Hark! A Vagrant History Comics by Kate Beaton

February 13, 2008 9:12 AM

Canadian artist Kate Beaton draws wonderfully expressive comics which she publishes variously on her website and her LiveJournal, Hark! A Vagrant. In December 2007 she asked her readers to suggest historical figures and promised to draw comics based on the first twenty submissions. Highlights of the resulting series include Mary Shelley, Genghis Khan, and yes, even Søren Kierkegaard.

A second set of history comics is underway (don't miss Captain Cook) and someday soon we can hope for a gallery of Teslas (perhaps you will answer the call?). Earlier comics are equally recommended; they are populated by figures historical and contemporary as well as by Kate herself.

posted by Songdog (15 comments total)

"Okay, so try and find a place here that I haven't put my penis in. It's not easy."

-Lord Byron


You should've linked that one last, it gave me overly high expectations for Genghis and Kierkegaard. Funny stuff, though.
posted by Ndwright at 9:19 AM on February 13, 2008

Very whatshernameesque. You know. The one from New Yorker. Cripes! Roz Chast!

Anyway, vfunny.
posted by DU at 9:39 AM on February 13, 2008

These are great and I heartily endorse them, and this post.
posted by steef at 9:40 AM on February 13, 2008

Also: TESLAAAAA!
posted by steef at 9:42 AM on February 13, 2008

I liked the Ondaatje one. That's exactly what Q&A's are like.
posted by languagehat at 9:46 AM on February 13, 2008

These are good. Very good.
posted by cazoo at 9:55 AM on February 13, 2008

Every time I see "Canadian artist Kate Beaton," I read it is "Canadian bacon."

Nice comics, btw.

That is all.
posted by slogger at 10:52 AM on February 13, 2008

The Ondaatje one is awesome. Also Jean Baptiste Lamarck.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:21 AM on February 13, 2008

unmitigated awesome.
posted by juv3nal at 12:11 PM on February 13, 2008

These are excellent.
posted by NationalKato at 12:51 PM on February 13, 2008

I'm even thicker than usual today -- totally not getting the L'Anse aux Meadows one. The Thoreau one was good, though.
posted by pax digita at 1:09 PM on February 13, 2008

Love these, love her drawing style - it's like a much looser funnier version of the art in early FBoFW.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:34 PM on February 13, 2008

L'Anse Aux Meadows: the Norse/Vikings came to Newfoundland and left a small settlement there in around 1000 AD, making them the first Europeans to come to the New World. Today's Newfoundlanders talk funny ("yer stunned as me arse, bye" -- you're as stupid as if you had been hit in the head, much like my ass is stupid, boy"). Does that help? If not, see below.

The strip hypothesizes that the Viking settlement was abandoned, cut off from the old country, because they started talking funny.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:37 PM on February 13, 2008

This is shit.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 3:33 PM on February 13, 2008

Her comix are awesome, and funny in a very dry and erudite way.

Also her drawing style reminds me a bit of John Porcellino.

I think I'm a fan!
posted by dylan20 at 10:37 PM on February 13, 2008