Cool Thing Of The Week: Girl Genius

Webcomics are a mixed bunch. Usually they're labors of love done by amateur hobbyists, with varying degrees of quality and consistency. Have you ever heard that saying that you can only pick two out of three options for service - good, fast, or cheap? Meaning that you can get good service cheap, but it won't be fast, fast and cheap, but not good, etc. Well, webcomics tend to have the same thing, but with different qualifiers - Good art, good writing, and good updating schedule. For example, Erfworld and Order of The Stick, both of which are brilliantly written with great art (even though one has stick figures,) have update schedules that can most kindly be described as "erratic." Not to mention the fact that they're both hosted on Giant In the Playground, which always takes ages to load. Girl Genius is the rare example of a comic that hits all three. Perhaps because it started as a print comic that transitioned into a webcomic, or perhaps because the minds behind it is the veteran comic artist and writer duo Phil and Kaja Foglio, who have the additional advantage of being married and thus insulated against the communications breakdowns that plague internet collaborations. Whatever it is, Girl Genius manages to produce amazing work three days a week, with few interruptions. I've been reading it for the past three years, and not once have I been dissapointed with the story or visuals. I'm a sucker for anything steampunk (or Gaslamp Fantasy as the Foglios prefer to call it) and Girl Genius delivers an epic story with great characters, great plot twists, and great visuals. The world is unique and fully realized, the characters have genuine growth and complex motivations, and the comic pulls off the incredible by being both dramatic and hilarious. Check it out, it's totally worth your time.