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 second of the reviews, by HiFranc (who has recommended this comic to me in the past).

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Review of A Girl and Her Fed:

When Otter, the artist, started her style was very different to what it is now.  She is in the process of updating the archives to make the art consistent throughout, and to correct plot holes and pacing.  At the time of writing (August 2009) the update is not yet complete so the old strips form the middle if you go to the new archives.

I’ll warn you now that there is a lot of swearing in this comic and there are a few bedroom scenes.

To get an idea of the art and a quick introduction to two of the characters here is the first page:

The first page as it originally was:

The new version of the first page:

The comic is about a young woman (the “Girl” of the title), who is in touch with the ghost of Benjamin Franklin.  At the start she thinks he’s just a hallucination because she is the only person who can see him.  The Government is keeping an eye on her because for some reason she’s unjustly listed on a no fly list.  She is also an unpaid intern for a newspaper.

The agent (wait for it….the ”Fed” of the title) who has been assigned to her has his own invisible friend.  He is part of a secret programme where a chip has been inserted into his head and the display is projected in mid air such that only people in the programme can see it.  The interface looks like President Bush.

Someone connected to a local politician dies and our heroine[1] decides to investigate.  The agent decides to help her so the two of them start following the clues.  The comic follows them on their mission to discover the truth.  It also charts their relationship.

Otter has informed us that the comic will end when the adventure is over.  The plan is for the comic to finish sometime in 2011.

How else can I describe the comic?  The plot is based on at least one conspiracy theory.  There is a mixture of light hearted strips and deadly serious ones.  The humour comes mostly from the interactions between the characters and some that you would expect in a sitcom.  In its own way it pokes fun at the paranoia that has engulfed most countries since the events of 2001.

How would I summarise its style?  The first thing that I can think of is: MASH meets Enemy of the State (but our heroine and hero are far from helpless).

In short, if you want a fun conspiracy thriller with a lot of humour, ghosts and strange characters then A Girl and Her Fed is the comic for you.  If that doesn’t grab you then you’re probably best giving it a miss.

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

Before starting this review, I think it is important to get one thing out of the way. The Challenges of Zona is a very sexual comic. The title character is a half-naked barbarian woman and it doesn’t take very long for her to have sex with the main male character. She’s even part of a people known as the Erogenians. If you come to this comic, expect sexuality on the order of that found in The Lounge or Flipside.

OK, still here? So the comic is about a self-professed loser from San Bernardino, Mentl, who touches a magic book one day and gets transported to a fantasy realm. When we meet Mentl, he is traveling through the woods in some clothes that he stole in order to fit in, his only possession the aforementioned book. He wanders into a campsite after smelling meat cooking, only to find that the meat being cooked is human, and the cookers are demonic lizard people. They come after him, but he is saved in the knick of time by the sudden appearance of a sword wielding barbarian woman who makes short and bloody work of the Urtts as they are called. This is, of course, Zona, the title character.

I would hardly dare to call this an original plot, and even the twist that he gets a hold of a lute, and is able to charm people playing classic rock songs is pretty similar to an Alan Dean Foster story I read once. But it is also said that there are no new stories, and I’ve seen this basic plot done a lot worse. There is a good helping of humor in the comic to go with the action. In a dig at the classic barbarian warrior woman story (Red Sonja), there is one knight who keeps showing up to try and defeat Zona in battle, cause he heard that she was a virgin warrior who would only give herself to someone who could defeat her in battle. This greatly surprises Mentl since he had just slept with her the night before. Then there is a mysterious old man that appears to Mentl sometimes, and likes to pepper his speech with quotes from Star Wars. In many ways, it is a silly comic, but JE Draft (the comic creator) doesn’t make the mistake of having his characters take it lightly. They are serious about serious matters, and have fun when they have fun, and the fourth wall stays pretty darn sturdy. But, mostly, when it comes down to it, while as an original epic tale of fantasy the Challenges of Zona is nothing special, as a romantic tale of two people falling in love, it actually works pretty well. Zona, while physically imposing can be pretty vulnerable emotionally, and Mentl is smitten from the start, but has to deal with the fact that he knows nothing about this world he is on and its customs, and the fear that he will mess things up like he has done with everything before in his life.

Now as for the presentation itself, this is a 3-D comic, and it is undoubtedly initially created with Poser or some similar software, but the range of expression of the characters, the richness of the scenery, and the care taken with lighting put the art a cut above most computer generated comics. The action sequences flow well, and while I’m no expert at putting comics together, the fact that I’ve never gotten confused about the panel sequences seems to point to JE being pretty good at that aspect of things. The magic affects generally seem well done as well, looking good visually without being over the top. Some other aspects are a little more hit or miss. Some of the clothing works better than others (Mentl’s never seems to work all that well) and sometimes the eyes of the characters in particular fall into the uncanny valley. I also wouldn’t call this a pretty comic; there is not a lot of warmth to most of the tones, the skin is a bit too shiny and the world is a lot more Boris Vallejo than Charles Vess. But, I can’t fault the effort that is put into the comic particularly when compared to some of the comics out there. There are lots of details that either point to heavy work on textures or heavy post-production. JE hasn’t put up anything on how he puts the comic together, and I’m no CG expert, so I can only say that it looks like he puts in a lot of effort compared to many 3-D comics.

As for the website, it is functional, but could use improvement. There is hard to read text on the home page, the comic navigation is very basic with no good way to jump to a particular spot in the archives. The color scheme is pretty poor as well, and I’m guessing JE is more familiar with modeling software than HTML. Still, turning a bad website into a good website is a whole lot easier, IMHO, than turning a bad comic into a good comic, so I will hope that he gets someone with some usability abilities to help with the site, and in the meantime continue to read the comic.

As usual, whether you will like this comic or not will revolve on your tastes. I like a good romantic plot-line, don’t mind things being a bit bawdy, and can overlook the deficiencies in originality and navigation scheme. If your tastes and tolerances run similarly, I expect that you may like it too.

Eric Stokien aka Quiller