A little post-Hallowe'en Lovecraftian horror.

November 4, 2012 5:44 PM

Broodhollow is a new webcomic that has been pithily described by its creator as “Tintin goes to Innsmouth.” It’s a bit of Lovecraftian horror with subtly detailed artwork. Be sure to check out long-running companion website Ichor Falls, a “…short fiction site for the discerning horror/terror enthusiast." Great starting points include curious little thing and candle cove (previously).

Author Kris Straub (Starslip, chainsawsuit, more) is a prolific guy. Previously.

posted by Existential Dread (20 comments total)

Be sure to start at the beginning.
posted by Existential Dread at 5:45 PM on November 4, 2012

There are so many comics that would ring true with me if the artists did their own lettering instead of using those comic fonts instead. Something about it seems just plain wrong.
posted by dunkadunc at 5:46 PM on November 4, 2012 [4 favorites]

I've been looking for something to follow. Looks understandably workmanlike for a thrice-weekly webcomic, and every character seems to talk in that googly-eyed old-timey manner that a lot of these comics go for. Let's see how it looks in a month.
posted by Nomyte at 6:04 PM on November 4, 2012

side note: Charles Burns' X'ed Out.
posted by mwhybark at 6:14 PM on November 4, 2012 [1 favorite]

Cool! Chainsawsuit is great.
posted by painquale at 6:16 PM on November 4, 2012

Yes, it's still early. The comics syndication site gocomics began posting reruns of "Starslip" four months ago and it is only now showing where it found itself satirically (the storyline about the 34th Century's most pretentious artist) and had not yet found its narrative potential... Of course, Kris should be using what he learned there on "Broodhollow" - but we are still in 'moodsetting and expositionary flashback mode'.

Still, my all-time favorite Kris Straub joint was his 'million variations on one gag' sci-fi concept "Time Friends".
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:22 PM on November 4, 2012

I've been reading Broodhollow and really loving it. Kris Straub really hits all the things I really like about horror.
posted by whitneyarner at 6:23 PM on November 4, 2012

Tintin in Innsmouth
posted by JHarris at 7:00 PM on November 4, 2012 [3 favorites]

Hmmm, good so far. Looking forward to the rest. Thanks!
posted by lumpenprole at 7:22 PM on November 4, 2012 [1 favorite]

"Candle Cove" is a well-traveled bit of creepypasta, does it originate here?
posted by DecemberBoy at 8:13 PM on November 4, 2012

Yeah, DecemberBoy, he wrote it. He's written a bit more about how it's traveled and what that means for owning your creative works on the internet.
posted by whitneyarner at 8:24 PM on November 4, 2012 [2 favorites]

JHarris, 'and with strange aeons,' pip pip eh wot?
posted by mwhybark at 9:52 PM on November 4, 2012

I was about to call anachronism on the adhesive tape in the comic from 10/15, but it turns out that Scotch tape was indeed first developed and sold in the 1930s.

The wire binding on the psychiatrist's notebook also dates back to at least the 30s.

I do have to smirk at the psychiatrist's anachronistic turtleneck, which would've definitely been more appropriate wear for the burly men of 11/2.

The refrigerator that also appeared on 10/15 would've looked more like the one at the bottom of this page. It probably would've had a top-mounted compressor that chilled a small freezer box that was accessible through the main front door. That's not to mention that a fridge would've been a bit of a luxury, and our man Zane probably wouldn't have owned one.

From 10/22: All railroads (with the exception of some urban light rail systems) have used the same standard gauge since 1886.

I'm really liking this so far!
posted by Nomyte at 10:35 PM on November 4, 2012

But the historical accuracy of eldritch horrors checks out okay with you, right?
posted by whitneyarner at 11:52 PM on November 4, 2012

I've been avoiding reading Broodhollow so in a few weeks or months I can do it all in one big run. I might give in soon though.

Lately I've found his Saw it For You posts to be XTRA HILARIOUS. He started a Twitter account for the gag but hasn't posted as much as I'd like, heh.
posted by palidor at 12:09 AM on November 5, 2012

But the historical accuracy of eldritch horrors checks out okay with you, right?

What eldrich horrors? You mean it's not comic about a young man's sight-seeing trip around picturesque New England?
posted by Nomyte at 6:48 AM on November 5, 2012

Tin Tin and Lovecraft! Two great racists that racist great together!
posted by cthuljew at 7:01 AM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

Wow. Candle Cove is like an AskMe thread gone wrong.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 7:16 AM on November 5, 2012

The Saw It For You feature is fantastic. His Newsroom Season 2 was great, but the Ghostbusters 3 one gave me a laughter hernia. Bite your head off, man.
posted by Existential Dread at 9:19 AM on November 6, 2012

Wow! Straub must be really bad at drawing noses.
posted by robotot at 11:24 PM on November 6, 2012