Sholm Pearly

For some reason this quarantine is hard on artists. I really thought that with large numbers of people forced inside, there would be a large boom of art consumption. And some platforms report great sales. The video games industry has never been so good, with everyone indulging, and sports fan falling back on e-sports… but for everything else, could I have been wrong?

Most independent writers seem to report a drastic loss in sales the last few weeks, comic book artists are devastated as events are cancelled and they can’t present their stuff to gain readers, and performance artists have to create new web platforms so as to hope to be seen, and remain in people’s minds even if they make no living. My own book seem to have fallen a little out of the web radar, with my minimum advertising I’m not surprised, though.

More seriously, I think lots of people are getting short on money, and keeping to the essentials, and lots of big names have made some of their works available so people gravitate towards that. Also people might be partisan of the least effort and instead are binging screen activities, signing up to Netflix, scrolling through facebook, and filming themselves doing tic-tocs.

In any case, for the time being I’d like to share a few links to interesting web comics currently free to read on the web.

For a very imaginative sci-fi relationship, space renovation, strange religion, spaceship life story look no further than On A Sunbeam. I was mesmerised by the tone and illustration reminiscent of Craig Thompson. You get the full work, it’s huge and satisfying and free right here:

https://www.onasunbeam.com/#/chapter-one/

For an beautiful short ink post-apocalyptic snowy setting comic, and a discussion of Moby-dick look no further than Ghost town:

http://sethhahne.com/comics/ghost_towns/

Here for the cutest culinary witch about to inhabit a hunted house, it’s more childish but the rather off kilter tone totally sucked me in, as well as the pop super kawai colours:

https://tapas.io/series/unfamiliar

For an interactive (and impressive, even music featuring!) father and daughter dystopian moment look here. The humour wasn’t always mine, but I really enjoyed the close attention to pace, the personal art, and the work done to get such a polished piece out there. It’s incredible it’s free :

https://www.studiomik.nl/hype/maggie/home.html

And here for a great and beautiful mashup of Alice (in wonderland), Peter Pan’s Wendy and Dorothy of Oz. The quality of the art is fantastic, modern euro graphic novel style, the theme had me hocked right away and the characters are very lovable:

https://tapas.io/episode/662806

I’m sure those artists would love some support!