Monthly Archives: March 2006

(From Platinum Grit. Click on image to see it full-sized. Warning: Comic navigation is via Macromedia Shockwave and may not work on older computers or those on dial-up.)

Some ten years or so ago, I decided to start my own comic book. Unfortunately, it never got off the ground (lack of artist), but I did learn a bit of what goes into creating a comic book, thanks to an article written in Cerebus comics showing what it cost (then) to do a dead-paper comic, and what you could expect. And it wasn’t cheap. A real low-end estimate would be $3,000 to start.

It’s in this environment that Platinum Grit started. It was a self-published printed comic that ran for ten issues. Unfortunately, in the late 90s the print comic market was suffering significant problems. Quite a few independent companies went under as several distributors filed for bankruptcy. And the entire field of independent comics shifted focus as the Internet itself was proving itself a viable entity to advertise and showcase comics.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how much of the independent market moved over back then. When I tend to think of comic books going over to the Internet, I think of Girl Genius by the Foglios. But that wasn’t the first comic by far to switch from print to pixel. (And it shows me to restrain from editing T Campbell’s “History of Webcomics” as I’m sure he would talk about that phenomena in the book. I’ll definitely have to pick up a copy when it’s available in print.)

However its beginnings, Platinum Grit is one of those hybrid comics that have arisen in the new world of comics: a combination webcomic and print comic, using the web to help hook in new readers, and print to make money as well as give fans something to view when they’re not on-line. Keeping with the tradition of print comics, updates are done when the newest issue is complete. However, each strip is viewed one bit at a time, rather than as full pages or the like.

The navigation run is rather interesting, using Macromedia Shockwave to load each comic (and you’ll need the most recent one at that; considering the entire comic is loaded each time, this comic probably isn’t for those on dial-up). Other than clicking the mouse on the image to start, you navigate purely by arrow keys, going back and forth to see what’s going on (and checking back to double-check). Mostly it’s one panel per page, though sometimes you get two or three panels. It’s one of the more unique navigation setups I’ve come across in my time reading webcomics.

But what’s truly spectacular about Platinum Grit is the story. It’s a wild insane tale, with a young man who manages to retain his sense of innocence and wonder despite having a sexy and whimsical female friend/flatmate. She instigates most of their adventures. When things go wrong, she blames him, and he accepts the blame without thought. Indeed, his sense of self-worth is so low that I wonder at times how he manages to be innocent, naive, and decent.

The thing is, Nils isn’t an evil bitch, despite how I describe her above. She’s cruel, yes. She teases Jeremy, sure. But she actually does care for him. I’m not quite sure if she loves him or not; I think she’s not entirely sure herself. He’s a toy, a plaything… but she’s very protective of him and jealous when her friend Kate shows up, and shows considerable interest in the young man. She’s a force of nature, protective of her friend, destructive toward him, wanting to be a part of his life on her own terms.

I suppose the best way to describe Jeremy is that he’s a good mad scientist. He’s part Madboy (from Girl Genius), part insane dabbler from Narbonic, and yet precedes both strips by almost a decade. He’s the perennial “Nice Guy” who doesn’t want to take advantage of a friend when she’s not quite herself, a coffee addict that so loves his addiction he owns his own coffee shop, and I get the feeling that part of the reason he’s never tried anything with Nils is that he himself is afraid to change things between them.

And Kate, the third part of this trio (and a part that first joins the comic in issue 6) is the catalyst for change. She’s intrigued by Jeremy and likes him a lot. In fact, she’s rather attracted to him, which both amuses and annoys Nils in equal parts. She calls Nils on her bullshit, she tries to draw Jeremy out of his shell, and she tries to protect herself under a shell of cynicism and yet finds her armor cracked by Jeremy’s odd charm. Kate creates the obtuse love triangle between these three, forcing Nils to admit her feelings and yet help her push Jeremy away in turn. And while this might seem cruel… Jeremy would be the first to say he doesn’t mind in the least.

You know, I look at this and I do see it as being cruel. I mean, how could anyone treat a guy like this? And yet the story is written in such a way that I can’t help but being amused by it. I mean, there are some pretty intense moments here; moments that have me shuddering and wondering what horror will be unleashed next. And then there are moments of sublime humor that get me laughing and loving every moment of the comic.

Take the current storyline. Due to Nils jealousy (when Kate took Jeremy out on a date), some sacred stone was accidentally knocked into the loch (a loch in Australia? Odd…) unleashing some sort of water demons that attack Jeremy and his friends when tears or blood are introduced into the water. And it doesn’t need to be a lot of water. A puddle will suffice. (But if it’s imported water, it won’t attack either. Though the imported water is Evian, so I’m not sure if it’s just that the spectral critters don’t like imported French water.)

Jeremy is intent on tracking down everything that repulses the critters and which attracts them. Nils thinks that by replacing the stone she knocked over (though she claims the ghosts did it), it’ll make everything better; also, she wants to play Assistant to Jeremy’s current mad scientist kick, and is annoyed when she isn’t allowed to. And Kate? She’s trying to figure out just what’s going on here. She’s not as ingrained into the insanity that is Nils and Jeremy’s life.

This is par for the course. Yet it doesn’t get repetitive or old. Each time something new is added to the mixture, some aspect that has you cheering on Jeremy and being amused by Nils’s latest antics. (In this way, Kate becomes the straight woman, the “normal one” in a world of insanity. Yet she’s not boring or overblown; she’s as crazy as the others. It’s just that her insanity is rooted in the “real” world, and is thus understandable by us.)

There isn’t anything predictable with the comic. If it were, then Nils and Jeremy would never get together. Kate would always be the third wheel, never doing anything spontaneous or crazy. The status quo would be continued. But part of Platinum Grit’s charm is the fact things aren’t carved in stone. Anyone can change. Anything can change. Whether it’s Nils admitting how much she cares for this crazy naive young man… or Kate going on an enjoyable date with Jeremy and ending up in bed with him.

Or not. You’ll have to read and see for yourself.

Robert A. Howard

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I’ve been reading Lang Lang for a bit now, waiting for the Peter Pan story to end. It was cute at first, but even though we were seeing this classic through the “eyes” of the cast of Lang Lang, I enjoy the stories of these characters, watching Lang Lang and her sisters get to know each other and interact, and their families grow. The Peter Pan story kind of put all that on hold, no matter how amusing and well drawn it was. Well, it’s done now. We now return to our regularly scheduled comic. Well, after a recap no doubt to remind people of just was going on before, a year back.

Robert A. Howard

The truest form of love

(From Count Your Sheep. Click on image to see it full-sized.)

I was tempted to tangent this yesterday, when Laurie was apologizing to Ship for their marker war. Something told me to hold on, however. And I’m glad I did, because today’s strip ties together strips that started two weeks ago when Ship answered the phone.

And really, this goes back further. This goes way back to October of 2005, with Laurie waiting by the mailbox. Adrian asked then if people could guess who was speaking off-camera and why. Thinking of it, it now makes sense that Katie herself was speaking, because her mom was often checking her mailbox and waiting for the mail to arrive… because she was waiting to hear from her sister who had vanished. (And indeed, it seems to be tradition. Both Laurie and Karla have run away from home… though in Karla’s case she appears to be a bit older than her sister. And Karla didn’t have a Marty to bring her back home…)

It’s kind of odd. We’ve seen these ripples for a while, and are just now catching sight of the stone that caused them. And Karla appears to be someone special, someone who loves without reservation, without need. She accepts her kid sister’s imaginary friend, and even though she can’t hear him she knows who is there.

And this brings us to today. Look at what Karla says. “Whatever it is, I believe it too, girlie.” She doesn’t see Ship. That final panel… she’s waving far too high. Third panel also clues you in. “We?” Ship’s there with her, he’s just feet away, and she doesn’t see.

But she believes in Laurie.

Her parents don’t. Her mom talked to Ship on the telephone and refuses to believe in Ship. Her dad refuses to take good advice from an imaginary friend. And when Ship writes on himself, adding “suckers” below where Laurie wrote “I Exist” on him, they do see it. And they’re kicked out because of it.

And Marty could see Ship.

Ship’s real. Ship exists. He answers the phone. He helps around the house. He dries tears. He’s real, and an integral part of the story. In a world where only three people are ever seen, this imaginary friend shared by a mother and daughter is one of the most important parts of their lives.

And Karla believes in Ship. She doesn’t see him. She doesn’t hear him even (unlike her mom). But she believes. Because her sister does, and she loves her sister dearly. It doesn’t matter what it is, she believes too. And it’s clear that Laurie told her sister all about Ship. I don’t know if she told Karla about Ship when he reentered her life, when she was about to give birth to Katie. But she believes, to the point that she knew it was Ship on the other end of the line, even though it’s clear she didn’t hear anything.

And Ship’s disgruntled look has new meaning here, with this update. Because when Karla claimed to believe, Ship fell in love. Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t anything real. I mean, we’ve seen that Ship loves Laurie and Katie. They are his family, and while he might not be able to do everything, he might not be able to make everything better; he does his best to help this family of his survive. But imagine how he must feel when this girl says he’s cute… and then finds out she’s lying (not about him being cute, but about seeing him). Especially if Karla’s anything like Laurie is as an adult.

Not that we’ll ever know for certain. I think this hand from off-panel is about as close to having another character (outside of the mouse) show up in the comic.

Still, Karla is someone special. To believe, unreservedly, in something your sister claims is real despite what your senses are telling you… that’s love. That’s a love that even exceeds that of familial bonds, because Laurie’s parents refuse to believe, even when they saw proof.

The friendship between Laurie and Ship is something that has grown through the years. It allows them to say “I’m sorry” when they wrong each other. But it’s more than mere friendship now. It’s love, pure and simple. And I wonder if Karla realizes this. I wonder if she knows what she’s missing… and if maybe this is part of the reason she’s stayed away.

Robert A. Howard

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Back when I started reading Girl Genius, one thing that I realized was that Baron Wulfenbach, the tyrant who has taken control of much of Europe in the wake of the devastation caused by the Other and on various Madboys gone out of control, is not a villain. The last couple of Girl Genius episodes helps confirm this in his care in not labelling Agatha as the Other without proof. But we’ve also learned that he knows fully well what his son is up to in repairing Punch and Judy (who raised Agatha) despite being holed up in his own lab for the last couple of months… and that he doesn’t underestimate his son, or his attachment to Agatha. He’s shown considerable poise and intelligence here, and it’s a credit to Phil and Kaja Foglio for creating such a three-dimensional (and interesting antagonist as Baron Wulfenbach. Well done!

I had to laugh at today’s Thunderstruck. I mean, Sharon’s never had much to do with church, so she’s not all that thrilled in being in one. So when a churchgoer strikes up conversation… well, she did admit that it was classier than the last church she was in, and the lack of vampires is a plus. And the lady just takes it with aplomb and admits vampires can be a bit of a nuisance. Definitely not the reaction Sharon was anticipating, I think!

And speaking of things that made me laugh… the thought of a chicken card shark (as in, a real feathered chicken, if intelligent) has to take the cake in terms of complete and utter lunacy and uniqueness. Absolutely beautiful!

I’m still puzzled over the entire trial thing in Elvenbaath. Okay, we’ve a society of elves… and magic is a real part of their world. But when someone goes in and slaughters a bunch of other elves while disguised as someone else, they don’t think that it might have been an illusion, and instead blame the person whom was mimicked, even though she was seen in class at the same time by other elves? What gives? I hope Tom Fraser goes into an explanation of this during the trial….

Sacrificial Bride

(From Picatrix. Click on image to see it full-sized.)

It’s no surprise that cartoonists often are dissatisfied with their early artwork. Often when a cartoonist starts a new strip, they either don’t have a firm grasp on what they want to do for a story, or are still polishing up their artwork. Indeed, some comics have shown a significant evolution of artistic style and skill (Questionable Content being an excellent example of this, as the artistic style continues to evolve and refine itself, almost on a monthly basis at this point).

Early artwork and story can be an issue when a cartoonist develops enough of a fan base that they realize they could create print compilations of their comic. Some comics go into this with an eye toward print compilations early on (such as Alpha Shade). Others decide that they would be better off if they just started anew (though Alpha Shade’s artist frequently goes back and touches up the artwork, making sure things remain in continuity, and so on.)

(Panel2Panel itself is here because Glych realized that her little comic (No Stereotypes) had potential as something more, something that should be in print. Red String has been redrawing old chapters so to have the same level of art throughout the series. And these aren’t the only comic strips to do this.)

Jamie Haram’s decision to redo her comic Picatrix comes from her decision to put out Picatrix graphic novel compilations. While she was unhappy with her artwork, I think part of the decision comes from a need to standardize size of the strips, and work with grayscale from the beginning. Another part comes with the fact she doesn’t like her early artwork (which is a shame, her early work isn’t bad at all, even if she was still (as she put it) “learning how to draw”). (Examples of “before and after” for the characters in her comic can be found here.)

Another thing that has changed in Picatrix is that it’s a touch less whimsical. Oh, there’s still humor, but it’s been refined somewhat. I’m not sure if it just feels that way because I’ve read the original bit and the remake, but the subtle differences help make the comic feel more mature.

As with other such remakes, the remake of Picatrix is taking longer to tell the same story that the original story did. This is a good thing, as it helps fill out more of the story. But what’s more, Winnie is becoming a more realistic character in the doing. For one thing, we learn that she’s got a degree in History, and while she might not quite realize early on what’s happened to her, she still shows considerable poise and intelligence in realizing that the marked doors mean something.

The differences in the story may be subtle initially, but as the comic continues, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it branch out further, with various characters fleshed out more. The original Picatrix could be considered the rough draft, with this new version a polished version with better dialog, more interesting characters, and ironed-out plot points. And an especially interesting twist is the confrontation of the Demon King and the three Demon Hunters, something that didn’t occur (this soon at least) in the original incarnation of the comic.

Winnie has also changed, becoming more caring. Originally she just wanted to go home. She didn’t care about the people here. What mattered was returning home to her younger sister (and her dead-end job and stolen car and all that). But now… she actually cares about the people dying of plague. She is willing to go with the Demon King to save people. And if he can help her find a way home? That would be good. Still… she’s lost, she’s alone, and there are people in need.

It’s these little bits that make it worth reading even if you’ve seen it before. And if you’ve not, then I suggest starting from the beginning of the remake, and enjoying the artistry of the revised strips. I’m sure there are entire stories that were left untold in the original tale that will be revealed as we continue on.

Robert A. Howard

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(From Anywhere But Here. Click on image to see it full-sized. Warning: The Dude’s nose is long enough to poke your eye out if he turns quickly when you’re not expecting it. Please wear protective eyewear while reading the comic.)

You know… Jason Siebels’s picture has to be in the dictionary under the word “dedicated.” I mean, here’s a man who was updating regularly (indeed, updating seven days a week with Mega-strips from February 10th until March 6th (and half-sized strips on the 7th and 8th), even when his grandmother was dying in the hospital. And after she passed away, he only took a week and a half off.

Well… it seems during that time he also met someone special, a wonderful lady named Jessica. And what must be only a couple weeks after meeting her… he proposed.

I mean… wow.

Well, he’s started up the comic again. And he’s doing double-sized and triple-sized (and even Mega-sized) comics since restarting.

Here’s a man who’s recovering from the loss of a loved one, holding down a full-time job, and having found the love of his life… and he’s busy pumping out multi-strip comics once again. This man is so dedicated that it’s scary. If he were writing webcomic reviews, I’d be willing to bet he’d have multiple reviews every day with different comics every day, and NEW comics being reviewed frequently. (Maybe I should erase that bit… do I really want to put the idea into Jason’s head to start writing webcomic reviews? Then again, he’s got a new fiancÈe, I doubt she’d let him distract himself that greatly.)

And the comic itself continues to be superb. Because while once again our dynamic duo are not having sex (because it’s Beth’s bathtub and she said “no sex”), Chris is getting a story out of the Dude. And that story is of the Dude’s first time with a girl… something that happened in his Freshman year of school.

(And I do have to wonder… when Jason eventually gets around to drawing that part of the story, the prequel part, will he reuse this old art (without narration)? Or will he draw it fresh? By the way, do notice that the Dude’s nose in these strips? It’s a third smaller than how it’s currently drawn. Yes, the more stressed out the Dude becomes, the more time he spends in this university, the longer his nose gets. Or maybe it’s just sexual frustration; when Chris and the Dude finally have sex she’s going to blink at him and go “did your nose just shrink?” and we’ll be seeing the Dude with a significantly-reduced shnoze.)

I also love the sequence in the previous day’s mega-strip. It’s reminiscent of the classic comedic movie Airplane, in which every poor sap sitting next to Ted Striker ends up killing themselves in an attempt to escape his flashback-filled background stories about him and Elaine. Well, the Dude is trapped in a car with a particularly brainless member of the football team who actually wants to be a professional wrestler, barely has enough brain cells to drive a car, and who reveals that he was given this car because otherwise the money would be wasted on something dumb, like “them math guys” or “them guys who do nothing but write all day” (which obviously he doesn’t do, reading makes his head hurt), or “dem fruits in the marching band.”

Naturally, the Dude is a part of the marching band. After all, that’s pretty much the only music program this university has.

The Dude is actually saved (inadvertently) from suicide by the idiot, who sees a raccoon in the middle of the road, and deliberately runs it over. Well, that pup must have been packing some serious weight because that car went up on two wheels there. And when the Dude demands to be let out, holding a smoking gun… this idiot doesn’t realize the threat. He just thinks the Dude has to go to the bathroom or something.

The only thing I miss is that the swears in these strips are squiggly characters, rather than my beloved black blocks. Pity, that. I guess there was insufficient funding for ink, what with both the Dude wearing a leather jacket and his buddy a black t-shirt.

(On another amused note, I love the talking roaches from several weeks back. I honestly don’t know how I missed them last time around. But then, just about every critter in the ABH universe seems to speak, so I shouldn’t be surprised.)

The other interesting thing is the conversation leading up to this revelation. Chris is being flirtatious and trying to talk the Dude into doing something, and he says “I’m just not interested in sex. Not here at least.”

I’m just not interested in sex.

Think on that. The Dude has turned down Chris’s advances multiple times. Indeed, it’s to the point that the Dude was probably close to ripping off that little red dress of Chris’s and having her in the snow back when they couldn’t get into Chris’s apartment. But despite all of that, he’s resisted. He’s not succumbed to his impulses. He’s not had sex with Chris. And it’s not because he’s a virgin. (He’s not.)

What was it about his last time that just turned him off from sex? It’s often said that first times seldom are very good. I’ve heard some horror stories of first times (one of a friend’s wedding night, the first time for both him and his wife; it wasn’t pleasant). Heck, my own first time was less than adequate. So… could the Dude’s first time been his only time? Did he get turned off from sex because of a bad encounter?

Or has this dream he’s had, of the french girl, be the thing truly holding him back? Could he have held himself back, refused to move on, refused to look further, because he so wants to find this dream girl? Except… he let her go. He surrendered his dreams for Chris.

But I know how hard it is to let go of one’s dreams. It can hold you back, even after you’ve given up on them. There’s always that “what if…” going through your head. There’s always that little moment of hesitation, of wondering if perhaps if you wait a little bit longer, hold out hope just that tiny bit more, that the dream will come true.

So. Why did the Dude say that he’s not interested in sex? Is it because of his dreams? Or is it because of something that happened a year back, when he lost his virginity?

Is this the truth behind this latest stretch of story, the reason we’ve had the Dude and Chris going all over town, not having sex once again… is this what we’ve been led toward all this time? And yet… I can’t help but think that at the end of such a story, the culmination would be for them to have sex. For Chris to help heal the Dude, help show him that it’s not always that way, that it can be better.

But the Dude wants his first time with Chris to be special. Not some furtive cramped escapade in someone’s bathtub while hoping she doesn’t overhear them.

Still… it’s not the place that matters. It’s the people.

(And Jason? Congratulations on your engagement. I hope that donations from fans help you get enough money to make your and Jessica’s wedding day truly special. Damn, man, I’m envious of you. Good luck…)

Robert A. Howard

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(From Geebas on Parade. Click on image to see it full-sized. Warning: This comic contains uncensored swear words, rear-nudity, and is sometimes not work (or school) safe.)

Unfortunately, I’ve never LARPed (which is Live Action Role Playing, for those of you who aren’t in the know). I mean, I suppose many of us have heard of Vampire LARPers, acting out the Vampire the Masquerade game, but you don’t think of events as the SCA or other Boffing events to be LARPing. Yet on a fundamental level, it is.

(Heck, my friend Jo (currently in Scotland) did a Minotaur’s Labyrinth event at a Con in Edinburgh, Scotland. Unfortunately, there aren’t pics yet of the completed project, but once Jo has them up, I’ll post a link in here for that. Still, this shows the sheer enthusiasm people have for these events and some of what they’ll do, even on whims, to have fun.)

I’ve only gone to one SCA event (in Wyoming while visiting friends out there a decade back) and a couple of Rennfairs. Still, the enthusiasm of the participants and the wide variety of costumes does catch the imagination and encourage other people to join in. However, for the most part I’ve only heard stories told by friends rather than go to actual events. So when I was told about Geebas on Parade, I quickly fell in love with the site. I mean, a comic on LARPers? Of course it would be fun!

And it is. Jennie Breeden (of The Devil’s Panties fame) has a flare for drawing and showing things she’s encountered that makes me wish I’d been there. She shows the sheer enthusiasm of the participants (including herself) that reaches through the screen and grabs you by the shirt, shakes you a few times, and says “Why aren’t you here having fun with us?”

Unfortunately, it’s also frequently confusing. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to the strips. Whatever catches Jennie’s attention is fair game, and some of the strips are inspired or suggested by other people (if I’m understanding the dedications correctly). GoP is a whimsical strip that Jennie does in addition to her daily comic. With the extra time she puts in to go to various cons (including her LARP conventions), the print comic, and the regular webcomic, I get the feeling Jennie doesn’t spend much time plotting out storylines or ideas.

What’s more, the update schedule is intermittent; she tries for a MWF release schedule, but will miss days (and even months occasionally) if things are just too hectic.

The comic also shifts views. Sometimes the characters are drawn as they are in reality. Other times they’ll be drawn as their fantasy equivalents. And sometimes we go from viewing things through fantasy-colored glasses to reality for the sake of a punch line or because of something amusing. It can be a bit disconcerting. (Then again, when you’re really into a character and pretending that those two people before you wearing colored tunics are monsters… and one of them asks for Twinkies… I suppose that can pull you out of the moment.)

And the situations can be downright hilarious. I mean, a player being enthusiastic about finding PEZ on a monster’s corpse… or a player bribing opponents with a Baby Ruth candy bar… or Jennie’s semi-frequent moments of finding herself looking at fifteen year old guys. (I know how you feel, Jennie. Damn but I know how you feel. I swear, girls under 20 should be required to wear a sign or something…)

Jennie even goes into a little bit on the rules about Boffing. No striking the head, chest, or groin (which results in a rather comedic moment in the strip with Jennie’s rather busty younger sister). We’re given a glimpse of various aspects of the game, from monster descriptions (which can be downright wrong at times) to crazy hijinks to innocent little accidents and over-enthusiasm. Literally, it’s like being there.

The comic is at its best when Jennie actually has a story to tell. One of my favorites is the story of the wolf-boys that Jennie ran with. (She even includes a real-life photo of them. Cool-looking bunch.) And the lines… well, I can definitely see things like this being said in a LARP, both for comedic effect and just on the spur of the moment.

(Of course, the greatest lesson is this: If you know how to give a backrub, you are golden at one of these events. I mean it… you’ll have people standing in line for one. Heck, you could probably set up a business getting gold from adventurers for a quick shoulder rub…)

GoP is a fun and enthusiastic comic with a lot going for it. With a little more time put into it, I could easily see it becoming something even greater than Jennie’s primary comic. But even as it is now, it’s something fun and enthusiastic. But for now I need to buy some pcv foam to wrap around a rattan sword. I feel the need to hit something coming on….

Robert A. Howard

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(From Thunderstruck. Click on image to see it full-sized.)

Since near the beginning of Thunderstruck, Gail Curmen has had faith. She has faith in her sister, faith in herself and her own abilities… and faith in the Christian God. She believes, when there is little to go on but faith. It’s an interesting dichotomy from her sister Sharon, who is a die-hard atheist (though Sharon’s own disbelief is starting to suffer as she encounters more and more insanity that suggests the paranormal world is indeed real).

So it’s only to be expected that Gail might be suffering from a crisis of faith as she learns more and more of the legends of old are in fact true. Vampires do exist. Magic is real. Al Gore did win the popular vote in 2000. I mean, it’s enough to shake anyone‘s world.

Thus it’s kind of interesting that Sharon is the one who is disturbed by what she and her sister are learning in New Orleans. Of course, some of that is to be expected. The Bible is replete with stories of magic and sorcery. The paranormal may not be everyday in the parables of old, but magic and sacrifice still are important parts of the Christian mythos.

Still, Gail also is drifting here, and she’s turning to the one source of comfort she’s had for quite some time. And I’m not talking about Jack Daniels (though I doubt Gail is one to drink). And there is some doubt here. She’s already seen signs that the Church is not a bastion of faith like she once believed. A vampire took sanctuary in one. It cowered behind a cross, long believed to be a symbol that would ward off such creatures of the night.

And yet the ambient magical energy of an area could be to blame. A church in the middle of Oklahoma? Where people go to Church on Sunday because that’s what they’ve done for years? There’s no belief there. There’s no magic. When practitioners partake of the flesh and blood of Christ, it’s a cracker and grape juice. There’s no transformation there. No Christian miracle. (Addendum note: I’m talking in-story at this point. This is what the comic itself alludes to.)

The truth is, people don’t want to believe in magic. They want the Bible to be a lump of paper, full of stories and half-truths. The thought of a God that did destroy the world in a great flood… people don’t like to think of that. What if it happened again? What if they aren’t deserving of being saved? What if it’s a lie?

(Due to complaints about the above passage, let me rewrite it to better explain what I was trying to say. I’m keeping it here though so people can read my original words.)

The truth is, many people don’t want to believe in magic. These people want the Bible to be a lump of paper, full of parables and half-truths. I mean, the thought of a God that destroyed the world in a great flood… who likes to think about that? What if it happened again? What if they aren’t deserving of being saved? What if it’s actually just a lie?

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not just Christianity. I remember hearing of a story of a pagan who did a “Drawing Down the Moon” ceremony for some other Wiccans. (Thanks to Weds for correcting me on the name.) Except she did it. The Divine was Invoked. The Goddess came a-visiting. And these wannabes were all freaked out and scared, and never invited that priestess back into their midst. They didn’t want a real Goddess. They wanted something imaginary, something they could control with their imaginations. They were playing. They weren’t serious.

I’ve heard the same is true for some Christian ceremonies. Sometimes… when the weather is just right, the day is right, something is in the air… and the ceremonies take on a new life. The cracker and grape juice are transformed, and people partake of the Flesh and Blood of Jesus… and bathe in the light of the Christian God. And it scares some people… and soothes others.

It scares, because some people don’t want this to be real. Church to them is a social club, a gathering of friends, something that creates a society, a civilization. To think there is something behind it, some Divine Force… it means that your actions have true meaning. It means that you have to be better than all that. To try.

Gail believes. Gail tries.

And she needs some guidance. She needs someone to listen, someone to offer advice.

Her words especially are poignant. She’s scared. Scared of the answers. Scared of the truth. And she also wonders now at her own faith. Knowing what she does of her own abilities and Sharon’s… having watched as a vampire cowered behind the cross, and then was staked, showing it was real… this is real. It’s not some dream or delusion. And now… she wonders if Christ was the Son of God, or just another man, a teacher… or maybe someone like Sharon and herself.

So she asks. She wants help. She needs answers. She’s afraid.

And she’s going to be answered. It’s just… I think the answers will take a different form than what she’s expecting. Because the Lord acts in mysterious ways, or so it’s said. And sometimes those answers are subtle.

Addendum: If I offended any Christians with “sweeping generalizations” about their belief or faith… that’s not my intent. Still, I’ve witnessed churches where it is a large social club, and outsiders are shunned or slighted. I’ve heard stories of this happening from friends. There are fictional stories of this sort of thing (and is not a lot of fiction not based on the real world?). And we’ve heard of people who go to Church on Sundays but who otherwise don’t live according to God’s Will. If you have faith, if you truly believe… then I respect you for it. If this is the majority of people or not… I don’t know.

Thus I added “some” before people and “to them” after Church. I also edited a paragraph before that, and pointed out the bit about Oklahoma was meant in-comic. Don’t want to paint everyone with that brush, because some people truly believe. And I admire that.

As for me? I was born a Congregationalist and due to my parents not liking a new minister, stopped going to church while a child. Outside of weddings and funerals, I’ve not been back. I believe in the Divine. But I also believe in bumblebees flying, dolphins swimming, and that wonderful delightful magic that is a newborn child. As Shepherd Book (of Serenity) put it: I don’t care what you believe in, just believe in it.

That’s what matters.

Robert A. Howard

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It’s been quite a while since the last comic dropped out of The Lazy Grind, the 3x a week webcomic competition created in response to the Daily Grind (for comics updating 5x a week). Lasting for 123 updates, Angry D. Monkey finally missed an update, leaving only Darken, Burgundy Comics Inc., and Elvenbaath as competing comics.

Last time a comic (Chat Rouge) dropped, I’d incorrectly predicted Burgundy Comics Inc. to be the next probable drop-out. I gladly am eating crow on this. While Ms. Burgandy might have been rather irate with my prediction, she was with updates showing up literally the last second at times. In more recent times she’s fixed this problem, and updates have shown up quite early at times.

Still, I half-wonder if Burgundy Comics Inc. might still be the next drop-out, but for an entirely different reason: Ms. Burgandy stated in the past she wondered if her comic’s storyline would finish before The Lazy Grind did. And with the recent conclusion to the Chaos storyline, it does feel like BCI might be starting to wrap things up.

Of course, when BCI ends is completely up to Ms. Burgandy; for all I know, there may be two years worth of comic storyline left. That leaves plenty of time for server failures and the like to result in a missed update for Elvenbaath or Darken.

And whatever happens… The Lazy Grind has lasted over nine months now. That is a remarkable update schedule, without missing a single update. Well done, guys!

Robert A. Howard

A Garden of Dreams

(From Alien Dice. Click on image to see it full-sized.)

You know, I’m not quite sure how Tiffany Ross manages to do this. I mean, she writes and draws multiple cartoons, while raising a daughter and having a life outside of cartooning. It boggles the mind to think of just how she manages to pull this off.

What’s more, the vast majority of her comics are inter-connected. Shivae (a comic I reviewed a couple months back) could be considered the prequel work for many of the other comics. Still, a couple of her strips, such as Abby’s Agency (which Ms. Ross collaborates with Mark Mekkes of Zortic fame) and Alien Dice, stand out as independent comics, apparently unrelated to her other works as a whole.

Alien Dice’s story is fairly simple at a quick glance. It’s the story of an alien, Lexx, playing a game called “Alien Dice” in which various creatures are imbued with intelligence and enhanced abilities by the dice (something like Pokemon but less cutesy and with more variety). However, in an odd twist, Lexx himself is also a piece in the game; literally he’s a next-generation Dice, which uses sentient beings as a part of the game. He is playing for his freedom. If he can finish the game three times, he will no longer be under contract, and doesn’t need to play the game any longer.

The company behind the game naturally doesn’t want this to happen. There have been abuses and misdeeds that occur during the game. Lexx is not a willing participant. But he cannot say anything about it; reveal any of these practices, unless he wins his own freedom.

In the course of the game, he chooses a backwater planet for the site of his final game; Earth. And while there, he meets a human girl, Chelsea, when one of his Dice chooses her kitten to enhance. She wants her kitten back… and he promises her she can have Stealth back, but only when the game is done. She agrees, but only if he takes her with him.

And thus begins a long and at times convoluted story, combining both graphics and text, to tell a story that is very much a novel in graphic form. Initially Lexx and Chelsea have a somewhat adversarial relationship, and he doesn’t understand why she doesn’t just let him have Stealth, knowing he’ll return her cat when he’s done with the game. She, in the meantime, is trying to come to terms with the fact that aliens are real, and that this somewhat adversarial young man is not just playing a game for fun and amusement… but that this is something deadly serious for him. He’s a slave… and is fighting for his freedom in the only way possible.

In time, distrust turns to friendship, and affection. Lexx has even started thinking he’s in love with Chelsea, something she’s not sure she wants. She’s not sure how she could explain him to her parents, she doesn’t want to leave Earth, and isn’t sure how he’d fit in. And I’m not exactly sure if she loves him. At least, not romantically. She cares for Lexx, sure. But love? And she’s wise enough to know better than just jump in blindly.

And Lexx still has problems with Chelsea. The more he’s with her, the more the game ends up risking involving her. He’s unsure how to protect her, outside of pushing her away. But she doesn’t like being pushed away, and not just because of her cat. She’s Lexx’s friend, and wants to help. What’s more, she can help… and realizes this. Both are stubborn, however, and this leads to additional conflicts.

(And the fact that the Dice (enhanced animals) all adore Chelsea is also a sticking point for Lexx at times. The Dice are tools… and friends. But she doesn’t understand some of the cold truths of the universe he lives in… and the fact that the Dice are, fact in point, expendable (or at least the forms they are in are; the Dice themselves will remain even if the animal-form is lost). She cares too deeply, while he keeps himself from caring, except to win his freedom.)

Of course, the fact the comic is part-text is in some ways a problem. It can take considerably longer to read when you factor in several paragraphs (to at times a half-page) of text. It’s not exactly a quick read, skimming through the archives to get a basic understanding.

Part of the problem is that we’ve got almost five years of comic here. In this time, Ms. Ross has had time to build up a rather interesting story… but it can also get confusing at times. There are multiple layers to the comic, and it’s impossible to give more than a brief glimpse at the complexities and detail of this story in a review. In some places the story could be simplified, tightened up.

Still, Alien Dice is a rather unique and inventive comic, with characters you grow to care about and want to learn more about. The universe Ms. Ross has built is complex and detailed, and sure to enthrall many a reader.

Robert A. Howard

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