Oh My Gods!
Encyclopedia
Oh My Gods! is a webcomic
written and illustrated by Shivian Montar Balaris. It deals with the Neopagan
, Pagan
, and Wicca
n faiths. The interaction of followers of these faiths with Christian
Fundamentalists and followers of other religions is the main concern of the story.
It debuted on March 7, 2002. The creator is currently attempting to post new comic strip
s daily. Previously it was posted sporadically to "catch up" the comic strip from the last day it was updated to present with a daily strip — making the strip still "active" and "pseudo-daily" in its updating schedule. Originally black and white, it now appears in grayscale on Monday through Friday strips and color on weekends.
The strip initially featured four main cartoon
characters whose outlook on life was stereotypical: Stan the gay
man, Vera the bull-dyke
, Winston the nerd
, and Victor the moron
. These four have since outgrown their initial "cookie cutter" molds and taken on lives of their own. The cast has since expanded to include additional characters such as Fundie, Kay, and Reiki Master.
Within the strip all characters are assumed to be Pagan, unless labelled otherwise by cross
es on their shirts. The main characters often comment on "bad Pagans" and on the opposition they receive from fundamentalists. Despite the strip's frequent references to Pagan
and Wicca
n sub-culture, it has a substantial Christian
following as well as a Neopagan audience.
Many strips are the result of viewer suggestion, and Oh My Gods! as a whole often reflects the personal experiences of the artist.
The last official strip was posted on March 17, 2009. The following year, a strip entitled "Finale" was posted along with a note from the creator indicating that he had decided to cease creating the Oh My Gods! comic.
, and the September 11, 2001 attacks
. The first anniversary strip was in the form of a short movie.
, a Clown for Christ, and Unitarian Universalists who are depicted as Borg
.
Oh My Gods! has a characteristic "Playschool" like drawing style, with characters only having eyes, one perspective, and no fingers. The drawing style is based loosely on a popular webcomic - Little Gamers
, et al. In the March 8, 2002 comic, Shivian acknowledges this by doing what the characters themselves say is "a blatant ripoff". Die-hard fans will also make what they call "Ohmygodsifications" of themselves, or what they would look like if they were a character in the strip.
Oh My Gods! also very often breaks the Fourth wall
. Characters are well aware of their existence as characters in a comic, and they are often depicted as conversing with Shivian or commenting on things occurring in his interactions with the comic or life at large. Additionally, they have been shown great surprise when Shivian made a change to the style of the comic such as the introduction of color, legs, or fleshed out backgrounds. In another instance, Shivian is shown as storing the props for the comic in the basement of their house.
(magazine & website), Mississippi State University WPSA (website), the SORCery Convention (event), Akashan Pathways (website), Modern Wiccan (website), WynterGreene (newspaper), the Daily Egyptian (newspaper of Southern Illinois University Carbondale
), The Scribe (newsletter), Pagan Press (newsletter), The Witch's Path (newsletter), Connect (newsletter), Between the Worlds (event), Pagan Spirit Gathering (event), and Something Awful (Awful Link of the Day).
In July 2011, two new omnibus volumes of Oh My Gods! were announced on the comic's website. Each volume will include around 1000 strips, with Volume 1 covering the first thousand published plus some unpublished content, and Volume 2 covering the remaining 1090 strips and bonus content. These volumes will be the first time that years six and seven of the comic are made available in book form.
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
written and illustrated by Shivian Montar Balaris. It deals with the Neopagan
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
, Pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
, and Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
n faiths. The interaction of followers of these faiths with Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Fundamentalists and followers of other religions is the main concern of the story.
It debuted on March 7, 2002. The creator is currently attempting to post new comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
s daily. Previously it was posted sporadically to "catch up" the comic strip from the last day it was updated to present with a daily strip — making the strip still "active" and "pseudo-daily" in its updating schedule. Originally black and white, it now appears in grayscale on Monday through Friday strips and color on weekends.
The strip initially featured four main cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
characters whose outlook on life was stereotypical: Stan the gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
man, Vera the bull-dyke
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, Winston the nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
, and Victor the moron
Moron (psychology)
Moron is a term once used in psychology to denote mild mental retardation. The term was closely tied with the American eugenics movement. Once the term became popularized, it fell out of use by the psychological community, as it was used more commonly as an insult than as a psychological...
. These four have since outgrown their initial "cookie cutter" molds and taken on lives of their own. The cast has since expanded to include additional characters such as Fundie, Kay, and Reiki Master.
Within the strip all characters are assumed to be Pagan, unless labelled otherwise by cross
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
es on their shirts. The main characters often comment on "bad Pagans" and on the opposition they receive from fundamentalists. Despite the strip's frequent references to Pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
and Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
n sub-culture, it has a substantial Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
following as well as a Neopagan audience.
Many strips are the result of viewer suggestion, and Oh My Gods! as a whole often reflects the personal experiences of the artist.
The last official strip was posted on March 17, 2009. The following year, a strip entitled "Finale" was posted along with a note from the creator indicating that he had decided to cease creating the Oh My Gods! comic.
Special Strips
In addition to the normal strips Oh My Gods! also features simple reverse font slogans which are supposed to resemble religious bumper stickers and special remembrances of the deaths of Shivian Balaris's father and Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, and the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. The first anniversary strip was in the form of a short movie.
Characteristic Features
Characters have died in the course of the story and remained so, in a departure from the convention of comic strip comedy. Elements of fantasy (fairies, boob-vampires, etc.) take the story into the realms of the surreal, though it keeps a thread of realism. This fantastic aspect is embellished by the appearance of such characters as the PopePope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, a Clown for Christ, and Unitarian Universalists who are depicted as Borg
Borg (Star Trek)
The Borg are a fictional pseudo-race of cybernetic organisms depicted in the Star Trek universe associated with Star Trek.Whereas cybernetics are used by other races in the science fiction world to repair bodily damage and birth defects, the Borg use enforced cybernetic enhancement as a means of...
.
Oh My Gods! has a characteristic "Playschool" like drawing style, with characters only having eyes, one perspective, and no fingers. The drawing style is based loosely on a popular webcomic - Little Gamers
Little Gamers
Little Gamers is a webcomic made by Christian Fundin and Pontus Madsen . It began on December 1, 2000....
, et al. In the March 8, 2002 comic, Shivian acknowledges this by doing what the characters themselves say is "a blatant ripoff". Die-hard fans will also make what they call "Ohmygodsifications" of themselves, or what they would look like if they were a character in the strip.
Oh My Gods! also very often breaks the Fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
. Characters are well aware of their existence as characters in a comic, and they are often depicted as conversing with Shivian or commenting on things occurring in his interactions with the comic or life at large. Additionally, they have been shown great surprise when Shivian made a change to the style of the comic such as the introduction of color, legs, or fleshed out backgrounds. In another instance, Shivian is shown as storing the props for the comic in the basement of their house.
Main characters
- Stan - He is the main character and gayHomosexualityHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
; his current boyfriend is Vincent. - Vera - She is a lesbianLesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
who owns the local metaphysical store, Neo Aquarius and Other Planets. She is also a Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
shamanessShamanismShamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
. - Victor - He is often portrayed as not being a mentally clear individual, leading to many problems. He is tormented by his fairyFairyA fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
spirit guideSpirit guide"Spirit guide" is a term used by the Western tradition of Spiritualist Churches, mediums, and psychics to describe an entity that remains a disincarnate spirit in order to act as a guide or protector to a living incarnated human being....
s and Larry the word balloon. - Winston - He loves computers and is geekGeekThe word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
y.
Supporting Characters
- Fundie - He is a stereotypical fundamentalist, Christian who tries to convert/save the souls of the pagan characters. He's also a frequent target of Stan's practical jokes.
- Vincent - He is Stan's boyfriend and is often preoccupied by sex.
- Futhark Kids: Perth, Othala and Asa -
- Johnnie - Leader of the local sect of the Pagan Spiritual Tradition of the Spiritual Fish.
- Craig - Follower of the Spiritual Fish.
- Kay - She is the leader of the sect of the Spiritual Fish, and is also Wiccan.
- The Fairies - Victor's spirit guides. They often follow Victor around and torment him.
- Reiki Master - A self-proclaimed master of the ReikiReikiis a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. The teaching was continued and adapted by various teachers. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some...
. - The Pope -
- Jacob, a Clown for Christ - A clown advocating the message that Jesus is fun.
- Linda - A toned down female version of fundie. She is often seen smiting people and hanging out with Fundie.
- Candy, a Cheerleader for Christ - A cheerleader who cheers the message of Jesus Christ.
- Apollinis Fututor - Captain Dead Language - He speaks Latin and wears Roman armor.
- Fina - A black cat who hangs out with Larry the word balloon and the fairies.
- Tina DeValve - She is an atheist who was once the Boob Vampire.
- UU of 8 - A Unitarian Universalist whose goal in life is merging all religions into one.
- Saint Grand High Markus, Ordained Ceremonial Magician of the XXXII Order of Apsu - A ceremonial magicCeremonial magicCeremonial magic, also referred to as high magic and as learned magic, is a broad term used in the context of Hermeticism or Western esotericism to encompass a wide variety of long, elaborate, and complex rituals of magic. It is named as such because the works included are characterized by...
ian. - Nate - A chaos magicChaos magicChaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods.-General principles:...
ian who is shown to be more level-headed than many of the other recurring characters. - CthulhuCthulhuCthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
– He is based on the H. P. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
character by the same name. - Nick – An African-American pagan who’s fond of hoodoo, curses and BuddhismBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.
- Queernunnos (Herbert) - A self-proclaimed embodiment of the "Great Pink God". In late 2007, Oh My Gods! went through a site redesign and, since then Queernunnos (Herbert) is no longer listed on the supporting cast page.
Appearances
Oh My Gods! has also been featured in Prediction (UK magazine), SIPA News (local newsletter), PagaNet News (global newspaper), newWitch (national magazine), Eldaring.de (German website), the Cauldron.net (website), PentaclePentacle Magazine
Pentacle is a Neopagan magazine that began publication in February 2002. It was created by Marion Pearce and Jon Randall. It is a quarterly magazine published on the dates of the old festivals of Imbolc, Beltaine, Lammas and Samhain, and has a worldwide distribution of 2,500...
(magazine & website), Mississippi State University WPSA (website), the SORCery Convention (event), Akashan Pathways (website), Modern Wiccan (website), WynterGreene (newspaper), the Daily Egyptian (newspaper of Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1869, SIUC is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system...
), The Scribe (newsletter), Pagan Press (newsletter), The Witch's Path (newsletter), Connect (newsletter), Between the Worlds (event), Pagan Spirit Gathering (event), and Something Awful (Awful Link of the Day).
In Print
In March 2007, Oh My Gods! was made available in book form for the first time. As of February 2009, five volumes of yearly anthologies had been made available at the print-on-demand publisher Lulu. These volumes include:In July 2011, two new omnibus volumes of Oh My Gods! were announced on the comic's website. Each volume will include around 1000 strips, with Volume 1 covering the first thousand published plus some unpublished content, and Volume 2 covering the remaining 1090 strips and bonus content. These volumes will be the first time that years six and seven of the comic are made available in book form.
Awards
It has won the Golden Web Award for 2003–2004, was a UserFriendly.org Link of the Day and has received reviews from the Shadow Witch Web and Sequential Tart.See also
- List of comic strips
- List of webcomics
- PaganismPaganismPaganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
- NeopaganismNeopaganismNeopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
- WiccaWiccaWicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...