In today’s ever-changing comics industry, there are two universal truths. First and foremost, Junji Ito is an iconic artist of our time. The second is that more people are reading horror comics and online comics (also known as vertical comics) than ever before. Therefore, we at Comics Beat chose to embark on a new adventure: Beat’s Bizarre Halloween Adventure. Each week in October, three authors will recommend some of their favorite horror books and series from Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. The theme of this issue is very scary, such as: Immortality! Frozen meat! Animal masks!
live forever
Writer/Artist: Raul Trevino
edit: Becca Cardon
Backstage Assistant: Andres Baquerizo
Project consultant: E. Dieter
platform: WEBTOON, ROCKET SHIP (print version)
Come on you apes! you want live forever?
It’s a spooky season, and I picked just the right person for Beat’s Bizarre Halloventure. This was one of the first webcomics I read when I first downloaded the app, and it had a huge impact on my own work. This series is Raul Trevinosupernatural thriller live forever. It tells the story of Sarah, a teenage girl who searches for a way to gain immortality after a tragic family incident forces her to confront her own mortality.
live forever This is one of (if not the only) completely black and white original web comics I’ve ever read. This is a big deal considering most originals have to be in full color. The series stands out for the way it uses line art and black to emphasize shadows, creatures, clothing, and landscapes. Red is also used to attract the reader’s attention, as in comics sin city and movies like this Schindler’s List.
Raul Trevino’s art is also unique, with simple character designs that strike a balance between detail and simplicity. I have no words to describe the charm of his character art. You only have to read his work and see his art firsthand to understand how he achieved his goals.
This webtoon is really short, only 52 episodes. So here’s a short and sweet read for this time of year. Without spoiling the storyline, if you’re a fan of murder mysteries and supernatural entities, you won’t be disappointed. Also, if you enjoyed reading this webcomic, I recommend you check out Raul’s other original webcomics Magic soda. — Justin Guerrero
Vampire and his lovely friends
Writer/Artist: Rogawana
ability: Kihara Naruse
Translator: Tyler Engel
Engraving: Abigail Blackman
Publisher: Yen Press
It’s hard to explain why you’re naked in the women’s restroom of a meatpacking plant when you don’t understand the language. What’s more, when you were a bat, you were accidentally shipped to Japan in a package of frozen meat. However, this is the predicament Albert finds himself in.
He’s a vampire, but his transformation wasn’t executed correctly. Now, he involuntarily transforms into a human at night and a bat during the day. A series of events leads him to meet Akira, a seemingly grumpy, fun-loving embalmer. We accompany Albert as he navigates life, makes friends, and searches for meaning.
Rogawana Is a well-known cartoonist. Her other two series, new york, new york and Those Snow White noteslicensed in English. The latter has an animated adaptation. her new collection Vampire and his lovely friendsproduced in collaboration with the novelist Kihara Naruseis a slow-paced, bittersweet boy’s love comic featuring an odd pairing who never misses an opportunity to clash.
The play carefully balances silliness, tragedy, tenderness and romance. It’s not very “down to earth” because of course there are vampires. But Albert faces incredible challenges after transforming into a creature unable to maintain human form. Losing family and friends, having no ID, ending up homeless, and having to work part-time jobs for next to nothing was now “normal” to him.
His life with brooding embalmer Akira isn’t all plain sailing either. However, having allies and a roof over his head was enough for Albert to shine. He was energetic, loving and kind. Maybe he’s impulsive and prone to getting into trouble. But he’s doing his best to survive in a world that’s pushing him away. Akira is slow to open up, but makes a great pairing with Albert, and as the chapters progress, he grows more and more trusting of his bat roommate, which feels great to read. valuable.
Ragava’s Vampire and his lovely friends is a poignant comic that’s perfect to read in October, especially for someone like me who doesn’t like horror but wants to get into the Halloween mood. Volume 5 has just been published, so there are still many more to read! — Merve Guire
all is well
Writer/Artist: Mike Birchall
edit: HB Klein
Platform: WEBTOON, Online comic expansion (printed)
In a quiet, idyllic neighborhood, a couple named Maggie and Sam live in a beautiful house with their adorable puppy, Winston. Everything looks normal and fine. Until you realize something isn’t quite right. Winston is no longer…really Winston. Maggie and Sam are avoiding things they don’t want to or can’t talk about. If they do say the wrong thing, their eyes turn red and they forget. Other than that, everything. yes. Perfect. wonderful.
all is well Much of what makes it unsettling is due to its extremely simple art. The colors are simple and solid, the lines are clean but simple. Birchall conveys a sense of creepiness through the use of shadows and magnification of the characters’ faces. No dialogue is needed here; readers know something is off, but they just can’t put their finger on exactly what. The uneasiness is also cleverly conveyed through the character designs. They all wore animal head masks, and it was impossible to tell what they were feeling just by looking at their faces. The eyes on these masks don’t blink. They don’t sparkle. Whether they’re angry, scared or happy, it’s all the same dark color.
An unsettling quality is felt through the small details right from the start. Maggie stares at the three swings in the park, Charlie buys a ton of foil, and Sam barely blinks (metaphorically) when a man who looks like he’s been through an assault stumbles into his yard. on, not literally). Things weren’t going well, but everyone was afraid to point it out. This makes Birchall’s dialogue writing even smarter, because the words the characters say… aren’t actually spoken directly.
all is well like george orwell’s 1984 Remade into a web comic where people wear animal heads all day long. However, the personal risk feels much higher all is well. —Hillary Liang
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