Candi (webcomic)

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Candi
Artwork, Candi 2004.
Author(s)	Starline Xiomara Hodge
Website	http://www.candicomics.com/, http://zoo.nightstar.net//viewforum.php?f=91
Current status	Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Launch date	June 25, 2004[1]

Candi is a Keenspot webcomic by Starline Xiomara Hodge. It is about a college student studying art (the eponymous Candi) and her friends. It was published in the 5th Annual Keenspot Spotlight 2006 - Free Comic Book Day Edition and is slated for publication in the Keenspot Spotlight 2007 book. The website averages 11,218 unique visitors everyday.

[edit] Art style

The artwork in Candi falls into the modern American-Japanese Fusion genre, with heavy anime influences, prominent in the big eyes and facial expressions. As the comic strip has developed, more realistic proportions have been introduced.

[edit] Plot

The comic strip is currently separated into different chapters, each focusing on a new theme; love, relationships, school, and life.

[edit] Introduction to characters

The first few chapters of the story focus on setting up the characters of the story and the relationships between them. It is here when we are introduced to Candi,^[2] Linda,^[3] Laura,^[4] Jon,^[5] Alex, Jessica, and the rest of the scholarship house. Candi and Laura took Art Classes together with Professor Fitzgibbons, whom Candi has grown a dislike for because of their different taste in what in considered "art".^[6] Candi and Alex are a couple, being paired up since high school. Jon has a crush on Candi, stirring up some relationship struggles between Alex and Jon. Jon even goes up to buying Candi a present, but keeping the sender anonymous. Upon coming back from school one day, a ferret sneaks into Laura's backpack, making its way to the scholarship house. The rest of the gang figure it out, and Candi names it Menjou, keeping it as her pet. It is here when most of the major characters are set up, allowing the story to continue.

[edit] Relationship set-ups

A flashback of events that happened before college, when Candi builds up the courage to ask Alex out. It is here when the reader learns that Candi knows Jon had feelings for her, but she chose to ignore it up until now. The stuffed animal that Jon got for Candi traveled its way from character to character being carried by Menjou, the house's pet ferret, causing a minor fuss within the scholarship house. It is here when Candi tries to get a part-time job from Trevor, a close friend. When Candi can't find privacy at her own scholarship house, she stays the night at Alex's. The first minor argument between the two happens, when they both argue about not being suitable to be engaged yet.

[edit] Turning point

Trevor invites Candi to a rave party he is going to in a few days. Candi accepts his invitation, but wants Alex to come to make her feel safer. Alex can't, because of his tight schedule and final exams coming up. Jon volunteers to go with Candi, but as friends. At the night of the Rave Party, Candi and Jon see Trevor 'dance' with another guy, unaware of Laura, who came with Trevor. Candi and Jon decide to keep this a secret and not tell anybody since it is none of their business. Jon drinks a cup of water that has been drugged, and kisses Candi spontaneously as a result. However, he is completely unaware of this the next morning. The next day, Laura finds out about Trevor dating someone else, but she has no idea who. They talk, and Trevor asks if Laura feels angry if he were to date someone else. Laura, embarrassed, tells Trevor that she couldn't care less. This is the turning point when well made relationships fall into a struggle where the plot gets more complicated, allowing further character development.

[edit] School

During this time, the story focuses on school more than relationships. Candi is required to volunteer a specific number of hours to pass her Art Class. She stumbles upon Chris, an old friend that's volunteering at a Youth Center. She decides to work here to show Chris that she's matured since High School. When Alex finishes his Final Exams, he sets up a date with Candi, on which Linda stumbles on. The two grown a big dislike over each other, and Linda tries to get in between the two. A new character is also introduced to the plot: Jessica's self-proclaimed brother. Jessica is in rage when she sees that he is "freed" from a mental institute. Although what exactly happened is unclear at this point, it can be said that the two had problems growing up together.

[edit] Character development

From the Rave Club, Laura gets suspicious about Trevor's girlfriend. She seeks to find out, and when she does at Moonbucks, a local coffee shop, she finds out that Trevor is bisexual. Trevor is dating Matt, a guy at Moonbucks. In rage, she and Trevor get in an argument and it is here when we find out about Laura's intentions to get in-between them. Linda ponders Candi and Alex's relationship more, learning even more secrets and trying to get in-between them. Alex begins to not feel bitter toward Linda anymore. In the middle of all of this, Laura interrupts the relationship between Trevor and his boyfriend, Matt, by getting a part time job at Moonbucks, the local coffee store. Later, Candi oversees Jon giving a girl his phone number after going to the art store to get supplies. Jon says that her name is Rebecca, and they are apparently getting together for a project. Candi seems to be a little curious and maybe a little jealous at first, but chooses to ignore her feelings as she did before. In the end, through the constant interferences with Alex and Linda, they get in a big argument over Candi's brand new iPod.

[edit] Secrets revealed

In this point of the story, the intentions of the characters' plans spill out when the girls are on a party, drunk and all. Candi invites Linda for lunch at Sisi's, and Linda suggests they go to a "Girls Night Out," to "dance and get drunk." Candi and Linda end up inviting Laura and Jessica. Jessica usually doesn't go out, but realizes she should work on her relationships after Jon told her that she had no friends. Upon arriving at the club, Jessica lightens up even more and forgets about Jon's unintentionally cruel remark. It is here that Jessica tells Linda to stop messing around with Candi and Alex's relationship, but Linda ignores this advice and tries to figure out what Candi sees in Alex. Laura breaks down and leaves Trevor a message while she is drunk, asking him why he won't have sex with her.

[edit] Relationship development

In the beginning of the new chapter, "Dates", we discover that Rebecca is Matt's sister. Jon and Rebecca have arranged a date, while Trevor and Matt have arranged dates too. Alex calls up Candi and arranges a date with her as well, taking her to the local bat house. When they get back, they fight over unnecessary matters, partially due to the relationship breaking down. Candi ends up crying and abandoing the date. Meanwhile, Jessica openly tells Candi that she's always had a crush on Chris. We also see a little bit of Jessica's brother spying on Jon and Jessica, but as of yet it is unknown what his purpose is for. Recently, Matt discovered Menjou "dead" in his cage. When he shows him to Jon, Jon only reveals that he was only sleeping. Also, there has been some more tension with Candi and Alex on the other side of the house. Alex is shown in the comic with his arm around Linda and on his other side, a clearly upset Candi.

[edit] Fair

Candi must supervise children at the fair for her volunteering gig. She and Chris are asked to bring help. She recruits Jessica and Jon. Chris brings no one. After the children go home, they group is joined by Jon's jealous girlfriend. There is a run-in with Jessica's brother, and Candi is kidnapped. Candi tries to call Alex to rescue her, but he hangs up on her instead. Jon, Chris and Jessica rescue Candi, and Jessica's brother is arrested.

[edit] Cast

[edit] College students

[edit] Candi Candi is a college student studying art courses. She lives in a scholarship house with 5 other roommates. Candi is laid back, but always has a positive outlook on life, despite the concern of boys, school, and friends. She is currently dating Alex. Candi has a postitive outlook on life and an optimistic personality. She likes to see her friends and co-workers happy in favour of hers. She hates conflict and will always try to prevent it, this makes Candi very concerned for her friends. Candi is also very fond of hugs. She is very open minded to try out new things, based on her strong judgement from her friends. Candi and Alex have been together since high school, but recently their relationship have been getting a little rocky. Candi understands Spanish, but is not completely fluent. Her ethnicity has recently been revealed - She is half Black/Caribbean Jewish and half white. Candi's scent is the scent of cookies.[7] Menjou, a ferret, is Candi's pet. Candi needs glasses, but wears contact lenses instead.[8] Candi's middle name is Jane.[9]

Candi's hair was originally green, but pink was better.

[edit] Alex Alex has been Candi's boyfriend since high school, and her devotion toward him amazes many people, including Linda. He does not live in the scholarship house with the rest of Candi's friends, but visits often. Alex is very judgmental, and often does not trust his friends unless he feels he has their full support and devotion. However, he is very prone to falling for girls, especially Candi and Linda. Despite all the exciting times he is willing to have, his classes are always first. Alex has been seeing Linda, ostensibly only as a study buddy, but without telling Candi. Since she found out, their relationship has been very rocky. Alex seems torn between his emotions for Candi and the fact that he cannot study or think about his classes when she is around him. This failing seems to be specifically one-sided, as she apparently has little trouble studying around him. Alex's scent is the scent of detergent and aftershave[10] Alex's hair occasionally changes direction on a whim.[11]

Alex, Candi's boyfriend

[edit] Laura Laura is Candi's roommate. Like Candi, Laura is very open-minded and open to trying new things. She is very outgoing, and often sets aside school and even friends for her nightlife. She doesn't say where she's going out to very much, but she likes to go out often. Laura is very protective of those close to her. However, she also has a very demanding personality, and can get very angry if things don't go quite her way. She is very ambitious, and will always attempt to attain what she aspires, and will do anything to accomplish her goal. Despite her good reputation, she could easily betray someone if she thought the cause was worth it. Laura's scent is the scent of lavender.[12]

Laura, Candi's best friend.

[edit] Linda Linda is one of the college students living in the scholarship house. She takes art classes with Candi. She is very cautious about everything, and not open to many things. Therefore, Linda has never been in a serious relationship, and has no knowledge about them. Linda is amazed at and suspicious about Candi's devotion to her boyfriend, Alex. Linda is also very demanding on what she wants, like Laura. Linda will go as far as completely destroying relationships with the power of rumors and seduction to get what she aspires. To date, Linda and Candi have gotten along very well. However, as Alex and Linda become firmer study buddies, Linda's motivation toward Candi becomes cloudier. Linda's scent is the scent of licorice.[13]

Linda, Candi's roommate.

[edit] Jon Jon is one of Candi's roommates, and a former date as well. Their relationship never had a chance to progress past friendship because Candi and Alex started dating very soon thereafter. Although he still maintains a torch for Candi, Jon has been recently seeing Rebecca, a classmate of his who is also his partner on a class project. Despite his relationship with Rebecca, Jon maintains a close friendship with Candi. Jon is a nice guy who can't seem to say no to people, especially girls. Candi has told him this many times, but he says he doesn't mind if she takes advantage of him. When Candi was kidnapped at the school fair, Jon helped break down the door and personally punched out her kidnapper. Candi and Jon went on a date in high school, but Candi chooses to ignore it now. Jon's scent is the scent of soap or something sweet.[14]

Jon, one of Candi's closest friends.

[edit] Jessica Jessica is another college student living in the scholarship house. She is the first one in her family to attend college, so she takes her work and her time very seriously. Her determination is focused on one primary objective - schoolwork, which she favors most of the time over going out. This dedication occasionally makes Jessica bitter, because most of her friends favor going out over their studies. Jessica has a quick temper, easily getting enraged. She is also very phobic about close personal contact, especially hugs.[15] The reason behind this has become clear as the series progresses, with the re-emergence of her brother Andrew. Jessica has become more open about her thoughts and emotions after she began spending more time with Candi,[16] and has even told her about her crush on Chris.[17] In fact, after admitting her crush, she has even gone so far as to try to become more comfortable with physical contact. When asked why she is falling for Chris, Jessica simply states, "Really Candi, all I really want is to get laid." Jessica's scent is the scent of cocoa Butter or baby oil[18]

Jessica, Candi's roommate.

[edit] Trevor Trevor is the last roommate at the scholarship house. Unlike the rest, he does not need to live there for financial reasons -- in fact, his father owns the scholarship house -- but chooses to do so because most of his friends live there. Trevor was the first one in the house to get a job, and has introduced Candi to many new pastimes. Trevor is very laid back, and schoolwork is his last priority. In the beginning, he was closed-mouthed about his sexuality,[19], but now that it is public knowledge, Trevor has been more open about the fact that he is bisexual. Until recently, Laura was his self-proclaimed girlfriend. However, Trevor considers it just a friendly relationship.[20] Recently, Trevor's father has contacted him to arrange a visit. In the process, it becomes clear that Trevor's family ties are strained both by his father's drinking and by Trevor's sexuality, which remains closeted as far as his family is concerned.[21] Trevor's scent is the scent of incense.[22]

Trevor's dad owns the scholarship house.

[edit] Chris

Chris is an acquaintance of Candi's from her high school days. He is a star quarterback at the University, and volunteers at a local youth center because his coach mandated it. He loves the attention and power that is a result of all that, but is well aware that it's superficial and might vanish the minute he is badly injured on the field.

During high school, Chris used to tease Candi by calling her various names, all having to do with Candy. He hasn't changed.

It has been recently stated that Jessica has a crush on Chris.

[edit] Other Major Characters

[edit] Menjou Menjou is an anthropomorphic, telepathic ferret that travelled in Linda's backpack while running away from the Squirrel Mafia. Menjou is Candi's pet, and plays with her often. Menjou can fly for reasons that are unknown. He tries to escape from the campus, but can't because of the squirrels interfering. Instead, he makes himself at home at the scholarship house with Candi and friends. Menjou was recently found deceased in his cage by Matt, but he turned out to be only sleeping (to the great chagrin of the squirrel mafia).

Menjou the Ferret

[edit] Matt Matt works at Moonbucks, a local coffee store. Laura has been spending time with Matt and got a job through him, even though she was only using him to get to Trevor. He is also Trevor's boyfriend whom he met at a rave. As a barrista, Matt is very talented at deducing the perfect drink for each customer. Over the course of time, Matt and Laura have become friends, and she abandoned her attempt to sabotage Trevor's relationship with him. Whether Matt ever realized that Laura had less-than-honorable intentions toward him remains unknown. During Jon and Rebecca's first date, Jon learned that Matt is Rebecca's brother.

Matt, Trevor's boyfriend.

[edit] Rebecca

Rebecca is a fellow student in Jon's college classes. She does not live in Candi's house, but rather in another building with her brother, Matt, and roommate, Kari.

Rebecca and Jon first paired up for a project, but have been seeing each other apart from projects and recently started dating. However, this has not dampened Jon's old feelings for Candi, which makes Rebecca very jealous and possessive.

[edit] Professor Fitzgibbons

Professor Fitzgibbons is a professor who teaches art at the university. Both Candi and Linda are his students. However, he does not appreciate Candi's cartoon- and anime-influenced art styles^[23] and often gives Candi bad grades.^[24] Predictably and understandably, Candi dislikes him.

Fitzgibbons takes his work far more seriously than most art professors at school. He is also more personally involved in his students' art than they are sometimes comfortable with.^[25]

• Professor Fitzgibbons describes himself as: "I am a wonderer attempting to make art. Art is substance. I am Art."

[edit] Andrew

Andrew is Jessica's brother. Until very recently, he was institutionalized for extreme schizophrenia, which made him have hallucinations that his sister was a demon who needed to be destroyed^[26]. He was let out of the institution after starting a medication program that kept his delusions under control. Jessica has accused him of trying to suffocate her, but Andrew appears to still be in denial about his earlier behavior.^[27]

Since Jessica refused to talk to him after their first meeting as adults, Andrew has returned to his earlier hallucinations, under direction from the squirrels.^[28] At their instigation, he kidnapped Candi and attempted to set her on fire to burn out the evil influences, but was foiled by Chris, Jon and Jessica, and arrested by the police.

[edit] Reception & controversy

The webcomic is fairly new, having started in June 2004. Although fairly new to the internet webcomic industry, it has gained a stable fanbase. Partly because of the constant update schedule and the author's interaction with fans.

A spark of controversy surrounded the comic strip of June 6, 2006,^[29] where the barber addresses Candi as an outsider because she cannot speak Spanish well. Some more controversy stirred up when a user accused the author for making money off of her monthly donation wallpaper (July), when it was originally by Bruce Timm [19]. However, the author has repeatedly stated that she has given Bruce Timm credit.

[edit] Trivia

• A complete list of cameos from other webcomics in Candi can be found here at The Webcomic Crossover & Cameo Archive.
• Although the author censors out coarse language, there have been instances when the word 'shit' has been left uncensored [20], while the comic strip four issues later censors it [21].
• The author uses Photoshop to color her comic strips. A tutorial can be found on the site.^[30]
• The author owned a ferret in real life.
• While it is never explicitly stated, the setting for the webcomic is the University of Florida, which the author attended. Homages to UF include the Bathouse and the girls riding on the "Lator Gator" bus route when returning home from a night partying. The official UF colors (Orange and Blue) can occasionally be seen in the strip as well.
• Through the webcomic pre-planning stage, the comic set place in a high school.
• Many elements in the pre-comic are used in the comic strip today, including characters and their personae.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Author's Portfolio - http://www.starlinehodge.com
• Author's DeviantArt - http://starlinehodge.deviantart.com/
• Candi's LiveJournal - http://candi-jane.livejournal.com/
• Candi Gallery - http://packy.dardan.com/walky/candi
• Candi on ComixPedia - http://www.comixpedia.org/index.php/Candi