Misfile

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Misfile is a webcomic by Chris Hazelton begun in March 2004 and published on weekdays. It is about two teenagers whose lives have been accidentally altered by an underachieving angel, who misfiled their fates. One character, Ash, changes from male to female, while the other, Emily, becomes two years younger and has to relive two years of her life. Both characters (and the angel) remember their past lives, but no one else does. The comic so far focuses on the emotional upheaval caused by the misfile, as well as on Ash's hobby of racing. As of August 24, 2007 Misfile is in Book VII. Donations are accepted at www.misfile.com. The comic often contains strong language and mature adult themes. It is also notable for its above average artwork and character design.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow

Contents

[edit] Characters

[edit] Major Characters

  • Ash "XR4Ti Ash" Upton - High school junior who drives a 1989 XR4Ti turbo and has little interest in anything but motor racing. Currently he cannot drive to school, having lost parking privileges over colliding with the principal's car while practicing skids. Ash is actually a skilled racer. Due to Rumisiel's file error Ash is now Ashley and in a female body and much of the comic revolves around how she deals with being a guy in a girl's body. An upside to the misfile is having met Emily, whom Ash is developing strong feelings for (which is extremely frustrating since she now can't do anything about them). Female Ash has a closer relationship with both her parents, from actually knowing her mother to having a father who is not cold to her. Ash has short red hair.
  • Emily McArthur - Very bright (having gone from not knowing what a clutch pedal is for to somewhat helping Ash soup-up the XR4Ti virtually overnight by reading) and has spent the last two years studying to get into Harvard to satisfy her mother's vicarious need for academic success. She even skipped her own prom to study. Two years which have now dissapeared. Her mother is constantly pressuring her to do better in school and not to repeat her own high school mistakes. She was accepted into Harvard right before the misfile, and is not anxious to repeat the hard work she did to get in. Now that Rumisiel's error has erased the last two years of her life Emily is reconsidering what makes her life worth living. She has long blue hair.
  • Rumisiel - The black sheep of a highly respected angelic family. He was previously employed in the celestial filing depository in heaven, a job his brother got for him to please his father. Rumisiel was suspended from his job for smoking pot at work. He has a history of substance abuse with both marijuana and alcohol. He is trying to do good while on Earth in order to be granted his old job back, but is having trouble. He pretends to be Ash's boyfriend while in public so Ash can stay close to him and has been staying at Ash's house.
  • Vashiel - Rumisiel's brother who took a leave from his job as an avenging angel in order to visit Rumisiel after his fall from heaven. According to Rumisiel, as an inducted angel of the second circle he is incapable of lying or concealing falsehood. Because of this, he can't be told about the misfile. This forces Ash to act like a girl in his presence, further frustrating Ash. He develops a serious crush on Ash, which makes the whole situation a lot worse. Apparently has a dark past that comes up in dreams and is bad enough to scare the wits out of Cassiel.
  • Dr. Edward Upton - Ash's father. He is a nationally respected gynecologist but is somewhat lacking in people skills. He is also Emily's gynecologist, which he publicly admits much to her discomfort. His wife left him because of his overly controlling personality and he vowed not to repeat the mistake with Ash, which had left him seemingly cold and distant from his son. However, he's much more demonstrative with the female Ash, much to Ash's chagrin.
  • Marie Upton(?) - Ash's mother. Male Ash had not seen her since he was three, but female Ash sent a letter to her at age thirteen whereupon they formed a mother/daughter relationship. Male Ash wrote that same letter, but felt it was too sissy and never sent it. A lingerie model and fashion tycoon, she provided Ash with the engine he uses in his Monster XR4ti along with large quantities of clothing. She offers some motherly advice from time to time and hosts the Misfiled teens, angelic brothers, and James in Book V and Book VI.
  • Harry - Runs Aries, a car shop for the local racers. He provides parts, swaps transmissions, the whole nine yards. He has a Welsh accent. He gives Emily her manual transmission (which Ash installs) in a trade for her automatic. He is the one who sold Ash his XR4ti and the Monster Car, which was initially Harry's pet project. In Book IV, he is hanging around with Kate, and in Book VII, they are engaged.
  • "Kamikaze" Kate - The greatest racer in the comic, and the only person Ash truly fears. Kate lost her sister on a treacherous mountain pass during a race when fellow drivers forced her off the road. Since then she has developed a grudge against all racers and goes around beating as many as she can. Kate is shown to think that Ash is a potential replacement for her sister, both being female racers. She is being influenced by a malign supernatural being, the angry spirit of her dead sister, Angelica. In Book IV, Kate is dating Harry, and in Book VII, they tell Ash that they are engaged.
  • Cassiel - Angel niece of Lucifer himself. She and Rumisiel dated for 50+ years, which is how she landed a job in the filing depository. She is apparently highly possessive and vengeance-prone. She is furious that Rumisiel dumped her and causes all sorts of mischief for the brothers and Misfiled teens. Apparently intimidated by Vashiel.
  • James - Ash's oldest friend, both before and after the Misfile. He taught Ash how to drive. He appears in Book IV after a year of college in California, where he reveals that he and "Girl-Ash" had a romantic rendezvous in his car. He dislikes Rumisiel because he feels he's not good enough for Ash.

[edit] Minor Characters

  • Tom - Driver. Races Ash in the early portions of the story. Completely blown away by Kate.
  • Brent - College friend of James, appears in Book IV to watch the downhill duel, and returns in Books V and VI in Cape Cod ready to race Ash.
  • Casper - Brent's buddy. Dates Emily in Book VI, watches Ash and Brent race. It has been suggested that he might have feelings for Brent, but doesn't want to freak him out.
  • Molly - Emily's former best friend, a senior at the High School. Somewhat of a skank. She is generally rude to Ash and Emily after they are Misfiled. In Book VI, she gets in a car accident. Emily is the only one to visit Molly in the hospital where the two patch up their friendship.
  • Rachel - A girl in at least one of Emily's classes. Wears glasses and pigtails, and she likes to smoke. Attends Emily's pool party in Book V.
  • Tyler and Rose - Brother and sister who run the Ale House in Cape Cod. They hire Ash while he is there.
  • Kay Wheeler - Male model. Ash's escort for the fashion shindig. "Gayer than Paris in the spring". Emily had a celeb-crush on him a few years back.
  • Jenny and Jenny- Mother and daughter combo. Mother is Marie's nemesis. Daughter is judgmental and conceited. Both appear at the fashion shindig.

[edit] Episode summaries

[edit] Book I

Ash wakes up to find he's become a woman, and that there's a strange angel hanging around his bedroom. Emily learns that she's lost two years of her life, her acceptance into Harvard, and must go back to High School. Ash loses a race, hangs out with Emily some, then goes back for a rematch near the end of Book I.

[edit] Book II

Vashiel arrives to find Rumisiel and get him back on the wagon. Emily, with Ash's help gets a new car, and begins learning how work on it. Ash gets her first period, loses a critical race, and gets into a fight with Emily.

[edit] Book III

After a night of hard drinking, Ash and Vashiel wake up in the same bed. Worried about the possibility of drunken intercourse, Ash turns to his mother for advice. Ash and Emily eventually reconcile their issues and start to work on Ash's XR4ti "monster car", which contains an engine that was not there before the Misfile. After finishing the car, Ash gets into a rematch with Kate, while the two angel brothers deal with the malignant spirit of her dead sister, which allows Kate to get on with her life. A new girl at school starts flirting with Ash, and when she comes to the Upton residence, Rumisiel identifies her as Cassiel, an angel in disguise.

[edit] Book IV

Rumisiel explains his relationship with Cassiel while Emily is up half the night worried about her. Cassiel appears at school again, hoping to spy on Rumisiel and Ash only to discover the school year is drawing to an end. After a quick lesson with Emily at the Old Road, Ash is reunited with her friend, James. After a bit of conversation, Ash is horrified to learn that "girl-Ash" had sex with James a year earlier. She flees to Emily and receives some perspective. Emily invites Ash, the angel brothers, and James over for a little get-together. James is disturbed by Rumisiel, and after a little prodding from Cassiel, he challenges Ash to a downhill duel; if he wins, Ash "dumps" Rumisiel. Ash returns to Aries (Harry's shop) in order to start paying back a debt where she finds Kate handling the shop. Cassiel approaches the XR4ti and is confronted and threatened by a much more commanding Vashiel. Ash and James have their duel. The school year ends.

[edit] Book V

Emily opens her pool with a party that requires Ash to wear a women's bathing suit. Ash starts looking for a job. She accepts an invitation to spend part of the summer in Cape Cod with her mother, bringing Emily with him. Ash gets a job at a restaurant. Rumisiel and Vashiel are left at the Upton residence doing menial labor for the good Doctor. Ash works at the restaurant a few times at various points in this book, interspersed with some Emily antics in between. She meets James' college buddy, Brent, at work and they agree to race later on. Emily meets Casper, Brent's friend, and they agree to go out on a date. Rumisiel and Vashiel talk with Cassiel, who convinces Rumisiel something is going to happen in Cape Cod. The two rush out, and then get lost and rush back. They solicit James for transport and the three of them head off to Cape Cod. Ash's mom asks her for a favor, then reveals the truth behind the Monster Car's engine. Guilt tripping, Ash agrees to wear a designer dress to her mother's fashion shindig.

[edit] Book VI

Ash goes to the fashion shindig, Emily goes on her date. The angel brothers reach Cape Cod with James just in time to see Ash coming home. Ash and Brent race, then they all head home. Emily arrives to hear news that Molly has been in an accident.

[edit] Book VII

Emily visits Molly in the hospital and has some concerns about her mortality. Ash discovers Harry and Kate are engaged. Both wonder how things would have turned out without the Misfile. Cassiel appears at the Upton residence and asks Vashiel to look out for a missing Archon on behalf of the Filing Depository. Ash and Emily meet a strange man at the Old Road. Molly and Emily go shopping.

MORE TO COME.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

[edit] Trivia

  • Nearly all of the characters have a shine in their hair.

[edit] Interview

Artist and creator of Misfile and Building 12, Chris gave an interview to popular website Coloringdragons.com as part of their series of 20 webcomic interviews in 2007. The full review can be read at the main site in their news archives along with the other 19, and was conducted by Ben Warren (AKA: Enker - author/artist behind the webcomics 'Enker's Tale' and 'Knave' as well as regular writer for Coloring Dragons). Along with many interesting insights into the comic, the interview also enjoys a sense of humor with some rather interesting unrelated questions included as well.

[edit] See Also

Building_12

[edit] Reference

[edit] External links

[edit] Credit

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