Monthly Archives: October 2009

Heyla all! Assuming the auto-updater actually works properly, this will show up while I’m freezing my extremities in Colorado while hunting Elk armed with a digital camera (because no one is going to trust me with a hunting rifle! Besides, hunting licenses cost money!); actually, I’m accompanying my father after years of his offering to take me along. Assuming everything goes well, I should be back before Halloween. And if it doesn’t… well, that’ll explain the lack of updates. Guest reviews will be up on October 14, 20, and 25.

Seeing that I’m entirely too lazy to write up reviews ahead of time, I put out a call for guest reviews. This is the first of the reviews, by one of my competitors contemporaries, the WebcomiCritic. So if you’re surprised by the change in writing style and different style of graphics… well, I didn’t write it. No doubt it’ll be a vacation for all of you as well. Meanwhile, enjoy!

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Review Number 1: Weesh

Hello I’m the WebcomiCritic, I do it because, well… Somebody has to!

Good god, where have I been? when was the last time i reviewed something, a month? I’m losing my touch and I don’t even have it yet! That’s the LAST time I accept an offer to go to New Orleans for a month!

Now, how are my fans (Or Lack thereof.)?

DEAR LORD! Okay Okay okay! I’ll make it up to you, All four of you! here is it, right here, one bonifide review, ready for the world to draw its opinions from…

All kids would want a genie. All adults would want a genie. ANYbody would want a genie. Okay, maybe not everybody (FOOLISH GIRL!), but They’re seriously just cool. I think Aladdin may have influenced that, but let’s face it, who wouldn’t want a being that could grant your every wish? Pretty righteous, huh? Heck, if people asked what kind of superpower I’d want, I’d say wish-granting (Subset of Reality bending ^_^).

Why about wishes? Well look at the title of this comic, it’s called freaking Weesh. Sound like anything to you? This comic is AWESOME. Okay, maybe not “awesome” but “adequately satisfying!”

Well, in July of 2008, Mr. Hess enters the webcomic scene once again with kid’s story about wishes…


When I first saw this comic I was drawn in by the art. Not by how clear, crisp and cute it was (Okay, maybe it was) but I couldn’t help thinking “Where have I seen this artwork before?” Further research led me back to Angel Moxie, a webcomic I couldn’t quite get into in my younger days. In retrospect, Angel Moxie rules as a parody of the Magical Girl genre and plays it straight at the same time. Also, you can really tell how much the art has improved and yet you can tell it was the same guy who did it, even though it seems almost radically different.

With that said, I guess I’m talking about the art style first. it fits the tone of the comic very well. It’s smooth, innocent, and has a very flexible feel. The large heads and skinny bodies can be difficult to pull off but this guy has it down to a science. The characters are appropriately designed, including the title creature, Weesh. It has a very unique design. You dpn’t see too many green bunny/kangaroo-like thing with stumpy legs and a stringy tail granting wishes. He went out of his way to make a unique design and I’m proud of him for that. Mr. Hess also has backgrounds down perfectly. but then, he’s a veteran and a professional, should we expect anything less?

The style makes me think anime super deformed (cute and tiny breaks from the ordinary style for comedy and silliness.) but apparently Mr. Hess knows haw to make laziness and turn it into hard work.

What’s more, he’s flexible. He has backgrounds and scenery down and he’s able to do a good mecha and monster. I still can’t do anything good beyond drawing people!

Now, the story is as good as any story will get. He’s put the comic in the format of a 4 panel gag-a-day, similar to Angel Moxie, only Angel Moxie had a plot. this is basically something a person would find in the newspaper. In fact, it’d be perfect as a newspaper comic, good money made that way. No! Wait! It’s too good for that! It wouldn’t be appreciated in the Washington Post, you deserve better. All shall know your greatness in another way… By why should they? I found you, you belong to Moi! No newspaper, nobody, NOTHING shall ever have you, my precious Weesh…

Uh, with that unhealthy moment of obsession aside… The stories are focuses around some wish the youngest two kids make and it’s results and consequences. Unlike most stories about wishes *coughfairlyoddparentscough* Mr. Hess doesn’t try to bore us with morals and aesops and run them into our craniums. the kids don’t care to learn lessons and aren’t willing to learn. Therefore, we continue with cute, innocent, lighthearted fun. Of course the lesson of how one phrases their wishes remains.

Another fascinating plotpoint is that Weesh is still in-training. When he isn’t messing up a wish because of wording, it’s because he’s not good enough. Hilarity ensues. It’s also a convenient plot device that Weesh isn’t good enough because it means that the wishes don’t last longer than approximately ten minutes. Hooray for Convenient and Clever Cover-ups! It’s like the gift that keeps on giving. Mr Hess created the perfect formula to create perfectly reasonable comic that can perpetually keep itself running for years to come and remain entertaining, provided some jokes aren’t recycled too quickly or he falls victim to Cerebus Syndrome. I doubt it though, the odds are horribly unlikely.

the characters are decently made as well. they’re 2 dimensional enough to be interesting and keep the plot going. Can’t be too 3 dimensional, heaven forbid a real story kicks in. The characters are the 3 Merle kids and genie; Weesh.

The youngest child is the impossibly innocent Olivia. she’s the quintessential 5 year old girl. She’s every stereotype you’d ever suspect to find in a little girl, innocent, cheerful, optimistic, has absolutely no idea of the consequences behind her actions, and she likes dollies and flowers…

My god, I can’t believe I wrote that. just thinking about her gives me goosebumps! What’s scarier is that Mr. Hess doesn’t subvert this character archetype; he embraces it. Most people usually reveal to us that their version of this character is secretly evil or a short and violent temper. But, no. This limits her wishes to the cute, innocent, and fun things in life that you’d expect any irresponsible and naive little kid to ask for. She also follows Mr. Hess’s tradition of incorporating one small, young, innocent, childish female character. Hooray for Recycling! Or maybe just a theme or motif, whatever it may be, he seems to make it work,

Next we have the middle child, Tate, who gives the feel of being at the most, 3 years older than Olivia. He represents the quintessential young boy who’s interested in aliens, rockets, monsters, jungles, and adventure. And to pump this up to the max, he’s a sci-fi geek. He makes the most wishes from what I’ve observed and hangs out with Weesh the most. Probably because his big sister doesn’t care and his little sister isn’t smart enough to realize Weesh’s true potential. But not only as a tool does he treat Weesh, but as a best friend. Like many boys his age, he’s easily bored and his attention span is abysmal. But let’s face it, if you have a wish granting kangaroo/rat thing you would be as bored as sin with everything else.

And finally, Zoey, the stereotypical quintessential young teen rebel girl filled with sarcasm, sardonicness, and apathy. Who could ask for more? Who cares if she’s also a walking stereotype, I’m a sucker for these characters. she may not be the life of the party but she certainly puts her own spin on things. Her general apathy towards Weesh is a bit discomforting. The ability to have wishes granted before she gets too old and she doesn’t give rat’s hind-corners? What has age done to this poor girl? She thinks these things out way too well! Well, except for when it really matters. Though, like most characters of her build, she has a heart somewhere in there.

And then there’s Weesh himself. He’s the reason why morals don’t get shoved down our throats. He doesn’t learn, thus destined to repeat the same mistakes for whichever family he meets. Weesh is the second most sarcastic character, Zoey being numero one. This guy is lazy and laid-back. He’s no walking stereotype unlike the rest of the family, unless you want to draw some Garfield parallel and even that’s stretching it. This guy is original in so many ways which I will get to soon.

Like now. This guy is pretty creative, I must give Mr. Hess points for originality. I mean, Weesh first and foremost. He’s no traditional genie, in neither appearance nor origin. His limitations aren’t rules (so far) but instead by how much licorice he can eat. Yes, a wish granter powered by licorice! The characters act like a big happy family rather than making Weesh a tool. They can confide each other in the silliest or most serious of things. And the wishes are about what any kid would wish for. I’ve seen Fairly Odd parents, most of those wishes are far too ridiculous to be relateable. The Rule of funny rules that show while the rule of… Everything Good rules Weesh.

Speaking fo funny, Yes, Mr. Hess has good jokes. Unfortunately they tend to fall flat. I don’t mean they’re bad nor poorly executed. They’re just kinda “meh”. You’ll good a smile, sometimes a chuckle, maybe even a laugh if he was feeling good that day. But not something I’ll be rolling on the floor in laughter with. The jokes aren’t by any means bad, but defiantly not top notch. Merely above adequate.

And that’s Weesh, I have nothing bad to say in a humorous manner about this one. Sorry folks, I’ll try to be more critical next time, but I’ll need a fairly repulsive comic to do it.

Until next time. I wanted to finish off with a Weesh quote, but this one really stood out.

“How can anyone ignore puppies?”-Olivia

-Read or Die you Uneducated Buffoons
The WebcomiCritic