Digger

Digger by Ursula Vernon  (www.diggercomic.com)  (I'd love to copy an image, but I'm not sure how legal that is.  You'll just have to go and see for yourself... but clear out some time, because you will keep reading).

You've probably heard of this recently, because it just won a Hugo for best graphic novel.  It's online (and currently free to read).  I probably wouldn't have read it even then, except that The Mary Sue (http://www.themarysue.com) recommended it as the one thing to definitely read in their recap of the awards.  I sauntered over to take a look - and came up for air some hours later.  I've read it in bits and pieces over the last week. 

The artwork is delightful, and Ms. Vernon could have easily made some money off of me if some of these images were on tee-shirts or coffee mugs or something.  Magnets.  Magnets would be good.  The entire series is done in black and white, and is very artistic.

The tagline for the series is "A wombat.  A dead god.  A very peculiar epic."  Digger of Convoluted Ways is the main character.  While digging a tunnel, she runs into some bad air and surfaces in a temple to Ganesh.  Being a wombat, she believes in geology - not gods.  All she wants to do is get back home - but it turns out someone has magicked her tunnel, so she can't go back the way she came. 

Of course she has adventures, and runs into some delightful characters.  I'm particularly fond of Mother Boneclaw (a hyena elder), Lady Surka (a shrew working as a troll on the side), Ed, and Digger herself.  There are prophesying slugs, bandersnatch, and vampiric squash.  If you don't want to read it by this point, I'm not sure we should continue to be friends. 

I have to confess, one reason I do love Digger has nothing to do whatsoever with the story, and everything to do with how improbable the story is.  Can you imagine how quickly you'd be shot down if you were a writer pitching this story to an editor?  The look of horror you'd get?  Who would ever read such a thing?  This is, I think, the very definition of labor of love: the story even overtook the author (who confessed that she didn't plan to do more than five panels).  Digger is exactly why you should do your own thing, tell your own stories in your own way.  I'm glad the internet allowed Digger to find an audience - and an audience to find Digger (now conventionally published by the awesomely-named Sofawolf Press).   
The series is, sadly, over.  I plan to follow Ms. Vernon, however, as she appears to have a great sense of humor and artistry (her LiveJournal blog is titled "Bark Like a Fish, Damnit!").



Obviously I highly recommend this, and will now annoy all my friends by telling them they must read this.  So if you know me personally, just save yourself some nagging and start reading already.