The Good Stuff – The Abominable Charles Christopher
on October 27, 2011 at 2:23 pmIf’n you take a gander to your right and down a tad, as the Marshal might say, there’s a short-list of links to various webcomics (most of them, at least) that Rick, Eric, and I have been following for one reason or another. And it seems to me that now is no better time than to talk about them a bit, and share our love. Like the afore-mentioned list, I’m moving in alphabetical order, here, post by post. These’ll be irregular.
Before I start, though, I’m very interested in what other folks have been reading, and what they’d recommend. I’m particularly curious about anything that one might label steampunk (Girl Genius I am well-aware of, thank you.) So please, feel free to use the comments section to call out the strips you’re reading and liking.
Now, then.
If you’re not reading The Abominable Charles Christopher by the unfairly talented Karl Kerschl, you’re hurting no one but yourself. Seriously. Karl sent me a PDF of the first collection a couple weeks back, so I had opportunity to read the whole of the beginning again, and it is so very very good that I had one of those moments where I wonder why I bother. I worked with Karl during my Adventures of Superman days, and he is an artist I would eagerly work with again if the opportunity ever presents itself. His work is reflection of the man; thoughtful, caring, considered, smart, and very, very witty.
The fact that he’s drawing and writing ACC is insult to injury – and speaking as a man who cannot drawn – my envy is profound. The first collection is available for pre-order, and I feel no guilt in shilling for him. The series itself is difficult for me to describe concisely, but the immediate comparison I draw is to the estimable Walt Kelly. There is a similarly gentle, yet cuttingly precise, humor to Karl’s work, as well as enormous sensitivity, and the art is truly stunning.
Your eyes, brain, and heart will say thank you.
Promise.
Hold fast!
Greg
The Walt Kelly comparison is SERIOUS praise, sir. I shall investigate this immediately. Karl’s work — particularly that Supes run with you — always appeals to me.
-E
It is not a comparison I make lightly, indeed. Pogo has a special place in my heart, and the feel of what Karl is doing is very, very reminiscent of Kelly’s best. I think you’ll really like it.
…the first comic I saw includes a porcupine, a rabbit and a raccoon playing Dungeons & Dragons.
A PORCUPINE. A RABBIT. A RACCOON. Playing D&D.
YOU DID NOT MENTION THIS AWESOMENESS IN YOUR OVERVIEW. A GRIEVOUS OVERSIGHT, SIR.
This is what we writers call “The Joy of Discovery.”
It was through a favorite webcomic artist of mine that I actually found Kerschl’s ACC a few years back, and it was this same webcomic artist that I learned of your new venture. Which is funny, because we don’t have terribly similar tastes in print comics. Regardless, I have to plug Michael “Mookie” Terracciano’s Dominic Deegan (www.dominic-deegan.com), which while not steampunk is still, after almost ten years of following webcomics, my favorite.
Amy – awesome recommendation, thank you so much for sharing it!
I heard about that series in several podcast, it looks beautiful, but it doesn’t “click” with me
No crime in that – one of the joys of this particular medium is that there’s a flavor for almost everyone, it seems.
Not steampunk, sadly, but in the general romantic speculative fiction area:
Gunnerkrigg Court (technology vs magic in a school setting) and Family Man (18th century werewolves)
Just been looking at Family Man – like the art a great deal, haven’t had a chance to dive into the story. Always interesting to me to see how webcomics are an archive of the learning curve….
I can vouch for Family Man being well drawn, and super literate.
Dylan Meconis (of Family Man) also has a hilarious vampire romp. (http://www.bitemecomic.com/) Its a finished story, and I’ve laughed through the archives many times.
Oh my goodness! That is a particularly beautiful, moving, and intriguing story (now that I’ve made it through the archives, I’m desperate for more!). The book has been added to my wishlist and I can’t wait to read more.
So glad you liked it, Stephanie!
Thanks for the A.C.C. pointer, truly good stuff. Besides your own mighty fine strip, the only other one I follow is Max Overacts (http://occasionalcomics.com). While it’s a humor strip, it also has storylines and character development tucked in there as well.
I just made my own very original comic Lord Swordy and the Privateers of the Sky. You should check it out
In more serious suggestions, Wondermark and Dinosaur Comics both amuse me a great deal.
I’ve now buried myself in the archive of Girl Genius, thank you for that enjoyable time-hole. I get a similar feel from Dresden Codak. (dresdencodak.com) Not steampunk, but definitely an exploration of crazy technology. Interspersed throughout the story are also occasional episodes of Dungeons and Discourse…. (http://dresdencodak.com/2006/12/03/dungeons-and-discourse/)
Anyways, the updates are intermittent, but usually each spread is worth the wait.
It’s not a webcomic, but it is all about steampunk, specifically multicultural and inclusive stemapunk and looking at steampunk beyond the lens of Western European culture.
http://beyondvictoriana.com/
Stephanie, that was a terrific link, and I don’t even want to know how I missed the site. Going to see if we can’t link to it here. Thank you!
I can’t believe I didn’t remember it before – but something that, if not steampunk, at least features Victorian-era clothing is Phoenix Requiem (http://requiem.seraph-inn.com/). The story is complete and intriguing, and the art is gorgeous.
For steampunk, the unhistorical adventures of Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace are quite fun. Wherein they battle things like “The Organist” and most recently “Vampire Poets”
http://sydneypadua.com/2dgoggles/stories/