Sometimes, All You Need Is One
Lots of strips have archives that stretch back into infinity — backstory, characters, plots, and plenty more. But like Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said once, Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. Thus, Quill. Twelve panels, three characters (four if you count the cat), fourteen words, one complete story complete with classic slapstick gag. Even the art has been reduced down to the absolute minimal line necessary to convey shape and emotion.
The creator, Michael Maihack, has other strips on his site and they’re good, too. Seed is a beautifully-illustrated adventure tale; Cow and Buffalo is funny, funny, funny. But Quill? It’s like Picasso’s peace dove: nothing left to take away.
It’s a good day when someone invokes Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
That’s all I have to say.
By Eric Burns on 02.23.06 5:56 pm
And now we know that Gary has failed.
By Jeff Lowrey on 02.23.06 6:45 pm
Ooooookay?
By Eric Burns on 02.23.06 9:20 pm
Inebriated. Just saying. But I love comics which rely on pictures and take a minimal amount of dialogue to convey their essence. This is beautiful and should be emulated.
By nic on 02.24.06 3:45 am
Good stuff. Reminds me of Buttercup Festival.
By Tropylium on 02.24.06 6:45 am
The above comments are owned by whoever posted them. The staff of Fleen are not responsible for them in any way.