First I'd like to thank the Giant for letting us talk about other comics here, and not being all Highlander about the competition! This is one of the best webcomic forums around, I think. I've found lots of new reads lurking over the years. Then, to thank Lira for maintaining the massive directory listing, and everyone who contributes to it. Lastly, Robberbaron for submitting the comic that I'd like to promote today. Which is The Water Phoenix King by Kyle Marquis, currently in its sixth issue out of a planned twenty-four episode story arc. Which is why I'm posting here now.

I don't have anything to do with the creation of WPK myself. I'm just the Volunteer PR Staff, which I do for fun and because misery loves company. I shouldn't be the only one coping with how every single update ends in a new cliffhanger! Mostly I do this by building and running ads with Project Wonderful which I try to make eyecatching and reflective of the comic. (If anyone here has clicked and been disappointed I apologize. I don't want page hits, I want happy readers.) I also--please don't throw things--started a TV Tropes page for it. Now I'm going to go against my grain and make a forum post, even though I'm more a lurker by inclination, because the artist feels awkward about putting his own work forward and it is part of the PR job after all.

As to why people here might want to invest the time and effort in another long form comic, here are some reasons that I can't easily fit into an ad (especially a button): it is a long form comic which has a narrative arc and a steadily advancing plot, by a creator with a proven track record of another completed comic, the (very different) science fiction story Broken Space; Marquis is a game designer himself (Genius: The Transgression) and puts that experience into worldbuilding and plot logic; it deals with many of the same themes as OOTS, including morality, mythology, and the nature of the monstrous, together with subversion of stock fantasy/adventure cliches; but it's not really like anything else out there, either. The art style is more bandee dessinee than American or Asian, not quite ligne claire but closer to it in my opinion, and the writing is a deliberate combination of retro and contemporary, Conan-meets-Deadwood if you will. And each update has a lot going on.

It took me a long time to get into it myself, and I know it won't be for everyone, but if you liked George RR Martin yet wish that his books weren't quite so unrelentingly miserable, or if you liked Barbara Hambly, or Lloyd Alexander, particularly his 18th century fantasy and especially the darker ones like the Westmark trilogy, you might find that WPK is for you.

Or if you liked Buffy and Angel--or what they could have been with less network interference and falling back on cliche--and ever wondered what a series starring the combination of Dark Willow and pre-Ascension Cordelia as Slayer-Savior-Chosen One due to either a terrible mix-up of fate OR a deep and inscrutable plan by a Trickster goddess, you might like it. And if you don't mind occasional Pythonesque grotesque humor breaking up the seriousness.

Unfortunately I can't really talk about it any more detail without going into the Spoiler Zone! it's been a challenge making the ads and gave me a lot of admiration for people who cut trailers and vids for film. But I hope that you give WPK a try, and that you enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying it.

One more reason! Kyle stays on schedule. There's only been one delay--and that was a matter of hours--due to a combination of holiday and computer issues. "Every M-W-F" is not false advertising.