Can Kristofer Straub ever do wrong?
This is one of the many questions the webcomic community often ponders. It probably ranks somewhere under “Who’s sexier: Hannelore or Faye?” and somewhere above “Is the hatted man a white knight or a creepy little stalker?” Yes, webcomic people are weird like that.
It helps that Straub himself seems incredibly likable… the George Plimpton of webcomics, if you will. Just listen to a Webcomic Weekly podcast some time. Scott Kurtz is the sarcastic yet sassy moderator-type, Brad Guigar comes off as a goofy old uncle with a fondness for the hooch, and Dave Kellett seems like a quick-witted weisenheimer with a pop-culture dictionary. But Kris Straub? He’s absolutely suave.
He’s the epitome of a cool nerd, the kind of guy who can share his opinions of DS9′s Dominion War at the local ComiCon and, instead of exuding the graces of a misanthropic basement dweller, comes off as an interesting, multi-faceted individual with a sparkling personality. Oh, sure, he’s also the kind of guy who’s taking home the cute cosplayer dressed up as Fran from FFXII that you’ve been working up the nerve to talk to all evening. But you’d be totally cool with it, because, deep down inside, you know she’s going home with the better man … and you, too, are more than a little gripped by a stifling man crush.
With that in mind, is there any way to possibly hate Kris Straub’s latest project, the mostly black-and-white webcomic, F Chords? The comic was only launched July 2008, yet shortly into its run fans were already gushing about it like some squealing fangirls at the premiere of Twilight. I mean, look at these positive notices from Lore Sjoberg. And Justin Lowmaster. Mi amigo Jackson at This Week in Webcomics.
But now, six months into its run, at the end of what Kris Straub likes to call “Side One,” is F Chords really all that and a free hotplate?
