Sunday Revue March 12: The Chanterelle and May Life

Hang On To Your...Well, Just HANG ON
Because Coming Your Way Is

....Who's got the absinthe? Pour a glass, you're going to want it. This is The Chanterelle and May Life.  The creator describes it thusly: The sweetest little sociopaths you know are spreading their darling brand of sadism like a sweet, sweet cancer across a magical kingdom of victims.
You were warned...

The Rating

Sorry kiddos. You may want to stop skipping art class.

The Raves

Now, I'm not saying this work is awful. There's an interesting sense of design. There's some nice attempts at calligraphic flourishes. The characters are cute. And of course, for anyone who likes bright colors  the palette is wild and vibrant. There's no shortage of energy or creativity here.

The Razzes

As for what needs work...whoo boy. Let me roll up my sleeves....ooooookay then.

Letter Up

First of all, this comic ABSOLUTELY AND DESPERATELY MUUUUUST improve its font, lettering layout, and kerning. Because-and I hate to say it but I will- I can't read it. I don't mean I don't like to. I don't mean I don't want to. I earnestly can barely decipher the first pages.
Let me speak to the creator: look, I admire the hard work you put into hand lettering. But this isn't working. Please, please head over to Blambot and find a good font.

Chewed Pen, Artist Alley, even Blambastic, anything would be better than as is.

And PLEASE study layout. Here's a few good pointers.

If you'd like some more tools in this area, try the program ComicLife.

Clean Up Your Act!

Once the lettering is cleaned up, get started on draftsmanship. Because right now, there's a problem with sloppiness. Yes, this is watercolor. Yes, there is something to be said for style. But colors bleeding into other areas and smudges here and there aren't charming. They're clumsy. Beyond that, the pages are so busy and disorganized that readers have trouble following much of anything; visually it's just a colored blur. 

Clean it up!

The Revue

...sorry, not impressed. 

The Chanterelle and May Life