Boredom Tastes Like Chocolate is a webcomic, a world removed from the
likes of Sluggy Freelance, User Friendly et al. Its allegedly
anime-inspired, but this comes across only in the most vague stylistic
elements, and the generally incomprehensible plot.
As a comic series, to be quite brutally honest, there's very little to
redeem it, but for those of us
that thrive on ambiguity, and emotionally charged nonsense ,
it's a small treasure.
Reasons to love/hate it include:
- A simple drawing style, almost childish most of the time, though
occasionally more studied and careful. Generally rough and ready, with
dialogue captions edited in with Photoshop in a simple terminal font,
and
self-deprecating comments about the artist's ('Kendra') lack of skill
often pencilled on the original. In particular, she seems to have an
almost complete inability to draw hands.
- All the characters are cut from the same mould. They all share the
same facial structure, and are differentiated only by their hairstyle and
relative heights; this is marvellously confusing.
- Several characters are entirely androgynous, and few are entirely
human. This more-or-less speaks for itself.
- The strip never seems to work out what tone it wants to take. Is it
aiming for humour? Is it trying to make some meaningful point about the
nature of life and existence? Its ambiguity in this respect in particular
is actually the most intriguing; the indecision and self-doubt of the
writer/artist is quite tangible behind the storyline, such as it is.
Without giving too much away, the cast of characters includes,
but is not limited to:
- Braeden Caedelpse: the main character, and clinically dead,
but for reasons which are largely left unexplained.
- Colin: Braeden's flat-mate and best friend. Typical
Playstation-playing, green-haired nu-metal punk kid, but with a
penchant for Puzzle Fighter and Ant Racing (I think that last one's fictitious though).
- Rubicund: Initially portrayed as a nurse who attends Braeden while
in hospital (though he's clinically dead), she's soon revealed as an agent
of some dark, sinister force,.. a force that turns out to be...
- Doyle: a somewhat atypical evil villan, Doyle plans to take over
the world by controlling its supplies of porn and cheese. Believes
his hair to be the root source of all evil.
- Flax: apparently a young girl, at various points in the plot, she's
depicted as Rubicund's sister, cousin, or an animated, posessed doll.
Initially determined to kill Braeden, which is of course impossible
since he's already dead.
- Anhedonia: One of time's physical manifestations; an androgynous
character who turns up occasionally to give Braeden hints of explanation
for his predicaments, and to deliver the odd punchline.
- Lurid: another one of Time's androgynous physical manifestations.
- Gilolael: Like Rubicund and Flax, is in the employ of Doyle.
A fairly inconspicuous character. Constantly wracked with self-doubt,
but weilds a somewhat cool diamond sword.
Most of the notable comic hilights of the strip are fairly early on in
the continuity; particularly a supermarket scene featuring the bitingly
ironic line "Ha! I am invulnerable to your lunchmeat onslaught! Ph33r
my 1337 spatula skillz!". Also the very first strip, a monologue from Braeden: "So I've been lying here, in a puddle of my own congealing blood, for a full hour. At times like these I am reminded of life's many mysteries. And all the questions I have come back to me... 'Why the fuck am I not dead yet?' springs readily to mind."
Boredom Tastes Like Chocolate can be read in its entirity at
http://refrigeratedcake.com/comics/chocolate