Webcomics: Reviews of The Last Halloween, Urbanity Planet, and Odysseus the Rebel

Time Codes: 00:00:29 - Introduction 00:02:49 - Listener mail 00:07:37 - The Last Halloween 00:38:46 - Urbanity Planet 00:57:39 - Checking in with Jim McClain and Paul Schultz 01:11:46 - Odysseus the Rebel 01:40:27 - Wrap up 01:41:31 - Contact us For the October webcomics episode, Sean and Derek check out three very different webcomics, the first of which highlights the Halloween season. Abby Howard's The Last Halloween is a combination of creepy illustrations and offbeat humor including a monster apocalypse, an ebullient vampire boy, a social media-addicted ghoul, and a grieving father who crossdresses in his dead wife's clothes. The guys enjoy the fun and meandering story, although Derek wonders if the storytelling could be a little more focused in places. Next, they look at Theora Kvitka's first webcomic, Urbanity Planet. This is a relatively new story, beginning in February of this year, so readers can experience the artist's online voice as it develops. It's a series of vignettes centered on recent college grads who can't find work on earth and, as a result, move to the planet N!#ult0n to earn a living. Filled with quirky observations, the webcomic is an alternate reality glimpse into the dilemma of millennials. Before they look at the month's final webcomic, the guys check in with Jim McClain and Paul Schultz to get an update on their in-the-works webcomic, Poe and the Mysteriads. Things are moving right along, although Jim expresses a mea culpa. Click HERE for new sample art! Finally, Sean and Derek discuss the completed webcomic, Odysseus the Rebel. This is Steven Grant and Scott Bieser's adaptation of the Homeric classic, but one that doesn't feel the need to be comprehensive or "true" to the original. That's what the guys appreciate about this adaptation, Grant and Bieser's ability to take the essence of The Odyssey and translate it into a contemporary voice. And with its emphasis on storytelling, Odysseus the Rebel demonstrates a particular metafictional bent.