Tom Siddel's comic is amazing in the end. Through Gunnerkrigg Court he has created a world that is both familiar and fantastic, characters that are relatable and inscrutable. and a story that is both tragic and humorous all at the same time. There aren't many comics that can do all of those things. Bet you can't guess 3 of them.
I think, though, the thing that really keeps this whole thing rolling is how Tom relates to his readers. Most of his initial comments come in little blurbs at the bottom of the pages. These are quick, often silly comments like "This guy!" or something equally goofy. Though when things get serious, those comments vanish very quickly, a quiet sign that the reader should be paying attention to what's going on.
He does videos where he reads through earlier chapters of the comic and makes his own comments. I haven't watched them yet, not because I don't want to, but because the comic is good enough on it's own to not need it, but it's something I've NEVER seen another comic artist do.
I believe he probably reads his own forums regularly, though I doubt he says much. He's very much aware of how people respond to his comic, as I mentioned back here. Ultimately this led to Chapter 55 and, well, my brief response.
Which leads to the fact that he really has a good sense of humor, and knows when to pull back and be silly. Whether it's his own "about" page, or his vacation filler strips featuring this post's title character, Cityface, he knows when to have fun and be very, very silly. And his readers love it.
Ultimately, Tom Siddel is probably one of the best story tellers in comics today. He combines excellent, ever evolving art (which he isn't afraid to admit to, BTW), imagery, character, seriousness and silliness all into a single package and creates a story that likely will only grow stronger with time.
If there is any comic I would recommend with no information (and I try not to), it would be Gunnerkrigg Court. It has a little of everything and deserves to be the new king of the list.
Next time it's the return of the Quasi-Awards. Until then kiddies.
I think, though, the thing that really keeps this whole thing rolling is how Tom relates to his readers. Most of his initial comments come in little blurbs at the bottom of the pages. These are quick, often silly comments like "This guy!" or something equally goofy. Though when things get serious, those comments vanish very quickly, a quiet sign that the reader should be paying attention to what's going on.
He does videos where he reads through earlier chapters of the comic and makes his own comments. I haven't watched them yet, not because I don't want to, but because the comic is good enough on it's own to not need it, but it's something I've NEVER seen another comic artist do.
I believe he probably reads his own forums regularly, though I doubt he says much. He's very much aware of how people respond to his comic, as I mentioned back here. Ultimately this led to Chapter 55 and, well, my brief response.
Which leads to the fact that he really has a good sense of humor, and knows when to pull back and be silly. Whether it's his own "about" page, or his vacation filler strips featuring this post's title character, Cityface, he knows when to have fun and be very, very silly. And his readers love it.
Ultimately, Tom Siddel is probably one of the best story tellers in comics today. He combines excellent, ever evolving art (which he isn't afraid to admit to, BTW), imagery, character, seriousness and silliness all into a single package and creates a story that likely will only grow stronger with time.
If there is any comic I would recommend with no information (and I try not to), it would be Gunnerkrigg Court. It has a little of everything and deserves to be the new king of the list.
Next time it's the return of the Quasi-Awards. Until then kiddies.
