Is Sluggy Freelance the closest thing web comics have to their own Hulk Hogan? Both have had profound and easily recognizable influences on their respective genres, both have shifted their narratives around in order to evolve with their audiences (Hogan’s turns from heroic patriot to black-clad villain and then back again, Sluggy‘s shifts between farce comedy and straight action/drama), and both franchises have blonde protagonists. Granted, I don’t think creator Pete Abrams is going to be telling tall tales about slamming the creators of other strips to death, or opening any doomed pasta chains in the near future, but it’s just some food for thought.
Not pictured: homicidal rabbits, robot stormtroopers or anybody realizing this was a stupid assed idea.
Said blonde protagonist is Torg, a well meaning but dim slacker with an uncanny knack for living through things not even most cartoon characters would. He’s the best friend of the trenchcoat-clad Riff, an introverted but also well-intentioned hack inventor. Riff’s creations, often due to them falling in the wrong hands, usually set the plotlines in motion, to the grief of purple-haired straightwoman Zoe. These three are arguably the most normal among the rest of their usual crew, rounded out by the erratic Gwynn and a sociopathic rabbit named Bun-Bun.
A quick note on Bun-Bun: he’s possibly the original snarky animal sidekick of web strips, and while Sluggy‘s content is never too inappropriate, perhaps even more violent and crazy than his successors. Only Torg and co. have the patience and the firepower to deal with him (as well as his very bizarre rivalry with Santa Claus of all people), which is the only reason I assume he still remains their pet.
Together our merry band gets into a variety of misadventures, which include haunted houses, dystopian future worlds, alien invasions, and the odd cultural nod. Of course, it doesn’t take long for the series to establish its own mythology, which is a major reason as to its continued popularity.
Due to its longevity and involved storylines which stretch back to 1997 (hell, I caught a Spice Girl joke early on, and Riff’s large sunglasses and ponytail definitely tell you what decade he was created in), Sluggy is not a series one should try to binge read through, hence why this review is roughly a month in the making. Going through it, I guess you could technically argue it went through a “Cerebus Syndrome” period, but with how elaborate some of the plots are and how frantic the action is from early on combined with time, it may have been inevitable.
What sets Sluggy apart is its consistency. Even at its heaviest, there’s still an undercurrent of weirdness to everything happening, and the humor never gets too dumb or the drama too depressing. The main cast, while not very bright, are all pretty likable, even Bun-Bun who is so over the top with his insanity that you can’t help but laugh. The art is simple and sketchy but always manages to get everything across- some of Abrams’s more detailed action scenes reminded me of Sergio Aragones’ work.
Being one of the older web comics around, there’s a lot to wade through in Sluggy Freelance. In fact, some of the earlier Sunday strips could have been stretched into mini-arcs of their own. Over time Abrams paces himself more and also adds annotations referencing the history of important characters and plot points, so newer readers will eventually be able to make up their mind. As for me, I enjoyed it and can easily see how it’s influenced a lot of creators going forward. Recommended, so head here for a wickedly funny adventure strip.