspaper=Comic Vine|date=May 30, 2012|archive-date=May 31, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531124439/http://www.comicvine.com/news/web-comic-spotlight-53012-dinosaur-comics/144761/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Comics are posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Every strip uses the same artwork and panel layout;<ref name="cracked">{{cite web | url=http://www.cracked.com/article_15240_8-funniest-webcomics.html | work=[[Cracked.com]] | title=The 8 Funniest Webcomics | last=Swaim | first=Michael | date=September 12, 2007 | access-date=November 15, 2008 | archive-date=October 23, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023014214/http://www.cracked.com/article_15240_8-funniest-webcomics.html | url-status=live }}</ref> only the dialogue changes from day to day. There are occasional deviations from this principle, including a number of episodic comics.<ref name="comic 35">{{cite web |first= Ryan |last= North |date= March 19, 2003 |url= http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=35 |title= Dinosaur Comics No. 35 |work= Dinosaur Comics |access-date= November 25, 2009 |archive-date= November 2, 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091102215221/http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=35 |url-status= live }}</ref> North created the comic because it was something he'd "long wanted to do but couldn’t figure out how to accomplish... [he doesn't] draw, so working in a visual medium like comics isn’t the easiest thing to stumble into."<ref>{{cite news|last=Mitchel|first=Bill|title=In Depth: Ryan North|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22520|access-date=November 15, 2012|newspaper=Comic Book Resources|date=August 13, 2009|archive-date=October 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028120426/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22520|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Cast==
*[[Tyrannosaurus|T-Rex]], the main character that appears in all six panels.
*[[Utahraptor]], T-Rex's [[comic foil]], appears in the fourth and fifth panels of the comic.
*[[Dromiceiomimus]] appears in the third panel. She is generally friendly to T-Rex, answering either neutrally or with mild, friendly criticism.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Dinosaur Comic 1.png|thumb|The first comic in Dinosaur Comics, titled "today is a beautiful day". Published February 1, 2003.]] -->
* The tiny woman in panel four and the house in panel three have contributed dialogue but are usually silent.
* Other unseen characters occasionally contribute dialogue. For example, "God" speaks from off panel in bold all-caps, "Satan" speaks from off panel in dark red all-caps, and T-Rex's sinister neighbours (raccoons and cephalopods) speak in italicized all-caps from off panel.

== Creation ==
Ryan North started ''Dinosaur Comics'' during his last year of his undergraduate degree. In a 2016 interview, he said he "wanted to do something with comics [but] I couldn't draw — still can't draw. I didn't realize that there was such a thing as writers in comics. I thought it was all one person." At about the same time as he came up with the concept of a fixed-art comic, North received a school assignment to, as he described it, "do something interesting with the Internet." He was assigned a group, and his group was given the URL qwantz.com. After some time, his group had done nothing and North decided to upload some comics to the site. The first ''Dinosaur Comics'' strip was posted on February 1, 2003 and was called "Today is a beautiful day."<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Medley|first=Mark|date=|title=Choose your own interview with webcomic pioneer Ryan North|work=|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/choose-your-own-profile-ryan-north/article30328294/|access-date=2021-01-17|archive-date=January 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117041057/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/choose-your-own-profile-ryan-north/article30328294/|url-status=live}}</ref> 

All the comics are six-panel strips, using clip art that North found on a [[Compact disc|CD]] he had purchased. Every strip uses the same art, with occasional exceptions, such as the mirror universe comics which uses the art but reversed.<ref name=":1" />

==Reception==
''Dinosaur Comics'' has received several awards and recognitions. It was named one of the best webcomics of 2004 and 2005 by The Webcomics Examiner.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webcomicsreview.com/examiner/issue041213/top2004.html|publisher=The Webcomics Examiner|title=The Best Webcomics of 2004|last1=Dale|first1=Beran|last2=Hellman|first2=David|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719165758/http://webcomicsreview.com/examiner/issue041213/top2004.html|archive-date=2010-07-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://webcomicsreview.com/examiner/issue051212/best2005.html|publisher=The Webcomics Examiner|title=The Best Webcomics of 2005|last1=Dale|first1=Beran|last2=Hellman|first2=David|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725091743/http://webcomicsreview.com/examiner/issue051212/best2005.html|archive-date=2010-07-25}}</ref> ''[[Wired (website)|Wired]]'' listed ''Dinosaur Comics'' as one of "Five Webcomics You Can Share With Your Kids"<ref>{{cite news|last=Richards|first=Brent|title=Five Webcomics You Can Share With Your Kids.|url=http://archive.wired.com/geekdad/2009/07/five-webcomics-you-can-share-with-your-kids/|access-date=November 15, 2012|newspaper=Wired|date=July 1, 2009|archive-date=April 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409060229/http://archive.wired.com/geekdad/2009/07/five-webcomics-you-can-share-with-your-kids|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[PC Magazine]]'' included the comic in its "10 Wicked Awesome Webcomics" list.<ref>{{cite news|last=Reynolds|first=Whitney|title=10 Wicked Awesome Webcomics|url=https://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0%2C3253%2Cl%3D208709%26a%3D208705%26po%3D9%2C00.asp?p=n|access-date=November 15, 2012|newspaper=PC Magazine|date=June 4, 2007|archive-date=August 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084856/http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0%2C3253%2Cl%3D208709%26a%3D208705%26po%3D9%2C00.asp?p=n|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Cracked.com]] named ''Dinosaur Comics'' one of the 8 funniest webcomics on the internet.<ref name="cracked"/>

In 2005, it won "Outstanding Anthropomorphic Comic" in the [[Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccawards.com/2005ceremony/anthro.htm |title=Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards |publisher=Ccawards.com |access-date=2011-11-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927075150/http://www.ccawards.com/2005ceremony/anthro.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |df=mdy }}</ref> Soon after, in August 2005, ''Dinosaur Comics'' was accepted into the Dayfree Press.<ref>{{cite web |title=Today is a Beautiful Day |url=http://www.dayfreepress.com/ |website=Dayfree Press |access-date=21 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050823061643/http://www.dayfreepress.com/ |archive-date=23 August 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2006, the [[blook]] ''Dinosaur Comics: Huge Eyes, Beaks, Intelligence, and Ambition'' was a runner up for the [[Lulu Blooker Prize]] for comics.<ref>
{{cite press release |last=Fraser |first=Stephen |date=3 April 2006 |title=Cooker Beats Hooker to Win Blooker - Literary Prize for Books From Blogs Names Winners  |url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/04/prweb367086.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622104104/https://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/04/prweb367086.htm |archive-date=22 June 2006| url-status=dead |location=London and Raleigh, NC |publisher=Lulu.com |agency=PRWeb |access-date=2021-10-21}}</ref>

==Collected editions==
* ''The Best of Dinosaur Comics: 2003–2005 AD: Your Whole Family Is Made of Meat'' (April 15, 2006, Quack!Media) {{ISBN|0-7560-0518-3}}
* ''Dinosaur Comics fig. d: Dudes Already Know About Chickens'' (2010, TopatoCo) {{ISBN|978-0-9824862-6-9}}
* ''Dinosaur Comics fig. e: Everybody knows failure is just success rounded down'' (2011, TopatoCo) {{ISBN|978-1-936561-90-2}}
* ''Dinosaur Comics fig. f: Feelings are boring, kissing is awesome'' (2012, TopatoCo) {{ISBN|978-1-936561-86-5}}

==See also==
*''[[Attitude: The New Subversive Cartoonists#Attitude 3: The New Subversive Online Cartoonists|Attitude 3: The New Subversive Online Cartoonists]]'' (includes material from ''Dinosaur Comics'')

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{reflist|group=comics}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|http://www.qwantz.com/}}
* [http://www.asofterworld.com/bw-display.php?id=1 ''i am other people'': Ryan North] &mdash; Interview with Joey Comeau of ''[[A Softer World]]''

{{Ryan North}}
{{Dayfree Press}}

[[Category:2000s webcomics]]
[[Category:2010s webcomics]]
[[Category:2020s webcomics]]
[[Category:2003 webcomic debuts]]
[[Category:Canadian comedy webcomics]]
[[Category:Comics about anthropomorphic dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Comics about talking animals]]
[[Category:Dayfree Press]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs in webcomics]]
[[Category:Webcomics in print]]
[[Category:Short form webcomics]]
[[Category:Web Cartoonists' Choice Award winners]]