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Microsoft Comic Chat is now open source

opensource.microsoft.com

July 16, 2026

4 min read

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73/100

Summary

Microsoft Comic Chat is now open source and available on GitHub. This chat client transforms IRC conversations into comic panels with illustrated characters and speech bubbles, and it popularized the Comic Sans font.

Key Takeaways

Microsoft Comic Chat has been released as open source and is now available on GitHub.
Comic Chat transformed text-based conversations into comic panels with illustrated characters and speech bubbles, representing a unique approach to online communication in the mid-1990s.
The software was developed by David “DJ” Kurlander and his team at Microsoft Research, and it utilized real-time editorial decisions to visually represent conversations.
The open-source release aims to preserve an important piece of software history and allows the community to explore and build upon the original code.

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Community Sentiment

Mixed

Positives

Comic Chat holds a nostalgic charm for many, with one user recalling how it inspired their startup aimed at engaging K-12 educators through comic creation.
The discussion brings back memories of a time when software development felt more creative and fun, contrasting sharply with today's corporate-driven approach.

Concerns

Some users express disdain for Comic Chat's initial reception, highlighting that it was somewhat reviled in its early days, suggesting it was more of a gimmick than a functional tool.
A commenter notes that Microsoft was in a 'brutally corporate' phase during Comic Chat's launch, hinting that the software's legacy is tainted by the company's practices at the time.