I found Sluggy Freelance early in the millennialism running up to the celebrating of the chronometer rolling over. While the world was moving in fear of obscure COBOL errors and loading up on sixteen tons of rice after the sugar-induced stupor of the Clinton administration, I was clicking away secure in my own stock of canned goods and ammunition. A good friend had followed the strip from nearly day one, and had told me that it might be worth checking out. I had succeeded in totally avoiding Titanic and Fight Club (each on different grounds); in the one case I was proved right, the other wrong.
Sluggy Freelance was worth checking out. Sold to me without conditions, I rapidly devoured the back story and began to love the characters as freestanding individuals. Soon, I could count on the Abrams Machine to deliver the goods on a regular update schedule. While other web comics were floundering to find punchlines the Abrams Empire was generating story arcs. Taking what others treat as a simple Marmaduke exercise and creating the equivalent of a situational comedy version of the early Prince Valiant. These full story arcs were crossing genres and finding in them a common ground through their super-fortunate characters.
As the title of the article infers, there are great parallels to the Winnie-the-Pooh stories within Sluggy Freelance, and some bittersweet realizations to make as well. Having found his Zoe/Gwynn in real life, and then a little bundle of joy beyond, will Abram�s carefully crafted dynamic spiral apart? The Torg/Riff protagonists were the bachelor kings playing with toys and beer but now they seem distracted and absent. Abrams is now facing the problem of aging his protagonists or retreating into an ageless Nevernever Land.
Other artists have taken this question in different ways. Schulz let his Franchise seep deep into the American Consciousness and collected royalties off that settlement. Watterson�s Innocent Hero and Imaginary Friend boldly walked off-stage and into that Age-ending future. Will Abrams move to follow Robin and Pooh or sell off Torg and Bun-Bun?
Like the much celebrated Milholland this month, Abrams has been earning by his graphics tablet for years now. His merchandising back end, product recognition, and his site and fan traffic is such that he is in the envied position of being a webcomics icon. Even obscure four-panel comics build punchlines about getting one of Torg�s pet goldfish for a cameo just to boost traffic.
With the “Somewhere in the Dimension of Pain” arcs seeming to converge, following swiftly upon the Klein bottle apotheosis of the break-out character Bun-Bun, Abrams appears to be burning out the kindling wood. What is going to be left behind is hard to tell. Years later I still follow Sluggy Freelance. The schedule slips now and then, and commitments eat into the heart of the matter. The edges seem to be made child-safe, but the hint of great things to come can be seen here and there.
Sluggy Freelance will not disappoint.