Why You Should Read 'Parking Gulls' :: The Life of the Traegorn

The Life of the Traegorn

Current Posts
Archives
RSS Feed

Why You Should Read 'Parking Gulls'
Posted Feb 27, 2013 - 10:28:09

So, from time to time, I like to point out awesome things being done by people I know. Why? Because as previously stated, they are awesome. I don't understand why you have to make this so complicated...

Anywho, today I want to share with you one of these awesome things. It's the webcomic Parking Gulls created by my friend Erika Flanagan.

Parking Gulls tells the story of a bunch of college guys living in a house together. The house in question bears a striking resemblance to one which Erika used to live in. Which happens to be a house that, before Erika ever lived there, Crysta and I used to live in.

So yes, it's a bit strange to read something where the lead character sleeps in what was once my old bedroom.

But personal strangeness aside, the comic is well drawn and the writing is surprisingly good. Those who know me well understand that you don't get a much higher compliment out of me than that.

The art is simple black and white, with a feel somewhere in between manga and indie comics of the 80s-90s. Honestly, I don't know if this is a conscious choice on her part, or just the natural evolution of her style. Either way, it's one I enjoy. With the proliferation of either straight manga or overly cartoony comics on the web, it's almost like coming home to read something that looks like this.

As for the story itself, the comic holds up as well. Which is, y'know, hard - because there are a million well drawn but poorly written webcomics out there. She introduces a large cast, but has paced out their appearances so far where it's not overwhelming - and the characters are visually distinct enough where there's no problem telling them apart.

Considering how many large cast comics fail doing so, that's no small feat.

The humor is very slice of life, and while it seems to focus on the trials of being an art student, most of it is very common to the general collegiate experience. These are people you know, these are people you can relate to. These are people doing things which you have likely done yourself at some point.

The comic only updates once a week (Tuesday Evenings), and it's still early days so the archives are thin. But if you're looking for a well drawn, clever webcomic, you need to check this out. You can either start at the beginning or jump to the latest page.

Do it now.

Like, right now.

Go already!
- Traegorn