Bobbins (webcomic)

Bobbins is a webcomic set in the fictional West Yorkshire town of Tackleford, England, and written by John Allison.

It ran from September 21, 1998, to June 3, 2002, but shifted into reruns with commentary on May 17, 2002. It has since made occasional returns in John Allison's website in between his other comics, starting in 2013. In 2002 Bobbins was nominated for the Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards categories Best Use of Color, Best Site Design and Best Female Character (Shelley Winters).^[1] In June 2002 Bobbins was Runner-up best online comic strip in the UK National Comic Awards.^[2][3] Webcomics portal Keenspot kept the Bobbins archive freely accessible online, but eventually they moved to Allison's own site.

Upon its conclusion John Allison began another webcomic, entitled Scary Go Round (SGR). Most of the main characters followed him, and SGR, although originally intended to be a spin-off focussing on the minor characters of Tessa Davies and Rachel Dukakis-Monteforte, eventually ended up with roughly the same cast^[4] as the end of Bobbins (though a number of new characters were introduced later).

Bobbins focused on the staff of City Limit magazine, their friends, relationships and lives.

History

John Allison had started drawing the characters in 1994 and experimented with them in various paper-comics until mid-1998 when he submitted a sample pack of 25 strips titled Bobbins — northwestern English slang for "crap"^[5] - to King Features Syndicate and Universal Features. They later rejected the submissions. By September 1998 John was hand-drawing five strips per week and scanning them for presenting on the web, up until mid-2000 when he changed to computer drawing with Adobe Illustrator.^[6][7] Stephen Gerding described Bobbins as "kind of like “Friends”", or "“Coupling”" with an office atmosphere, and John noted his later episodes got very bizarre and this, beginning in 2002, led to the supernatural tone of Scary Go Round.^[6]

In 1999 Bobbins and Goats produced two crossovers starting April Fool's Day.

In 2013, new installments of Bobbins began to appear on Fridays, interleaved with the Bad Machinery strip (which publishes Monday through Thursday). The new episodes were apparently taking place around 1998, "retconned" into the early Bobbins run, and prominently featured Amy, whose older version was important to the Bad Machinery storyline in progress which involved time travel and alternate realities. More new Bobbins comics have been published since, including a run beginning in December in between storylines of Bad Machinery. Some are "Bobbins NOW" strips, featuring the present-day versions of Bobbins characters.

Major characters

Tim Jones 

Allegedly the music writer of City Limit, but generally occupying himself with crazy inventions and bizarre musical projects, probably the protagonist of Bobbins. Created Unit Daisy, and was challenged by Red Robot to fight for her hand.^[4] A character in SGR, but later written out of the story (but brought back in the 2013 Bobbins revival).

Shelley Winters 

The red-headed, green-eyed protagonist of Scary Go Round was but an innocent country girl before moving to the big city of Tackleford, establishing herself as a promising young writer at City Limit.^[4] Used to live with Holly West, until she was lost in the Himalayas, then stayed with Fallon Young, all the while fulfilling the ingenue role. More of her backstory was explored in the 2014 Expecting To Fly prequel series.

Amy Chilton 

The blonde, 20-year-old spoiled daughter of Len Pickering concerns herself mainly with keeping up her indie cred, but generally tries to be loyal to her father and protect him.^[4] Dislikes work and showers.

Ryan Beck 

Barfly, record store manager,^[4] and drinking buddy of Tim Jones. Later known as Ryan Beckwith in Allison's subsequent webcomics. Always drawn with messy hair and a five-o'clock shadow.

Fallon Young 

Originally a HiFi store owner in competition with Ryan Beck, was revealed to be a super-spy, then became flatmate of Shelley Winters. Comes up with many half-baked plans and crazy schemes.^[4]

Len Pickering 

Longtime Editor of City Limit, left when Holly West, his favourite, abandoned his magazine.^[4] Has delusions of grandeur, frequently makes sexual passes at his employees.

Rich Tweedy 

The City Limit designer was originally perpetually single, but had flings with both Shelley Winters and Amy Chilton.^[4] Was "fired so hard he ceased to exist" by the megalomaniacal Holly West. On December 29, 2014, he returned in a new Bobbins strip.

Holly West 

Former favourite of Len Pickering and flatmate of Shelley Winters, left the magazine to be with Van-Dyke Jones, the brother of Tim Jones, and was lost while trekking the Himalayas with him.^[4] She later returned, slightly insane, became editor of City Limit, and sacked most of the original staff, causing the strip's end.

Elliot Schlesinger 

City Limit's tech support is a mystery within an enigma. His macho posturing at odds with his talent for dressmaking and sewing, Elliot is clearly a man fighting inner demons.^[4]

Notes

References

External links

• Classic Bobbins archive
• New Bobbins archive