I was introduced to the syndicated comic strip Heavenly Nostrils, produced by Dana Simpson, over the weekend, and promptly blew over an hour archive-binging (is it binging or bingeing? I can't think of any words where you keep the silent e when adding an -ing, but it seems to me that "binging" is the Microsoft-sanctioned equivalent of Googling, not an -ing-ified version of binge. Anyway) before I pulled myself away and got back to doing something vaguely productive. If you've never heard of the strip, it's a modern-set comic about a young girl who befriends a unicorn.
I figured I'd better drop an example or two, so... here
Although I don't claim to know much about art, the simple yet expressive character designs really appeal to me here (seriously, look at that third panel! I love the faces), and at its best the humor captures the same mix of childlike wonder and adult awareness that typified Calvin and Hobbes. Phoebe (the girl) is a classic mix of youthful exuberance and general dissatisfaction with the "real" world, while Marigold (the unicorn) is both a voice of reason and a constant source of sarcasm and self-importance. The highlights of the comic are almost all strips which show these two playing off one another, in a (to me) delightful mix of whimsy and slice-of-life.
Here's one more
The whole strip is full of great humor, appealing art, and all-around goodness. Go check it out on GoComics, if it sounds like your sort of thing. And if not... I'll have some ponies or pony-derivatives of the Hasbro variety to comment on on Wednesday. Until then!
...Okay, it's a little MLP-related
Damn it, I really thought I'd finally get some work done, maybe even try writing one of those fanfic thingies y'all are always goin' on about. Now I'm gonna spend all night reading about unicorns instead... again... and then probably watch Legend... again
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, Chris
A post unrelated to ponies? Well, then, here's a comment unrelated to ponies:
ReplyDeleteEven with the knowledge that there are many, many technically superior webcomics out there, I have a soft spot for 1/0. It's by far my favourite webcomic ever, and no other has ever come close to beating it. So that's my recommendation of the day.
What timing! I recently started reading that comic myself, and I found out two interesting things.
ReplyDeleteFirst, D.C. Simpson is either a brony or at least a sympathizer, as you can see quite a few MLP drawings on her sketch dump tumblr.
The other is that she's the person responsible for a comic I used to follow in the past, Ozy and Millie, which I'd also recommend reading. It ran for far, far longer (though complete, so you'll never be left waiting on a story arc to resolve), and you'll definitely see growth throughout it. Also, I tend to keep thinking of the characters in Heavenly Nostrils as certain ones from O&M. They're not carbon copies, but there are definitely shared personality traits.
Definitely worth reading in both cases!
Dana's:
DeleteThe staff artist for Everfree NorthWest, actually... :)
Mike
Really! That's quite exciting news, as we'll be attending Everfree again. I'll have to see if I can find her to have a chat, assuming my 40 lbs or so of costumery combined with July heat doesn't kill me first : P
DeleteThe Calvin & Hobbes-ness ramps way the heck up if you read Ozy and Millie. :) It's no wonder HN has the same feeling!
DeleteHeh, I honestly did not know she was in any way connected to the pony community when I started reading--sometimes, my interests just seem to converge of their own accord.
DeleteAnd I've heard of Ozy and Millie before, but I've never checked it out. If it's as enjoyable as this comic, I'll have to!
Don't read many webcomics myself, but this looks like something I'd like. Or at least, I don't read many original webcomics.
ReplyDeleteI was a huge fan of The Ten Doctors and The Last Days of FOXHOUND before they concluded though, because I am a huge fan of Doctor Who and Metal Gear Solid.
FOXHOUND in particular was a favourite, and I still go back to it sometimes now. It didn't have very good art, but it was absolutely hilarious, at least to someone who knows the lore. Metal Gear Solid is a series with a lot to make fun of, and it was an excellent parody of some of the sillier elements of the games.
Will definitely be giving this a look though.
Woah, I'm going to have to check this one out. I'm a huge fan of Calvin and Hobbes, and this looks right up my alley. Honestly, I had pretty much given up on the newspaper funnies. This gives me hope. Thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteAnother comic that had somewhat of a similar feel to Calvin and Hobbes (and, sadly, has also ended) is Cul de Sac by Richard Thompson. But yeah... I absolutely need another webcomic to follow. Damn you, Chris.
ReplyDeleteAccording to dictionary.com and wiktionary.org, the present participle of binge can be spelled either way.
ReplyDeleteAlso, is it just me, or does anyone else read Marigold's lines in Celestia's voice?
I read them in Amalthea's voice, actually! But the two aren't really that different, when you get right down to it.
DeleteOH MY GOSH! Dana Simpson = http://ozyandmillie.org/ . No wonder it's so good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, Chris. I really love this strip. It has a type of humor that I've missed since Calvin and Hobbes and Bloom County disappeared.
ReplyDeleteWhat everyone else said. This is just amazing.
ReplyDelete