Oh My Gods!
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| Oh My Gods! | |
|---|---|
 Oh My Gods! strip from 2004-02-29. |
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| Author(s) | Shivian Montar Balaris |
| Website | http://ohmygods.co.uk/ |
| Current status / schedule | Pseudo-daily |
| Launch date | March 7, 2002 |
| Genre(s) | Religion, Humor |
Oh My Gods! is a webcomic written and illustrated by Shivian Montar Balaris. It deals with the Neo-Pagan, Pagan, and Wiccan faiths. The interaction of followers of these faiths with Christian Fundamentalists and followers of other religions is the main concern of the story.
It debuted on March 7, 2002. The creator is currently attempting to post new comic strips daily. Previously it was posted sporadically to "catch up" the comic strip from the last day it was updated to present with a daily strip — making the strip still "active" and "pseudo-daily" in its updating schedule. Originally black and white, it now appears in grayscale on Monday through Friday strips and color on weekends.
The strip initially featured four main cartoon characters whose outlook on life was stereotypical: Stan the gay man, Vera the bull-dyke, Winston the nerd, and Victor the moron. These four have since outgrown their initial "cookie cutter" molds and taken on lives of their own. The cast has since expanded to include additional characters such as Fundie, Kay, and Reiki Master.
Within the strip all characters are assumed to be pagan, unless labelled otherwise by crosses on their shirts. The main characters often comment on "bad pagans" and on the opposition they receive from fundamentalists. Despite the strip's frequent references to Pagan and Wiccan sub-culture, it has a substantial Christian following as well as a Neopagan audience.
Many strips are the result of viewer suggestion, and Oh My Gods! as a whole often reflects the personal experiences of the artist.
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[edit] Special Strips
In addition to the normal strips Oh My Gods! also features simple reverse font slogans which are supposed to resemble religious bumper stickers and special remembrances of the passing of Shivian Balaris's father, the passing of Pope John Paul II, and the September 11, 2001 attacks. The first anniversary strip was in the form of a short movie.
[edit] Characteristic Features
Characters have died in the course of the story and remained so, in a departure from the convention of comic strip comedy. Elements of fantasy (fairies, boob-vampires, etc.) take the story into the realms of the surreal, though it keeps a thread of realism. This fantastic aspect is embellished by the appearance of such characters as the Pope, a Clown for Christ, and Unitarians who are depicted as Borg.
Oh My Gods! has a characteristic "Playschool" like drawing style, with characters only having eyes, one perspective, and no fingers. The drawing style is based loosely off of a popular webcomic - Little Gamers, et al. In the March 8, 2002 comic, Shivian acknowledges this by doing what the characters themselves say is "a blatant ripoff"[1]. Diehard fans will also make what they call "Ohmygodsifications" of themselves, or what they would look like if they were a character in the strip.
Oh My Gods! also very often breaks the Fourth wall. Characters are well aware of their existence as characters in a comic, and they are often depicted as conversing with Shivian or commenting on things occurring in his interactions with the comic or life at large. Additionally, they have been shown great surprise when Shivian made a change to the style of the comic such as the introduction of color, legs, or fleshed out backgrounds. In another instance, Shivian is shown as storing the props for the comic in the basement of their house[2]
[edit] Recurring Characters
[edit] Main characters
- Stan - The standard lead character and main troublemaker.
- Vera - The feisty female who also works at the local metaphysical store.
- Victor - Instigator of many problems and the boy who "isn't all there."
- Winston - Big geek with trivial knowledge about pointless topics to spare.
[edit] Supporting Characters
- Fundie - As the name suggests, a stereotypical fundalmentalist Christian who tries to convert/save the souls of the pagan characters. Frequent target of Stan's practical jokes.
- Vincent - Boyfriend of Stan, Vincent has spiked hair and a sharp wit.
- Futhark Kids: Perth, Othala and Asa - Mysterious
and silent, the Futhark Kids are indescribable. - Johnnie - Leader of the local sect of the Pagan Spiritual Tradition of the Spiritual Fish.
- Craig - Follower of the Spiritual Fish, and overall plotting and scheming pathetic moron.
- Kay - Feisty and demanding, she's a woman on a mission! Keeper of Vast Knowledge of the Spiritual Fishie she is out to reap vengeance for those slain in the name of the Fish.
- The Fairies - Victor's spirit guides. They love to torment his tortured soul with poking.
- Reiki Master - Conjuring the awesome power of the Reiki he is able to mend bone, cure disease. He also operates a hot-dog stand.
- The Pope - A fatherly, understanding figure in the comic even though he himself is not understood. He also has a hat that is bigger than his body!
- Jacob, a Clown for Christ - A clown advocating the message that Jesus is fun.
- Linda - A toned down female version of fundie. There have been sexual references of her being closer to God than normal.
- Candy, a Cheerleader for Christ - Do a cheer, you know you want to! Doesn't Christ make you want to do the splits on your local altar too?! Jump for joy, cause Candy is here to cheer you on to salvation!
- Apollinis Fututor - Captain Dead Language - He speaks Latin and he's got on Roman armor...Romae lingua dicit et loricatus est.
- Fina - Crazed cat or plotting pussy? Either way she'll scratch your eyes out before you can blink, or cuddle up with you if you give her some cat nip.
- Tina DeValve - Atheistic and crazed woman who was once the Boob Vampire. Now plotting her return to power as an undead overlord using Twinkies, Ho-Hos, and some matches.
- UU of 8 - The Borg Unitarian.
- Saint Grand High Markus, Ordained Ceremonial Magician of the XXXII Order of Apsu - Many ask him why he has such a long name (he won't be addressed by anything shorter). Don't worry, it's an inner order mystery, and you can never begin to fathom to understand such power. Either way, he never takes off his robe and he doesn't know anything beyond Ceremonialism!
- Nate - A simple man humble in his endeavors, Nate is a humble Chaos magician who seems to understand more the he lets on.
- Cthulhu – netherworld elder god with an eye bent on destroying the world, or eating its inhabitants… whichever comes first. Cthulhu is based on the H. P. Lovecraft character by the same name.
- Nick – A proud African-American pagan (gasp! yes! they do exist!) who’s fond of Hoodoo, hurling curses at the drop of a hat, as well as Buddhism.
- Queernunnos (Herbert) - A subsumed embodiment of the Great Gay Pink God himself, Queernunnos walks this Earth as a force to be reckoned with, but of what we are not sure. Most just notice him from a distance and say "huh, well lookie there!" In late 2007, Oh My Gods! went through a site redesign and, since then Queernunnos (Herbert) is no longer listed on the supporting cast page.
[edit] Appearances
Oh My Gods! has also been featured in Prediction (UK magazine), SIPA News (local newsletter), PagaNet News (global newspaper), newWitch (national magazine), Eldaring.de (German website), the Cauldron.net (website), Pentacle (magazine & website), Mississippi State University WPSA (website), the SORCery Convention (event), Akashan Pathways (website), Modern Wiccan (website), WynterGreene (newspaper), the Daily Egyptian (newspaper of Southern Illinois University Carbondale), The Scribe (newsletter), Pagan Press (newsletter), The Witch's Path (newsletter), Connect (newsletter), Between the Worlds (event), Pagan Spirit Gathering (event), and Something Awful (Awful Link of the Day).
[edit] Awards
It has won the Golden Web Award for 2003-2004, was a UserFriendly.org Link of the Day and has received reviews from the Shadow Witch Web and Sequential Tart.
