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Wapsi Square is a slice of life/fantasy webcomic set in modern Minneapolis, "a world almost exactly like the one you want to believe you live in." It also includes multiple supernatural elements, including a psychic and a god which contrasts its soap opera nature.^[1] The name derives from the Wapsipinicon River.

The story starts following the mundane life of main character Monica and focuses prominently on her interactions with her friends. She works as an anthropologist dealing with artefacts for museum and the strips are mostly of the gag-a-day form. This changes however with in introduction of the character Topeztecal, an Aztec deity, and marks the beginning of a change in tone to longer story arcs involving mythological, forgotten civilisations, gods and the end of the world.^[2]

Paul Taylor, the author and artist, is a founding member of the Blank Label Comics collective.

Publication History

Web

Wapsi Square has been published on the web since September 9, 2001. The entire archive remains on the website and is publicly accessible.

Wapsi Square has also been collected in paperback format by author and publisher Paul Taylor as follows.

Graphic novels

• Wapsi Square 2001-2004
• Wapsi Square: the Timekeeper's Daughter
• Wapsi Square: the Demons in My Back Pocket, foreword and afterword by Lea Hernandez and a special note from Jess Hickman (2007)^[3]

Sketch collection

• Wapsi Square's Monica in the Rough (May 14, 2008)

Main Characters

• Monica, the protagonist; a large-chested anthropologist employed at a local museum, she's the focus for many events of the comic.
• Shelly, Monica's long-time friend and an amateur bodybuilder, employed as a mechanic at her father's garage.
• Katherine, Monica's co-worker at the museum, a spooky woman with under-developed social skills.
• Tepoztecal, the Aztec god of pulque and by extension all alcoholic beverages, currently living with Monica.
• Jin, one third of the Chimera, an ancient weapon of mass destruction. She is an enigma in many ways even to those who've known her for centuries.
• Brandi (Brandilyn Oduya), one third of the Chimera and all-around level headed person.
• Bud (Acacia Budur), one third of the Chimera. She has an extradimensional space within her.
• Tina, a local barista. While arguably an undead demon-possessed monster, she serves good coffee and gives disturbingly accurate advice to friends and customers.

Awards

Waspi Square won the Outstanding Character (Visual) category in the 2004 Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards.^[4] It was nominated for both Outstanding Black & White Art and Outstanding Character Art in 2005^[5] and again in 2006^[6][7] , but did not win.

The character Monica Villarreal from Wapsi Square was nominated for and went on to win the 2009 Lulu Award for Best Female Character.^[8][9][10]

References

External links

• Wapsi Square website