Writers are Readers- C.W. Phelps- July 2020

I am going to be honest here. It has been at least a month since I have picked up a book to read. I can feel the books on my shelf, the ones I picked up on my last spree through a Half Priced Books store before the world caught fire, judging me as I have wasted my precious time at home watching through The Office for the second time in six months. As an ‘essential worker’ every day life has been exhausting and it is far too easy in a world of Netflix and Hulu to be a lump on a over-used couch and stare at a screen. So let me tell you about the reading that I have found time for-

WebToons WebToons are lovely app based webcomics done by all sorts of people telling every kind of story. Most commonly they are updated in daily, weekly, and monthly intervals. They range from familiar four panel comics to scrolling chapters that could fill a traditional serial comic you’d find in any shop. (Not sponsored, but seriously, if you haven’t downloaded this app you need to. I guarantee there is a story out there for every type of person on WebToon.) I have subscribed to far too many, but these have been my favorite over the past couple months :

Lore Olympus- Rachel Smythe (Read it Here!) This was the one that got me to download WebToon in the first place. I am ashamed to say that it was through a Facebook ad, but hey- that ad worked. This is a modern retelling of the story of Hades and Persephone and the art is absolutely stunning. They just finished with season one and there are rumors of the series being picked up by Netflix for an animated counterpart. Seriously get on this.

Ghost Teller- QTT (Read It Here!) Horror short stories with interesting twists. People are the real horrors as ghosts gather before the judge and tell their stories. The art manages to be creepy and cute at the same time. If you need a good spooky read, then this is perfect.

Spirit Fingers -Han Kyoung Chal (Read It Here!) This has been hands-down my favorite WebToon. This is the story of a girl who is discovering herself through her relationships to a strange collection of characters in an art club. The characters are great, the art is really something special, and the writing is really well done. Each episode brings so much joy.

False Knees- Joshua Barkman (Read It Here!) Irreverent writing that is easily meme-able. The humor is spot on and the art is amazing. Each comic is self contained. So good. Go read this now. And there are so many more. WebToons have been my go to reading because they have provided a nice quick break in the day to day or a good way to wind down before bed. I have promised myself to read more in these coming months (yes, that is a hint for you to submit that project you have been working on to submissions@thehenlopress.com) Maybe I will finally get to reading Outlander as Stephanie and Chandler have been telling me to for the last few years. Who knows? I certainly don’t.

How about you? Share what you have been reading with us on Facebook! Do you have a favorite WebToon? Share that too! I need more to read. Stay safe and keep writing! ~C.W. Phelps