Saiful Remy Mokhtar
08-10 (Don’t believe the archive dates, they are bugged)
Updates Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun (with a large break in the archive)
What if you made a comic about comics? Wouldn’t that just be crazy?!
No Pink Ponies revolves around the main character, Jess, as she attempts to run a comic book shop and chase after the man of her dreams, who also runs a comic book shop. She’s smart, funny, and just wants to make a woman’s place in a man’s world of comics! With her required herd of boys following her everywhere, it’s just one funny slip up after another in the crazy shop!
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, the text that I just penned was dripping with sarcasm. What is it about comics with girl gamers/nerds/overall geeks that forces them to make it all about men vs. ladies? Haven’t we evolved to the point where this is no longer an issue? Studies vary to the exact percentage, but they all agree that at least 40% of gamers are girls, and I bet a much higher percentage are geeks in general. So why must we drag out the same old plot of “Carving out a niche for the ladies out there, you precious few”?
Don’t get me wrong, any comic will do this joke at one time or another. It’s almost as inevitable as the tides. But here’s the thing: the entire plot revolves around men chasing after Jess who is chasing after a man. For those of you paying attention, this is also known as romantic comedy. Fffffffffffffff- why do they do this to me?
“Oh, look,” I thought, climbing off of my throne of women and money. “A comic about a comic book shop. This could be fun!”
I’m going to spoil the beginning for you, since this plot point passes particularly presently.
<SPOILERS>
Jess starts off by checking out a comic book store, and all the boys stare at her. She instantly falls in love with the guy who works at the shop due to him being “teh hotness” and decides to open her own comic book shop nearby in order to have a reason to talk to him. She then spends the rest of the story chasing Mr. Pretty Pants. He eventually starts working for her after she breaks her leg and etc. happens. You should be able to fill in the blanks by now.
</SPOILERS>
This is not a great story. This does not have the making of a great story. This is drivel.
I did enjoy No Pink Ponies, but it was more for the drawing and the occasional comic/game joke than the overreaching plot. The characters are well-done and expressive, actually conveying emotion and unique expressions. </artsnobbery>
Don’t get me wrong, NPP can have its moments. It can be funny, clever, creative, (add adjective here), but I feel hesitant to recommend it due to its plot. If it were presented in a series of sovereign dailies instead of a story, I might be more receptive. But I just can’t stand the chasing after boys plot, because it feels so… boring. I was going to say “contrived”, but the funny thing is that it’s done quite well. The writing is well done and funny (at times), and the characters seem to have some degree of personality instead of simply being sock puppets.
But you can write a story with as much grace as is physically possible, if the story itself isn’t done well then you are just going to get stuck with a stack of useless words.
If you don’t put much stock in the plot and stop at the point where there was a huge break in the archive (author went on hiatus for a looooong time), then it’s a decent read. Not the best in the world, but okay. I give No Pink Ponies a *hesitant* thumbs up, kind of like you would give a lettuce sandwich. It’s good, in a way, if you’re really into it, but in general there’s plenty of club sandwiches that you could be eating instead.
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