| Dresden Codak | |
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| Author(s) | Aaron Diaz |
| Website | http://www.dresdencodak.com/ RSS web feed  |
| Current status / schedule | Weekly |
| Launch date | 2005-06-08 |
| Genre(s) | Science, humor |
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This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the for details. (December 2007) |
Dresden Codak is a webcomic written and illustrated by Aaron Diaz. Described by Diaz as a "celebration of science, death and human folly," each comic generally focuses on a concept or theory from modern and postmodern philosophy, psychology, or science (particularly quantum physics). Concepts are presented with a surreal degree of reality, generally to the chagrin of its chief protagonist, Kimiko. For example, in "Summer Dream Job", Kimiko is given a job in her dreams, for which she receives payment in real life. Before long, dark-suited government agents arrive and inform her that she is profiting from creative energy without her ideas being processed by Corporate America and therefore violating federal labor laws, proceeding then to deport her from her own subconsciousness. Dresden Codak is a founding member of the alternative webcomic collective, Koala Wallop. In a comic on October 26, 2007, Diaz announced, "I have decided to go full-time with the comic. My regular day job ends in a week." [1]
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Protagonists
- Kimiko "Thunderbolt" Ross: The most commonly recurring character in the strip, she often uses science and technology that is beyond what we currently possess to solve simple problems [2]. She has a particular knack for manipulating spacetime. As an INTP,[3] she generally seems to deal with extraordinary circumstances (speaking to an Egyptian god about the superposition of Schrödinger's cat)[4] better than mundane ones (speaking to boys).[5] Her name may be a potential reference to Thunderbolt Ross.
- Rupert & Hubert: A pair of Victorian intellectuals who have moved to a magical palace on the moon to escape the insincerity of the world's leaders.[6] They are less frequently recurring than the staple characters of the comic, and spend their time discussing scientific issues in the surreal manner typical of the comic.[7]
- Dmitri Tokamak: A friend and assumed classmate [8] of Kimiko's who can usually be found admiring her scientific feats [9][10] or engaging in video games [11] or table-top RPGs [12] with Kimiko and his twin sister,
- Alina Tokamak: Twin sister of Dmitri and friend to Kimiko. The Tokamak twins are, cosmetically, loosely inspired by Captain and Mary Marvel. Coincidentally, they also possess super powers, seemingly based off of the Wonder Twins-- albeit replacing aspects of scientific concepts for animals or water states.[13]
- Tiny Carl Jung: A tiny version of Carl Jung, responsible for helping to found tiny psychology. He seems to live with Kimiko, or at least to associate with Kimiko and the Tokamak siblings closely.
Themes and influences
Tiny Carl Jung, a miniaturized version of the famous psychiatrist, appears as a recurring character.[14] Although Jungian concepts and themes often appear in modern popular culture (see Influences on culture), this is likely the first time Carl Jung's likeness itself has appeared as a recurring character. "Phantoms of a Lost Muse" is an homage to one of the artist's greatest influences, the webcomic A Lesson Is Learned But The Damage Is Irreversible.
Reception
The comic has been well-received in the webcomics community at large, having "considerable reserves of storytelling and artistry" with the influence of A Lesson Is Learned upon the story and art styles noted.[15] It is a favourite of The Perry Bible Fellowship creator Nicholas Gurewitch.[16] The comic's highbrow patter is distinctive: internet pundit Lore Sjoberg described it as "Little Nemo in Higher Education Land."[17], while the pseudo-Victorian pseudoscience of "Traversing the Luminiferous Aether" amused the editors of the science magazine Seed.[18]
Awards
Nominations
- 2007 Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards Nominee for Outstanding Layout.[19]
See also
External links
Reviews
- Reviewed on the podcast, The Gigcast, (#60) in October 2006[20]
- Reviewed in the webcomic review blog Webcomicgeek in August 2006 [21]
- Mentioned in the webcomics blog, Fleen[22]
- Reviewed by the webcomics podcast, Digital Strips on June 20, 2007[23]
Interviews
- Interviewed on the "Blowing Bubbles" webcomic podcast by T Campbell on Broken Frontier on March 12, 2007[24]
- Interviewed by Jayaprakash Satyamurthy for kvltblog on August 12, 2007[25]
- Interviewed by Brian Warmoth for Wizard Magazine on August 24, 2007[26]
