“Demon” (8 out of 10) Written and drawn by Jason Shiga; Not safe for work.
Growing up I always looked forward to the Sunday newspaper. Like most kids I wasn’t interested in current events and was happy to leave the bulk of morning’s delivery to my parents. I was interested in one thing only, the funnies. Countless mornings were spent haphazardly eating a bowl of cereal, milk dripping from a trembling spoon as I navigated mushy cereal blindly to my gaping maw, both eyes fixed on the flimsy paper clutched in the other hand.
I wasn’t lucky enough to have “Calvin and Hobbes” in any of my childhood papers, though that was remedied when I discovered a discarded compilation of Calvin strips on the ground outside one weekend. I remember gravitating toward certain strips and passing over others, then when I’d read everything that interested me I’d go back and read the ones I skipped at first, hungry for more.
Newspapers, it seems, are a dying medium. The internet has taken over information distribution and based on all indications, there’s no turning back. I don’t know anyone that subscribes to a paper, current and future generations won’t have the experience of fighting over the funnies with their siblings, trading off reading particular pages so that no one has to wait.
Happily the internet has taken over in this arena as it does in all others. Online you can find a seemingly endless barrage of comic strips, some fantastic, and some, not so much. Big Shiny Robot will be sifting through the tidal wave of web comics to bring you only the best, at least in our humble opinions.
This week’s feature is “Demon” by Jason Shiga. It tells the tale of Jimmy a hapless man beset by tragedy who turns to suicide to end his troubles. To his surprise, each attempt at taking his own life is foiled by forces unseen and Jimmy soon realizes to his dismay that he can kill his body, but he cannot die.
Shiba publishes a page of the story seven days a week and at the time of this writing “Demon” stands at 299 pages. As the story progresses Jimmy attempts to thwart pursuers while discovering (and abusing) his newfound abilities. The content is dark and sometimes disturbing or disgusting, or both. But the story is intriguing and entertaining and keeps you clicking that next button no matter how many pages you’ve read in one sitting.
The progress bar currently sits at forty percent meaning that while there is plenty of content to get you started, there is much more to come. You’re sure to burn through the almost 300 pages already available quickly, then you get to play the daily waiting game with the rest of us. I have no connection with the creator but I would be remiss not to mention that the book is self published and the creator relies on the good will of his readers to support the project so if you like it (I almost guarantee you will) consider becoming a patron, or simply tell all your friends.
Click the image below to start reading. You’re in for a treat.
