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Deadendia #old 1
DeadEndia: The Complete Season One
Barney needs a job and a place to live. So he takes up his best friend's offer and becomes the janitor of a haunted house attraction at Winslow's Wonderland. Only thing is, the horrors don't stop when the work day's done.
Along with his friend Norma and talking dog Pugsley, the gang battle demonic party poopers, creepy therapists and even scarier love lives.
Created by Hamish Steele, author of Pantheon and based on his animated short for Cartoon Hangover, this book collects the first season of the popular webcomic that has been praised for its honesty, diversity and story telling.
Along with his friend Norma and talking dog Pugsley, the gang battle demonic party poopers, creepy therapists and even scarier love lives.
Created by Hamish Steele, author of Pantheon and based on his animated short for Cartoon Hangover, this book collects the first season of the popular webcomic that has been praised for its honesty, diversity and story telling.
200 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 31, 2021
I wasn't expecting much from this book, it was just a random buy at a shop I've never been in before as like a souvenir. Needless to say, I was blown away by how enjoyable this is! It gives off a sort of vibe that I adore in cartoons like Adventure Time and Gravity Falls. Its story has a sort of innocent charm to it that just sucked me in. I was even more joyous when I discovered that it contains such amazing LGBTQ+ rep, which is something I haven't come across much! It's a really good and comforting read, I especially love the cuddly art style. If it seems like your style, definitely pick this one up!
January 7, 2019
Well that was just bloody brilliant.
Deadendia is a comic about the employees of a theme park, particularly two people who work in a haunted house. It’s sort of Nimona-esque in its brilliant execution, going from laugh out loud funny to honestly heart wrenching from plot point to plot point.
One hundred percent going to keep reading this comic, and hopefully everything else Hamish ever writes!
Deadendia is a comic about the employees of a theme park, particularly two people who work in a haunted house. It’s sort of Nimona-esque in its brilliant execution, going from laugh out loud funny to honestly heart wrenching from plot point to plot point.
One hundred percent going to keep reading this comic, and hopefully everything else Hamish ever writes!
April 4, 2024
Funny, creative, emotional with a diverse cast. This was a great read with a pretty creative idea for a setting as Norma and Barney work at a horror park and accidental learn that some of the stuff is real. I love Pugsly and the stuff he gets into is pretty funny and he is just a good boy.
March 30, 2020
this was super fun and perfectly tailored to my specific interests.
February 9, 2018
“Deadendia” by Hamish Steele is a comic about bumbling, kindhearted Barney and his pragmatic, sharp-witted friend Norma. Alongside Barney’s magical talking dog Pugsley (who is equal parts adorable and brainy) they have adventures in Dead End, an attraction at the in-universe theme park Winslow’s Wonderland. Barney accidentally discovers that Dead End is a legitimately haunted house, home to a gateway to a supernatural realm through which ghosts, demons, and other entities occasionally enter and (sometimes unwittingly) wreak havoc. Barney and Norma just want to earn their paychecks, but events around them threaten their safety, identity, and possibly even their lives.
Deadendia is a legitimately fun comic with lots of rereading potential that make this volume worth it. I am so happy I picked this up!!! I didn’t expect to come back to it as often as I have, or to make so many new connections every time I return to it. It’s a fun romp with characters who are, if not poised for success, at least people I’d want to take a road trip with. Seeing how they solve their problems - or fail to - personally, romantically, and supernaturally is relatable and heartwarming and heartbreaking as Steele wills it. It makes me laugh, it touches my heart - Barney, Norma, and Pugsley are all characters I wish I could be friends with irl.
The series is divided into issues, each issue being a contained story. The first few issues or chapters are Monster of the Week affairs that introduce and establish characters, future conflict, and in-universe rules. However, even the foremost issues hint at greater forces at play which eventually culminate into a complete arc calling for more heroism than our heroes planned for. This book has a satisfying conclusion but definitely leaves plot nuggets to be addressed at a later point in a later comic, which the author has confirmed we can look forward to! :D
Deadendia is cohesive - Steele had every intention of playing the long game from the first page of the first issue, and even minor villains have presence across multiple issues, usually playing some part in that issue’s mischief or scheming in the background. In carrying out the events of the story arc’s climax, Steele establishes future events that will still come to pass for audiences to look forward to so we know that these characters will be back in the future.
Deadendia has a diverse cast of characters, and this comic strives to include mental illness and lgbt+ themes in a family friendly way without putting supernatural adventures on the back burner. Although sometimes a bit on the nose with mental illness - Barney’s self harm scars in issue two felt a bit abrupt - these elements are incorporated throughout. This comic would be a good opportunity to teach a kid about things like binders. The characters are open, honest, and emotional about what they’ve been through. Barney explains to his younger brother how he had to break away from their parents to feel secure after coming out as trans, and Vince is teased at school for having two moms. Pugsley tears up when recounting how he felt watching Barney self harm in the past, which was (for me) one of the most unexpected and emotional passages.
I initially didn’t know about this comic’s origins in the Cartoon Hangover original by the same name, using the three main characters in a similar setting. The original video’s premise had them living in an actual haunted house, rather than working at one (which removes a few layers of irony) and in my opinion although the video was funny there’s a lot more heart, although the comedy is similar. If you liked Pauline (who voiced what was undoubtedly the best line in the video: “I need to own this booty, or this booty is going to own me”) then you’ll be delighted to know that she is in the background of several panels of the first issue and has a small scene well into the book.The God of the Internet does not show up but he is in some concept art in the book.
The back of the book! The bonus content! This volume contains the first eight issues, bonus comics from other artists, and concept art showing characters in different outfits and stages of development. My favorite of all the bonus comics are the ones by Ceri Giddens, featuring the cutest Pugsley I was never prepared for and dearly wish I could hug. Daryl Toh provides a fun and humorous scene where Barney’s love life and the supernatural overlap, with expressive art and characterization. One comic by Brenda Amerind is an unexpectedly sad comic set after season one whose title would provide spoilers. Tiffany Baxter’s rough one-page “Death Slide” is a welcome dark take on one of the side characters.
The Watcher’s Test, an upcoming release, looks to be a remake of season 1 backed by a publisher, as this volume was self-published and a labor of love. I plan on getting it, and keeping my current copy - it’s got the author’s signature. :D
Deadendia is a legitimately fun comic with lots of rereading potential that make this volume worth it. I am so happy I picked this up!!! I didn’t expect to come back to it as often as I have, or to make so many new connections every time I return to it. It’s a fun romp with characters who are, if not poised for success, at least people I’d want to take a road trip with. Seeing how they solve their problems - or fail to - personally, romantically, and supernaturally is relatable and heartwarming and heartbreaking as Steele wills it. It makes me laugh, it touches my heart - Barney, Norma, and Pugsley are all characters I wish I could be friends with irl.
The series is divided into issues, each issue being a contained story. The first few issues or chapters are Monster of the Week affairs that introduce and establish characters, future conflict, and in-universe rules. However, even the foremost issues hint at greater forces at play which eventually culminate into a complete arc calling for more heroism than our heroes planned for. This book has a satisfying conclusion but definitely leaves plot nuggets to be addressed at a later point in a later comic, which the author has confirmed we can look forward to! :D
Deadendia is cohesive - Steele had every intention of playing the long game from the first page of the first issue, and even minor villains have presence across multiple issues, usually playing some part in that issue’s mischief or scheming in the background. In carrying out the events of the story arc’s climax, Steele establishes future events that will still come to pass for audiences to look forward to so we know that these characters will be back in the future.
Deadendia has a diverse cast of characters, and this comic strives to include mental illness and lgbt+ themes in a family friendly way without putting supernatural adventures on the back burner. Although sometimes a bit on the nose with mental illness - Barney’s self harm scars in issue two felt a bit abrupt - these elements are incorporated throughout. This comic would be a good opportunity to teach a kid about things like binders. The characters are open, honest, and emotional about what they’ve been through. Barney explains to his younger brother how he had to break away from their parents to feel secure after coming out as trans, and Vince is teased at school for having two moms. Pugsley tears up when recounting how he felt watching Barney self harm in the past, which was (for me) one of the most unexpected and emotional passages.
I initially didn’t know about this comic’s origins in the Cartoon Hangover original by the same name, using the three main characters in a similar setting. The original video’s premise had them living in an actual haunted house, rather than working at one (which removes a few layers of irony) and in my opinion although the video was funny there’s a lot more heart, although the comedy is similar. If you liked Pauline (who voiced what was undoubtedly the best line in the video: “I need to own this booty, or this booty is going to own me”) then you’ll be delighted to know that she is in the background of several panels of the first issue and has a small scene well into the book.The God of the Internet does not show up but he is in some concept art in the book.
The back of the book! The bonus content! This volume contains the first eight issues, bonus comics from other artists, and concept art showing characters in different outfits and stages of development. My favorite of all the bonus comics are the ones by Ceri Giddens, featuring the cutest Pugsley I was never prepared for and dearly wish I could hug. Daryl Toh provides a fun and humorous scene where Barney’s love life and the supernatural overlap, with expressive art and characterization. One comic by Brenda Amerind is an unexpectedly sad comic set after season one whose title would provide spoilers. Tiffany Baxter’s rough one-page “Death Slide” is a welcome dark take on one of the side characters.
The Watcher’s Test, an upcoming release, looks to be a remake of season 1 backed by a publisher, as this volume was self-published and a labor of love. I plan on getting it, and keeping my current copy - it’s got the author’s signature. :D
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews