Y is for Yarth

Yarth is the planet in which is located Europa, which is the setting for Phil and Kaja Folgio's most excellent thrice-weekly comic, Girl Genius. It is also the name of the setting of several Gardner Fox stories, and one of the five worlds that Gary Gygax proposed as being similar (those being Oerth, Aerth, Uerth, Yarth, and Earth). Other than noting that "Gygaxian Pentad" is both a great name for these Alternate Material Planes and a great name for a rock band, we will concentrate on the Foglion version.

Girl Genius has been on the blogroll to the right for about as long as I've had a blogroll on the right. Originally a print comic book, it has found the perfect niche in the on-line world, and should be a tutorial to all who seek to make their way in those murky Internettian waters. Three times a week, like... um, clockwork, they deliver a page, despite sickness, life challenges, and the very, very rare vacation. And then they gather everything together into collections.

A picture of Yarth. Yeah, there's a map, but
Phil and Kaja have it for sale, so you can
follow the link for a good look at it.

And they have been rewarded, not only in a level of success that precludes the need for a day job, but also for an entire slew of recommendations, nominations and awards (they have had to build a new slew barn out back near the hot tub, just to house them).

Yarth is a world similar to ours in the early 1800's, except with the addition of sparks - individuals with extreme inventive abilities. You might call them mad scientists, but only if your village was immolated by a giant steam aardvark. Europe, I'm sorry, Europa, is dominated by one of the greater sparks, Wulfenbach, who keeps the peace with a huge airship armada that blows up anyone who gets out of line.

Enter Agatha, who, it turns out, is the heir to another of the great spark families - the Heterodynes. And the story over the years has been her discovery of her inheritance and what it means for her and the world at large. She may be the greatest spark in the world, and/or its greatest danger. It is that kind of comic, delivered in one-page bits that make up a greater whole. Go cruise through the site and I am pretty sure you'll find some cool stuff.

Oh, and did I mention they are doing a kickstarter for their most recent collection, turning their pixilated wonders into print? Well, there. I have now mentioned it.

More later,