A Particular Sort of Webcomic
April 3, 2023 12:07 PM Subscribe
My three favorite webcomics ever are Achewood, Kill Six Billion Demons, and The Abominable Charles Christopher. What are some more like these?
At first glance, you could hardly ask for three more different comics, stylistically. In trying to figure out what they have in common, so that I could ask you, beautiful hivemind, for more of that kind of thing, I came up with these characteristics:
* Overarching plot arcs with smaller plot arcs along the way
* A variety of characters of various levels of badassery & wisdom, with some that are pretty relatable
* Lots of good jokes
* A SF/F setting or elements
* A deep core of humanist vulnerability under all the trappings
What have you got for me, fellow webcomic bingers?
At first glance, you could hardly ask for three more different comics, stylistically. In trying to figure out what they have in common, so that I could ask you, beautiful hivemind, for more of that kind of thing, I came up with these characteristics:
* Overarching plot arcs with smaller plot arcs along the way
* A variety of characters of various levels of badassery & wisdom, with some that are pretty relatable
* Lots of good jokes
* A SF/F setting or elements
* A deep core of humanist vulnerability under all the trappings
What have you got for me, fellow webcomic bingers?
Best answer: I recommend starting with Dave Kellett's Drive right away, or as soon as you are able to set aside a couple of hours without interrupting your work.
Kellett's the author of Sheldon, so he has a gag-a-day vibe to his writing and there's a joke almost every page, but the story (a new interstellar Spanish Empire facing several existential threats) is extremely epic in scale while mostly focusing on the crew of a single starship.
posted by thecaddy at 1:46 PM on April 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Kellett's the author of Sheldon, so he has a gag-a-day vibe to his writing and there's a joke almost every page, but the story (a new interstellar Spanish Empire facing several existential threats) is extremely epic in scale while mostly focusing on the crew of a single starship.
posted by thecaddy at 1:46 PM on April 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Nasty Red Dogs. The story begins with Kamila, a woman who was already going through a tough time when gigantic red dogs appear in the night. Though her narration doesn't touch on anything the dogs are doing, she is trapped in her house because of them, and also due to her own circumstances. However, she finds that one of the dogs has entered her home and had a litter of puppies.
The art in the beginning is very different from the current style, more experimental and often very loosely sketched, but it really is so rewardingly weird and sad and fascinating and funny. I think about it often while waiting for it to update. I think this fits all the requirements. It has a lot of very strange and disturbing story elements, but it's like... unpleasant nightmare logic, not for shock value or edginess. CW for body horror, addiction, depression, self-harm.
posted by automatic cabinet at 3:05 PM on April 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
The art in the beginning is very different from the current style, more experimental and often very loosely sketched, but it really is so rewardingly weird and sad and fascinating and funny. I think about it often while waiting for it to update. I think this fits all the requirements. It has a lot of very strange and disturbing story elements, but it's like... unpleasant nightmare logic, not for shock value or edginess. CW for body horror, addiction, depression, self-harm.
posted by automatic cabinet at 3:05 PM on April 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Have you read anything by Evan Dahm? Rice Boy, Vattu, and 3rd Voice, which just started, sometimes feel similar to Kill 6 Billion Demons to me.
Some older Scary Go Round/Bad Machinery arcs are excellent, weird supernatural stories.
Not sure if you've read anything by Jeffrey Rowland, who runs TopataCo, but Wigu and Overcompensating sometimes have Achewood vibes.
Also, let me recommend the Brain Tape podcast, a close reading of Achewood that covers 1-2 strips per episode.
posted by sagc at 3:19 PM on April 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
Some older Scary Go Round/Bad Machinery arcs are excellent, weird supernatural stories.
Not sure if you've read anything by Jeffrey Rowland, who runs TopataCo, but Wigu and Overcompensating sometimes have Achewood vibes.
Also, let me recommend the Brain Tape podcast, a close reading of Achewood that covers 1-2 strips per episode.
posted by sagc at 3:19 PM on April 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Skin Horse hits several points on your checklist.
posted by zamboni at 7:03 PM on April 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by zamboni at 7:03 PM on April 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Ten Earth Shattering Blows!
Griz Grobus
Opplopolis
posted by moonmilk at 7:31 PM on April 3, 2023
Griz Grobus
Opplopolis
posted by moonmilk at 7:31 PM on April 3, 2023
Best answer: I wasn't going to recommend my recommendation because it's the one I always provide, but it does check all the boxes and I do like Kill Six Billion Demons:
Stand Still Stay Silent. So, in our time there was a pandemic. (Incredibly, this comic started before the pandemic.) And now the safe, human world is very small and the troll-haunted woods are very large. A small group of researchers and assistants are going out into the Silent World to explore. There is a cat. There is a very sad part. There are some good adventures and some bears are rescued.
The art is especially terrific.
posted by Frowner at 6:13 AM on April 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Stand Still Stay Silent. So, in our time there was a pandemic. (Incredibly, this comic started before the pandemic.) And now the safe, human world is very small and the troll-haunted woods are very large. A small group of researchers and assistants are going out into the Silent World to explore. There is a cat. There is a very sad part. There are some good adventures and some bears are rescued.
The art is especially terrific.
posted by Frowner at 6:13 AM on April 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by jaymzjulian at 1:41 PM on April 3, 2023 [1 favorite]