Fanboys Anonymous

I love finding hidden gems out there that I never expected to run into. Andy Christ, a very oddball yet well-made web comic, is just such a thing—a proverbial diamond in the rough. Illustrator, writer, creator, and all-around maniac mad scientist Pat Grub brings us a fun, deviant of a character in Andy. He's a poor, orphaned boy with a big brain, a penchant for asking too many questions, and a helluva secret in his past.

We begin our journey in "Episode 1: Peanuts", after a terrifying scene in which Andy is held prisoner by an unknown... cyborg? Evil genius? It's unclear at first, but intriguing. That's the crux of this comic: things that happen seem so odd and weird, yet there is a nice familiarity to the happenings. I never felt like the story was forced, or just being strange for the sake of it; rather it seemed a natural progression of the baseline story.

So Andy is an orphan, and has a pet squirrel. He loves his pet but there's a slight problem: the animal is the living dead and sets off an attack of zombie squirrels. It's over-the-top, it's fun, it's par for the course for Andy Christ. With every panel there is a sense of intimate connection with the artist responsible for its creation. Grubb is a good storyteller, and earnest in his application of his drawings. Andy comes off as fully-fleshed, yet hidden with secrets and layers. He is both sympathetic and dangerous. You feel for his plight, yet can't help but wish he wasn't pure evil at times.

The comic is labeled as horror, and has that feel at times, but it's also a fine comedic tale. As the writer/illustrator casts off the initial dregs of exposition and obligatory set-up, Andy is ready to delve deeper into his mythos. "Episode 3: The Void" is where it takes off. He learns his teddy bear Frooky is not as he seems, and neither is Andy. From there, creator Grubb lets loose, and while the comic becomes convoluted at times and stymied with heavy dialogue, there's a strong pulse of drive and telemetry. The story is going somewhere. At times it can appear a little amateurish, but the love and passion put into every panel is present and commendable. There are some great pop culture references (perhaps too many) as well, for those paying attention.

I guess the biggest thing I got out of these three issues was a sense of fun and discovery. Much like South Park, Andy Christ works best when there's a sense of the kids involved simply exploring their world and getting into trouble. How Andy gets out of tight spots include going demonic and fucking shit up. The last page in "Episode 3" also initiates a desire to further explore Andy's past and future simultaneously. There are even stranger and more powerful enemies in the next issue of Andy Christ, those greater and more dangerous than a nun or corrupt priest. Andy and Frooky will certainly have their difficulties.

Of course, along the way I'm sure we'll get more zombies, demons, and plenty of surprises. Do you want more information on this web comic? Does it seem interesting? Check out the link and sound off below.