The Novice
Comic, Issue #1, Sean McCarthy, 20 pgs, seanmccarthyart.com, $10
Artist and educator Sean McCarthy is no novice to the art world, having multiple publications and exhibitions under their belt. So who is this eponymous “novice?” As you may have guessed, the anxious looking snail-man on the cover.
As the comic opens, our protagonist’s introspective wooded stroll is interrupted by their colliding with a large “thing.” A thing best described as a sort of eldritch dragon-bird hybrid. The Novice is consumed, only to survive and meet worse horrors in the gullet of the beast. Without spoiling, things are not always what they appear to be. Both within and without this whimsy world.
McCarthy’s character and creature designs are uniquely grotesque, though I found the choice of risograph ink for them to be a little mismatched. They’re perhaps a little brighter than I would have liked. It detracts, but only slightly. McCarthy’s design for the Novice themselves does work nicely, their colourless uninked body and shell making them stand out against those bright surroundings.
Where the other colouring choices weren’t my favourite, the decision to leave the character bleached is a very effective one. Their brief lines of dialogue depict a character that seems out of place with the realm, and McCarthy’s emphasizing of this visually as well as verbally is effective. It’s a strong introduction to this character and their world. Having an ongoing series? Looks like McCarthy’s about to be no novice at that either! Sorry.