Welcome back to Webcomic of the Month! This time around we got Erika Moen‘s NSFW autobiographical comic series DAR! As explained in the header image, the word is just a serendipitous event that lead to the name of a comic that lasted several years. DAR! is about the life of Erika Moen as she goes from college to married life and all the trials and triumphs of existing. Moen keeps things frank so you should steer clear if you don’t like seeing human body parts as the comic can be not safe for work, but I think you’re missing out on an interesting comic into the life of a creative person.
Moen seems very open with what’s going on in her life, that was always a very intriguing part of the comic. She’ll tell you all about fears, concerns, and aspirations with a very candid view. She can switch between telling you about anxiety and then the next strip is about nasty smelling farts. One comic can show you feelings of despair while another is about an adorable dog.
Sexuality is discussed through out the years of Moen’s life as she understands who she is. To see her start out as an out and proud lesbian to queer and married to a man and seeing how she changes through out her life. The person you see at the beginning and the end of the comic is the same person but is always growing. When you see this series, you aren’t just watching someone’s creative process evolve in their writing and drawing style, but also just as an overall human being.
The art has this cartoon look to it and it’s fascinating to go from the beginning to end after several years and see just how much Moen’s developed. Even now, with her current work, the last DAR! is still a stepping stone in her continuing development. It’s almost like you can see the confidence in her lines as the series progresses and even further with her later works.
If you like DAR! Don’t stop there, continue on with Bucko and Oh Joy, Sex Toy. Moen is also likely known for having been on Penny Arcade’s reality show, Strip Search. I have been a fan of Moen’s work for years and am so glad I got to write this Webcomic of the Month on the series that got my attention of her. I remember first reading DAR! and identifying with so many of the quirks and fears Moen admitted to and felt comfort in knowing someone else was out there dealing with it and not only surviving but thriving. Hope you enjoy the comic and see you all next month!
Alexander Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
