Tessa Stone is pretty great. She’s done work for Boom! and Oni Press, as well as freelanced for The Regular Show and Bravest Warriors, and collaborated with Anath Hirsch on his comic Johnny Wander. Her webcomic Not Drunk Enough is coming out in its first paperback volume in the next few days.
Not Drunk Enough follows Logan Ibarra, an electrician sent on a job to a local science/research-type firm and falls in the middle of a monster-filled supernatural mess. Along with other survivors like security officer Maela and IT wonder Bia, Logan must navigate a vast office complex full of people changed into horrible creatures and a few twisted individuals who are pulling all the strings for reasons of their own.
My first thought was that I could definitely see Not Drunk Enough as a sensational survival horror game. Stone has distilled some of the best parts of current horror trends and packed them expertly into a cohesive narrative. The story and imagery are frightening, gory, and combine body horror and suspense with a deft hand. Yet unlike a lot of horror that focuses too much on the gore and scares, Stone has a carefully planned mystery that she reveals bit by bit, flashing back and forth in time as the plot moves steadily forward. She also takes the time to develop her characters, gives them time to react to the situation and to each other. (Tangentially, I totally ship Bia/Maela).
Stone’s style is incredibly dynamic; her story doesn’t take itself too seriously, and a lot of the humor comes through her artwork. Expressions, body language, even the way she frames her scenes can have a comic relief effect on the high levels of tension and suspense. Her monster designs are also really creative; while there are some instances where an influence from mythology or other works of horror can be seen, the monsters not only look terrifying, but terrifyingly possible in the world she’s created.
Tessa Stone continues to update Not Drunk Enough at http://www.ndecomic.com/, so if you can’t make it to your local comic shop you can check it out there. However, if you enjoy it, make sure to grab a copy of Volume 1 when you get the chance- this is a good one, and we need to make sure there’s a Volume 2!
