Web Comics
I blame my newfound love of webcomics on Pixie Blade, who posted a recommendation of Starfighter, by HamletMachine, back in August of 2011.
I thought the story was edgy, the art visually interesting, and the guys pretty good looking. I was surprised to learn that the updates were only pages at a time, not at all like monthly manga chapters. That lost some of the appeal, so I let it go for over a year. However, during an especially long traffic light, I found myself thinking of its random Star Trek influences and wondered how it was doing. So I looked it up, read it, and decided to add it to my Google Reader. Then, lo and behold, a recommended link led me to my newest love:
The Less than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal, by EK Weaver.
Here is the summary from the website:
“May 16, 2008 - In the span of a single day, Amal calls off his arranged marriage, comes out to his conservative parents, promptly gets disowned, goes on a bender... and wakes up the next morning to find TJ, a lanky, dreadlocked vagrant, frying eggs and singing Paul Simon in his kitchen.
TJ claims that the two have made a drunken pact to drive all the way from Berkeley to Providence. As it happens, Amal promised his sister he'd be there for her graduation from Brown University. And TJ, well... TJ has his own reasons.
The agreement is simple: Amal does the driving; TJ pays the way - but a 3500 mile journey leaves plenty of time for things to get complicated.”
I read it straight through that night. I could not put it down. EK Weaver creates a potent mix of character development, sensuality, and HUMOR in her story that I just consumed with delight. Add her talented artwork filled with expression and I was hooked.
I fell in love with these boys - HARD. The next day, I read it again. Then bought the first volume from the web store. Day after that, I bought everything else from the store. I will continue to support this artist because I love her work that much. The story is estimated to be finished in early 2014. When the story ends, I’m sure it will hurt me physically.
Additional links:
http://tjandamal.com/index.html
http://bigbigtruck.tumblr.com/
http://tj-amal-club.deviantart.com/
https://twitter.com/bigbigtruck
Since then I’ve been exploring other webcomics and have found a few that I’d like to share. Let me start with this one:
Prince of Cats, by Kori Handwerker
Synopsis from the website:
“Once upon a time, on a day during the summer before his senior year of high school, a young man rescued a tiny white kitten from a tree. The next day, he was approached by another cat, who informed him that he had saved the princess of the cat society, and so smitten was she with his heroics, that she wanted to grant him a wish.
But choosing a wish is not on Lee's priority list, so he ends up stuck with the ability to talk to cats until he does.
Lee's story isn't about cats. He's seventeen, and all he should have to worry about is getting into a college where he can study biology. And maybe trying to not ruin the relationship he has with the only real friend he's got. Frank has been his best friend since grade two, and didn't doubt Lee for a second when he announced that he suddenly had the power to talk to cats. But things are changing between them, and Lee has to learn to be sensitive to the economic and social differences between them if he's going to save their relationship.
Prince of Cats is set in the year 2003, in a county situated on the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border of the Delaware River. It's an area of economic diversity, where Lee, living comfortably in the upper middle class, attends school with everyone from the rich to the poor. But it is not a racially diverse area, nor a progressive one, and the conservative climate makes life difficult for minorities like Frank. A code of silence prevails for the sexually deviant, so when one of the boys is outed as gay to the rest of the school, life gets even more complicated.
Prince of Cats is a love story that spans a year of their high school drama.”
I have to admit that I have a real soft spot for this comic. First of all, I’m a sucker for stories of longtime childhood friends. Secondly, I love the character of Frank. Intelligent, sensitive, tall, longhaired, Asian men are my weakness - swoon! (I wonder if Frank’s character was influence by Yumi Hotta’s character Fujiwara no Sai.) Thirdly, but certainly not least, the artwork brings this comic to life. Kori uses gauche/watercolor paint that, while using only one or 2 colors, conveys an amazing amount of life into the comic. I am a big fan of this style now.
I purchased all 3 volumes available so far and when I had questions during a purchase, Kori came across as an absolute dear, so that is a big plus! I will certainly continue to support this comic.
Additional links:
http://korimichele.deviantart.com/
http://princeofcatscomic.tumblr.com/
http://www.livestream.com/korimichele
http://korimichele.com/
Homestuck, by Andrew Hussie
What is this... I don’t even... But I like it ;)
http://www.mspaintadventures.com/
These are just a few of the webcomics that I've taken a liking to. I'll post some others later.
Please feel free to tell me what you think of these or if there are others that you would like to recommend!
-SNinja