We’ve all known that one weird kid or are that one person with a penchant for wacky inventions. Then there’s that goth kid. We know them too. Put both of those kids together and you’ve got Mariah Huehner and Rob Reger’s “Emily and the Strangers.â€
That unlikely combination turns out to be a very enjoyable read.
The story is about anti-social genius girl Emily (and her many cats) doing her usual trying to come up with an invention that’s actually useful. After listening to a DJ say that there is a contest where the prize is the haunted guitar of Professa Kraken, she gets to work on a song to win that guitar.
The story could be best described as “Dexter’s Laboratory†with a goth feel to it and Dexter was female. Anyone who is/was that weird outcast teenager will get a kick out of this comic. Emily talks and acts exactly like how a teenager like this would talk/act. She’s friendly and her made up swear words are amusing to the point of making you want to be her friend- if she was real, of course. There are teenagers who make up their own language which makes her even more likable.
As for the ending of the comic, some may already see where this is going. It may seem that way, but Emily’s personality tells otherwise and we may be in for some surprises and maybe even some for humor.
A special nod to goes to her cats because even though we love cats they can be little devils sometimes.
Emily Ivie‘s art has a goth look that looks familiar, but has a charm to it. It has all the blacks, grays and other dark colors but there’s a certain charm to it that’s a little hard to pin down. Emily looks dark but cheerful and cute at the same time. It sounds weird but one look at the character and you’ll see.
“Emily and the Strangers†is that the goth’s answer to “Dexter’s Laboratory.†Emily is likable and relatable as is the story and Emily’s many cats. Ivie’s goth style art is the perfect combination for an enjoyable comic that can only get better and weirder as it goes along.
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