Robert T. Balder is a professional cartoonist and singer-songwriter. He graduated from
Roanoke College
Roanoke College is a private liberal arts college in Salem, Virginia. It has approximately 2,000 students who represent approximately 40 states and 30 countries. The college offers 35 majors, 57 minors and concentrations, and pre-professional p ...
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. Page 93 and on. In 2001, he started '' PartiallyClips'', a social commentary clip art webcomic also featured in the ''
Anchorage Press
The ''Anchorage Press'' is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the ...
'', ''
Cleveland Free Times
The ''Cleveland Free Times'' was an alternative weekly newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. Its first issue was published on September 30, 1992.
The ''Free Times'' and ''Cleveland Scene'', a competing weekly paper, were purchased by Times-Shamrock ...
'', ''Concord Mirror'', ''
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. It is distributed throughout Alameda County and parts of Contra Costa County every Wednesday.
The ''E ...
'', ''
Houston Press
The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017.
The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
Salem Observer
The ''Salem Observer'' (1823-1919) was a weekly newspaper published in Salem, Massachusetts. Among the editors: J.D.H. Gauss, Benj. Lynde Oliver, Gilbert L. Streeter, Joseph Gilbert Waters. Contributors included Wilson Flagg, Stephen B. Ives Jr. ...
'' and the '' Other Paper''. He is also the writer for the ''
Erfworld
''Erfworld'' was a story-driven fantasy/comedy webcomic and independently published graphic novel about a master strategy gamer summoned into and stuck inside a wargaming, wargame running from December 2006 to its abrupt cancellation in October ...
'' webcomic, which was listed as one of ''Time'' magazine's "Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2007"."Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2007" ''Time'' As of October 13, 2019, Erfworld has been discontinued due to personal reasons.
Balder is well-known within the webcomic creator community, as evidenced by his writing of guest comics for other webcomics: ''Fragile Gravity'', ''
Goats
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
Get Nifty
''Sluggy Freelance'' is a long-running webcomic written and drawn by Pete Abrams. Starting in 1997, it is one of the oldest successful webcomics, and as of 2012 had hundreds of thousands of readers. Abrams was one of the first comic artists suc ...
''.
In August 2010, he co-wrote a 24-page comic called '' A Duel in the Somme'', based on a story by the science fiction author
Ben Bova
Benjamin William Bova (November 8, 1932November 29, 2020) was an American writer and editor. During a writing career of 60 years, he was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction, an editor of ''Analog Science Fiction and Fac ...
and illustrated by the syndicated cartoonist
Bill Holbrook
Bill Holbrook (born 1958) is an American cartoonist and webcomic writer and artist, best known for his syndicated comic strip ''On the Fastrack''.
Born in Los Angeles, Holbrook grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, and began drawing at an early age. Wh ...
. 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 Smith, and won the 2007 Pegasus Award for Best
Filk
Filk music is a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fandom and a type of fan labor. The genre has existed since the early 1950s and been played primarily since the mid-1970s.
Etymology and defi ...
Song; they had been 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
Worm Quartet is a comedy music project created by Timothy F. Crist who uses the stage moniker ShoEboX and performs fast, synth-driven, pseudo-metal punk/pop. The band was formed in 1991 and its name is a reference to cartoons Crist used to draw.
...
, 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 is a comedy music project created by Timothy F. Crist who uses the stage moniker ShoEboX and performs fast, synth-driven, pseudo-metal punk/pop. The band was formed in 1991 and its name is a reference to cartoons Crist used to draw.
...
called "Baldbox". The duo released one CD (''The Dumb Album'') and several follow-up songs, which have also been played frequently by Dr. Demento and other terrestrial radio shows.
Professional and public
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-Con, MidSouthCon, and
OASIS
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentOfficial website