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 Broodhollow, a webcomic by Kris Straub, is an interesting combination of Disney Magic and Hell. Set in Prohibition-era USA, Broodhollow follows the story of Wadsworth Zane, a down-on-his luck encyclopedia salesman trying to make an honest living. Obsessed with the idea of patterns having an effect on his day-to-day life, Wadsworth nevertheless finds himself struggling with bills and money. That is, until a letter comes telling him that he has inherited the estate of a distant relative. The art is cute, the main character is lovable, and the story seems harmless so far.  It's all a lie. The cuteness of Broodhollow is merely a facade for a dark, gripping horror webcomic about a little town haunted by the dead. Wadsworth's constantly questioned sanity provides a perfect backdrop for the death and chaos that the people of Broodhollow constantly ignore. And if the webcomic doesn't scare the life out of you, h͔͓̠̲͍̲͇͖͕̲́̕͢͡ͅé̡̨̝͖̫̮͍̗̪̱̫̭͖̬̞̗̕͜ḷ̵̨̜̲̱̯̦̀͜͢ṕ̧̧̘̪̺̖̪̫̯͍͜  Some of Kris Straub's other works include: Chainsaw Suit, a gag-a-day comic. Starslip, a completed sci-fi comic. Ichor Falls, a collection of short horror stories writted by Kris Straub and other submitters. Lance Streetman fucked around with this message at 09:19 on Oct 21, 2013 |
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Jun 7, 2013 21:35
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Wow, this comic is good, thanks for posting about it. I read the whole thing in one sitting and got so frustrated when I hit today's page and couldn't go any further, what a stopping point! Great juxtaposition between the art style and the subject matter.
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Jun 7, 2013 23:12
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I've read Chainsaw Suit for years and never assumed Straub had the talent for creating so much detail and atmosphere, as well as some pretty drat good writing (although I always found CS funny). Shows what a difference a day or a week makes when it comes to updates.
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Jun 8, 2013 03:25
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I was first drawn to Broodhollow because I have OCD symptoms, and what Wadsworth suffers from at the start of the comic before coming to Broodhollow is basically plain old straightforward heavy OCD - the patterns ('rituals' is what they're usually called), the vague but intense feeling of unease if unfulfilled, the linking it to some irrational and unconnected outcome... Mine was doors related, too. Which makes the part where it actually came true way more horrifying to read. 
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Jun 8, 2013 03:40
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I love the comic, it scares the hell out of me. At the same time though just about every time Mercy is in frame I can't help but go  How hard is it to have a pet bat? Are they illegal/expensive/high maintenence?
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Jun 8, 2013 04:12
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DarklyDreaming posted:I love the comic, it scares the hell out of me. Well they're nocturnal, so that'd be lovely right off the start. They also they get tangled up in people's hair. I kinda assume it'd be a bummer to get exercise for one and it could get fat and die. I've never had a bird though and they seem to do alright as pets but they're also not mammals. edit: guess I should post something about the comic too. It's pretty good, I finally got around to reading it today. I wonder if ghost girl sounds like a middle aged man or not though.
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Jun 8, 2013 05:29
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Judging by the speech bubbles she sounds like she did before, but maybe a little more... meaty.
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Jun 8, 2013 05:33
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ChairMaster posted:Well they're nocturnal, so that'd be lovely right off the start. They also they get tangled up in people's hair. I thought the tangled in the hair thing was a bit of a myth? They have pretty drat good echolocation, enough not to land on someone's head... The rest is pretty spot on though. On the comic: I get the feeling Straub has been waiting to do this comic, he loves his Lovecraftian stuff. There's one of his somewhere with a real estate agent trying to sell a house with a crawling horror for a basement or something, cracks me up every time.
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Jun 8, 2013 05:53
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Am I the only one who doesn't think that's little Maddy? The ghost haunting Wadsworth's hotel room looks different and that's the one I'm assuming is her.
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Jun 8, 2013 05:58
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Hollandia posted:I thought the tangled in the hair thing was a bit of a myth? They have pretty drat good echolocation, enough not to land on someone's head... The rest is pretty spot on though. It could be a myth, I dunno. I figure it doesn't help much to have good flight control in a cramped indoor space though, which is where I imagine such a thing would happen.
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Jun 8, 2013 06:07
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It's worth mentioning that Kris seems to be using some of his old Ichor Falls ideas for Broodhollow. For example, the Maddie chapter is called "Curious Little Thing", which is also one of his IF stories, featuring a very similar "can only haunt opening/closing things" ghost. So decide for yourself if reading IF will spoil anything for you. The spirit poor Wadsworth seems to be dealing with now seems to be The Stitched Man, per this list: http://www.ichorfalls.com/local-legends/ A lot of people don't know that Kris Straub was also the originator of Candle Cove. It's weird how much that one took off.
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Jun 8, 2013 06:43
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The Horror Stories thread in PYF just got me hooked on Kris Straub's writing, and now I find out he does an awesome comic too? Goddamn amazing. What a talented guy. I'm enjoying this a lot so far. I really enjoyed a lot of his short stories.
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Jun 8, 2013 08:32
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Bobulus posted:The spirit poor Wadsworth seems to be dealing with now seems to be The Stitched Man, per this list: http://www.ichorfalls.com/local-legends/ I don't know if he'll use the same backstory or not, but that's a name we've seen. Harker the tailor is the guy who founded the Skull & Shovels Society after all.
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Jun 8, 2013 10:00
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I wonder how much of Mercy's behavior is artistic license for the sake of cuteness, and how much is related to the fact that she was a giant hell bat the night before. (Not that that's the most important question right now.) Chinaman7000 posted:The Horror Stories thread in PYF just got me hooked on Kris Straub's writing, and now I find out he does an awesome comic too? Goddamn amazing. What a talented guy. I'm enjoying this a lot so far. I really enjoyed a lot of his short stories. If you're new to Kris Straub, you should definitely check out his other comics, particularly Starslip, which I don't think I can praise enough.
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Jun 8, 2013 10:21
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MikeJF posted:I was first drawn to Broodhollow because I have OCD symptoms, and what Wadsworth suffers from at the start of the comic before coming to Broodhollow is basically plain old straightforward heavy OCD - the patterns ('rituals' is what they're usually called), the vague but intense feeling of unease if unfulfilled, the linking it to some irrational and unconnected outcome... If it seems especially genuine, that's because it is - Straub has said before that Wadsworth's troubles are to some extent based on his own "superstitions" as he calls them. He's mentioned having something very much like the door thing, especially. I can't help sort of wondering how much it's taking out of him to show Wadsworth's rituals failing him, or if it instead helps in some way, though that's a pretty personal thing to think about a total stranger.
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Jun 8, 2013 10:55
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Hamiltonian Bicycle posted:If it seems especially genuine, that's because it is - Straub has said before that Wadsworth's troubles are to some extent based on his own "superstitions" as he calls them. Y'know, 'superstitions' was what I called my OCD rituals when I was young, before I learned what they were called professionally. (I knew they weren't like normal superstitions but I didn't have any better words) Hamiltonian Bicycle posted:I can't help sort of wondering how much it's taking out of him to show Wadsworth's rituals failing him, or if it instead helps in some way, though that's a pretty personal thing to think about a total stranger. I would hope it's helping, or at the very least it's not hurting...
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Jun 8, 2013 11:00
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Hollandia posted:I thought the tangled in the hair thing was a bit of a myth? They have pretty drat good echolocation, enough not to land on someone's head... The rest is pretty spot on though. It's not, they're echolocation is great but only when they actually use it. They're very skittish and when spooked can forget all about it. Maybe forget is the wrong word, their instinct to use it gets overpowered by their if I make a noise this big thing will eat me instinct. Macdeo Lurjtux fucked around with this message at 15:20 on Jun 8, 2013 |
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Jun 8, 2013 15:18
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Jeez, you just had to go and post this thread when the comic is at a weekend cliff-hanger, huh? Really though, thanks for posting this. I've read some of Straub's other stuff, but I'd never heard of this. I'm enjoying it a lot.Carrasco posted:I wonder how much of Mercy's behavior is artistic license for the sake of cuteness, and how much is related to the fact that she was a giant hell bat the night before. Why do you say that? I thought she was just a normal bat. There were plenty of regular bats flying around in the scene with the demon-bats as well. Madrox fucked around with this message at 15:20 on Jun 8, 2013 |
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Jun 8, 2013 15:18
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Cat Mattress posted:I don't know if he'll use the same backstory or not, but that's a name we've seen. Harker the tailor is the guy who founded the Skull & Shovels Society after all. Aah, that makes a lot more sense to me. I wasn't convinced that this thing was Maddy either.
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Jun 8, 2013 16:42
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Madrox posted:Jeez, you just had to go and post this thread when the comic is at a weekend cliff-hanger, huh? Really though, thanks for posting this. I've read some of Straub's other stuff, but I'd never heard of this. I'm enjoying it a lot. Speaking of Mercy, my current pet theory is that she is that french skeleton that Wadsworth sees, as I am fairly sure that only started happening after he named her, here. She was also clinging to him afterwards. I assume she is still clinging to him since they were together before he went into the Skull and Shovel group, though we haven't seen her since.
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Jun 8, 2013 19:12
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Roxors posted:Speaking of Mercy, my current pet theory is that she is that french skeleton that Wadsworth sees, as I am fairly sure that only started happening after he named her, here. She was also clinging to him afterwards. I assume she is still clinging to him since they were together before he went into the Skull and Shovel group, though we haven't seen her since. That's Cadavre!
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Jun 8, 2013 20:25
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I'm sooooooo happy someone made a thread about this! Thanks, OP! I just adore this comic. It's a perfect blend of good writing, good pacing, and wonderfully well-designed art. The economy of the character's lines is just amazing! I want to roll around in it!
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Jun 8, 2013 20:28
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It's kind of interesting how none of the villagers seem to be able to remember anything supernatural, as far as I can tell. I'd guess that all the strange rituals are remnants of protection rituals. Protecting them from the things that they cannot remember. Though I'm kind of curious of the Skull and Shovels ritual is somewhat opposite of that. Either bringing/keeping supernatural things, or perhaps even the thing that keeps people from remembering stuff like the giant bats.
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Jun 8, 2013 21:46
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I finally got around to re-reading this because of this thread, and wow!! Did that get good. I had only read the first five or so strips when the comic first started and decided to let it build up. Why oh why did I not let it build up a bit longer, you bastards for making this thread now!
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Jun 9, 2013 01:39
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Wow, Straub has really outdone himself with this, the writing is great, and some of the panels, especially the horror ones, are unbelievably dense. I had no idea that he was behind Candle Cove, either. I wasn't a huge fan of his other stuff, but I guess it warrants another look, because I was hooked early, and it's very smart. Thanks for the heads up!
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Jun 9, 2013 06:29
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I just finished reading through the archives the other day, now I'm hooked. I've always found Straub's Chainsaw Suit to be funny, but I didn't realize he had such a talent for inspiring sheer terror.
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Jun 9, 2013 19:06
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legendaryRev posted:I had no idea that he was behind Candle Cove, either. Holy poo poo. Learning this is like a creepy-pasta in itself.
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Jun 9, 2013 19:14
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Y Signal posted:I just finished reading through the archives the other day, now I'm hooked. I've always found Straub's Chainsaw Suit to be funny, but I didn't realize he had such a talent for inspiring sheer terror. Every time the panel suddenly shifts from cutesy cartoon art to macabre creepytown, I hear the Eternal Darkness insanity sound/music cue in my head, without fail.
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Jun 9, 2013 20:34
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Maddie's a friendly ghost that tries to protect people from the evil ghost. (Just like Casper.) And Wadsworth, thinking she's the culprit, made sure to be out of her reach. (There's no way Mr. Spectral Tailor here is referring to Iris as Zane's protector.)
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Jun 10, 2013 05:42
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Cat Mattress posted:Maddie's a friendly ghost that tries to protect people from the evil ghost. (Just like Casper.) And Wadsworth, thinking she's the culprit, made sure to be out of her reach. (There's no way Mr. Spectral Tailor here is referring to Iris as Zane's protector.) If this is the case, odds are good that she will end up being just as bad (in a different way, of course) as this guy.
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Jun 10, 2013 06:06
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This comic is really getting good at the moment. I love just how much detail he manages to squeeze into the panels to contrast them from the usual, more simplistic art style.
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Jun 10, 2013 07:57
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Is it that hard to link to the comic itself? http://broodhollow.chainsawsuit.com/2013/06/10/protector/
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Jun 10, 2013 08:37
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Lance Streetman posted:Is it that hard to link to the comic itself? Easy now, it's a whole 11 letters to put into Google. I know that the OP should have put the link in the first post, but can't we keep it friendly? Anyhow, I am so excited for this week, what a great time to start reading this.
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Jun 11, 2013 02:35
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FutonForensic posted:Holy poo poo. Kris is so mad that no one attributes it to him.
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Jun 11, 2013 02:39
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Lurdiak posted:Kris is so mad that no one attributes it to him. To be fair, it really did get a life of its own. I'm sure that he's gotta know by now that the Internet has a life of its own, and how urban legends work. The interviews I've read with him seem like he gets what a weird, big thing stuff like this becomes. What better honor as a writer than putting something out on an obscure website and have it become vernacular, right?
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Jun 11, 2013 03:44
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legendaryRev posted:Easy now, it's a whole 11 letters to put into Google. I know that the OP should have put the link in the first post, but can't we keep it friendly? I think he's saying that people should add a direct link to the most recent comic when it first begins being discussed. And I agree. It makes a much better experience for people who find the comic late and want to catch up with the thread as they read through the archives.
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Jun 11, 2013 03:49
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Esme posted:I think he's saying that people should add a direct link to the most recent comic when it first begins being discussed. And I agree. It makes a much better experience for people who find the comic late and want to catch up with the thread as they read through the archives. Yeah, it's a lot better than just suddenly seeing posts reacting to something that you either haven't read yet or can't place (if you're from the future). Basic netiquette.
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Jun 11, 2013 08:12
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Oh dear.  This isn't going to end well, is it. 
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Jun 12, 2013 12:16
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What do you mean, not end well? The cavalry came to the rescue. Zane is in good hands now. Winghands. Whatever.
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Jun 12, 2013 12:52
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Ah, I see, sorry about that. Also:Cat Mattress posted:What do you mean, not end well? The cavalry came to the rescue. Zane is in good hands now. Winghands. Whatever. It looks like not only does Mercy come to the rescue, but I feel like Maddy is trying to warn Iris, not hurt her. Like she knows the tailor ghost is bad, and she's been trying to warn Zane all along.
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Jun 13, 2013 03:52
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