Bruno (webcomic)

Bruno is a webcomic written and drawn by Christopher Baldwin from January 1 1996 to February 14 2007. Its story lines revolve around the life of an introspective young woman, set in the real world. Her unusual name comes from the Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno.

Themes and literary style

Bruno differs from the usual webcomic, that tends to reflect video games or student subculture, and instead deals with real, often controversial, issues through the daily life of the main character and her friends. During the run of the comic, such issues have included diverse topics such as homosexuality, religion, depression, politics and a traveling circus. The comic is characterized by a great deal of sometimes angst-ridden dialogue between the characters, occasionally punctuated by a single panel with a contemplative scene without words. The story lines follow the life of Bruno (somewhat autobiographically) as she quits college, visits friends in various American towns, travels to Europe, falls into and out of relationships, and publishes her novel. As the time line of the comic follows real time, we gradually see Bruno evolving from a free spirited college student into a more contemplative woman. Her quest to find her place in life changes but continues to be a main theme of the comic.

Artistic Style

The style of the drawings is mostly naturalistic and detailed, with a hint of caricature in the characters. The backgrounds are mostly of real-life places converted to black and white outlines penciled over and shaded with cross-hatching. Each character is drawn as a representation of a real person but with its own stylistic characteristic. Bruno's face is based roughly on a sketch of an angel's head by Leonardo da Vinci.

Conclusion

On December 26 2006, Christopher Baldwin announced the conclusion of Bruno, then scheduled for February 12 2007^[1]. By schedule changes, the webcomic eventually concluded on February 14 2007. Baldwin at the same time also announced that there will be a tenth and final Bruno book forthcoming.

Bibliography

Baldwin has produced nine Bruno books. The first three were originally hand bound. The current soft-cover versions still bear the photographic representation of this binding.

1. Uh...Hey..Mom and Dad, I'm Dropping Out of College, (1996), ISBN 0-9667574-0-8
2. Bread and Circuses, (1998), ISBN 0-9667574-1-6
3. These Troubled Soles, (1998), ISBN 0-9667574-2-4
4. The Seventh Cause (Or The Lie Direct), (1999), ISBN 0-9667574-4-0
   • Omnibus (2004) combining books 3 and 4, ISBN 0-9765483-1-3
5. Something Lost, (2000), ISBN 0-9667574-5-9
6. PDX: Love, God, Sex, and Cinema, (2001), ISBN 0-9667574-6-7
7. Lebensraum, (2002), ISBN 0-9667574-7-5
8. Eleven Months Early, (2003), ISBN 0-9667574-8-3
9. Once Removed, (2005), ISBN 0-9765483-0-5
10. Gina, (2007), ISBN 0-9765483-3-X

External links

• Bruno webcomic
• Bruno translated to French 1996 January to August
• Reviews of Bruno in Webcomics Book Club
• A review of Bruno by Alan P. Scott

References