Thursday, April 1, 2021

Much More Than A Three Hour Tour

I fell down a rabbit hole recently. Well, it was actually a foxhole, but more on that in a minute. Through a rather round about way (starting with a discord post with a couple of comics from Little Tales, reading it's entire archive, and then making my way from there) I discovered a web comic that has been around for 8 years now. It's called Isla Aukate and is written by Gen (of the previously mentioned Little Tales) and drawn by Fox (remember the foxhole gag?) and centers around islands of anthropomorphic animals that live on the Calendar Islands in the Pacific.

Comic Logo Copyright Foxtayls LLC

As of this writing, I am not only 100% current with the comic but I have also pledged my support on Patreon. This is one of the best web comics ... no, one of the best COMICS that I have read, and, as you know, I have read A LOT of comics. There are a few reasons that I say this.

First, is the art. I get a real Don Bluth feel from what Fox does with the art. The overall look, yes, but the expressions that she puts on the faces and the attention to detail is just amazing. The art is unfinished (if you're reading the sketch comic), but it is still great and you get everything you need. When she does long shots, like with the bar, it's just amazing. This lady makes her living as an artist and you can see why,

Secondly, we have the writing. This is some really in-depth stuff. All of the characters are three dimensional with good and bad points, as well as long histories. Add to that the overall history of the islands (They even thought about what the MONEY looks like and why!), and you have such a rich world that it feels very much like something Tolkien would come up with.

Oh, and just in case you think "They've got anthropomorphic animals, so it must be a funny animals comic", it isn't. There's murder, attempted murder, war, interspecies relationships, parental issues, etc, etc. It is very much a mature comic, and not in the "skimpy clothing and swearing" idea of mature, either. (Although the invented swears are great.)

Finally, is the ladies behind the comic. I have had limited interactions with them online, but they are both great people. They welcome new readers with open arms and welcome questions. Whether they give out answers is another thing 😉. (This is a comic that they try and make money on, after all, so spoilers will cost you.). You couldn't find two nicer people on the internet. The fact that Gen is my age, and gets my humor, is a bonus.

So, if you're looking for something to read that's outside the mainstream, but is WELL worth your time, look no further than OverlordComic.Com. Just be warned, once you start reading, you won't want to stop.