A review of Satterwhite & Fosgrove 1-5

Compadres and compatriots,

The Kickstarter campaign rolls on! We’re about 30% away from our goal with just over a week to go. We’re on track, but also dependent on that big push many crowdfunding efforts receive in the last leg. Please pledge, if you’re able. Even giving at the $5 digital tier helps a lot!

In related news, I wanted to share this gracious review of Satterwhite & Fosgrove by Park Cooper of Wicker Man Studios. Park is a fellow member of the Cartoonist Co-op and graciously offered to do a critical pass on our pride and joy. Here’s what he had to say:



Satterwhite and Fosgrove is a western (that is, set in the Old West) webcomic about… well…

We open with a bounty hunter hunting two detectives who are associated with the semi-famous Pinkerton detective agency (somewhat-famous in those days for busting up unions, unfortunately), who’ve stolen something very, very valuable that certain persons will kill to get back. Then

SPOILER ALERT–

–it turns out that the white guy and the black guy the bounty hunter has stopped to camp for the night with ARE the black guy and white gal he’s been looking for (she just prefers to dress like a man when possible (and also, she’s trying to travel incognito because of things like bounty hunters)).

They manage to kill the bounty hunter, but there are many more dangers in their future… What they’ve stolen is some dead rich guy’s will which (via clues that would mean nothing to anyone without a classical education, which fortunately our protagonists do also have) seems to point the way to some absolutely incredibly huge treasure that is hidden somewhere even farther out west than they already are.

The story is broken up into chapters that allow for focusing on individuals– both protagonists are not in every chapter– sometimes it’s him, sometimes it’s her.

The black-and-white art, meanwhile, looks professional and detailed, and the characters’ expressions (especially Satterwhite’s, in my opinion) are indeed expressive and meaningful; their faces are fun to watch.

While they are definitely our protagonists, their moral compass sometimes swings through gray areas, which one might expect considering they’re also working as Pinkerton agents. Then there are the inherent challenges of, you know, the sexism and racism involved with being a black guy and a (tomboyish, I guess one might say? One might use the term nonbinary, today, but that’s not exactly applicable in the 1800s) white gal. Then there’s the overarching mystery of “what’s the huge treasure we’re eventually going to probably find, if evil people don’t kill us nor steal it from us first?” It all combines to make you disappointed when you finally catch up with the end of the comic so far, although more pages are coming soon. Recommended for any grown-ups (adult language is sometimes used), but especially those who love the western genre– 5 out of 5 stars.

–Park Cooper, Wicker Man Studios
www.wickermanstudios.com/books



I want to thank Park for this awesome review of our mainline story. I think the highest compliment is that he wanted to keep reading! More news on that front soon, after this hurricane of promotion, fulfillment and shipping has subsided.

Be well, all.

 

Westward!

~Jamil