Gunnerkrigg Court

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Gunnerkrigg Court
Gunnerkrigg Court Orientation.png
The front cover of Gunnerkrigg Court: Orientation
Author(s)Tom Siddell
Website www.gunnerkrigg.com
Current status/scheduleUpdates Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
Launch date4 April 2005 (2005-04-04)
Genre(s)Science fiction, fantasy

Gunnerkrigg Court is a science-fantasy webcomic created by Tom Siddell and launched in April 2005. It is updated online three days a week, and eight volumes of the still continuing comic have been published in print format by Archaia Studios Press and Titan Books (in the United Kingdom and Ireland). The comic has been critically acclaimed and has won numerous Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards, as well as receiving positive reviews for its artwork and storytelling.

Contents

The comic tells the story of Antimony Carver, a young girl who has just started attending a school at a strange and mysterious place called Gunnerkrigg Court, and the events that unfold around her as she becomes embroiled in political intrigues between Gunnerkrigg Court and the inhabitants of the Gillitie Wood, a forest outside the school. The comic's style and themes include elements from science, fantasy creatures, mythology from a variety of traditions, and alchemical symbols and theories; the literary style is heavily influenced by mystery fiction and manga.

Production

Gunnerkrigg Court was first posted online on 4 April 2005, [1] and was originally updated two days per week. The comic began updating three days per week on 25 December 2006. [# 1] The end of the seventh chapter in May 2006 marked the end of the "first book," [notes 1] which Siddell published through Lulu.com in 2007; [2] [3] that book is no longer in print. [4] In August 2008, Tom Siddell explained that the comic had a standard "comic book format" which was useful when he had sufficient pages to print a hard copy. [2] [5] The first fourteen chapters of the webcomic were printed as the first Archaia Studios Press edition [2] [5] of 296 pages bound in a hardcover collection titled "Orientation". [6] In 2012 Siddell announced that he had quit his regular job to work on the comic full-time. [7] In addition to books and merchandising the comic is supported through crowdfunding via Patreon since July 2014. [8]

In November 2021, Siddell announced that "Boom/Archaia will no longer be printing the Gunnerkrigg Court collections" [9] and was looking for a publisher for volume 9+. (As of September 2023, Vol. 9 and the softcover of Vol. 8 are still unannounced.) In October 2023, Siddell announced that "Gunnerkrigg Court is back in print", [10] with Dark Horse Comics printing the comic "brand new with new artwork right from the beginning". On his Patreon page, Siddell explained that "the changes I'm making are really minor and will not change the look of the comic. It's just a few lines here and there that I felt brought things closer to what I thought I was doing at the time." [11]

In May 2024, it was announced Dark Horse Comics will be publishing a limited-edition 1,000-copy hardcover edition of volume 1 in November. [12]

Format

The Gunnerkrigg Court webcomic is told in a series of episodic chapters such that each, while forming part of the overall storyline, also functions individually as a stand-alone story arc. [13] The themes and topics of the chapters vary widely: as one reviewer describes, "You are also not subjected to 400-plus pages of intricate plot movement. While there is an overall story arc, there are also lighter chapters that focus on unusual classes ... or small moments that build the main characters." [14] Each chapter begins with a title page and ends with one or more "bonus pages," which are not integral to the main storyline but often offer ancillary details about the world of Gunnerkrigg Court or about minor characters. [14] The chapters have varied in length from one page to more than eighty. Each page is drawn in traditional (A4; 210 × 297 mm) page format [15] and divided arbitrarily into frames. [notes 2] At the bottom of the most recent page is a link to a comments thread for that page, in which readers may comment on and discuss that day's comic.

Influences

Siddell has stated that he enjoyed reading Alfred Hitchcock & The Three Investigators as a child, and that it has heavily influenced the literary style of his comic. [16] His artistic style is influenced by many artists, among which he cites as his favorites Jamie Hewlett, Yukito Kishiro, and Mike Mignola, [16] as well as the manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Dragon Ball . [17]

One notable feature of the comic is the blending of mythological elements from many different cultural traditions, especially from the British Isles and Native American mythology. [notes 3] Siddell attributes this style to his experience as a child: "I moved about a lot when I was younger and had the opportunity to grow up hearing stories from different parts of the world and I've always been fascinated by them." [18] In addition to mythology, Siddell makes heavy use of alchemical themes; for example, the main character is named Antimony, after a toxic chemical element, [19] and many pages feature artistic depictions of alchemical symbols. [notes 4] The symbol for antimony appears frequently in Gunnerkrigg Court: the character Antimony wears a necklace shaped like that symbol, [# 2] the character Reynardine has the symbol imprinted on his wolf body, and the symbol is used to mark the end of a chapter.

The artwork of Gunnerkrigg Court has been described as "stylized," with simple character designs. [20] At least one reviewer, on the other hand, has noticed that the backgrounds, in contrast to the characters, are often very elaborate. [21] The comic has also been described as having a "rich" look in spite of its limited color palette, [22] and Siddell himself has stated that he first developed the idea for the comic using only a limited number of colors. [23] The pieces of artwork that Siddell has posted at the end of each printed book, entitled "Treatise"(s), demonstrate many such of Siddell's artistic and storytelling motifs: they integrate alchemical symbols, mythological figures, nature, and technology.

Synopsis

"Second Treatise," an image by Tom Siddell that shows the characters Antimony (r.) and Kat (l.) and exemplifies Siddell's artistic styles and narrative motifs. Gunnerkrigg SecondTreatise.jpg
"Second Treatise," an image by Tom Siddell that shows the characters Antimony (r.) and Kat (l.) and exemplifies Siddell's artistic styles and narrative motifs.

Setting

Gunnerkrigg Court is set somewhere in the United Kingdom or a country that resembles it. The titular institution functions as a boarding school, but also occupies a vast area, some of it seemingly uninhabited, some used as industrial or research facilities, and some occupied by students and staff. [24] The Annan Waters separate the Court from Gillitie Wood, which is inhabited by "etheric" or magical creatures. [25] [# 3] [# 4] Chief among them are Coyote and Ysengrin, along with populations of forest animals, elves, fairies, and others. At the time the story begins, both sides enforce a kind of truce and strict separation between the Court and Forest, [# 5] [# 6] although there is an established tradition of some forest creatures transferring into human bodies to attend the Court, and a few Court denizens – notably an ambassador called the medium – are allowed to enter the Forest.

Many characters suspect that the Court is much more than just a school. [notes 5] The school appears to actively recruit many talented or extraordinary students. [notes 6] As the story progresses, it is soon revealed that the school is inhabited by a wide variety of both supernatural creatures – many of which become characters involved in the story's plot – and ultra-modern technology. [26] One character explains that "the Court was founded on a union between technological and etheric design." [# 7] Another describes it as "man's endeavor to become god." [# 8] The house system described at the end of the first chapter is similar to that used by many UK schools, including the one the author attended; [27] Siddell has even stated that the school in which Gunnerkrigg Court takes place is modeled after his own secondary school. [28]

Plot

The main story of Gunnerkrigg Court revolves around Antimony "Annie" Carver, a student at the Court. Annie's parents, Surma and Anthony Carver, were also students there decades earlier, and Surma became the Court's medium to the Forest. Surma died after a long illness and Anthony disappeared, leaving Annie in the Court's care. Early in the comic, Annie befriends several supernatural beings, including a sentient shadow, a robot, and a ghost named Mort. Though initially not well liked by most of her fellow students, she becomes best friends with Katerina “Kat” Donlan, a classmate and robotics prodigy, and eventually also befriends older students Parley and Smitty.

Annie meets a creature called Reynardine, who tries to take over her body but, by accident, instead becomes trapped in the body of a stuffed animal she carries [# 9] and becomes subject to her command. [# 10] She gradually learns from various characters the history of the Forest and its connection to her own family. In the past, Coyote had granted some of his powers to Reynardine and Ysengrin: [# 11] [# 12] he had given Ysengrin "power over the trees" [# 13] and Reynardine the power to take bodies. [# 14] Reynardine had been in love with Surma [# 15] and had used his power to steal a young man's body and woo Surma; the man died, however, and Reynardine was imprisoned in the Court until Annie encountered him. [# 16] Surma was a psychopomp and the descendant of a fire spirit: she had an etheric power over fire, which is passed from mother to daughter at the cost of the mother's life.

Because of her relationship with Reynardine, Coyote, and Ysengrin, Annie is nominated to receive training as a medium, developing her etheric abilities including fire manipulation and astral projection. In the end, the position is given to Smitty instead, but Coyote designates her as the Forest's medium to the Court. She begins training under Ysengrin, who she learns is in a constant state of anger towards the Court but is partially brainwashed and kept in check by Coyote. Meanwhile, Anthony suddenly returns to the Court as a professor, and behaves coldly toward his daughter, moving her to a separate residence and making her repeat a school year. Annie later learns that the court is displeased by her closeness with the forest creatures and brought him back in an attempt to control her. Trying to control her rage at these events, she severs the link to her emotions and fire powers.

Annie and Kat investigate a powerful presence that guards the Annan Waters between the Court and the Forest. It turns out to be the ghost of a woman named Jeanne, one of the founders of the Court. Another founder named Diego created an arrow that killed Jeanne's lover and trapped her soul in the river, where she resisted attempts from the psychopomps to collect her soul and kills all who attempt to cross the river without the bridge. Annie, Kat, and several friends mount an expedition to recover the arrow and free the souls of Jeanne and her lover; they succeed, but Smitty is mortally wounded by Jeanne. Annie strikes a deal with the psychopomps in which they spare Smitty's life in exchange for her commitment to become a psychopomp in the future. As preparation, Annie and Kat help Mort finally pass into the ether.

Coyote, aware that the river can now be crossed freely, cedes his strength to Ysengrin, who is suddenly overwhelmed by rage and devours Coyote, becoming a creature named Loup. Loup destroys the Annan Waters, creates a duplicate version of Annie, and attacks the Court, which temporarily fends him off while preparing evacuation plans. Annie meets with Loup several times, while the Court attempts to capture him; Coyote appears several times during these encounters and suggests that all of Loup's actions were part of his plan, and that he will eventually return after Loup is killed by Annie.

In addition to Annie's central story, the story includes several additional plot arcs interspersed with the main story. [14] One concerns two girls from the Court, Zimmy and Gamma, who communicate with one another telepathically. Zimmy sees hallucinations of monsters that her etheric abilities turn into reality, [# 17] which she relies on Gamma to dispel. [# 18] Kat has her own storylines, including her romance with a fellow student named Paz, and experiments in robotics inspired by natural bodies and the highly complex robots [# 19] created by Diego. [# 20] Kat is eventually able to create full organic bodies for robots that make them capable of sensation, and a faction of robots seemingly starts a religion centered on the belief that she is an angel with the gift of giving robots life.


Main characters

Antimony Carver The protagonist of Gunnerkrigg Court, eventually revealed to have fire elemental ancestry, she came to the school after her mother's death. Has a way with the "etheric" or magical beings that inhabit the Court and the Gillitie wood. [# 21] She is able to see and communicate with the guides, [# 22] spirits that lead humans into the afterlife. [# 23] Acts as a medium between Gillitie Wood and the Court, as her mother did before her. [# 24]
Katerina "Kat" DonlanAntimony's closest friend. Daughter of two teachers at the Court, Mr. and Mrs. Donlan. [# 25] Whereas Antimony has close contacts with the supernatural, Kat is gifted in the formal sciences. The robots in the Court started to regard her as an angel and later "Creator". Kat is in a relationship with fellow student Paz.
Reynardine (Or interchangeably, Renard )A fox spirit that can take others' bodies, referred to as a demon on behalf of the Court by Eglamore. [# 26] He is now trapped in the body of Antimony's doll and is subject to her command. [# 10] In addition to inhabiting Antimony's doll, he may also take the form of a white wolf. [# 27] He is very protective of Antimony, [# 28] which one character claims is because Reynardine had once been in love with Antimony's mother, which he later admits. [# 15] Reynardine is a cousin and former companion of Coyote's, but has been confined to Gunnerkrigg Court because he killed and possessed a young man in the past, led by Coyote into the belief that this would win him Antimony's mother affection, which in turn made him fall in love with her acting under orders from the Court, who feared him as Coyote's successor. [# 29] [# 30] However, it is suggested in various conversations that he remains there not because of "men's laws", but actually for the bond he has formed with Annie.
Sir James "Jimmy Jims" EglamoreThe instructor for physical education classes, [# 31] and protector of the Court. [# 32] He shares his name with a dragonslaying knight from a Northumbrian folk song, [29] and some characters have referred to him as a "dragon slayer", [# 33] [# 34] He also was in the same class at the court as Annie and Kat's parents. He made an appearance in the webcomic Sandra and Woo .
Zeta "Zimmy"A student at the Court. Zimmy claims that she never sleeps. [# 35] She frequently travels to a nightmare-like world recreated from scenes in her past, and sometimes other characters accidentally end up there as well. She has fangs and a black, smokelike substance obscuring her eyes, and rain seems to have calming effects on her, along with revealing for a short time that her eyes are red. [# 17]
GammaZimmy's girlfriend. Gamma is able to calm Zimmy when she is seeing things or in the dream-world, blocking the "static" (as is Antimony, to a lesser extent). [# 36] She and Zimmy share a telepathic link. Speaks only Polish, and communicates with others by allowing Zimmy to translate for her. [# 37]
Shadow 2A second shadow that began to follow Antimony when she first came to the Court. Kat and Annie have taught him how to speak English. [# 38] In recent chapters Shadow 2 has become 3-dimensional, but retains all of his shape shifting abilities.
RobotAn anthropomorphic robot Antimony built. He is a model S13, with S standing for "Seraph". [# 39] His original body, though simple in appearance, was of a highly complex design; [# 19] he was later destroyed by Mr. Eglamore. Replacement bodies have included a robotic mouse. [# 40] He is seemingly in some sort of relationship with Shadow 2. He has developed into a driving force in the robots belief that Kat is in fact an "angel."
General Ysengrin A creature who lives in the Gillitie Wood. He is a wolf, but was given a 'suit' of roots and boughs by Coyote, covering his body up to the neck, usually in a humanoid shape, though he can alter it at will through his power over the trees of the forest. [# 41] He appears to leave it sometimes, for example to eat. [# 42]
Coyote A god who lives in the wood. He is also known as the Trickster, [# 43] although Jones claims that he never lies ("and therein lies the danger"). Currently "dead" – he fused with Ysengrin to become Loup. However, he has been hinted to have some greater plan in mind.
JonesThe instructor in charge of training mediums. Some characters think she is romantically involved with Mr. Eglamore. [# 44] She is incredibly strong, sinks like a rock when she is in water and does not seem to show any emotion, leading some to believe that she was a robot despite the fact that Gunnerkrigg Court robots are anything but emotionless, [# 45] [# 46] [# 47] [# 48] and that she herself denied the theory. Coyote calls her "wandering eye" when he encounters her, and accuses her of "stealing" the name Jones, implying also that she has done this before with other names – something Jones does not deny. It was revealed she has existed since the formation of the planet. [# 49]

Reception

In addition to being officially recognized at the Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards, Gunnerkrigg Court has been critically acclaimed in a number of online reviews, and has a large readership and an active forum. [30] Author Tom Siddell has been interviewed about his work numerous times, mostly by non-mainstream online magazines such as ComixTalk. Kevin Powers of the Comics Bulletin and Graphic Smash listed Gunnerkrigg Court as one of the series he "respect[s]," [31] and ComixTalk (then called Comixpedia) listed Siddell as one of the twenty-five "People of Webcomics" in 2006. [32]

The comic has received praise for its artwork and use of color, [22] dark mood, slowly revealed mysteries, and pacing. [14] [33] Al Schroeder of ComixTalk has called Gunnerkrigg Court's setting "marvelous" and "unique," and said the comic is "delightfully fun" in spite of its moody backdrop. [16] Along with the evolution in art style since the start of the comic, [34] many reviewers have praised the age progression of the protagonists and their maturation with the plot, likening it to that of Harry Potter. [35]

Some reviewers, on the other hand, have criticized its, at times, dark and sad tone [36] as potentially being frightening for younger audiences, also noting that there can be "lots [of information] to take in at times." [37]

In 2006, science fiction author Neil Gaiman praised Gunnerkrigg Court in his blog, [38] which brought the comic to the attention of many more readers. [39]

Awards

Gunnerkrigg Court has been nominated for and has won a number of Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards, [40] shown in the table below. When the Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards were discontinued in 2008 and replaced by The Webcomic List Awards (run by The Webcomic List Community) in 2009, [41] [42] it won several of those as well. It was also nominated in 2006 for a Clickie award in the "International Clickie" category at Stripdagen Haarlem, a webcomics festival in the Netherlands. [43] [44] Gunnerkrigg Court: Orientation won a 2008 gold Book of the Year Award from ForeWord magazine in their graphic novel category. [45] Gunnerkrigg Court: Orientation won a 2009 Cybils Award in the graphic novel category. [46] [47] Gunnerkrigg Court was nominated for the 2014 Harvey Award for Best Online Comics Work. [48]

Gunnerkrigg Court at the
Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards and The Webcomic List Awards (TWCL)
WinsNominations
2006
  • Outstanding Newcomer
  • Outstanding Use of Color
  • Outstanding Long Form Comic
  • Outstanding Story Concept
2007
  • Outstanding Environment Design
    (tie with Inverloch )
  • Outstanding Comic
  • Outstanding Long Form Comic
  • Outstanding Fantasy Comic
2008
  • Outstanding Dramatic Comic
  • Outstanding Writer
  • Outstanding Long Form Comic
  • Outstanding Layout
  • Outstanding Use of Color
  • Outstanding Character Rendering
  • Outstanding Environment Design
2009
  • Best Comic [49]
  • Best Long Form Comic [50]
  • Best Writing [51]
  • Best Colour Art [52]

Books

VolumeTitleYearISBNChapters
1Orientation2008978-19323863491–14
2Research2010978-193238677615–22
3Reason2011978-193639323723–31
4Materia2013978-193639399232–41
5Refine2015978-160886691542–49
6Dissolve2018978-160886830850–59
7Synthesis2019978-168415441860–68
8Catalysis2021978-168415665869–77

Side comics

Notes

Explanatory footnotes

  1. ↑ See the author's comment on Chapter 7, Page 23, in which he identifies that chapter at the end of the first book. Bonus Page 7 Archived 11 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine , the last page in that chapter, was posted on 22 May 2006.
  2. ↑ See, for example, Chapter 19, Page 14 and Chapter 6, Page 5 for examples of different styles.
  3. ↑ The comic contains characters such as the Black Dog and the Mallt-y-Nos of Welsh mythology, for example, as well as Muut (from Cahuilla) and Coyote (a legend shared by many Native American cultures). There are also characters based on Old French folklore, such as Reynard and Ysengrin.
  4. ↑ See, for example, Chapter 5, Page 12.
  5. ↑ See Chapter 8, Page 27 (Antimony: "This isn't just a school, is it?") and Chapter 19, Page 8 of Gunnerkrigg Court.
  6. ↑ The characters Zimmy and Gamma, for example, were approached before the opening of the main story by mysterious men who offered to take them to the school. See Siddell, Tom. Chapter 11, Page 11. Gunnerkrigg Court.

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References

  1. ↑ Gunnerkrigg Court archive.
  2. 1 2 3 Tramountanas, George A. (7 August 2008). "Gunnerkrigg Court: The 'Harriet Potter' of Webcomics". Comic Book Resources . CBR News. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
  3. ↑ Payton, Ross (8 February 2008). "School's In!". Broken Frontier. Archived from the original on 18 April 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
  4. ↑ "Alpha Rant#292: Gunnerkrigg Court review". Alpha Shade. 24 February 2008. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
  5. 1 2 Anthony, P. Ryan (8 August 2008). "Gunnerkrigg Court Webcomic Goes Unplugged". Earth's Mightiest. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  6. ↑ "GUNNERKRIGG COURT". Archaia. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  7. ↑ Siddell, Tom (19 March 2012). "A message from Tom" . Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  8. ↑ Siddell, Tom (6 July 2014). "Tom Siddell is creating Comics". Patreon. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  9. ↑ Tom Siddell's 4 nov. 2021 post (Wayback Machine archive) on Twitter: "Sadly, it looks like Boom/Archaia will no long be printing the Gunnerkrigg Court collections. If anyone knows of a publisher looking for a Reuben Award winning all ages sci-fi fantasy with an eager audience, let me know!"
  10. ↑ Siddell, Tom (18 October 2023). "Chapter 91, Page 30". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Siddell, Tom (24 October 2023). "Gunnerkrigg at Dark Horse!". Gunnerkrigg Court Patreon page. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  12. ↑ Brooke, David (1 May 2024). "Award-winning webcomic gets hardcover 'Gunnerkrigg Court' Volume 1 • AIPT". aiptcomics.com. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  13. ↑ "Alpha Rant#292: Gunnerkrigg Court review". Alpha Shade. 24 February 2008. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
    "Each of the chapters individually is sort of a self-contained thing, so if you were to just read one of them it wouldn't be like you had no idea what was going on."
  14. 1 2 3 4 Cardno, Anthony R. (8 August 2008). "Where Wolf? There Wolf..." ComicFencing.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
  15. ↑ Davies, Will (14 August 2008). "All Star Demon Tea Party". Fourth Panel Estate. Septagon Studios. Archived from the original on 28 March 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
    Siddell: "All my pages are made in traditional page format form the start..." (p. 15).
  16. 1 2 3 Schroeder, Al (December 2006). "An Interview with Tom Siddell, Creator of Gunnerkrigg Court". Comixtalk. Archived from the original on 8 August 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
  17. ↑ Burke, Jiffy (11 February 2008). "Holding Court with the Fantastic and the Mythological". Sequential Tart. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  18. ↑ Sunu, Steve; Kate Napolitano (18 August 2008). "Webcomics of the Week: Gunnerkrigg Court". WizardUniverse.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
  19. ↑ Woodruff, Delos. "Gunnerkrigg Court". ComicFencing.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
    Woodruff: "Please note that there is an element named the same as the lead character Antimony. It is metal deathly toxic (like arsenic) and one of its poisoning symptoms is depression. The alchemical symbol for Antimony looks like an upside down version of the symbol for female, as well. There is more, but I'm pretty convinced that the name of the main character was no accident". (p. 12).
  20. ↑ "Alpha Rant#292: Gunnerkrigg Court review". Alpha Shade. 24 February 2008. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
    "What he did was make an intentional choice to make his characters very cartoony."
  21. ↑ "Alpha Rant#292: Gunnerkrigg Court review". Alpha Shade. 24 February 2008. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
    "His characters are really simple, and some of his backgrounds are really complicated."
  22. 1 2 "Alpha Rant#292: Gunnerkrigg Court review". Alpha Shade. 24 February 2008. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
    "I love his use of color, too, in particular, because he never has more than like ten colors on the average page, but it looks really really rich."
  23. ↑ Tramountanas, George A. (7 August 2008). "Gunnerkrigg Court: The 'Harriet Potter' of Webcomics". CBR News. Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
    Siddell: "I did another sketch right after that of the same girl and, wanting to color it but only having a very limited selection of marker pens, put her in an ugly school uniform with some crazy makeup."
  24. ↑ Cruz, Larry (10 January 2008). "#25: Gunnerkrigg Court". The Webcomic Overlook. Retrieved 10 September 2008. The Gunnerkrigg Court complex, it turns out, resembles a giant factory. It houses more than just a school. Take a wrong turn, for example, and you may find yourself in a world populated by robots.
  25. ↑ Cruz, Larry (10 January 2008). "#25: Gunnerkrigg Court". The Webcomic Overlook. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
    "The technological world of Gunnerkrigg Court and the mystical world of Gillitie Woods co-exist uneasily."
  26. ↑ Tramountanas, George A. (7 August 2008). "Gunnerkrigg Court: The 'Harriet Potter' of Webcomics". CBR News. Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
    Tramountanas: "This place of higher learning has robots that run around alongside body-snatching demons, forest gods, and the odd mythical creature."
  27. ↑ Schroeder, Al (December 2006). "An Interview with Tom Siddell, Creator of Gunnerkrigg Court". Comixtalk. Archived from the original on 8 August 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
    Siddell: "I used to be in Queslett North, the same class Carver is in, and the other House names at the Court are the same as they were in my old school" (p. 6).
  28. ↑ Davies, Will (14 August 2008). "All Star Demon Tea Party". Fourth Panel Estate. Septagon Studios. Archived from the original on 28 March 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
    Siddell: "The school side of the Court is very much based on my Secondary school, right down to the names of the houses and various other aspects" (p. 11).
  29. ↑ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, v 1, p 209, Dover Publications, New York 1965
  30. ↑ Davies, Will (14 August 2008). "All Star Demon Tea Party". Fourth Panel Estate. Septagon Studios. Archived from the original on 28 March 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
    Davies: "It's certainly performing well here and plot speculation is rife on the Gunnerkrigg forums proving the maxim of which the Big Two survive: the most important thing is that people talk."
  31. ↑ Powers, Kevin (8 November 2007). "Lien, Howe return to Graphic Smash with 'Gun Street Girl Presents'". Comics Bulletin . Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
  32. ↑ "Comixpedia's People of Webcomics List for 2006". ComixTalk. December 2006. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
  33. ↑ Cruz, Larry (10 January 2008). "#25: Gunnerkrigg Court". The Webcomic Overlook. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
  34. ↑ Krueger, Paul (28 March 2013). "Webcomic Spotlight: Gunnerkrigg Court". Wine & Pop. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  35. ↑ Drummond, Joshua (13 May 2013). "Webcomics of the Week: Gunnerkrigg Court". mk1. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  36. ↑ Wick, Morgan (23 April 2012). "For this review, I think I'm going to try to put on my best Robert A. 'Tangents' Howard impression and overanalyze everything" . Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  37. ↑ Blume, Robynne (18 June 2013). "Entry Nine: Gunnerkrigg Court". Webcomics Worth Wreading. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  38. ↑ Gaiman, Neil (11 June 2006). "Sunday tabs etc..." Retrieved 13 September 2008.
    Gaiman: "I got to read what's out there so far of Gunnerkrigg Court, a really enjoyable webcomic.... Lots of different flavours in there – it's a semi-gothic funny-sweet school story with mysteries and robots and so forth.... Nice stuff."
  39. ↑ Davies, Will (14 August 2008). "All Star Demon Tea Party". Fourth Panel Estate. Septagon Studios. Archived from the original on 28 March 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
  40. ↑ "WCCA Awards" . Retrieved 13 September 2008.
  41. ↑ Knörzer, Oliver (7 February 2010). "Gunnerkrigg Court and The Webcomic List Awards 2009". Sandra and Woo. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  42. ↑ Wood, Wendy (1 November 2009). "The Webcomic List Awards 2009" . Retrieved 4 April 2010.[ dead link ]
  43. ↑ "International Clickie nominees: Allison, E-Merl, Gurewitch, Mudron and Siddell". ComixTalk. 4 May 2006. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  44. ↑ Mirck, Jeroen Mirck (2 May 2006). "Nominaties Clickies 2006 bekend". Comicbase.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  45. ↑ "2008 Foreword INDIES Winners in Graphic Novels & Comics (Adult Nonfiction)". Foreword Reviews . Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  46. ↑ "Cybils: 2009 Finalists Graphic Novels". Cybils Award . Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  47. ↑ "The 2009 Cybils Winners". Cybils Awards. 14 February 2010.
  48. ↑ "2014 Final Ballot". The Harvey Awards. 16 July 2014. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  49. ↑ "Best Comic". The Webcomic List Awards. 7 February 2010. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  50. ↑ "Best Long Form Comic". The Webcomic List Awards. 7 February 2010. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  51. ↑ "Best Writing". The Webcomic List Awards. 7 February 2010. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  52. ↑ "Best Colour Art". The Webcomic List Awards. 7 February 2010. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2010.

Story notes

  1. ↑ Siddell, Tom (21 December 2006). "Author's Note, Chapter 10 Bonus Page". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  2. ↑ Siddell, Tom (4 August 2005). "Chapter 3, Page 5". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  3. ↑ Siddell, Tom (3 March 2008). "Chapter 17, Page 11". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Jones: "There was a great division which saw the Court and the Wood separated. Nature on one side. Technology on the other."
  4. ↑ Siddell, Tom (3 December 2008). "Chapter 20, Page 17". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
    Coyote: "With my mighty paw I scored the earth and so the court and the forest were divided!"
  5. ↑ Siddell, Tom (4 April 2007). "Chapter 12, Page 25". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Reynardine: "The people of the forest will be wanting answers! They detest all forms of technology. Why do you think there is such a divide between the Court and that damned place?!"
  6. ↑ Siddell, Tom (19 April 2005). "Chapter 1, Page 6". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Antimony: "As I was forbidden from setting foot off school grounds, I could not walk Shadow 2 to the Gillitie Wood myself. There was only one sensible resolution to this problem. I must construct a robotic walking device which will provide you with transit across the bridge!"
  7. ↑ Siddell, Tom (29 February 2008). "Chapter 17, Page 10". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
  8. ↑ Siddell, Tom (22 December 2008). "Chapter 20, Page 25". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  9. ↑ Siddell, Tom (6 October 2005). "Chapter 3, Page 20". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  10. 1 2 Siddell, Tom (11 April 2006). "Chapter 7, Page 11". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
    Reynardine: "This stupid toy is hers, so now I can't do anything without her permission."
  11. ↑ Siddell, Tom (1 December 2008). "Chapter 20, Page 18". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  12. ↑ Siddell, Tom (12 December 2008). "Chapter 20, Page 21". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
    Antimony: "Why were you looking for Renard in the first place? Why bring him here?"
    Coyote: "I sought to make him into a powerful being such as myself!"
  13. ↑ Siddell, Tom (19 December 2008). "Chapter 20, Page 24". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  14. ↑ Siddell, Tom (17 December 2008). "Chapter 20, Page 23". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  15. 1 2 Siddell, Tom (15 December 2008). "Chapter 20, Page 22". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
    Coyote: "I wouldn't be surprised if he cared very deeply about you, [Antimony]! You see, Renard fell desperately in love with Surma!"
  16. ↑ Siddell, Tom (17 December 2008). "Chapter 20, Page 23". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
    Coyote: "[Reynardine] soon runs away! He steals the body of a young man and disappears into the Court, looking to woo the fiery Surma. We heard he was captured, tricked! ... and I did not see him again until last summer."
  17. 1 2 Siddell, Tom (12 January 2007). "Chapter 11, Page 9". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Zimmy: "Stuff happens when I'm around, you see.... sometimes I see things that ain't supposed to be there. When it gets bad things start to change. Like, for real."
  18. ↑ Siddell, Tom (24 September 2008). "Chapter 19, Page 19". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
    Zimmy: "Yer gonna have ta take Gamma's place.... Gettin' ridda these guys."
  19. 1 2 Siddell, Tom (25 July 2008). "Chapter 18, Page 39". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Kat: "These old models are so complex I can't figure them out. One thing's for sure; these things don't use servos or hydraulics or anything like that. Some kind of superfast reaction memory polymer?"
  20. ↑ Siddell, Tom (23 July 2008). "Chapter 18, Page 38". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  21. ↑ Siddell, Tom (28 May 2008). "Chapter 17, Page 22". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Jones: "You have a special empathy with etheric beings, as you saw when we met Coyote."
  22. ↑ Siddell, Tom (28 September 2006). "Chapter 9, Page 8". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
    Mort: "You mean you could see the guides just like that?"
  23. ↑ Siddell, Tom (5 December 2007). "Chapter 16, Page 3". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
    Antimony: "Kat, do you remember I told you about psychopomps?
    Kat: "Uh, those guys who escort dead dudes to the afterlife?"
  24. ↑ Siddell, Tom (18 February 2008). "Chapter 17, Page 5". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
    Antimony: "Yes... Lessons in mediation sound interesting."
    Jones: "Very good. We will begin today."
  25. ↑ Siddell, Tom (1 December 2005). "Chapter 5, Page 2". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008. Kat's parents are both science teachers.
  26. ↑ Siddell, Tom (11 August 2008). "Chapter 3, Page 23". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Eglamore: "Reynardine is never to be trusted. He is a demon that steals the bodies of his victims."
  27. ↑ Siddell, Tom (14 March 2007). "Chapter 12, Page 15". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  28. ↑ Siddell, Tom (6 June 2008). "Chapter 18, Page 18". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
    Kat: "That was pretty cute how you got all defensive about Annie before."
  29. ↑ Siddell, Tom (25 August 2008). "Chapter 14, Page 24". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Coyote: "Won't you come back to the forest with us, dearest cousin?"
    Reynardine: "You know how I feel about that. Besides, I broke their laws, remember. I couldn't leave even if I wanted to."
  30. ↑ Siddell, Tom (12 December 2008). "Chapter 20, Page 21". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
    Antimony: "But why is Reynardine being held at the Court?"
    Coyote: "Why, he killed that young man, of course!."
  31. ↑ Siddell, Tom (2 August 2005). "Chapter 3, Page 4". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  32. ↑ Siddell, Tom (1 July 2009). "Chapter 23, Page 14". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  33. ↑ Siddell, Tom (30 August 2005). "Chapter 3, Page 11". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Antimony: "Who is he?"
    Sivo: "The dragon slayer. The shackle from his prison binds my leg."
  34. ↑ Siddell, Tom (10 November 2008). "Chapter 20, Page 7". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
    Eglamore: "Formal attire. You know how it is"
    Antimony: "For a dragon slayer?"
    Eglamore: "Haha! Well, that's just an official title."
  35. ↑ Siddell, Tom (8 January 2007). "Chapter 11, Page 7". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Zimmy: "[Gamma] tries to stay awake as long as I do, but I don't sleep."
    Antimony: "You don't sleep?"
    Zimmy: "Never."
  36. ↑ Siddell, Tom (12 January 2007). "Chapter 11, Page 9". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Zimmy: "Gamma helps me put things straight. It's like...turning on a radio. All she has to do is be near me an' the static gets pushed out.... Kinda works with you though. Not as good as Gamma but it helps. Noticed that when we first met."
  37. ↑ Siddell, Tom (10 September 2008). "Chapter 19, Page 13". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  38. ↑ Siddell, Tom (12 February 2007). "Chapter 12, Page 3". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
    Kat: "We could probably teach him English real fast."
  39. ↑ Siddell, Tom (18 June 2008). "Chapter 18, Page 23". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Antimony: "What does the S stand for?"
    Robot: "Seraph, as I recall."
  40. ↑ Siddell, Tom (26 May 2008). "Chapter 18, Page 13". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  41. ↑ Siddell, Tom (13 August 2007). "Chapter 14, Page 23". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Ysengrin: "You should admire this body Lord Coyote has gifted me with, Renard. Now the very trees of Gillitie are under my command!"
  42. ↑ Siddell, Tom (24 August 2010). "Chapter 26, Page 7". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  43. ↑ Siddell, Tom (24 August 2007). "Chapter 14, Page 28". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  44. ↑ Siddell, Tom (12 May 2008). "Chapter 18, Page 7". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    Antimony: "I think there might be something going on between him and Ms. Jones."
  45. ↑ Siddell, Tom. "Chapter 12, Page 5". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  46. ↑ Siddell, Tom. "Chapter 12, Page 20". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  47. ↑ Siddell, Tom. "Chapter 25, Page 13". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  48. ↑ Siddell, Tom. "Chapter 25, Page 27". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  49. ↑ Siddell, Tom (5 November 2012). "Chapter 40, Page 21". Gunnerkrigg Court. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
Preceded by
Beaver and Steve
 Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards: Outstanding Newcomer
2006		Succeeded by
Preceded by Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards: Outstanding Environment Design
2007		Succeeded by
Preceded by Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards: Outstanding Dramatic Comic
2008		Succeeded by
none

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