Checkerboard Nightmare - Definition and Overview

Checkerboard Nightmare is a web comic created and drawn by Kristofer Straub.

Checkerboard Nightmare's title character (often referred to as "Chex") is a self-aware comic strip character whose primary interest is his own success as a comic strip character.

Chex's weekly exploits usually involve some sort of harebrained scheme to increase his readership by latching his image onto another, more successful comic strip or marketing scheme.

The comic's self-aware nature allows it to successfully parody webcomics in general as well as specific well-known comic works. However, the comic also successfully parodies media trends and cliches outside the webcomic genre, including parodies of horror movie cliches, comic books, movie marketing trends, and television contrivances.

Recurring characters

• Checkerboard Nightmare (Chex) - A self-aware (and self-absorbed) internet comic 'star' with an encyclopedic knowledge of marketing terminology. Chex's interests lie in becoming a mega-popular webcomic star not by working at being original, but by lifting popular ideas or by riding web marketing trends. The irony here is that while many poorly-written webcomics do just this, it can be seen as far more difficult to write tongue-in-cheek from this sense, making the comic far more original than a comic less self-aware. Chex resembles a harlequin with large spiky hair reminiscent of Freakazoid. His clothing bears a checkerboard pattern which is drawn the same regardless of the character's position.

• Lyle Zebulon - Chex's lawyer and possibly only friend. Lyle's main responsibility is getting Chex out of the many copyright infringement/stalking/property damage suits he incurs. It is unclear how Chex manages to pay Lyle's legal fees. Lyle additionally represent the everyman/straightman foil to Chex's irrationality. He is also the regular butt of an ongoing silly sight gag involving his being throttled by a homicidal robot.

• Vaporware - A robot brought into the cast to 'round it out,' Vaporware is often seen needlessly choking Lyle with his metal hands. Vaporware is often part of Chex's schemes, seemingly either unable to disobey Chex's inane requests, or uncaring as to the inevitable sticky situation it will put Chex in.

• Polkadot Dream - A popular comic strip character, essentially the opposite of Chex. Polkadot Dream has all the success and none of the ego of Chex.

• The Unraveled - The otherworldy manifestation of a Lovecraftian dark god, that's really not a bad guy after all, and is in fact rather comforting and gentle.

• Heathrow and Smacky - Victorian / Vaudevillian style comic strip characters, whose comic is overrun by Chex in another harebrained marketing scheme.