There's a storm coming. It's a storm of goofy personalized comics, and it's going to spread like a slightly annoying wildfire through your Facebook News Feed — if it hasn't already. We're talking, of course, about Bitstrips.
If you don't recognize the name, you likely recognize the pictures. Bitstrips are the shareable, customizable comics all over your Timeline, allowing even the worst artists in your friends list to create one-panel digital cartoons.
See also: 20 Things Your Most Annoying Friends Do on Facebook
If you're looking to start making your own Bitstrips — or find a way to keep them off your News Feed forever, look no further than this guide.
Image:
To get started with Bitstrips, you should first connect your account to the app through its Facebook page, just as you would any app on Facebook. There are also mobile apps available through the App Store and Google Play.
Image:
Creating your avatar is a detailed process that some may find fun. It's made easy by the app's inclusion of your Facebook photos, which you can use as a point of reference.
You can alter various facial features, chose your avatar's body type and pick out your outfit. The whole process takes between eight minutes and four hours, depending on how much detail you want to add.
Once you've chosen your outfit and have placed the finishing touches on your cartoon face, it's time to start creating comics.
Image:
To create a comic with your avatar, choose one of the tabs on the top menu. The "Make a Status Comic" tab allows you to create a comic with only your avatar, while "Friend Comics" allow you to add in a Facebook friend who is also connected to Bitstrips. You can then choose from a massive number of scenes and scenarios, all of which are customizable.
Once you've selected your scene, you can change your character's body position, move appendages around and add text bubbles. The app allows for easy sharing to Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.
While Bitstrips can be a fun way to communicate with your friends and retell old stories, Bitstrip abuse is becoming an actual problem. Much of the love for the webcomic app has turned into intense, spiteful hatred.
Bitstrips are the worst thing to happen to Facebook since those "LIKE if you hate child abuse" posts. They're worse than actual child abuse.
— Andrew Shaw (@androoshaw) October 30, 2013
I wish there was more BitStrips and photos of giraffes on my Facebook. I also wish I was dead
— Breakdancing Corpse (@Fred_Delicious) October 29, 2013
Fret not, exasperated haters. Removing Bitstrips from your News Feed is simple. Click the arrow icon on the upper right of any Bitstrips post and scroll down to the "Hide all from Bitstrips" selection.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Image: Bitstrips