By Declan Hertel
Staff Writer
There are things on the internet. You know
this. Several of these things are “webcomics,”
much like the comics in the local comic store or
the ones in the Sunday paper, except with more
creative freedom. There are so many it can be difficult
to sort through them all, so below I have offered
some of my favorites. Give these a look-see!
“Hark! A Vagrant” by Kate Beaton: A perfect
blend of eloquence and slang, Beaton delivers
laugh-out-loud hilarious strips about historical
figures, mythology, literature, and one particularly
silly mash-up of “The X-Files” and “Pride
and Prejudice.” One of the most admirable things
about the comic is that even if you are unfamiliar
with the subject matter referenced, you will always
find something to laugh about. Beaton, for
all her skill at allusion and commentary, will never
make you feel stupid. Her illustrations have
a charming sketchy quality to them, and her comedic
ability with facial expressions is second to
none. “WICKED CHIVALROUS.”
“Broodhollow” by Kris Straub: This psychological
horror comic tells the story of the young
Wadsworth Zane, a paranoid, neurotic, encyclopedia
salesman who is brought to the town of
Broodhollow to accept the inheritance left to him
by an unknown relative. It is a stellar entry in my
favorite genre of fiction: “strange-things-happenin-
small-town.” All the inhabitants of Broodhollow
are quirky and rounded, the horror is spot on
and scary as hell, with all the ghouls and ghosties
rendered brilliantly and beautifully by Straub, juxtaposed
with the frankly adorable cartoony art style of
the rest of the work. I read the entire second “book” in
one night. Near the end, I was terrified, my heart was
racing, and I was pleading with no one that things
were not actually as they seemed. Both charming and
scary, this is one I cannot recommend enough.
“Perry Bible Fellowship” by Nicholas Gurewitch:
I’m not sure where to begin with this one, other
than with the fact that I love it. A classic among
webcomics, some strips are depressing, some hilarious,
some incredibly dark, and some utterly inexplicable.
PBF is always weird and irreverent, but rarely
misses the mark. Gurewitch’s art is particularly impressive
and varied. Some strips are done in a simple,
colorful, lined style. Others are astoundingly beautiful
and well-crafted, and would be breathtaking were
it not for the fact they’re depicting Jesus in a fistfight
with Ganesha.
“Toothpaste for Dinner” by Drew: I grew up
with Gary Larson’s “The Far Side,” and as such, I
have a special place in my heart for single panel comics,
and “Toothpaste for Dinner” is one of my favorites
in the genre. I can best describe the art style as “three
minutes.” All the comics appear to have been drawn
very quickly in the short while between getting a
funny idea and working that funny idea to death. As
such, many comics are very funny while some are just
baffling, but it’s never unentertaining.
