The weather has returned to nice and that, for some reason, puts me in the mood for wisecracking forest animals. And where better to find them than in Karl Kerschl’s The Abominable Charles Christopher?
Most installments are gags involving sarcastic animals. But there is a running story about the titular Charles Christopher, a mute Sasquatch.
At first glance, the comic, with its masterful inks and washes, looks all serene and pastoral. Like something lifted from a book called How To Draw Wildlife With Pen And Ink. That was written in the 19th century. And then the perfectly rendered fauna open their mocking, cynical mouths and you realize that Kerschl not only captures nature’s beauty but also its cruelty.
There are certainly episodes here and there that count as touching and quaint. Contemplative, even. But personally, I much prefer the head-butting swans (above), the smart-ass mice, and the desperate sparrow.
Oh, and the cats.
This strip has been around since 2007, and unlike a lot of webcomics which are passion projects by amateurs whose art skills improve slowly over time, Charles Christopher has been gorgeously drawn from the start. No surprise considering Kerschl is a comic pro who’s worked on everything from Flash to Superman to Majestic to Weapon X. Charles Christopher is fun project he does in his spare time. For free.
