2014 in Review has ended, but there are still tons of things Multiversity’s staff loved in comics from the year. As we approach the end of the year, Multiversity’s staff will share one thing a day they loved from the year, highlighting anything from a comic, creator, cover, comic shop, app, or anything really. As long as it involved comics, it can be featured. We hope you enjoy.
If you follow me on Twitter, then you know I have a deep love for Daniel Warren Johnson, artist on Dark Horse’s recent release “Ghost Fleet”, and his art. And while Dan’s work on “Ghost Fleet” is fantastic, it was his webcomic “Space-Mullet” that got me hooked on his work.
“Space-Mullet” is a webcomic started in 2012 that focuses on Jonah, a human space trucker, former space marine and also owner of that titular mullet, and Alphius, Jonah’s Zozobian co-pilot and general badass. The two travel the galaxy getting into trouble, with Alphius mostly getting out of said trouble, gaining new friends along the way, and even adopting a small alien child. Throughout the 250+ pages that Dan has posted so far, Jonah and Alphius fight space goblins (yes, seriously), fight a monster spawned from their dirty dishwasher, and head to Mars for a roller derby. Jonah and Alphius get around.
“Space-Mullet” is a sprawling story, taking the characters to different corners of our own solar system and others. Through it all, Dan crafts stunning space scenes in nothing but black, white, and blue shading. With those three simple colors and his great art, Dan is able to bring alien worlds, futuristic technology, and very real, human moments to life. While the visually appealing planets and the detailed tech are great to look at, it’s Dan’s writing and obvious love for this story that shines through. While some moments can be super light and hilarious, things can often get serious in “Space-Mullet”. Just as with real people, the characters that populate this world are deeply flawed, some more than others, and have their own set of regrets and shortcomings to live with. Some are seeking to redeem themselves, while others simply want to hide. All this and more is at play in the pages of “Space-Mullet”.
In addition to “Space-Mullet” just being damn good (open that above image in a new tab if you don’t believe me), it’s also absolutely free. Like, there’s not even ads. None. There’s not even any printed books for it. Dan basically makes no money from this. Sure, it’s probably helped get him the gig on “Ghost Fleet”, but Dan’s just been posting pages on a weekly basis for 2.5 years because he loves this comic and these characters.
We’re a half-dozen pages into the seventh chapter and “Space-Mullet” is only getting better. Dan’s art and storytelling is only getting better and continuing to grow. While Dan might not be making any money off the comic now, it’s only a matter of time before someone finally realizes they have to publish this.
