Corner Alley 13

From Comixpedia

Corner Alley 13
Creator(s)	Emily Jane Ryan
Website(s)	http://corneralley.comicgenesis.com/
Update Schedule	Mondays and Thursdays
Launch Date	August 4, 2003
Genre	Fantasy, Humor
Rating(s)	Web-PG
Format	Serial

Corner Alley 13 is a fantasy webcomic by Emily Jane Ryan. It is set in a modern world where fantasy creatures have recently emerged, making Grey City, USA even more diverse than before.

The drawing style is influenced by manga but is story-wise a bit atypical for that genre. It is marked by light-hearted allegorical humor with a continuous narrative and elements of drama.

[edit] Story

The narrative focuses on a group of fairy tale creatures, whose connection with each other is not immediately clear. The core group is composed of Noelle, an ambitious elf who wants to be like the Humans, and the inseparable pair who avail themselves of her unwilling hospitality; Dusty the axe-wielding dwarf and Rosie, a faerie who has forgotten something plot-relevant.

Noelle tries to get a job in Grey City, but clumsiness or bad luck are always there to trip her up, and while her pecuniary worries pile up a threat develops in background in the --fluctuating-- guise of shapeshifter Drel and the nameless organization he reports to. Along the story the main goal changes from getting bills paid to simply staying alive.

[edit] Political dimension

The comic has a strong immigration theme, in the story the newly appeared fairy tale creatures are termed non-Humans and, as non-citizens, have a number of restrictions set upon them. The reaction of the Humans is defensive and values are mounted to idealize their own race, the most obvious sign being the capitalization of the word 'Human', and denunciate others.

The boundaries between fantasy and allegory become indistinct especially when the main character is taken down into underground world of the Underdark. In this version the Underdark has until recently been completely isolated from the surface world and the main goal of the drow inhabitants is to take revenge on the elves who trapped them there thousands of years ago.

[edit] History

The comic has updated twice a week for most of the time since its inception, with the exception of shorter periods of single updates per week when the artist's work situation did not permit more. In January 2007 the end of the comic was announced. Although the storyline was completed many questions were left unanswered.

One month later saw the beginning of an appendix, or prequel, entitled "Weakness", which focused on one of the characters childhood, which affected and lead up to the unexpected conclusion of the main story. The comic continued even after the end of the prequel, resuming where it left off, and from now on leaving the square format behind for a full A4 size. Part 3, as it is termed, may be read independently from the rest of the comic, as it boasts better art and tighter continuity.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Main Characters

• Noelle Manchi'des
• Dusty Sturdy Stonebriar
• Rosie
• Tsac Tuo
• Drel
• Barman
• Goblin
• Ixy

[edit] Side characters

• Moë
• Paul Pokerface
• Celeste
• Ascha (Kan'Ascha Darrinan)
• Cole (Kh'ohl Kankar Vree)

[edit] Credit