Comments on: You should read Gunnerkrigg Court

You should read Gunnerkrigg Court

Lentrohamsanin — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 07:38:18 -0800

Gunnerkrigg Court is a lovely and strange webcomic by Tom Siddell. While its scenario bears a passing resemblance to Harry Potter (magic school, main character with a strange destiny, etc.), there's something quite different going on here. Chapter One, for instance, deals with how to get an anthropomorphic shadow back to its forest home, using only a box of discarded robot parts and a young girl's initiative. And that's just the beginning. Need a more trustworthy endorsement than mine? Neil Gaiman likes it.

By: DU

DU — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 07:52:12 -0800

I like it, though the writing is very stilted. Maybe it loosens up later.

By: blahblahblah

blahblahblah — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 07:59:19 -0800

This is neat, thanks. It felt very Gaiman-y, in children's story mode, no wonder he liked it.

By: DU

DU — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:00:03 -0800

Just noticed the artist's comments at the bottom. Avoid them.

By: blahblahblah

blahblahblah — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:08:12 -0800

Wow, DU, you are right. It's fascinating: they absolutely ruin the mood of the entire comic.

By: Terminal Verbosity

Terminal Verbosity — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:38:27 -0800

It's quirky, smoothly mixes genres and is fairly imaginative, but the writing is rather jerky. Also, maybe some vulnerability appears later, but Antimony's uber-cool handling of every conflict is pretty annoying.

By: Secretariat

Secretariat — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:08:51 -0800

Hey, I've been reading this comic for over a year now- it's one of my favorites. I don't remember how the artist's comments at the bottom are early on in the strips, but I've certainly enjoyed them in my recent memory- often snide comments about the characters, something like "Whoa, Antimony is totally going to punch that guy if he doesn't shut up!". Sometimes I get the feeling that Tom is as surprised as us readers at the twists the story ends up taking.

By: PontifexPrimus

PontifexPrimus — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:14:10 -0800

I stumbled upon this a while ago, and I'm firmly in the "like" camp. It uses some stock characters (The Child With Destiny™, The Mysterious Stranger Who Hints At A Common Past™ etc.), but it's very imaginative in a "did not see that one coming" way. That is one thing I actually noticed about Gaiman's writing, too: it's the unpredictable, almost nonsensical things that happen and that the storyteller somehow makes to seem plausible that give the story life. I'll definitely follow this one for as long as it's running...
Oh, and on the topic of slightly weird webcomics: might I recommend One Over Zero, a comic that successfully finished its planned run? Not too many of those out there...

By: yhbc

yhbc — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:14:25 -0800

That's not the feeling I got, Secretariat, as much as "now, let me explain that elusive and subtle effect I just acomplished in the comic." I am enjoying the comic, but I wish you could turn his annotations off.

By: Greg Nog

Greg Nog — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:33:29 -0800

It closer resembles reccesses GRAMMAR AND SPELLING ERRORS MAKE HULK ANGRY This is some fabulously pretty artwork, but man, the writing grates on me like I'm made out of Parmesan cheese.

By: Secretariat

Secretariat — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:31:21 -0800

Ok, for context, I'm enjoying silly comments like this or this. Maybe I skipped over the comments in the earlier strips.

By: mygothlaundry

mygothlaundry — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:33:57 -0800

Thanks, I've now been absorbed in this all morning!

By: darksasami

darksasami — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:15:02 -0800

Archive Binge time!

By: The Bellman

The Bellman — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:16:26 -0800

I'm not seeing the comments -- FF, mac -- am I glad?

By: retronic

retronic — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:04:35 -0800

I've been following this for a while and Mr. Siddell continues to improve, both in his art and writing. As the storylines have progressed, Antimony has grown more empathetic and more complex; the feel has become much more natural.

By: JHarris

JHarris — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 03:21:55 -0800

"Destiny" has become so overused a concept in fantasy writing in books, comics, games, movies and TV shows that, even used ironically, it gouges deep rifts into my nerves. Despite that, that first chapter is a winner, and I've not read much beyond it yet. Good find, Lentronumnum.

By: Lentrohamsanin

Lentrohamsanin — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 07:41:15 -0800

I'd say that Antimony's unflappable nature works for the series and is key to her character. She opens up a bit as the series goes on: Chapter 6 has a wonderfully cathartic moment that would have been unbearably mawkish in the hands of someone less talented than Siddell. I wish someone would give him a damn book deal, as this series would work wonderfully in print. He had the first book (Chapters 1-7) available through Lulu for awhile, but apparently that wasn't very satisfactory. BTW, I found out about the strip from the enjoyably vicious Your Webcomic is Bad and You Should Feel Bad (mentioned in the comments as an example of a good comic, not savaged in one of their reviews).

By: sleep_walker

sleep_walker — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 09:28:22 -0800

Lentrohamsanin - I also discovered this comic via YWiBaYSFB and have been reading it since (a wonderful antidote to the vileness of Shredded Moose)

By: yhbc

yhbc — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:54:28 -0800

It did get much better as it progressed, to the point where I will definitely keep reading. Thanks!

By: Lentrohamsanin

Lentrohamsanin — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:16:52 -0800

Speaking of YWiBaYSFB, looks like they just ~~wimped out~~ went on a hiatus of unknown length. Maybe it's a ruse to draw the Jesslyn Stormheart guy out of hiding.