Tuesday, September 22, 2009

If I were a British school girl living in a cartoon universe . . .

. . . I might look like this -
Courtesy of Tom Siddell, writer and artist of Gunnerkrigg Court, a webcomic that I enjoy. He offered to create personal drawings for a small fee to make some money off of the comic. I'm happy to support his work, and am delighted with his rendition of me as a Gunnerkrigg Court student! The comic itself is a beautifully drawn and intriguing tale that still manages to bring laughs and delights despite its often dark mood. Its basic premise reminds me somewhat of Harry Potter, with a young girl who joins a mysterious boarding school after her mother dies, except that there's no Voldemort and no Dumbledore, which is key. Gunnerkrigg Court offers no simplistic distinction between good and evil, and it's often unclear who of the characters to trust. The plot centers around stoic Annie's (short for Antimony) adventures in the school itself and the equally mysterious forest outside, uncovering clues about the school, the forest, the inhabitants of both, and her family. Elements of mythology and alchemy symbols are woven throughout the chapters, and themes of manmade science vs. natural magic are emphasized. If you're going to read it, I recommend starting from the beginning. When I was first introduced to this comic a year ago, I tried to read the most recent ones, and was pretty lost until I read all the way through.

I'm such a fangirl, and I've just outted myself if you didn't already know that about me.