To begin my investigation of webcomics, I will explore and extol the passages of Gunnerkrigg Court- passages literary and diegetic, I might add. For the first five parts of my journey, I have established a line of logic through which the writings will flow:
1. Gunnerkrigg Court, a comic whose content and execution might otherwise be executed in print media with no hinderence, but is carried out digitally.
2. The phenomena of “Two Gamers an a Couch,” and the idea of the internet as a distribution method as a necessity versus as a choice.
3. Rice-Boy, a comic whose content and execution might not be financially viable in print form, and therefore, must be executed through the web.
4. The abstract concept of Infinite Canvas, and content in webcomics which can only be executed through the web.
5. Platinum Grit, a former print comic adapted to the web whose content can now only be executed digitally.
This forward progression through the subjects seems most simple to me, and without further delay, I will begin my dissection of Gunnerkrigg Court.
Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell
The tale of Gunnerkrigg Court begins with Antimony Carver, the series’ protagonist. Beginning a tale with an introduction to its protagonist isn’t particularly unusual, however, this is not to Gunnerkrigg’s disadvantage. The tale excels in its quality execution, rather than slavishly pursuing individualism or exploitation of the web medium. Gunnerkrigg could very well survive as a print comic, and in that way, it is an intriguing read. Why read the series rather than a print comic, and in what ways does it differ? Does its quality execution set it apart from other webcomics, and does its choice to embrace a “regular,” print-comic format ultimately make it unique in the field of webcomics?
Gunnerkrigg Court follows Antimony’s adventures within her titular school, which she notes on the very first page resembles an enormous industrial complex more than it does a boarding school. The complex serves many purposes, most of which remain a mystery to Antimony, a new arrival to the School, and twelve years old. The comic follows her time at the school, exploring its empty halls and investigating it’s shadowy conflict with Gillitie Wood, an old and mystical forest which exists opposite the Court across the River Annan.
Alongside empathic but stoic Antimony is her best friend, Katerina “Kat,” Donlan, a genius of mechanics, whose parents both act as teachers at the school. The parental figures too play a role in the story- Antimony’s mother, now passed, once worked as a medium for the Court, and her missing father too played some role at the Court, yet unknown. Akin to Harry Potter, learning about the elder generation is a major plot point to the story. In addition to the two girls’ parents, there too are Mr. Eglamore (games teacher, and, so it seems, the school’s designated dragon-slayer), and an icy instructor, Jones, who works to train students with potential to become mediums.
With these in mind, the series also walks with nobility into fantasy territory- less like the aforementioned Harry Potter and more to the effect of Neil Gaiman. Pan-European trickster fox Reynard (or Renardine) is a major player in the series, having accidentally possessed Antimony’s stuffed animal and now unable to escape. In stark contrast to the bleak industrial expanses of the Court, Gillitie Wood is an old world forest which acts as home to all sorts of beings, ranging from fairies to Gods, such as the Pan-American trickster fox Coyote. The Court itself isn’t free from supernatural events, however- friend to Antimony is Mort the Ghost, and she too holds a shaky alliance with a demonic girl and her reality-warping partner.
Technology and magic are key players in the tale, though, the resolution is not yet known. They represent man and nature, mechanical and organic, masculine and feminine, order and chaos. Consider Antimony, her mother a medium and with potential herself, who wears dresses and make-up, and sports long pink hair, and compare her to her best friend Kat, her parents scientists and herself a mechanical genius, with interests in “boyish,” pass-times and clothes, sporting short-cut hair and inept with make-up. Antimony, clearly the more mystic of the two, is clearly reflective of feminine archetypes, while her scientific and orderly friend the more masculine. Antimony acts on intuition, Kat on planning. But while the girls are best friends, the Court and the Woods are seemingly at a shaky ceasefire in a long-time war.
This being the general outline of Gunnerkrigg Court, one must question why not in print. The formula is sound, and the plot certainly not outside the range for popular media. With names like “Harry Potter,” and “Neil Gaiman,” thrown around in description of the series, publishers should be chomping at the bit for rights to the franchise. The series remains unprinted in any form, even in the most benign Café Press binding. Then we question why it is not available in print- is it the uneven chapter length? Certainly a possibility, given the financial demands of color printing. In an androcentric comic world, is the pair of non-sexualized female leads “unsuitable,” for business? Also very possible; so goes the old cliché, “Sex sells,” and Gunnerkrigg remains innocent from sexual content or implication.
Perhaps there is the consideration of the production- as is the case with many webcomics, Gunnerkrigg Court is executed only by a single person. Tom Siddell writes and illustrates the comic himself, seemingly without help from any other “team members.” The standards of the current comic industry are that of a rigid team system, with a writer, penciller, inker, letterer, colorist, and a whole slew of editors to go through. An individual, no matter how talented, is not likely going to convince a comic syndicate to syndicate his or her work. But then, this is also not true- many independent comic authors and artists have self-supported for quite some time.
At the end of the day, it may just be a preference of Siddell- the internet allows him to publish the content he wishes to publish, on the schedule he wishes to work. He has full autonomy on the internet, despite producing content which is of high enough quality to pass the standards of print.
And quality it certainly is- beyond its intelligent themes, Gunnerkrigg Court is an all-around well-executed effort. The impressively large cast is memorable to highly entertaining, and each new character introduced brings something new to the table (without taking away attention from others). The comedic edge of the series is sharp, capable of properly timing a variety of styles including situational irony, wordplay, slapstick, and visual humor; conversely, the series is very capable of more serious aspects, ranging from touching sentimentality to dramatic and tragic. There’s an adventurous edge to the series, with the Court itself and the Woods alike as seemingly endless realms to explore; the unique light in which both are portrayed brings a metafictional adventure to the tale, as we the viewers explore settings we have not yet seen before, especially in the case of the Court and it’s shady past.
Even now twenty-five chapters into the story as I write this, the series is over-flowing with potential energy. Each new page released is eagerly awaited by myself and the series’ large fan-base- including Neil Gaiman himself, who admitted to loving the franchise in a blog entry not long ago. Tom Siddell (who openly speaks of his series to fans and critics alike) has stated that he has an end in mind for the series, however, the length and events leading to that end are yet unknown by him. Here’s to hoping Siddell maintains his quality and keeps this cleanly-executed fairy-tale going weekly for a long time to come.
