The Perry Bible Fellowship is a webcomic written and drawn by Nicholas Gurewitch, and hosted at www.pbfcomics.com. Its trademark is its caustic, sometimes offensive sense of humor, and particular art style.
The Perry Bible Fellowship (according to the author, you pronounce the "the" whenever it isn't awkward) has nothing to do with a guy named Perry, nor Bibles, nor, for the most part, with any sense of fellowship. It's been almost continually in production since 2001. New strips go up on Wednesdays, and, to the best of my knowledge, never have any continuity. (Although there are a couple recurring characters.) Although most readers see it online, a variety of alternative newspapers also carry it. It's received a pile of awards for being such an amazing comic, and well-deserved they are.
The art is a rarity in today's comic world. Though the strip is primarily seen online, most strips were done by hand. Says Gurewitch, "I sometimes color with Adobe Photoshop, but generally stick to watercolors, pencils, markers, paints, inks, etc." Strips vary between several archetypical styles, depending on theme and message; some are made to imitate the styles of other recognizable artists. Far from reinforcing the stereotype that webcomics are the slipshod younger brother of syndicated strips, the PBF is both meticulous and hilarious.
As I mentioned before, the strips are a little twisted. They calls to my mind the humor of Gary Larson of Far Side fame, but without the restraint that syndication put on him. A colorful, vibrant art style is tempered by strips focusing on brutality, death, depression, and all-out pandemonium. The best strips leave you reeling not only with their funny, but also with a sense of "Did I really just see that?" Many strips have a negative message; the few upbeat strips are generally about sex. And even then, the positivity is often bittersweet. I'd love to tell you my favorites, but it would only ruin them.
The Perry Bible Fellowship is soon to have its first book, The Trial of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories, published by Dark Horse Comics. It's a hardcover, due out on October 25, 2007. In addition to being a compendium of strips available online, the book will contain other artwork, as well as some strips that are no longer visible on the website.
The PBF is populated by sociopaths, dinosaurs, gorillas, robots, mutants, space aliens, and ninjas. It's sick and horrible, but hilarious and compelling. And the author is kind enough to provide a "Random Strip" link that you will spend the next six to eight hours clicking over and over and over again.
The site: http://www.pbfcomics.com