Comic Books of the Internet
Though comic books are traditionally a field dominated by larger companies and established names, the internet has been able to give rise to an incredible number of high-quality productions that have begun to draw the notice of fans of graphic novels of any genre or type. These independent works are often not backed by any large publishing house, nor do they have large, grandiose budgets to work with. Artist and writer are often the same individual, with items coloring and inking done on an at-home computer. Nonetheless, many of these comics are widely published and enjoy extensive fanbases.
Here we look at a few graphic novels that originated online (and in many cases still update regularly).
Goblins by Tarol Hunt
A fantasy comedy/drama that began as a black and white series of Dungeons and Dragons parodies, Goblins has evolved over the years into a full-color, full-page extravaganza of blood, magic, and good old-fashioned dungeon-crawling. The comic currently has three story arcs that evolved out of the story’s first chapter; readers can consider time spent poring over the archives well-spent. The website updates regularly every Tuesday and Friday.
There are two volumes currently on-sale, available on the website: www.goblinscomic.com
Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell
A science-fiction/fantasy story that follows the young girl Antimony as she attends school at the titular court, Gunnerkrigg Court is told as a series of short vignettes separated into chapters. The story has progressed greatly from its first installment in terms of story and artwork alike, and is packed with mythological references, alchemical symbolism, and the occasional android. The comic’s overall tone is moody and a little dark, but it is sensitive to its characters and exciting when it needs to be. The website (www.gunnerkrigg.com) updates on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The first three volumes of the series are available from www.topatoco.com.
Girl Genius by Phil and Kaja Foglio
Featuring the tagline, “Adventure, Romance, MAD SCIENCE!” Girl Genius constantly makes good on its promises and delivers all three in spades. Set in a Victorian-style steampunk world filled with robots, monsters, and lasers, the story has won three Hugo awards for ‘Best Graphic Novel’ and been nominated for two Eisner awards. Updates occur on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at www.girlgeniusonline.com
The Girl Genius online store has ten volumes on sale in total, though there is also an omnibus available.
Looking For Group by Ryan Sohmer and Lar Desouza
A fantasy parody webcomic that pokes fun at a number of other fantasy series, including World of Warcraft, Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, and Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth books. The story stands up well on its own merits, and is full of entertaining violence and snappy one-liners. Violence is often perpetuated against obvious parodies from any number of sources (everything from Frodo Baggins to a smurf), and there are a lot of pop culture references dressed up in fantasy terms. The website (www.llfgcomic.com) updates regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Looking For Group has its own online store that has four volumes of the graphic novel on sale.
