The Whiteboard
Encyclopedia
The Whiteboard is a paintball
webcomic
created by "Doc" Nickel, an Alaska
n airsmith
. It has been collected into five print books to date: The Whiteboard: Digitally Remastered (2005) [ISBN 1-59971-219-9], The Whiteboard: Untapped Potential (2006), The Whiteboard: Hit It Again! (2007), The Whiteboard: Target-Rich Environment (2009), and You Only Ref Twice (2010). A special full-page color The Whiteboard was also featured in Games International magazines' special "What Paintball Gear?" issue in 2003. In 2004, the Russian
magazine пейнтбол (Paintball) printed several translated versions of early TWB strips.
The first strip was created on July 18, 2002, using a dry-erase board:
The difficulty in photographing the shiny whiteboard surface, and the limitations of the single-panel format led to the change to a more conventional pen-and-ink three panel layout. The strip was originally based on personal anecdotes collected while running a paintball
shop, but it has evolved into a comic with many unique characters and storylines receiving over 400,000 unique visitors a month.
The Whiteboard has itself done cameos of characters from over a hundred other webcomics, usually during the annually Halloween parties.
, author of Schlock Mercenary
, wrote of The Whiteboard: "If you’re not already reading The Whiteboard as part of your daily trawl, I hope it’s not because you think the comic is only funny to paintballers. I’ve only paintballed once (an experience I found miserable) and the comic is one of my favorites."
comic.
Paintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
created by "Doc" Nickel, an Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n airsmith
Airsmith
An airsmith is a gunsmith that services, repairs or modifies airguns rather than firearms. The term is most commonly applied to those who work on paintball guns but can also apply to those who service pellet guns....
. It has been collected into five print books to date: The Whiteboard: Digitally Remastered (2005) [ISBN 1-59971-219-9], The Whiteboard: Untapped Potential (2006), The Whiteboard: Hit It Again! (2007), The Whiteboard: Target-Rich Environment (2009), and You Only Ref Twice (2010). A special full-page color The Whiteboard was also featured in Games International magazines' special "What Paintball Gear?" issue in 2003. In 2004, the Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
magazine пейнтбол (Paintball) printed several translated versions of early TWB strips.
The first strip was created on July 18, 2002, using a dry-erase board:
I'd just installed the board in the shop, and on a whim I scribbled up this comic, snapped a pic and posted it in the forum. The forum regulars liked it, so I drew a couple more and posted those as well. -Doc Nickel
The difficulty in photographing the shiny whiteboard surface, and the limitations of the single-panel format led to the change to a more conventional pen-and-ink three panel layout. The strip was originally based on personal anecdotes collected while running a paintball
Paintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
shop, but it has evolved into a comic with many unique characters and storylines receiving over 400,000 unique visitors a month.
TWB was never intended to be a furry strip. Besides the fact it wasn't intended to be a regular feature in the first place, polar bearPolar BearThe polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
was chosen simply as a clearly-AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n icon, and as a stereotypically bad-tempered, grumpy sort. I mean, would you want to tell a grumpy bear that you broke your markerPaintball markerA paintball marker, also known as a paintball gun, is the main piece of equipment in the sport of paintball. Markers use an expanding gas, such as carbon dioxide or compressed air, to propel paintballs through the barrel. Some paintball players refer to the piece of equipment as a "marker" rather...
and need it fixed by Friday? When I started thinking about a regular-feature strip, I started planning the usual fish out of water gags; customers surprised at a bear working the counter, calling Fish & Game who would come and tranquilize him and try to transplant him back to the arcticArcticThe Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, yadda yadda. I thought those jokes were too clichéd, however, and wanted to focus on the shop/customer jokes, which is why I drew the original comic in the first place. -Doc Nickel
Characters
- Doc is a Polar BearPolar BearThe polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
(Ursus maritimus). Originally intended as an AvatarAvatarIn Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
of the author, Doc has evolved into a unique character. As such, he's the boss. The big brain. The head honcho. King of the ice floe. Owns and operates an as-yet unnamed paintball store, basically just as a dodge to get to play with wild toys and build cool gadgets. Has an affinity for Mountain DewMountain DewMountain Dew is a citrus-flavored carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in the 1940s by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman and was first marketed in Marion, VA, Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee. A revised formula was...
, big wooden malletMalletA mallet is a kind of hammer, usually of rubber,or sometimes wood smaller than a maul or beetle and usually with a relatively large head.-Tools:Tool mallets come in different types, the most common of which are:...
s and AutocockerAutocockerThe Autococker, also known as the AutoCocker, or Cocker, is a closed-bolt semiautomatic paintball marker manufactured by Worr Game Products...
s. Can hear a leaky 3-way or maladjusted ram snap-ring at forty meters, and carries around vertical millsMilling machineA milling machine is a machine tool used to machine solid materials. Milling machines are often classed in two basic forms, horizontal and vertical, which refers to the orientation of the main spindle. Both types range in size from small, bench-mounted devices to room-sized machines...
like other people carry a LeathermanLeathermanLeatherman is the trade name for a line of multi-tools, knives and LED flashlights manufactured and marketed by Leatherman Tool Group of Portland, Oregon, USA.-Company history:Timothy S...
.
- (Jolly) Roger is a RaccoonRaccoonProcyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
(Procyon lotor). He's a computer geekGeekThe word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
, programmerProgrammerA programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
and electronic transmogrifier. Often the voice of reason when new projects are contemplated, but occasionally the one wondering aloud where they can get some ThoriumThoriumThorium is a natural radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It was discovered in 1828 and named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder....
and a couple of particle accelerators. Has been known to troubleshoot electropneumatic software over the phone, on the field, and under fire. Has recently started testing active camouflageActive camouflageActive camouflage or adaptive camouflage, is a group of camouflage technologies which allow an object to blend into its surroundings by use of panels or coatings capable of altering their appearance, color, luminance and reflective properties...
of his own design.
- Swamp Fox (Swampy) is a subspecies of Red FoxRed FoxThe red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
local to the Kenai PeninsulaKenai PeninsulaThe Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the southern coast of Alaska in the United States. The name Kenai is probably derived from Kenayskaya, the Russian name for Cook Inlet, which borders the peninsula to the west.-Geography:...
(Vulpes vulpes kenaiensis). He's your typical laid-back rec player. Swampy is good but not great, and thinks an automagAutomag (paintball marker)The Automag is a paintball marker designed by Tom Kaye and produced by Airgun Designs, Inc. It bears the distinction of being the first semi-automatic marker ever to win a paintball tournament. Team Swarm used Automags in their victory at the 1991 International Masters.-History:The first Automag...
is plenty "high tech" for him. A regular hangout at the shop and frequent bystander when a new gadget gets tested, he's usually the first one to call the fire department. Doesn't mind helping sweep up the debris. Got his nickname from the American Revolutionary leader brigadier-general Francis Marion, known as The Swamp FoxFrancis MarionFrancis Marion was a military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. Acting with Continental Army and South Carolina militia commissions, he was a persistent adversary of the British in their occupation of South Carolina in 1780 and 1781, even after the Continental Army was driven...
- Bandit is a FerretFerretThe ferret is a domesticated mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur...
(Mustela furo). One of the best out there, he seems to have been born with a marker in his hand. Skinny and fast, he's out on the field just for fun. Plays pump and stockStock paintballStockclass paintball is a paintball game variant, in which players are restricted to use the most basic paintball markers to tag opponents with.-The rules:Stock paintball players must adhere to the following rules, in regards to usable paintball markers....
, even in tournaments, and truly believes in the adage of one shot, one kill. He can't understand why somebody might need five 9-volts and a thousand paintballs for a single game. Can hide behind small twigs and uses Sup'AirSup'AirSup'Air is the name given to an inflatable bunker used in speedball, a variation of paintball. They are essentially tough skinned inflatables, capable of withstanding repeated paintball impacts and are normally anchored to the ground. They are manufactured in various shapes and sizes and can be...
inflation tubes like other players use the "snake". Owns only one markerPaintball markerA paintball marker, also known as a paintball gun, is the main piece of equipment in the sport of paintball. Markers use an expanding gas, such as carbon dioxide or compressed air, to propel paintballs through the barrel. Some paintball players refer to the piece of equipment as a "marker" rather...
, and knows how to use it. One of the few characters in the strip whose specific marker of choice is clear, the CCI PhantomCCI PhantomThe CCI Phantom is a Nelson-based pump action paintball marker developed and produced by Mike Casady. Production of the Phantom began in 1987 after about six months of prototype work. The name for the marker was derived from the much more stealth-oriented and drawn-out style of play that was...
in Vertical Stock Class configuration.
- Snowshoe (Shoey or Shoe) is a Canadian Lynx (Lynx canadensis). More of a tourney player, Shoe prefers the fast-paced, paint-flyin' games. He's usually got the newest marker he can afford, but often has to be dissuaded from buying the latest overhyped gadget or trading the old one in 'cause new ones are nickeled. Between game days, he can usually be found at the Shop watching paintball videos or flipping through the latest fliers and catalogs.
- Jinx is an Arctic FoxArctic foxThe arctic fox , also known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. The Greek word alopex, means a fox and Vulpes is the Latin version...
(Alopex lagopus). Jimmy's the new kid in town, and new to the sport as well. Strangely enough, not everyone thinks that exposure to the regular Crew is necessarily a 'bad' thing. That remains to be seen. He lives with his mother, father, four older sisters and four younger sisters, being the only boy of the couple.
- Rainman is a Snowshoe HareSnowshoe HareThe Snowshoe Hare , also called the Varying Hare, or Snowshoe Rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail leaves. The animal's feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and walks...
(Lepus americanus). Semiserious tourney wannabe, though he spends more time practicing his 'trash talk' than his snapshots. A decent player, but worries more about appearing a professional player than actually being a pro. Yes, he knows he has a famous profile.
- Red is a subspecies of Red FoxRed FoxThe red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
local to AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and northern CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(Vulpes vulpes alascensis). He owns the local PaintballPaintballPaintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
Field, and runs it with the help of the Crew and various volunteers. Genuinely wants the customers to have fun, but won't put up with kids who want to "bend" the rules or can't learn to play safely. Like Bandit, he spends no time fussing with fancy markers. On the rare days when he does play, he perfers to pull out a box of rusty Nel-Spot parts and scrap one together.
- Jake is a Striped SkunkStriped SkunkThe striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, is an omnivorous mammal of the skunk family Mephitidae. Found over most of the North American continent north of Mexico, it is one of the best-known mammals in Canada and the United States.-Description:...
(Mephitis mephitis). He's laid back and easygoing... at least 'til he gets on the field, where he's confident and aggressive. Few players will risk bunkering him after seeing what happened when Bandit got the drop on him during a woodsballWoodsballWoodsball is a format of paintball gaming, in which players compete in a natural outdoors area using paintball markers to tag opponents....
game.
- Bruno is a Brown BearBrown BearThe brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
(Ursus arctos). Bruno's a bit older than the usual crowd, a little slower and not able to tuck or hide quite as well... But he makes it up in spades by being a devious, methodical and downright sneaky bastard. A fan of old pumps, he sometimes uses a semiauto just so he's not quite as sore in the morning.
- Sandy is a Red FoxRed FoxThe red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
(Vulpes vulpes). She's the new office girl. Starting out as an accidental hire after a party, she managed to put Doc's paperwork in some semblance of order, which came as a surprise to everyone since even disaster-recovery specialists said that would require heavy machinery, high explosives and UNUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
approval. Knew absolutely nothing about the sport when she first arrived, but she's learning.
- Tawny is a BobcatBobcatThe bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
(Lynx rufus). She's Snowshoe's girlfriend. Shoey won't admit it, but if she wasn't keeping his gear cleaned and fixed, he'd never make it to the starting gate in time. He also won't admit she's a better player, and she'll let him win.
- Pirta (PJ) is a Snow LeopardSnow LeopardThe snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
(Uncia uncia). She's a waitress at the Thai-takeout place down the street, and got roped in by the guys as they were fleeing the UN, US Army, and most of the Alaska National Guard after they fired a refrigerator 500 ft. though the air, landed it in front of the restaurant, and Doc's homemade Mountain Dew started eating through the asphalt. Pirta had only known of the shop antics from what the EMTsEmergency medical technicianEmergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
and firemen told her when they'd come in after another call. That is, until she found out an old friend worked there...
- Howie Gray WolfGray WolfThe gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
(Canis lupus). He's the owner of a Bar & Grill on the highway known as Howie's. He has a mysterious past which hasn't been disclosed yet. The crew frequently stop by Howie's after playing on Red's Field before returning home.
- Larry and Darryl Humans (Homo sapiens sapiens). Two semi-regular players at Red's. They are there for humor, notably when Larry brought paint grenades or when Roger shot Darryl with a tranquilizer "powerful enough to stop a charging rhino."
- Packrat is a WoodratPack ratA packrat, also called a woodrat, can be any of the species in the rodent genus Neotoma. Packrats have a rat-like appearance, with long tails, large ears and large black eyes. Compared to deer mice, harvest mice and grasshopper mice, packrats are noticeably larger and are usually somewhat larger...
(Neotoma sp.). So far only seen in one story arc, he's a regular player at an 'outlaw' field where normal paintball rules don't apply. After tricking Tawny and Sandy into being body shields and constantly calling Tawny "toots", his spine was injured because Tawny threw him through the air (where he also scored many hits). A sneaky, dirty adversary on the field; other than that, not much of him is known other than he likes woodsball and being a trickster.
- Gino is a Giant PandaGiant PandaThe giant panda, or panda is a bear native to central-western and south western China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the panda's diet is 99% bamboo...
(Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Loves beer and poker and accidentally scares the others through his looks alone. In doing so, he set Jake's "self defense mechanism" off, resulting in Jake getting a trip to the washing machine and being labeled biological warfare by Doc's security system.
- Kasi is a CheetahCheetahThe cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
(Acinonyx jubatus). She's about the age of Jinx and they seem to be friends. Kasi is also the daughter of Howie's actual girlfriend. This girl appears sporadically during the comic and has been suggested by Doc that she's got a crush on Jinx.
- Dunc is a Cougar (Puma concolor). He works with Jake at the bank. Dunc felt immediate attraction for Pirta when she went along with Sandy and Tawny to Jake's job asking him to coach them.
- Mr. Quisenberry is a LionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
(Panthera leo). He is the boss of Jake and Dunc at the bank and seems to be particularly strict with his employees.
Making of
The author has a humorous look at how a typical strip is created on his site.Cameos
Characters from and references to The Whiteboard have been featured in the following strips by other authors:- November 2, 2004 in Weak-End Warriors.
- Jan 17, 2005 in Freefall.
- April 22, 2005 in Register One.
- October 20, 2005 in Schlock MercenarySchlock MercenarySchlock Mercenary is a comedic webcomic written and drawn by Howard Tayler. It follows the tribulations of a star-travelling mercenary company in a satiric, mildly dystopian 31st-century space opera setting...
. - September 4, 2006 in The KAMics.
- October 15, 2006 in RevolverComic (Spanish).
- November 24, 2006 in Carry On.
- April 23, 2007 in Evil Overlords United.
- January 15, 2006 in Suicide for Hire.
- June 24, 2007 in Suicide for Hire.
- August 24, 2007 in CameoComic.
- September 27, 2007 in Evil Overlords United.
- March 1, 2008 in PvPPvPPvP, also known as Player vs Player, is a webcomic, written and drawn by Scott Kurtz, with around 100,000 unique visitors per day . On February 1, 2007, it became the subject of its own animated series.-Themes:...
. - March 4, 2008 in Cross-Time Cafe.
- December 12, 2008 in The KAMics.
- February 6, 2009 in Air Force Blues.
- March 25, 2009 in Magical Misfits.
- April 2, 2010 in Freefall.
- August 21, 2011 in CameoComic.
- November 27, 2011 in Schlock Mercenary.
The Whiteboard has itself done cameos of characters from over a hundred other webcomics, usually during the annually Halloween parties.
Critical reaction
Howard TaylerHoward Tayler
Howard V. Tayler is the award-winning creator of the hugely successful webcomic Schlock Mercenary. He worked as a volunteer missionary for the LDS Church, then graduated from Brigham Young University...
, author of Schlock Mercenary
Schlock Mercenary
Schlock Mercenary is a comedic webcomic written and drawn by Howard Tayler. It follows the tribulations of a star-travelling mercenary company in a satiric, mildly dystopian 31st-century space opera setting...
, wrote of The Whiteboard: "If you’re not already reading The Whiteboard as part of your daily trawl, I hope it’s not because you think the comic is only funny to paintballers. I’ve only paintballed once (an experience I found miserable) and the comic is one of my favorites."
April Fools' Day
In April Fools' Day of 2011, the comic strip of the day and its archive were replaced by Rick O'ShayRick O'Shay
Rick O'Shay is a Western comic strip created by Stan Lynde in 1958. It was distributed worldwide through the Chicago Tribune Syndicate until publication ended in 1981.-Characters and story:...
comic.