Jeph Jacques' Questionable Content is without a doubt one of the biggest successes in webcomic history. Started in 2003, the comic is still running today, earning enough to support the author and his now wife entirely. I have been reading QC religiously for the last week, and have reached around strip 950 in this 2000+ strip epic. So, while I haven't quite caught up with the comic, read on for my musings on the story thus far and where I think things might go from here.
So, the plot of QC is nothing fresh: a group of 20-somethings, trying to find their place in the world, hang out together and romance, drama, and hilarity ensue. The storyline itself moves at a glacial pace (JJ's words, not mine), with meager weeks passing in story while years pass in the real world. This is one of the things that is so puzzling to me. I find the strip addictive, and yet, I can't quite place my finger on why.
The protagonist of the tale is Marten Reed, a self-proclaimed music nerd and indie boy who is often down on his luck in the romance department. He sort of drifts through his life, working only what is required to pay his bills and with no real goals or plans whatsoever. He has a tiny computer/robot who gets up to whacky hijinks, but this is nothing strange in QC world (they're called AnthroPCs, and they are about as normal as laptops in our world). The story begins when Marten meets Faye, an attractive and sassy chick with a tough exterior, who through a series of unfortunate events, ends up moving in with Marten and becoming his best friend/love interest/roommate all in one fell swoop. The cast quickly expands to include Marten's friends, Faye's boss and coworkers, other tenants in their apartment complex, and various family members of all. The genre could best be described as slice-of-life/romance/drama. The characters spend most of their time either chatting in the coffee shop Faye works at or getting really, really drunk at various locales.
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| From L to R: Raven, Sven, Nat, Amir, Faye, Marten, Pintsize, Dora, and Hannelore |
So, you might be saying to yourself, what's so great about that? That sounds just like every other freshmen webcomic slapped onto the internet. Well, I'd have to agree with you there if it weren't for one crucial detail: Jeph Jacques works harder to improve than any other artist or cartoonist I have ever seen. His skills grow in leaps and bounds. For example, check out his early art to his current art:
Those are the same two characters talking to each other after about 2 years of improvement on Mr. Jacques' part. It's positively incredible. What's more, Jeph let's the readers know he's working for them. As much as I enjoy the comic itself, I almost enjoy the author's notes that accompany them more. In almost every note, Jeph makes a point to point out any new techniques or changes he's trying, and ask for feedback on whether the fans like it or not. He keeps his audience up to date on everything he does, be it his convention schedule, the status of merchandise orders, or what music shows he's going to. On top of that, I can honestly say that Jeph might be one of the nicest guys on the web. He is constantly linking and complimenting the work of other cartoonists, as well as sharing the work of this favorite bands. He is always excited and happy to talk to his fans. Reading his notes, you can tell he's just ecstatic to be in the field he's in and doing as well as he is to boot.
As for the writing, all I can say is that Jacques makes the reader care about his characters. Recently, as the comic has developed, there has been more of a focus on mental health problems and how to work through those problems positively. He has touched on the issues of suicide, post-traumatic stress, social anxiety, and OCD (so far). He handles each issue with grace, sensitivity, and humor, and in my opinion, does a lot to enlighten people as to the effects of living with such problems. That alone makes Questionable Content worth the read.
So, without giving anything away, the point of the story that I am at is a relatively happy one. Marten is in a happy relationship. Characters who were previously semi-crippled by their various disorders are now doing better, and are actively seeking help. Everything is hunky-dory. Which to me, can mean only one thing: tragedy is close at hand. I'm not sure I could continue reading over 1000 more strips if something dramatic doesn't happen soon. I get the feeling that Jeph loves his characters and has brought them to this happy place out of that love, but at the same time, I have faith enough in his abilities as a writer to believe that he knows when a good dose of darkness is required. But hey, that's only my most wishy-washy of predictions; there's really no telling what will happen from here (except for the addition of more cast mates. Goodness does this guy love adding in more cast mates).
While I certainly sympathize with the fact that staring down over 2000 strips is a formidable thing, I would still recommend QC to all you webcomics fans. I mean, if you even need my recommendation, I'm a bit late to this party. I for one am so addicted at this point that I have no choice but to follow through. Anyhow, look forward to the second half of this review once I reach the end of the archives.
Paisley gives this comic a B+
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