At one thousand two hundred and twenty five strips 8-bit theater ended in 2010 giving it a ten year run. In this time it provided us with fun, puns, artfully broken logic, ultra super fine print, a really long ending arc, and what may be the longest brick joke in history. Seriously, Clevinger set it up in the seventh strip and delivered in 1221. And looking back on it now I can honestly say it was funny. I'm not sure if it's the funniest thing I ever read but I can say it made me laugh harder than anything else.
I haven't the words to properly praise this comic. That's not even because it was super amazing, though it was pretty good. Rather it defies easy description. Most of the story felt like an unending series of tangents meant to draw the warriors of light off course with occasional pushes from their mentor/penultimate enemy to get them back on track. Digression ad nauseam for any one else, yet Fighter, Black Mage, Thief, and Red Mage made it work. I think a large part of their appeal is that they rarely fought the insanity around them but rather tried to capitalize on it. This barely ever worked but it kept the plot moving.
Clevinger has moved on to bigger and better things but his first work will always hold a special place in the hearts of his fans.
RUST IS FOR THE WEAK