North Texas Daily

Perched perfectly among the cluttered comic book shelves of rebooted, revived and extended adaptions sits “Snotgirl,” a comic with a surprising amount of twists and blood for its cutesy aesthetic. What draws some readers and polarizes others is the comic’s pastel and unapologetically feminine palette contrasts among more muted covers of surrounding comics.

“Snotgirl” follows Lottie Person, a snobby fashion blogger trying to keep up with her cool online persona, when in real life she’s a socially awkward weirdo with horrible allergies. Lottie’s life changes when she meets the mysterious Coolgirl, another fashion blogger named Caroline in the L.A. scene who matches her effortless online appearance, or so it appears. What ensues is a strange and convoluted murder-mystery of sorts.

“Snotgirl” is a collaborative work between Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung, who respectively write and illustrate the comic. O’Malley is best known for the “Scott Pilgrim” graphic novels of cult-fame.

“Snotgirl” is essentially nothing like “Scott Pilgrim,” but the voice behind the writing is definitely familiar. O’Malley has an impressive talent of making his main characters incredibly flawed, but strangely likeable. It’s easy to be put-off by a vain and selfish female character, especially when she’s the protagonist (and female protagonists have historically been forced as innocent), but I find faulty characters to be the most dynamic. Lottie Person would be a horrible friend in real life, but she is a train wreck worth watching.

O’Malley and Hung make an effort to make the world of “Snotgirl” diverse, which is fitting for a Los Angeles setting. Race isn’t flaunted in the face of the reader as progressive and LGBT characters aren’t based around their sexuality. As a bonus, Lottie is assumed as either bisexual or pansexual, though not specifically stated. Most of the characters are Asian as well.

Hung’s fashion inspiration influences the pages of “Snotgirl” from the characters’ strong silhouettes to their actual clothes. Readers are able to get a sense of the highly stylized characters’ personalities based solely on their appearance. The comic’s strongest attribute lies in its fluid, manga-inspired linework and beautifully colored panels. As the plot becomes more convoluted and chaotic, the color scheme is enhanced by brilliant and highly contrasted palettes.

“Snotgirl” makes a clear critique on social media and the exhausting lifestyle that follows public figures without coming off as preachy. “Snotgirl” runs with its commentary and spins it into a witty story embellished with dark undertones. Ultimately, the cool people online are uncool in real life. Everything is awkward.

In an interview, O’Malley estimated the series to run about 30 to 40 issues. The series is currently on issue 12, so if the series is 40 issues long, the plot has only scratched the surface. O’Malley and Hung have both made it clear in several interviews their enjoyment of trolling and frustrating fans by stretching out plot twists one after another and convoluting the story further without answering anything. What results is a chaotic and twisted story hidden behind a girly aesthetic.

“Snotgirl” premiered as something of high-profile due to O’Malley’s work on Scott Pilgrim. However, fans who are expecting a story in the range of “Scott Pilgrim” will be disappointed. What was created is something new and interesting in its own way.

The series is currently on its third arc. If an unapologetically feminine comic with colorful cast of characters and twists at every turn sounds remotely interesting to you, I highly recommend you check the series out. “Snotgirl” is available online and at More Fun Comics and Games in Denton.

Featured Image: Courtesy Facebook.