Orneryboy is a comic I began publishing online in 2002, about an angry guy (aptly named Orneryboy), his girlfriend, and their pet zombie. It is an eclectic mix of black humour, Lovecraftian horror, romantic comedy, slapstick, and of course, zombies. The vector-based art style is bright and colourful, and utilizes halftone dot patterns in the backgrounds. It also incorporates animated and interactive elements, a clear influence of my work designing games.
Early versions of the Orneryboy website were designed and built by myself using Adobe Flash; one of these designs won a Webcartoonists’ Choice Award for Best Website Design. Orneryboy ran for 10 years and attracted a worldwide following of devoted readers, until I put it on hiatus in 2012, shortly after its 500th strip. At some point during the ensuing years I took the website down. In 2016, I decided I wanted to resurrect it.
With the shift away from Flash and the preponderance of mobile devices, putting the strip back online was no simple task. I created a new website using Grawlix, a content management system designed specifically for comics. I opted for a minimalistic design, to showcase the comics without being obtrusive. Once the website was complete, I began reposting the archive of comic strips, and am still in the process of adding them. In addition to tweaking and correcting the strips with the intent to someday collect and publish them in print, I have also been adding commentary and insights into my creative process, which have been enthusiastically received by my readers.
Visit the Orneryboy website. (WARNING! Contains graphic violence and gore, foul language, and mature content)