This blog post contains minor spoilers for Homestuck.

The phenomenon of the webcomic is not exactly new by any means; Sluggy Freelance, one of the oldest still-running webcomics, is 12 years old, only slightly older than widespread availability of the Internet. So what do I mean when I say that MS Paint Adventures is one of the first first few webcomics? It’s one of the few (that I’m aware of, of course) that actually uses the full potential of a comic that takes place online.

The central thing that makes MS Paint Adventures unique to the best of my knowledge among comics is that the story is in large part driven by the fans. Andrew Hussie, the author, has stated in an interview that he does not plan out the direction the plot will take in advance; although he has some overall ideas of the direction he wants it to go, he lets the reader suggestions dictate it to a larger extent than essentially any other webcomic, or indeed any other form of serial storytelling. The only reason that this is possible is because of the MSPA forum; while it would be possible for this to happen in a world without the Internet, an online forum allows for other users to voice their approval for options that they might otherwise not have thought of, giving Hussie the ability to judge what the readers want. But even elements of discussion that are not necessarily suggestions can generate plot points; the apocalyptic nature of the story was originally unplanned and came about at least partly as a result of discussion on the forums about the posters on the walls of one of the main characters for apocalypse-themed movies.

The various Flash animations and other non-static content that AH occasionally uses to enhance the story are another element of MSPA that fundamentally would not work in a traditional print comic. Although they do not necessarily advance the story any better than a series of corresponding still images would, they make the story more enjoyable and immersive; the end-act flashes are probably the quintessential example of this, reminding the reader of the various active story threads, while providing a bit of progression in each of them; it’s far more effective than a series of still panels could ever hope to be. And the Flash animation/game not only could not be executed without the internet, it positively requires the high-bandwidth connections of today’s modern Internet infrastructure. The soundtracks to the Flash animations are also a key part of the overall ‘experience’, even though Andrew Hussie himself does not compose them; the collaboration between artist and composer is only possible through the Internet.

Although MSPA is certainly not the first comic to use the internet, or even the first one to use it beyond as a medium for publishing images (other comics have certainly had associated discussion forums), I believe that it’s the first one to truly use the full potential of the Internet. And while that doesn’t necessarily make it better than other ones, it definitely moves it from the realm of good to that of great.

Note that I have said that it is one of the few true webcomics, not the only one. The only other one that comes to mind is Kid Radd, which makes extensive use of animation, especially in the later strips, where almost every ‘panel’ is a three-second animation. But it didn’t use Flash, or user suggestions, so as good as it is, I don’t consider it to use the Internet in the same way that MS Paint Adventures does.