Mixing my rant about webdesign into the review. If you ain’t noticed, I usually discuss a topic related to the comic in question, or at least this has become my habit.

Drop it like it’s hot…

Here we go: Bear and Kitten

I’m reviewing this for five reasons:
1. This review is a challenge.
2. The project is very new.
3. I haven’t touched on this writing style since Don and Doll, which seems like ages ago.
4. It’s popular for its age, and has polarized people checking it out between “This rocks,” or “What the fuck.”
5. The creators are as intriguing as the comic itself.

We’ll start with the art and premise. B&K is a hand-drawn comic featuring a cutesy Bear and his friend/companion/pet, Kitten. This duo ventures into random gag-a-days that are rather hard to explain (I’ll get to that soon). Usually in soothing monochromatic yellow-on-cream, the palette-scheme uses splashes of color for emphasis in practiced attention of how to draw the reader’s eye. The line art is solid, attractive, and expressive.

I believe their launch was April 4th, so today would be its one-month anniversary. Now why would I review a comic that’s only been around one month? Well, within the dozen-or-so comics they (Bear and Kitten, the creators’ online pseudonyms) have posted, they’ve done a better job at creating a recognizable identity and style than many comics do with their first six months, if ever.

Take notes.

When your first strip introduces deadpan comedy, characterization, and above-average art, all via gallons of vomit coming from our cuddly protags, it sets a tone that carries through every comic after. B&K doesn’t just make a statement, it keeps it going though steady updates of “OMG what should I expect next?” The answer to that is ‘you can’t expect anything.’ If they aren’t bloodily gorging on rabbits for Easter, they’re debating the nutritional relevance of Gwen Stefani songs.

If it isn’t for everyone, I wouldn’t know. It is for me. I love quirky, offbeat humor because it twists and displays a point within its contrivances. What that point may be varies from strip to strip. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t in-depth social commentary here, but it is clever shit with layers.

Between taking writing-cock up my ass while eating out the art, do I have a breath left for criticism? You bet I do.

The personality of the creators and website itself are question marks. Ya’ll know I love website reviews as much as critiquing the comic itself.

This website needs an SOS. I could easily give them the “one-month-old” free pass, but if I’m going to give them props along with the veterans, I’ll certainly hold the display to the same accountability. For one, the navigation needs an archive page. If I can make one in an hour, anyone can. This blends into part two: I couldn’t tell how old this comic was before leaving my mouse over the slow-ass text-scroll that is their news posts. Why’s that a problem? Well, since the non-current strips are disconnected, to see Bear’s thoughts on strip four, first I have to bounce back to home, follow the news-post-of-death down, guess what the fuck date the comic was posted, and scan-read to see if I’m even in the ballpark. Repeat for strip five, six, seven…

This site is not accessible. It’s not reader friendly. I don’t give a shit about your Easter post when I’m looking for the first FAQish “what the fuck am I reading?” post back at the bottom. You’re frustrating people that want to know about specific things—that want to know more about your project!

I do get the entire “cool-as-shit façade” this pair employs, but they should know that the power is always with the reader, the people coming back. The lack of clickable archives and a non-bullshit FAQ are frustrating enough without the attitude—that I’m the lucky one to have access to this comic. Are you trying to piss me off by taunting me? I am smarter than a rock, you know. By the style of the writing I think you both expect your readers to be intelligent. Just give me some credit that I’m not being lazy when I say I have better things to do than track down your asses all over your own website.

Kitten is cited as both the artist and websy one, so don’t take it too hard to the uber-busy girl, but if this hot project is going to continue building steam, it will need a more robust and reader-friendly design. Or it’ll just stall.

You don’t want to stall right? I know you don’t think you’re as hot-shit as you front, but your readers don’t know that. Give your future fanboys/girls the respect they deserve for being interested into your new, fantastic project. It’s a two-way street that doesn’t stop at the comic itself.

Bear and Kitten is every bit an enjoyable read-through, and in my opinion, a fav/rss/link. I trust that their walk will catch up with their talk, but if I’m wrong, delete em.
 
Sample? Get used to scrolling, go up and click that link.