D. C. Simpson (1)

One thing you see much less in webcomics these days is learning on the job; a lot of comics, including the 900-lb gorilla Penny Arcade, started off rather amateurishly - especially in art - and continued to pick up steam (and readers) as the talents of the comic artists developed.

Which is partly a roundabout way of saying the contents of "Prehistrionics" - the first few scattered years (1997-2000) of the Ozy and Millie comic strip by D.C. Simpson - are very much part of a work in progress. Simpson himself acknowledges as much in the commentary, of course, and beyond the skill changes he notes the evolution of the characters as well.

The strip itself centers around the lives of two elementary schoolkids (Ozy and Millie), and to a lesser extent their family, friends, and others that circle their existence. They're outsiders, and a bunch of it is Simpson repackaging his own childhood in the context of the strip, though none of the characters are direct stand-ins. He has a tendency to wander in plotlines and repeat himself a little at times, but he can write a joke, and the art reaches decent status fairly quickly.

The notes and commentary on the strips do add to the book, perhaps more than is usual in such things - while sometimes just a general reaction to the strip, the background information or details brought up on others can be interesting. And with a lot of early evolution of the work here, there's more to talk about.

The early Ozy and Millie isn't Simpson's best work, and perhaps not the place to start unless you already like the strip (online at http://www.ozyandmillie.org/), but if you do, it's a good book to buy.… (mehr)