Wally & Osborne

The new banner from On the Rocks- er, Wally & Osborne.

So, on its one year anniversary, On the Rocks changed its name. And along with the name change comes a snazzy new website design that puts Wally & Osborne with one of the best looking websites in all of webcomics.

You should definitely go check out Tyler Martin's post on the front page explaining why he changed the name, it's a great look into the strategy of marketing your webcomic. The name "On the Rocks", while clever, is mostly associated with mixed drinks and rough times in life, whereas Martin's comic strip is clearly intended to be an innocent, fun romp. Also, it seems that a lot of the fans of the strip are kids, and if Martin wants to continue to build a fanbase in that demographic, the name "On the Rocks" might make some parents wary. He also makes the point that naming your comic after your characters provides an instant association whenever someone mentions the comic by name, which can definitely help with trying to spread the comic by word of mouth.

It's been fun to watch On the Rocks grow as a comic even in the short time I've been following it, and I'm looking forward to seeing where Martin will take it in the future. It's a very marketable strip (even I broke down and bought a "Penguins is Serious" shirt. They were just too cool), and it consistently brings a smile to my face, even if it doesn't very often make me laugh out loud.

Oh, and I stick by my prediction that Wally & Osborne is going to become a member of Blank Label Comics in short order. Perhaps the new name and new look are another step in that direction?