Rob Balder
Encyclopedia
Robert T. Balder is a professional cartoonist, singer/songwriter, game designer and web entrepreneur. He graduated from Roanoke College
with a major in English in 1993, and after a variety of jobs, entered a seven year career in IT, starting as a Manager of Database Development, which he left for his current career.
, a social commentary clip art webcomic also featured in the Anchorage Press
, Cleveland Free Times, Concord Mirror, East Bay Express
, Houston Press
, Manchester Mirror, Metroland, Nth Degree, Salem Observer, and the Other Paper. He is also the writer for the Erfworld
webcomic, which was listed as one of Time Magazine's "Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2007"
Rob is known well within the webcomic creator community, as evidenced by his writing of guest comics for other webcomics: Fragile Gravity, Goats
, Order of the Stick, Sluggy Freelance
, and Wondermark
. In 2006 he partnered with Pete Abrams of Sluggy Freelance
, to create a retail market card game themed around Sluggy Freelance called Get Nifty.
In August 2010 he co-wrote a 24-page comic called "A Duel in the Somme", based on a story by science fiction author Ben Bova
and illustrated by syndicated cartoonist Bill Holbrook
. The comic was released on its own website under a Creative Commons license at a rate of one page per day, and used a reward-driven donation model for revenue.
, and won the 2007 Pegasus Award for Best Filk Song
; they were nominated the previous year for the same award. He was also one of the seven founders of the FuMP, or "Funny Music Project", along with Devo Spice
, Luke Ski
, Tom Smith
, Possible Oscar, Raymond and Scum
, Spaff, and Worm Quartet
, in which they present new songs released under a Creative Commons license.
His comedy music has received national airplay in the United States on the syndicated Dr. Demento show. His song "Gamer Funk" was the #1 most requested song on the Dr. Demento Show in both September and October 2009, and was the third most requested song for that entire year. In February 2009, Balder began a collaboration with ShoEboX of Worm Quartet
called "Baldbox". The duo released one CD ("The Dumb Album") and several followup songs, which have also been played frequently by Dr. Demento and other terrestrial radio shows.
, MidSouthCon
, and OASIS
.
Roanoke College
Roanoke College is an private, coeducational, four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college is located in Salem, Virginia, a suburban independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia...
with a major in English in 1993, and after a variety of jobs, entered a seven year career in IT, starting as a Manager of Database Development, which he left for his current career.
Comics
As a comic author, he was first published in Scene magazine in 1998. In 2001, he started PartiallyClipsPartiallyClips
PartiallyClips is a webcomic, created by Rob Balder, which has been running since 2002. At the start of 2010, Balder handed authorship of the comic to Tim Crist, the comedy musician behind Worm Quartet....
, a social commentary clip art webcomic also featured in the Anchorage Press
Anchorage Press
The Anchorage Press is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Anchorage, Alaska and owned by Wick Communications.Established in 1992 by Bill Boulay, Barry Bialik, and Nick Coltman as the Anchorage Bypass, it was renamed the Anchorage Press in 1994. It is published and distributed every...
, Cleveland Free Times, Concord Mirror, East Bay Express
East Bay Express
The East Bay Express is an Oakland-based weekly newspaper serving the Berkeley, Oakland, and East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
, Houston Press
Houston Press
The Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
, Manchester Mirror, Metroland, Nth Degree, Salem Observer, and the Other Paper. He is also the writer for the Erfworld
Erfworld
Erfworld is a story-driven fantasy/comedy webcomic about a master strategy gamer stuck in a wargame. The first book, The Battle for Gobwin Knob was written by Rob Balder and illustrated by Jamie Noguchi. It was recognized as one of the top 10 graphic novels of 2007 by Time Magazine. The second...
webcomic, which was listed as one of Time Magazine's "Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2007"
Rob is known well within the webcomic creator community, as evidenced by his writing of guest comics for other webcomics: Fragile Gravity, Goats
Goats (webcomic)
Goats is a popular webcomic written and illustrated by Jonathan Rosenberg. The webcomic started April 1, 1997. On April 3, 2006, after nine years drawing the strip, Rosenberg became a full-time cartoonist making his living drawing Goats...
, Order of the Stick, Sluggy Freelance
Sluggy Freelance
Sluggy Freelance is a popular, long-running daily webcomic written and drawn by Pete Abrams. The comic has over 100,000 daily readers and premiered on August 25, 1997...
, and Wondermark
Wondermark
Wondermark is a webcomic created by David Malki which was syndicated to Flak Magazine and appeared in The Onion's print edition through 2008. It features 19th-century illustrations that have been recontextualized to create humorous juxtapositions. It takes the horizontal four-panel shape of a...
. In 2006 he partnered with Pete Abrams of Sluggy Freelance
Sluggy Freelance
Sluggy Freelance is a popular, long-running daily webcomic written and drawn by Pete Abrams. The comic has over 100,000 daily readers and premiered on August 25, 1997...
, to create a retail market card game themed around Sluggy Freelance called Get Nifty.
In August 2010 he co-wrote a 24-page comic called "A Duel in the Somme", based on a story by science fiction author Ben Bova
Ben Bova
Benjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:...
and illustrated by syndicated cartoonist Bill Holbrook
Bill Holbrook
Bill Holbrook is an American comic strip & webcomic writer and artist. Born in Los Angeles in 1958, Holbrook grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, and began drawing at an early age....
. The comic was released on its own website under a Creative Commons license at a rate of one page per day, and used a reward-driven donation model for revenue.
Music
Balder writes and sings comedy songs, and has recorded two CDs. The title track from his first CD, "Rich Fantasy Lives" was co-written with Tom SmithTom Smith (filker)
Tom Smith is a singer-songwriter from , who got his start in the filk music community. He is a fourteen-time winner of the Pegasus Award for excellence in filking, including awards for his "A Boy and His Frog", "307 Ale", and "The Return of the King ", and was inducted into the Filk Hall of Fame in...
, and won the 2007 Pegasus Award for Best Filk Song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
; they were nominated the previous year for the same award. He was also one of the seven founders of the FuMP, or "Funny Music Project", along with Devo Spice
Sudden Death (music)
Sudden Death is a comedy rap trio from Hardyston, New Jersey consisting of members Tom Rockwell , Steve Fernino , and Thom Uliasz .They formed in 1986 and started releasing their music in 1991....
, Luke Ski
Luke Ski
Luke Ski is a parody, filk and rap artist who writes, records and performs comedy music. He had the #1 most requested song on the Dr...
, Tom Smith
Tom Smith
- Sports :* R. Thomas "Tom" Smith , American thoroughbred racehorse trainer of Seabiscuit* Tom Smith , Major League player* Tom Smith , Major League player...
, Possible Oscar, Raymond and Scum
Raymond And Scum
- The Background :Raymond and Scum is a comedy rock band based in Southern California. Vocalist Jeff Smith and guitarist Matthew Dunn formed the band while they were still in high school. Their songs were regularly played on the syndicated Dr. Demento Show. The duo regularly compose and sing...
, Spaff, and Worm Quartet
Worm Quartet
Worm Quartet is a one-man Comedy Synth Punk band portrayed on album covers as a group of four worms. The "band" has a growing cult following thanks to exposure on the Dr. Demento show...
, in which they present new songs released under a Creative Commons license.
His comedy music has received national airplay in the United States on the syndicated Dr. Demento show. His song "Gamer Funk" was the #1 most requested song on the Dr. Demento Show in both September and October 2009, and was the third most requested song for that entire year. In February 2009, Balder began a collaboration with ShoEboX of Worm Quartet
Worm Quartet
Worm Quartet is a one-man Comedy Synth Punk band portrayed on album covers as a group of four worms. The "band" has a growing cult following thanks to exposure on the Dr. Demento show...
called "Baldbox". The duo released one CD ("The Dumb Album") and several followup songs, which have also been played frequently by Dr. Demento and other terrestrial radio shows.
Professional and Public
Rob Balder is a frequent guest and program participant at science fiction, comic, gaming, and anime conventions, participating in as many as 20 events a year. Several conventions have invited him as Guest of Honor, including Capclave, CoastCon, I-ConI-CON
I-CON is a yearly fan convention, held on the campus of the State University of New York at Stony Brook on Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York. First held in 1982, I-CON has become a very eclectic convention...
, MidSouthCon
MidSouthCon
MidSouthCon is an American science-fiction convention held each March in Memphis, Tennessee, since 1982, evolving from similar events in the late 1970s. Focusing mainly on science fiction literature, it provides basic programming geared to other genres: fantasy, science, comics, horror, and gaming...
, and OASIS
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
.