As both an artist and a historian, I am always intrigued and impressed by people who are able to combine these two passions successfully. Beginning late in high school, I started reading comics online (webcomics, if you will) and continue to dedicate a significant amount of time to them. One of their greatest attributes is how they can instantly, and for no charge, be distributed to anyone, anywhere in the world, so long as they have access to the internet. In the past few years, I began to discover, to my great delight, webcomics that were dedicated to history or with historical themes of some kind. They’re fun, they’re informative, and they help me feel like there is a niche out there not only for those of us hopelessly obsessed with history, but also for those of us torn between the competing drives for art and history. So, to help share the joy, below are listed the historical webcomics which I’ve found and enjoy. Please feel free to add your own– the more the merrier!
Sailor Twain, or, The Mermaid in the Hudson by Mark Siegel
A very new graphic novel (if you take a look at the chapters page, you’ll know why I use this differentiation) about the steamboat trade in late nineteenth-century New York. The title seems to foreshadow some fantastical elements, but in the ten or fifteen pages posted so far they have only been subtly eluded to. Be sure to check out the notes below each page where the author explains historical tidbits.
Hark! A Vagrant! Comics by Kate Beaton
Quite possibly the Holy Grail for history nerds, Kate Beaton writes comics on nearly any topic, from any period. Most are little three or four panel snippets, all are clever and hilarious. She also does some autobiographical work, and silly comics which comment on society, politics, etc. All around, some of the best stuff to be found on the internet. Period.
Set in the Prohibition Era, and with anthropomorphized cats instead of people, this silly but serious comic follows the exploits of a somewhat oblivious young man who is caught up with forces much stronger and violent than himself. Tommy guns, gangsters, liquor smuggling, and fedoras. The only downside is that updates can be somewhat sporadic.
World War Two: Simple Version by Angus McLeod
A hilarious one-shot that summarizes the main events of World War II. If the image is too small to read, scroll over it and you should be able to zoom in.
The newest addition to my webcomics list, this one is set in the Germanic states in 1768. Luther Levy, the son of a converted Jew and Pietist (like a not-as-intense Puritan), came under the influence of the ideas of Spinoza while writing his doctoral thesis and was kicked out for thinking he might be an atheist. Such a humiliating fall has lost him the respect of the academic community, his patron, and some of his confidence in his own ideas. Very historically accurate, very well researched, and with beautiful art, this has quickly become my favorite webcomic. The author provides notes for each page (there’s a link on the main page) and a list of sources she’s used while writing it. Check out the link to her main page, she has some other historical works and more of her amazing artwork.
Girl Genius by Phil and Kaja Foglio
One that leans somewhat more on the fantastical, this is kind of like a steam-punk story set in the Germanic states of the seventeenth century. Lots of crazy technology and robotic intelligence (akin to Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow), but with enough flavor of the historical setting to warrant a place on this list. This one has been going for quite a while, but is well worth reading. As the authors describe it: “Adventure, Romance, Mad Science!”
– Ben Jacobson, Associate Editor
