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Hello hello hello, and welcome brothers and sisters to this supplementary meeting of the
Royal Order of the Holy Mackerel! I am this chapter's founder, and it's duly appointed
High Exalted Big Fish, Douglas MacKrell. As always, if you would like to see the minutes
of our previous meeting, you can do so by clicking the red link now. And now for this
meeting's order of business: Broodhollow.
Over the past 16 meetings, I have talked directly about the secrets of Gravity Falls - but as
I quickly discovered, there's a LOT to cover and explore within the show. So much so, in
fact, that I feared that I would never get a chance to branch out to topics beyond Gravity
Falls. So starting this week, I'll be hosting a second weekly meeting to talk about topics
not about Gravity Falls directly, but topics that relate to Gravity Falls themes, secrets,
and references.
For those who don't know, Kris Straub is one of the internet's most prolific webcomic creators.
He got his start back when "webcomics" were still this newfangled thing and built up a
career based solely off his work. The dedication to his craft can be seen in the pages of his
completed hit sci-fi spoof Starslip, his ongoing disposable webcomic chainsawsuit, and the
cartoon Mappy he created for Namco/Bandai's YouTube page Shiftylook. But his current ongoing
strip is by far his best work to date. Broodhollow.
Broodhollow is the story of Wadsworth Zane. A down on his luck door to door encyclopedia
salesman struggling to make ends meet during the height of the great depression. Things
seem to change in his favor the day he discovers a dead letter from his Grunkle's estate, announcing
him the sole benefactor of his will.
So, packing up a trunk's worth of encyclopedias, Wadsworth sets a course to the quaint town
of Broodhollow - the self described town of a thousand holidays. But things don't seem
quite right in Broodhollow, but it might not be the town's fault. You see, Wadsworth is
a angst and phobia ridden man. One who copes with his his paralyzing fear of the paranormal,
ghosts, and the unknown with complex obsessive compulsive rituals he calls The Pattern.
Soon after arriving in town, Wadsworth is introduced to a young girl named Iris Bellweather.
A hauntingly beautiful young woman with a troubling secret. She's the gal friday of
the local law office, and is able to rush Wadsworth to his inheritance within the last
hours in which he can claim it. The dusty and ramshackle antiques shop his Grunkle ran
and lived out of.
From there the story becomes more complex, introducing characters like Mayor Ozgood,
Doctor Armstrong, the Bottlefly Boys, and the mysterious secret society of skull and
shovels. It also begs the question of whether imagined horrors are any less dangerous and
self detrimental than real ones - and if that's the case, can nightmares any less real if
you're asleep or awake.
The entire story is wrapped in a sparse but inviting - and becomes a functional part of
the story. There's something dramatically ironic about a character who is afraid of
open doors being comprised of outlines that never close. It's also pleasing to fall into
a rich and fully realized world of complex rituals and confusing and constant holiday
celebrations.
Kris has poured a lot of love and work into Broodhollow, and it shows. From the lovecraftian
themes, to the slight references to real world tragedies, cover ups, and conspiracies to
the way the art style can seamlessly shift from a broad cartoon to visceral horror. He's
a master of building likable characters that you invest in - which makes the scares far
more chilling.
The best part is, that the entire first Broodhollow book is completed and entirely online for
you to read for free. Kris is only about a third of the way into the second Broodhollow
book, so it's very easy to catch up on the story and become a regular reader. He even
has amazing Broodhollow keepsakes for sale, like posters from the town, printed editions
of the books, and Membership Kits for the Skull and Shovels society!
So be sure to check out Broodhollow. You'll find a direct link in the about section below
this video. With no other orders of business, I hereby call a close to this meeting of the
Royal Order of the Holy Mackerel. Until next time, share, subscribe, and keep cracking
those codes!
One of the best parts of Broodhollow is how Kris weaves humor into the story. Each page
is crafted as it's own unique beat in the storytelling process with a setup and punchline
- much like a daily comic strip. It's a format that makes reading the story enjoyable for
those who read the entire story in one sitting or for those who read each of the biweekly
updates as soon as they upload!