Less than a week ago I was complaining that no one ever reviewed Hereville… Sometimes it’s nice to be proven wrong. Two more reviews of “Hereville” have appeared.
Sam at the ZenKatzen Times writes:
It’s glorious, deep, clever, and intelligent; finally, a take on the hero’s tale which doesn’t look like it was cribbed straight outta G.I. Joseph Campbell. Mirka won me over from the start.
If you’re comic cognosenci, you know about it already. I just have to go on record and say how much I like this work. It’s nifty.
Alas for me, I’m pretty sure Sam’s comment about the “cognosenci” isn’t true — hardly anyone reads “Hereville” yet. But I’m really optimistic about the growth in readership (I now get around 500 visitors a day — a month ago I was lucky to get 100), and reviews like Sam’s can only help.
And at Comic Book Thoughts, Ragtime writes:
The comic is called “How Mirka Got Her Sword,” and is about a young Orthodox Jewish girl who sets out to slay dragons, which has all the elements that my little Raggirls will love, and looks to be the first comic book to crack our Bedtime Story Ritual since The Courageous Princess.
Ragtime also picks out page 11 as her or his favorite page of Hereville so far. I often don’t like my own work, but that page is one I’m fond of. My favorite part of it is probably the teeny, tiny Mirka and Dragon figures falling to the ground in the last panel — they give me the giggles.
Face it, Amp: everybody loves the witch.
Look out, Mirka! Remember, who anticipated that Popeye would take over the Timble Theatre comic, or that Bart Simpson would overshadow Life in Hell (only to be later overshadowed by Homer)? Literary characters have a life (and following) of their own.
Bring Back the Witch! Bring Back the Witch!
[voiceover: Citizens for the Machashaifeh; nobody.really, treasurer. “What am I, Professor at the University of Message Approval?”]
Damn straight, Amp! Mirka roXors! I love strong women characters, and ambitious young girl characters make me jump for joy.
And your style with all the sepia and your own special style which I’m really starting to appreciate … genius!
There’s a particularly interesting device you use that I haven’t seen elsewhere. But then, I’m no expert on comics/graphic novels, so perhaps that speaks to my inexperience. Anyway; I note that normally, you show eyes as simply black dots. But in certain circumstances, to add emphasis, you show them differentiated with pupils and irises. Very effective.
It’s almost as if he knows what he’s doing.
Know what I’m doing? Never!
I’m certainly not the first cartoonist to go back and forth between dot-eyes and more detailed eyes – Dave Sim has done that, and I think Scott McCloud as well. And I get the impression that a lot of manga (Japanese comics) use that technique, too. Glad you like it!
I’m waiting to see it at Stumptown actually. And maybe I’ll even get to shake your hand!