Nick Costanzo
Jul 19, 2006, 10:35 am
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/TangledPanels.jpg" hspace=10 align=left border=0 alt="Tangled Panels Logo">By Nick Costanzo, winged.outlaw@gmail.com
Hot Red-Headed Comic Vixens
Originally, when I was first sitting down to weave an idea for this column (which our fine editor Raul Grau graciously reminded me that I still write), I got this cool idea in mind where I'd tackle different genres of webcomics, rather than simply going after them one title at a time. A column for gaming comics, a column for fantasy, maybe even one for random humor. And to start it all off would most certainly be "reality" based comics, if for no other reason than those are my favorites.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on one's perspective), this required that I actually sit down and read through a few titles that I haven't looked at in a while, and wouldn't you know it? I realized that I couldn't get away without devoting a whole column to at least one of my old faves, as it really stands alone as one of the best comics (web or otherwise) that I've ever read.
I was first introduced to Aeire's Queen of Wands (http://www.queenofwands.net) when a former roommate of mine began frantically linking it in her AIM profile. I referred to it as her "girly webcomic" to mess with her, and that was it for a while. Then, just as so many other fine webcomic addictions begin, I got bored at work, and somewhere in the recesses of my mind remembered the title. I started reading through the archives and very soon found myself hooked.
Kestrel is the kind of girl we (and by we, I mean nerds) all dream about. Funny, smart, hot, and a huge comic book fan. The kind of girl who, up until I started dating one, I didn't think actually existed in the real world. She lives with Shannon, who is married to her ex-boyfriend Felix, and has a crush on Seamus, who was taken at first but later crushed on Angela, who just so happens to have a bi/polysexual crush (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20040109.html) back onto Kestrel, despite the fact that Kestrel isn't even the least bit into girls except for when she plots with Shannon to screw with Felix's head (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20030331.html). You get all of that? It's a credit to Aeire's writing that QoW's plot never feels quite as over-the-top as it really is, but rather results in a light-hearted and incredibly fun read.
The premise of Queen of Wands follows suit with many other reality comics out there: a semi-autobiographical account of the creator's life, with most of the names changed to protect the innocent. However, as the above paragraph indicates, there's a lot more to it than that. What's immediately striking about QoW is the way in which it balances humor with drama. After all, I've left out the fact that Kestrel can be neurotic and crazy (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20020830.html) as hell, Shannon seems to have a well-hidden sadistic (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20041029.html) streak, and Angela is flat-out insane (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20021217.html) at times. The fun mix of personalities leads to some truly funny moments, and god help any poor sap (usually male (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20040121.html)) to get in their way.
Don't take this to mean, however, that Queen of Wands is just some kind of feminist bashing of all things bearing a Y-chromosome. It's not… in fact, once the reader gets to see Felix's back story, you can see just how forgiving these girls can be to even the greatest of male scum (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20030213.html). The reason for this is because QoW gives its characters an element that is rarely done as well in webcomics, humanity. Never once do the (main) characters degenerate into personality caricatures, and with the exception of "Wannabe Wiccan Girl" (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20020726.html) (real name unknown), no one character becomes a source of comic relief. Instead, just like all of us, the cast of QoW sometimes makes us laugh, and other times makes us want to cry.
When Aeire wanted to get serious, she didn't pull any punches. Dark inner demons, attempted suicide, lost children, and even a weird evil Wiccan spell that might have snuffed someone right out of existence. It sounds goofy, but believe me when I say that its taken very seriously (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20031110.html). On more than one occasion, the story would vear off into flashbacks to fill in the gaps of the often painful lives of the main characters, spanning weeks or even months in duration. Hell, the first one sees a nested flashback, complete with a different artistic style each time. If not for the occasional light scene thrown between the tragedies, it might even be seen as too much. Aeire herself seemed to see this, and the final "flashback" scene is a parody, ending before it can even start, much to the amusement of Angela.
Watching Aeire's art develop alongside her writing was part of the fun of the series. At the onset, the art was, as in most webcomics, a little sketchy (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20020722.html). It was constrained to four panels per strip, which caused some of the more "talky" strips to be little more than mountains of text. However, soon after she tossed this limitation aside, her art began to clean up. Even better, though, were her layouts. The panels got smaller, with the text appearing out and into the backgrounds. Each image was carefully chosen, such as the lips of the person talking, or the thoughtful eyes of the person who's supposed to be listening. In addition, her distinctive "lightning" backgrounds connecting each of her panels brought a sense of movement to each strip. Other small but excellent additions, such as use of past strips (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20051101.html) in the background, really made Queen of Wands a visual standout among the other webcomics out there.
You've probably noticed at this point that I'm speaking in the past tense here. Yep, as of February, 2005, Queen of Wands came to an end (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20050223.html). Aeire had a story to tell, and when it was done Queen of Wands became one of the few webcomics to end intentionally, rather than due to a lack of funds or interest. It did end on an open note, however, and as such Kestrel has now become one of the many supporting characters of Randy Milholland's Something Positive (http://www.somethingpositive.net/cast-kestrel.shtml), which is fitting considering it was characters from that comic that caused Kestrel to move (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20051127.html) in the first place.
Currently, Queen of Wands is experiencing rapid-fire reruns, with a new strip each day complete with creator commentary. It'll be a good idea to listen to her advice, though, and start from the beginning to avoid spoilers. It's one of the best reality comics out there, and with the full content available online, you have nothing to lose. And as soon as you're done there, it'll be time to graduate to the subject of my next installment...
<center><hr width=75%></center>
Nick Costanzo uses reality comics to deduce the lifestyles of the human race. Soon, he will relay this information to the mothership, and the invasion will begin. However, if your replies push this column to at least the second page, you may be spared.
Oh and by the way, if any of you mistook the title of this strip as a reference to Jean Grey and are disappointed, then ha. Get your head out of the friggin' hole already.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and are not reflective of Comixfan or its other staff in general.
Hot Red-Headed Comic Vixens
Originally, when I was first sitting down to weave an idea for this column (which our fine editor Raul Grau graciously reminded me that I still write), I got this cool idea in mind where I'd tackle different genres of webcomics, rather than simply going after them one title at a time. A column for gaming comics, a column for fantasy, maybe even one for random humor. And to start it all off would most certainly be "reality" based comics, if for no other reason than those are my favorites.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on one's perspective), this required that I actually sit down and read through a few titles that I haven't looked at in a while, and wouldn't you know it? I realized that I couldn't get away without devoting a whole column to at least one of my old faves, as it really stands alone as one of the best comics (web or otherwise) that I've ever read.
I was first introduced to Aeire's Queen of Wands (http://www.queenofwands.net) when a former roommate of mine began frantically linking it in her AIM profile. I referred to it as her "girly webcomic" to mess with her, and that was it for a while. Then, just as so many other fine webcomic addictions begin, I got bored at work, and somewhere in the recesses of my mind remembered the title. I started reading through the archives and very soon found myself hooked.
Kestrel is the kind of girl we (and by we, I mean nerds) all dream about. Funny, smart, hot, and a huge comic book fan. The kind of girl who, up until I started dating one, I didn't think actually existed in the real world. She lives with Shannon, who is married to her ex-boyfriend Felix, and has a crush on Seamus, who was taken at first but later crushed on Angela, who just so happens to have a bi/polysexual crush (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20040109.html) back onto Kestrel, despite the fact that Kestrel isn't even the least bit into girls except for when she plots with Shannon to screw with Felix's head (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20030331.html). You get all of that? It's a credit to Aeire's writing that QoW's plot never feels quite as over-the-top as it really is, but rather results in a light-hearted and incredibly fun read.
The premise of Queen of Wands follows suit with many other reality comics out there: a semi-autobiographical account of the creator's life, with most of the names changed to protect the innocent. However, as the above paragraph indicates, there's a lot more to it than that. What's immediately striking about QoW is the way in which it balances humor with drama. After all, I've left out the fact that Kestrel can be neurotic and crazy (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20020830.html) as hell, Shannon seems to have a well-hidden sadistic (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20041029.html) streak, and Angela is flat-out insane (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20021217.html) at times. The fun mix of personalities leads to some truly funny moments, and god help any poor sap (usually male (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20040121.html)) to get in their way.
Don't take this to mean, however, that Queen of Wands is just some kind of feminist bashing of all things bearing a Y-chromosome. It's not… in fact, once the reader gets to see Felix's back story, you can see just how forgiving these girls can be to even the greatest of male scum (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20030213.html). The reason for this is because QoW gives its characters an element that is rarely done as well in webcomics, humanity. Never once do the (main) characters degenerate into personality caricatures, and with the exception of "Wannabe Wiccan Girl" (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20020726.html) (real name unknown), no one character becomes a source of comic relief. Instead, just like all of us, the cast of QoW sometimes makes us laugh, and other times makes us want to cry.
When Aeire wanted to get serious, she didn't pull any punches. Dark inner demons, attempted suicide, lost children, and even a weird evil Wiccan spell that might have snuffed someone right out of existence. It sounds goofy, but believe me when I say that its taken very seriously (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20031110.html). On more than one occasion, the story would vear off into flashbacks to fill in the gaps of the often painful lives of the main characters, spanning weeks or even months in duration. Hell, the first one sees a nested flashback, complete with a different artistic style each time. If not for the occasional light scene thrown between the tragedies, it might even be seen as too much. Aeire herself seemed to see this, and the final "flashback" scene is a parody, ending before it can even start, much to the amusement of Angela.
Watching Aeire's art develop alongside her writing was part of the fun of the series. At the onset, the art was, as in most webcomics, a little sketchy (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20020722.html). It was constrained to four panels per strip, which caused some of the more "talky" strips to be little more than mountains of text. However, soon after she tossed this limitation aside, her art began to clean up. Even better, though, were her layouts. The panels got smaller, with the text appearing out and into the backgrounds. Each image was carefully chosen, such as the lips of the person talking, or the thoughtful eyes of the person who's supposed to be listening. In addition, her distinctive "lightning" backgrounds connecting each of her panels brought a sense of movement to each strip. Other small but excellent additions, such as use of past strips (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20051101.html) in the background, really made Queen of Wands a visual standout among the other webcomics out there.
You've probably noticed at this point that I'm speaking in the past tense here. Yep, as of February, 2005, Queen of Wands came to an end (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20050223.html). Aeire had a story to tell, and when it was done Queen of Wands became one of the few webcomics to end intentionally, rather than due to a lack of funds or interest. It did end on an open note, however, and as such Kestrel has now become one of the many supporting characters of Randy Milholland's Something Positive (http://www.somethingpositive.net/cast-kestrel.shtml), which is fitting considering it was characters from that comic that caused Kestrel to move (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20051127.html) in the first place.
Currently, Queen of Wands is experiencing rapid-fire reruns, with a new strip each day complete with creator commentary. It'll be a good idea to listen to her advice, though, and start from the beginning to avoid spoilers. It's one of the best reality comics out there, and with the full content available online, you have nothing to lose. And as soon as you're done there, it'll be time to graduate to the subject of my next installment...
<center><hr width=75%></center>
Nick Costanzo uses reality comics to deduce the lifestyles of the human race. Soon, he will relay this information to the mothership, and the invasion will begin. However, if your replies push this column to at least the second page, you may be spared.
Oh and by the way, if any of you mistook the title of this strip as a reference to Jean Grey and are disappointed, then ha. Get your head out of the friggin' hole already.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and are not reflective of Comixfan or its other staff in general.