Webcomic Review: Stars on the Ceiling
on April 25, 2016 at 2:05 am
Webcomic: Stars on the Ceiling
Creator: Tim Aichele
Format: usually three panels
Updates: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
Genre: autobiographical
Themes: slice of life, comics, creator life
Characters: Cartoon Tim, Cartoony Tim, Stick Figure Time, Abigail
Archive: Goes back to 11/11/04
This is a stick figure, autobiographical comic by Tim. Tim is a comic guy, like myself, and also a songwriter. That’s about all I know from reading a few dozen strips. I find the strips genuine, although a little unambitious.
I am not an artist, but I feel like I could draw this. That’s not a slam against the comic, I just think it should probably come out every day. I also think the panels should be bigger, they sometimes feel crowded. But I really think Tim needs to give us more insight into the Why’s. Why he feels one particularly way in a panel or in a scene. I mean, okay, it’s autobiographical, but I’d feel I don’t know enough about Tim. I like that he talks about the cons he visits, that’s fine. In the About section, he says that the comic was partially inspired by American Splendor. Harvey Pekar would often give us insight into his mind, his hopes, his fears, his dreams. I think this comic needs more of that. Open yourself up, Tim.
After 12 years of posting, especially when you do ones that talk to the reader, you could easily do 6 panels or 9 by reusing the artwork. Dig deep, my friend. You did it in this strip, but I think you could do more. That’s what we fans like to see in your comic. I mean, it doesn’t always have to be bearing your soul, but when you do, that’s what makes the compelling moments in my view. And they don’t always have to be dark, like Harvey. Not everyone is dark. Looking at the 2004 strips, I’m seeing some of that there. I guess with such a long run, he probably felt he ran out of stuff or couldn’t do that anymore? The earlier stuff did seem more compelling.
Also, his site is just screaming for a larger bio about the real Tim. I mean, if you’re doing an autobiographical comic, you kill two birds with one stone doing a detailed bio.
Maybe I’m being nitpicky, but with a site with this kind of a library, there’s bound to be a storyline that can interest the autobiographical webcomic fan. Check it out.
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