Pibgorn (webcomic)
Encyclopedia
Pibgorn is a webcomic
by Brooke McEldowney
that began in early 2002, ended its run on Comics.com on April 18, 2007, and has resumed with GoComics.com on May 14, 2007. The title character is a fairy whose adventures span the fantasy and real worlds. McEldowney also creates the syndicated comic strip
9 Chickweed Lane
.
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Until April 18, 2007, Pibgorn was published on internet by United Feature Syndicate
(an unusual move by the syndicate
) on their Comics.com website. It has also been published as a graphic novel
, Pibgorn: The Girl in the Coffee Cup, which was released in October 2006. Other releases include A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Poltergeist in the Piano, and The Borgia Cantus. Possibly because of graphic novel considerations, Pibgorn is characterized by involved story arc
s which may seem better suited to a graphic novel than a daily comic, and it is also notable for its creative use of color and large format, together with strong themes of violence (explicit) and sexuality (generally implicit), attributes not usually associated with daily print comics. The artist has made the point that he wants to create a story without worrying about the editors of family newspapers, and he is making the most of that freedom.
Pibgorn originally ran daily Monday through Saturday, but on February 8, 2006, it was announced that beginning on February 13, the strip would run only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. McEldowney stated the burden of writing two daily strips concurrently as the reason for the cutback. As of July 14, 2008, the strip began running 5 days a week, Monday through Friday; McEldowney indicated in his blog that despite time constraints, he wanted the story to move along at a brisker pace.
Pibgorn on rare occasions. He finally started adapting the idea into a proposed spin-off entitled The Titans, which was rejected by syndicate editors, in 2000. These proposed strips and accompanying sketches were presented on the Pibgorn website in 2005 during one of McEldowney's hiatuses from the strip.
Titans would have been a gag-a-day format strip, in which Pibgorn (named Oola Inch here), disenchanted with her expected role as a fairy, usually would break away from her regular routine to wax philosophical. Unfortunately, Oola was also one of life's losers, her dialogues often resulting in misfortune, such as having a magic 8-ball
roll over her, or nearly being eaten by whatever animal she's conversing with (a spider, a duckling, etc.). The strips also showed a darker side to her character, as in addition to managing dewdrops, her responsibilities include serving as the "voices-in-my-head
" of disgruntled government employees, driving one to attempted homicide on at least one occasion.
The final set of proposal strips showed Oola running afoul of Prince Crewth and Gaggot, here named Prince Grabstein and Rhune, when she petitions to leave "dewdrop brigade" and become a stand-up comedian. Unable to tell if she's laughing with him or at him, Grabstein outlaws laughter altogether and sets Luciano after Oola, only for the fly to fall in love with her. These situations were later recycled as part of the early Pibgorn story arcs.
From a letter from Brooke McEldowney to his readers:
Although McEldowney doesn't explicitly say it, the examples he gives in his blog (below) suggest that he wanted to be able to use more suggestive language and racier images than United Media would permit, and considered their standards too restrictive. After the move to GoComics.com, the content became more risque, including nudity and implied sexual content. For example, in the August 22, 2008 strip, Geoff is seen walking down the street, nude, with his bare buttocks on display,.
. Continuing in its three-per-week format, the interrupted story arc was presented from the start so as not to confuse new readers.
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
by Brooke McEldowney
Brooke McEldowney
Brooke McEldowney is responsible for 9 Chickweed Lane, a print comic strip, and also for Pibgorn, a webcomic. 9 Chickweed Lane has been syndicated by United Media since 1993, and has one published collection, Hallmarks of Felinity....
that began in early 2002, ended its run on Comics.com on April 18, 2007, and has resumed with GoComics.com on May 14, 2007. The title character is a fairy whose adventures span the fantasy and real worlds. McEldowney also creates the syndicated comic strip
Print syndication
Print syndication distributes news articles, columns, comic strips and other features to newspapers, magazines and websites. They offer reprint rights and grant permissions to other parties for republishing content of which they own/represent copyrights....
9 Chickweed Lane
9 Chickweed Lane
9 Chickweed Lane is an American comic strip written and drawn by Brooke McEldowney following the fortunes of the women of three generations of the Burber family — Edna, Juliette, and Edda — as they try to make their way in the world. 9 Chickweed Lane is the address of their former family home. ...
.
Format
United Media
United Media is a large editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It syndicates 150 comics and editorial columns worldwide. Its core business is the United Feature Syndicate and the Newspaper Enterprise Association...
(an unusual move by the syndicate
Syndicate
A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies or entities formed to transact some specific business, or to promote a common interest or in the case of criminals, to engage in organized crime...
) on their Comics.com website. It has also been published as a graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
, Pibgorn: The Girl in the Coffee Cup, which was released in October 2006. Other releases include A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Poltergeist in the Piano, and The Borgia Cantus. Possibly because of graphic novel considerations, Pibgorn is characterized by involved story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
s which may seem better suited to a graphic novel than a daily comic, and it is also notable for its creative use of color and large format, together with strong themes of violence (explicit) and sexuality (generally implicit), attributes not usually associated with daily print comics. The artist has made the point that he wants to create a story without worrying about the editors of family newspapers, and he is making the most of that freedom.
Pibgorn originally ran daily Monday through Saturday, but on February 8, 2006, it was announced that beginning on February 13, the strip would run only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. McEldowney stated the burden of writing two daily strips concurrently as the reason for the cutback. As of July 14, 2008, the strip began running 5 days a week, Monday through Friday; McEldowney indicated in his blog that despite time constraints, he wanted the story to move along at a brisker pace.
Characters
- Pibgorn: The title character, a fairy who is not satisfied flitting around when she could be getting in trouble instead. She's sweet, effervescent, charming and flighty, with a succubus for a best friend and a human for a sweetheart. She has a talent for trouble, a knack for friendship, and a magical kiss—the baiser de la fée—which can effect miraculous healing or change the size of herself and others.
She is drawn as a lithe young woman with simultaneously red and blonde hair, and insect-like wings growing from her back. She is neither clothed nor nude; her body is covered with varying shades of green, which McEldowney describes as being "dappled". She can however wrap her wings around her body, transforming into clothes.
- Drusilla: A rather manipulative succubusSuccubusIn folklore traced back to medieval legend, a succubus is a female demon appearing in dreams who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual intercourse. The male counterpart is the incubus...
who is used to getting what she wants, she seems to have resigned herself to the fact that Geoff genuinely loves Pib rather than her. Granted, this is after murdering Pib when she first decided she was a rival, but since it didn't stick, well, if you can't beat them, join them. She has made it exquisitely clear, though, that if Pib hurts Geoff, Dru will make her very sorry. Their relationship has developed into an alliance bordering on friendship.Like Pibgorn, her body is "dappled", covered with shades of magenta and violet, but arranged to bare more, accentuating her bosom and navel. She has black hair, which she often wears in long tresses to cover her ears, which possess a stag-horn shape and are indicative of her status as a demon.
- Geoff (surname unknown): Pib's slightly geekGeekThe word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
y sweetheart, he's a former church organistOrganistAn organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
and now Pib's and Drusilla's accompanist, having been ostracized from the community when Drusilla accidentally revealed her true identity to the local pastor. He is loyal and affectionate, and protective of those he cares about. Not a stereotypical swashbuckling hero type, Geoff nevertheless has consistently shown bravery in order to help save Pibgorn and others around him from danger. He is also getting better acquainted with the supernatural world and has on occasion been able to guesstimateGuesstimateGuesstimate is an informal English contraction of guess and estimate, first used by American statisticians in 1934 or 1935. It is defined as an estimate made without using adequate or complete information, or, more strongly, as an estimate arrived at by guesswork or conjecture...
a solution. He apparently holds a great interest in musical history, as he’s shown a surprising amount of biographical knowledge about Wolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
. - Oognat: The hair fairy—not as bold or adventurous as Pibgorn, Oognat nonetheless ends up in many of the same difficulties as her companion fairy.
- Thorax: Possibly a visitor from another galaxy, a guest character from 9 Chickweed Lane9 Chickweed Lane9 Chickweed Lane is an American comic strip written and drawn by Brooke McEldowney following the fortunes of the women of three generations of the Burber family — Edna, Juliette, and Edda — as they try to make their way in the world. 9 Chickweed Lane is the address of their former family home. ...
. - Maurice: A field mouseField mouseField mouse may refer to:*in Europe, Asia and north Africa, one of several species of mice in genus Apodemus*in North America, a small vole such as the Meadow Vole*in South America, one of several species of mice in genus Akodon...
, he's been a friend of Pib's from the very beginning, and he tries valiantly to keep up and help where he can. When last seen, he’d apparently become the companion of a Humphrey BogartHumphrey BogartHumphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
-influenced ex-demon. - Prince Crewth: The fairy monarchMonarchA monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
who was exasperated enough by Pib's flouting of the rules (the last of which he invented against some action Pib had already done and made it retroactively effective) to order her assassination. Whenever he reappears in a strip, it's usually to re-authorize her termination for some perfectly senseless reason, although he's often side-tracked by the appearance of Drusilla or some other, more intimidating presence. Indolent and proud of it, he is mind-numbingly bureaucratic and blind to the repercussions of his actions. He is drawn as a miniature satyrSatyrIn Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
with a resemblance to former U.S. Presidents Theodore RooseveltTheodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
and William Howard TaftWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
. - Gaggot: Prince Crewth's oily lawyer/doctorPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, who seems to fancy himself as something of a power behind the throne, easily able to lead the prince around by the nose. Despite this, he often finds himself serving as Crewth’s right-hand man in the various tasks set upon them by Drusilla and others, which inevitably results in physical harm to both of them. Because of this, his patience with his monarch would appear to be wearing thin. He is drawn as a standard fictional wizard or vizierVizierA vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
, wearing robes and a long, grey beard. He is the most human-looking fairy to appear in the strip, without insect wings or goat-legs, and could pass for a miniature human. - Luciano: a horsefly who is Prince Crewth's consultant and sometime court assassinAssassinationTo carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
, whose only weakness appears to be Pib. He proves to be completely unable to bring himself to hurt her, and instead falls head over heels. - Henmellyn: Drusilla's daughter. She first appears on January 19, 2004, and subsequently "dies." She does not reappear until March 24, 2011, as a pawn in the hands of the demon Stan, who uses her to draw Drusilla to him.
- Stan: a hypermasculine satyr, half-goat, half-human, very much in the image of the Greek god Pan. He appears in a storyline that started in the Pibgorn strip for March 24, 2011, with the reappearance of Drusilla's daughter all but drowned in a pool of lava in Hell. He is cruel, violent, extremely powerful, and seems bent on Drusilla's destruction, which he seems to accomplish in the strips for May 16-19, 2011. As of May 20, 2011, we learn that his plot involves Geoff in some way. (All of the above strips can be accessed using the date search functions at http://www.gocomics.com/pibgorn.)
- Nat Bustard: A detective who constantly narrates his actions, reminiscent of Humphrey BogartHumphrey BogartHumphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
films.
Origins
Pibgorn slowly evolved over the years after McEldowney had begun 9 Chickweed Lane, wherein Edda would occasionally have flights of fancy where she appeared as a prototypePrototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
Pibgorn on rare occasions. He finally started adapting the idea into a proposed spin-off entitled The Titans, which was rejected by syndicate editors, in 2000. These proposed strips and accompanying sketches were presented on the Pibgorn website in 2005 during one of McEldowney's hiatuses from the strip.
Titans would have been a gag-a-day format strip, in which Pibgorn (named Oola Inch here), disenchanted with her expected role as a fairy, usually would break away from her regular routine to wax philosophical. Unfortunately, Oola was also one of life's losers, her dialogues often resulting in misfortune, such as having a magic 8-ball
Magic 8-ball
The Magic 8 Ball is a toy used for fortune-telling or seeking advice, manufactured by Mattel.-Origin:While Magic 8-Ball did not exist in its current form until 1950, the functional component was invented by Albert C. Carter, who was inspired by a "spirit writing" device used by his mother, Mary, a...
roll over her, or nearly being eaten by whatever animal she's conversing with (a spider, a duckling, etc.). The strips also showed a darker side to her character, as in addition to managing dewdrops, her responsibilities include serving as the "voices-in-my-head
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
" of disgruntled government employees, driving one to attempted homicide on at least one occasion.
The final set of proposal strips showed Oola running afoul of Prince Crewth and Gaggot, here named Prince Grabstein and Rhune, when she petitions to leave "dewdrop brigade" and become a stand-up comedian. Unable to tell if she's laughing with him or at him, Grabstein outlaws laughter altogether and sets Luciano after Oola, only for the fly to fall in love with her. These situations were later recycled as part of the early Pibgorn story arcs.
Storylines
Pibgorn has completed 12 distinct adventures to date. The story arcs are as follows, named as McEldowney conceived them:- The Girl in the Coffee Cup (initially started on comics.com, then restarted 2002-02-19; the strip changed to color on 2002-03-11, the earliest strip in the GoComics.com archive). Pibgorn the fairy meets and falls in love with Geoff, to the annoyance of his girlfriend Drusilla, who Geoff learns is a succubus demon in human form.
- The Poltergeist in the Piano (started 2002-11-11). About midway through this story, McEldowney switched from a daily newspaper strip format to a larger format.
- The Borgia Cantus (started 2003-08-11)
- Drusilla's Daughter (started 2004-01-17)
- The Internal Fairy Harvesting Service (started 2004-10-18). Oognat makes her first appearance. This story introduced Thorax from 9 Chickweed Lane as a recurring character in later story arcs.
- Mozart and the Demon Lover (started 2005-05-23, repeated with commentary starting 2011-11-09). Geoff and Mozart switch places in time. Geoff struggles to finish Mozart's Requiem while Thorax helps Mozart understand what is happening.
- A Pibsummer Night's Dream (started 2006-02-13) presents the Pibgorn Players, along with the cast of 9 Chickweed Lane9 Chickweed Lane9 Chickweed Lane is an American comic strip written and drawn by Brooke McEldowney following the fortunes of the women of three generations of the Burber family — Edna, Juliette, and Edda — as they try to make their way in the world. 9 Chickweed Lane is the address of their former family home. ...
, performing William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
against a 1930s backdrop à la Guys and DollsGuys and DollsGuys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
. - Lena the Horrible (started 2007-03-21). This is the longest story arc, running for two years with over 400 strips. It takes place inside a computer-generated world created by a demon.
- Pibgorn and the Volcano on 77th Street and Park Avenue (started 2009-03-17)
- The Stone Coin (started 2009-11-23) is a departure from the canon characters and is instead an illustrated story that McEldowney wrote in 1988.
- Pibgorn and the Graveyard Shift (started 2010-01-21). Drusilla enters a repressed memory from Pibgorn's past that affects her actions in the present.
- Pibgorn and the Brunch with Death (started 2010-12-27)
Discontinuation from Comics.com
On April 17, 2007, United Feature Syndicate announced through Comics.com that Pibgorn would be discontinued on the following day. Brooke McEldowney has indicated that United Feature Syndicate accommodated his request to be released from his contract in order to secure a new online home for Pibgorn.From a letter from Brooke McEldowney to his readers:
With United Media’s announcement that “Pibgorn” is to be discontinued, I have been inundated with e-mail, much of it agitated and distressed. I’m very sorry you had to get the news in this rather dispassionate way. That I may answer your central question forthwith, I’ve composed this response for everyone – so please forgive me if I seem impersonal.
“PIBGORN” WILL CONTINUE. for current information and dispatches go to officialpibgorn.livejournal.com)
There. That is the main thing I wanted to say. Comics.com, however, will, as they have announced, no longer be the source. Nothing dramatic happened, really. I simply came to feel that the editorial needs of comics.com and those of “Pibgorn” were becoming more and more divergent and incompatible. For this reason I asked to be released from my contract with United Media in order to secure a new online home for “Pibgorn.” United Media most graciously, and reluctantly, agreed. In short order I hope to get Pib back up and flying.
Meanwhile, you have seen the most current installments of '"Pibgorn." Hold that thought. We’ll be back.
All best wishes, and thanks so very much for writing.
Although McEldowney doesn't explicitly say it, the examples he gives in his blog (below) suggest that he wanted to be able to use more suggestive language and racier images than United Media would permit, and considered their standards too restrictive. After the move to GoComics.com, the content became more risque, including nudity and implied sexual content. For example, in the August 22, 2008 strip, Geoff is seen walking down the street, nude, with his bare buttocks on display,.
Return of Pibgorn
Pibgorn returned to the Web on May 14, 2007, at gocomics.com, owned by Universal Press SyndicateUniversal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate, a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, is the world's largest independent press syndicate. It distributes lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger Ebert and News of the Weird...
. Continuing in its three-per-week format, the interrupted story arc was presented from the start so as not to confuse new readers.