YEEHAW! I'm back to review the limited-edition 2025 ShortBox comics (http://shortboxcomicsfair.com). Once again I brave wallet-shredding exchange rates to AUD to reap an eclectic mix of panelled art.
THAT'S ALL!! I decided to shell out a lot more than I normally would to grab a good sample of this bothersomely large comic offering, so I hope y'all can use these recommendations as a good guide for the remaining… two hours of the sale… and counting.
Fallen into the Garden (https://is.gd/sfDmLo) – I liked this artist's previous comic, and while this continues last year's themes of space-faring culture-shock among sagely women, this one is more romantic and visceral. (Maybe the conclusion is a little abrupt, though.)
Bagatto (https://is.gd/toPJhy) – This comic is a platter of iridescent, sumptuous art and surreal dream scenes… maybe it doesn't have much to say writing-wise, but it successfully plays to its own strengths.
Aimé (https://is.gd/MAFHBU) – What initially seemed like a somewhat standard fairytale-type story with a simplistic art style managed to shock me with a few surprisingly touching scenes (including the climax) as well as several moments of artistic beauty.
Extraterrestrial (https://is.gd/yvkU1T) – A cute story with incredible colouring. Even if the characters and expressions might be a little too hammy, the dialogue is funny enough to keep up the story's momentum.
Sharpie's Mission of Rage and Justice (https://is.gd/7VXq9y) – A fun little wacky comic with great character interactions and dialogue that feels like it fits a lot into a little.
Li'l Burgers (https://is.gd/KpFGfM) – Funny and impressively well-drawn social satire about the contradictions of patriotism and globalisation, where national symbols violently and fruitlessly attack their own cultural irrelevance.
In Case of Turbulence (https://is.gd/PcPtrf) – While this is just a series of disposable memoir-type gag comics without any real conclusion, it gets my nod just for how snappy the punch-lines are.
Ladies of the Living Princess (https://is.gd/z7AfuL) – Despite a slow start (and somewhat muted ending), this grows to be quite the entertaining supernatural story with a surprisingly fun main couple.
Dead Horses (https://is.gd/cem4L8) – This one EASILY ranks as the best among the ones I tried this year. Excellent imagery and pacing, with a simple but not entirely predictable story, and characters who keep unfolding even far later than you'd expect.
Foreign Bodies (https://is.gd/Ii3SUN) – Much as this one has very good setup and a likeable main character, to me it spells out the pivotal reveal way too bluntly and reductively. It's a very "Shortbox-like horror story", truth be told, but that's not necessarily a knock.
As The Rot Blooms (https://is.gd/4hk393) – This one feels like it ends when it's about to get good, but even before that, it's not too bad as a slow-burn horror story, with very solid expressions and panel composition.
Big Fortress (https://www.shortboxcomicsfair.com/shop-sq4wj/p/big-fortress-by-chlo-ro) – The bulbous designs of this comic's characters give them a soft clay-like feel, which helps a lot at making this spot-black-drenched dark fantasy dungeon feel like a rundown home.
Girl Yaoi (https://www.shortboxcomicsfair.com/shop-sq4wj/p/girl-yaoi-by-ana-two) – Exactly what a comic called "Girl Yaoi" would be. A messy romance explored through BL references so specific that even *I* recognised one of them. This comic DOES contain actual pornography, so, praise the sun / caveat emptor (select one).
Leftovers (https://www.shortboxcomicsfair.com/shop-sq4wj/p/leftovers-by-luckycavity) – OK, this is a mess. Flow of events is often incomprehensible, and the panels frequently clash with each other for attention. Still, the strange premise and relationship amuses me a lot, and the panels in isolation are good.
A Little Beauty (https://www.shortboxcomicsfair.com/shop-sq4wj/p/a-little-beauty-by-laura-knetzger) and White Whale (https://www.shortboxcomicsfair.com/shop-sq4wj/p/white-whale-by-christine-fitzgerald) – I feel like both of these pair up well: bite-size quasi-paranormal horror stories about obsession, with great use of spot colour and memorable concluding imagery.
The previous year's thread… is right here!! https://x.com/webbedspace/status/1852027374751068229
Wikipedia image descriptions at their finest
I'm trying to condition myself into becoming someone who'd actually switch to Linux. Just sitting alone saying things like "Oh, of COURSE I have opinions about what the best network time protocol client is" to myself.
17776 (2017)
Despite obvious similarities to Kid Radd and Crow Cillers (genre mix, fiction-like otherworlds, heavy HTML use) as well as a certain other "MS Paint" comic, it actually most closely resembles the 2018 Adult Swim short "Final Deployment 4" which no one except me remembers.
https://foreach.neocities.org/ – I just got dropped a rec for this webcomic, so I'm giving it a shot.
00s and 10s webcomic-heads like myself may find its basic premise and tone comfortingly familiar, albeit for a lot of different reasons at once.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zhu_Zaiyu_dance.gif – Excellence in Wikipedia GIFs
It's funny to think about the theory that Hindu-Arabic base-10 numbers arose, not just from science or engineering needs, but because Hindu theology, in particular, involves extremely large numbers like the number of years in 1 kalpa (4320000000) or the Satya Yuga (up to 1728000)
Deltarune fanfic: the problem of how a small town can have its only exit road blocked with police tape for multiple days is solved by the construction of a ramp on the outside, allowing incoming cars to jump the tape.
Watching Mario Maker troll levels
Just spent 30 minutes struggling to remember what this awfully dinky melody that floated in from my deep subconscious was from, and finally managed to realise… that it's the theme… from the original Tux Racer…