Week 14: The Future of Comics

For the final week in Literature of Comics I took a look at the five part webcomic Ducks by Kate Beaton, and although it was relatively short I definitely appreciated what it had to say about the environment. The story is about Kate's time working at a mining site and all the little experiences she has there. The scenes are very simple, with just enough detail in both the art and the dialog to get the intended messages across. I personally believe the basic, sketch-like style suits Ducks more than anything detailed or colored ultimately would have. The tone of the story is melancholy and to me the art style just seems to say "Here's what happened. It is what it is." Its not trying to embellish anything or make it pretty. It presents a very real truths about the mining industry and how it can effect wildlife and humans alike. I enjoyed the way this comic was formatted too. Again, it was nothing fancy, just panels that can easily be scrolled through on a phone or computer.

As for a personal recommendation, one of the only other webcomics I'm familiar with is Ava's Demon by Michelle Czajkowsk. I was introduced by a friend in high school and ended up reading and enjoying the chapters that were released at the time. I am not caught up (I haven't looked at the series for over a year) but as far as I know it is still updating regularly. For me, the most appealing part of Ava's Demon was the gorgeous art style. Each panel is a full color digital painting, and almost every chapter incorporates a clip with music and animation. Personally, I am very inspired by this style of webcomic and would love to write and illustrate my own story like this one day. 

Ava's Demon: http://www.avasdemon.com/