When I think of vampires, I tend to go with Dracula, Anne Rice books, goths, and heck, even the Blade movies. Well, now we have a new vamp on the block, and this one is a big fan of tophats. So big, in fact, that he's named after them. Hatpire, created by one Becky Turpin, follows the oddball life of the title character as he does all sorts of cutesy stuff. This one updates three times a week, to fulfill all of your vampire needs. Onward!
Hatpire is the Hello Kitty of vampire comics. Why do I say that? Because it's squishy Chibi-ish characters and really bright colors remind me of what a day in Japan must be like. Everyone walking around throwing peace signs and winking at each other. Nevermind that. A very cute and simple art style that would fit in perfectly mashed between Pokemon and Spongebob.
I can't really tear apart the writing and pick out anything that bothers me other than that there is pretty much no dialogue. Lots of symbols and exclamation points are used to convey emotions or actions, and while it's cute, it makes for a really simple comic. I take it that's what Becky is going for, but after a while it might get tough to figure out how to keep things going without words. Just sayin'. Apart from that, Hatpire himself sure is nice. I mean, he has to be the nicest vampire ever, because he doesn't suck blood(maybe offscreen?), and at one point he finds a coin, only to give it back to the guy who lost it. How kind. How un-vamp like. But, this is a truly different take on bloodsuckers, so don't come in here looking for a way to bring your goth side out. You're more likely to put on a pink sweater and hug someone.
Hatpire is a comic for fans of light hearted fluff, and while it's not my cup of green tea, it might be yours. It's cute family fun, and perfect for young girls looking for the next Care Bears, or whatever else is in with them these days. Sink your teeth(heh) into Hatpire and decide for yourself.
I give Hatpire...
(For cute and colorful art, but too simple for my tastes)
2 comments:
I'll limit myself to observing that with the increasing popularity of vampires, we're on the verge of the unicorn syndrome all over again. If it hasn't happened already, in a few months look for airbrushed posters of sad vampires in Wal-Marts everywhere, and in a decade look for female college students saying to each other "Were you into vampires when you were nine? Me too! We were such dorks!" --- Lore Sjoberg, sometime early 2000
That day... is now.
Enjoyed your take on this comic, which I read and reviewed myself a while back. (The more the merrier, as far as I'm concerned.) I liked macabre creatures living in the sunlight for a change -- it reduces the glare.
Your Japan/people winking comment was hilarious.
Hope things are going well for you.
Bengo / The Floating Lightbulb
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