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The David Willis Sequential Art Derivation Principle
by Eric Burns
As with many other online webcomics pundits, I have been putting
together a grand theory of webcomics, through the webcomics
equivalence of divination. To select three webcomics, I had a highly
scientific and technologically advanced procedure: as I have three
"trawls" I read daily -- a Morning, an Afternoon, and an Evening
trawl, respectively, I used a random number generator to select a
single webcomic from each list. Through these choices, a sense of
commonality would be derived, and from that commonality would come a
profound understanding of what webcomics truly were -- what the
wellsprings of imagination and metaphor are that weave together into
a gestalt of sequential art best driven through HTML. 
My rolls came up, and I had my three comics. Melonpool, by Steve Troop, in the
morning category (a trawl which has most of my Keenspot comics, which
until recently included Troop's work.) Rip and Teri, by T Campbell and John Waltrip, in the afternoon category (my Modern Tales and other Manley Sites strips generally end up in the afternoon.) And Shortpacked, by David Willis, in the Evening Trawl (the Evening generally gets strips... well, that I like
reading in the evening. What, this is supposed to be rocket science?)
Melonpool, Rip and Teri, and Shortpacked.
From these three comics comes a revelation so obvious that it
surprises me we haven't embraced it years ago: all webcomics derive
from David Willis.
The David Willis Sequential Art Derivation Principle states, simply put, that all webcomics are either
written by David Willis, drawn by David Willis, colored by David
Willis, collaborated on by David Willis, or -- in rare cases --
inspired through various mind/state alteration techniques to
commune with David Willis. Willis is our Muse. He is the
Svengali pulling the strings. The ventriloquist throwing his voice
into Scott McCloud's mouth. The energy field that surrounds us and
binds the webcomics community together.
Obviously, Shortpacked needs little elaboration. Willis
writes and draws Shortpacked himself. Obviously, every line,
every word, and every Batman joke comes from the very wellspring of
Webcomics creativity itself.
Rip and Teri is second order Willis, of course. Willis is
the colorist on the work -- which might explain the more serious
tenor and moral gradations within that piece. Without Willis's colors
laid over the strip, the realistic themes and somber tone would be
lost. In fact, I have it under good authority that Campbell's scripts
are mostly fart jokes and Monkees lyrics, and that Waltrip's
art mostly consists of doodles of Blondie Bumstead naked.
Melonpool is third order Willis, naturally. While Steve
Troop (allegedly) writes and draws his strip entirely removed from
David Willis's influence, the fact that Willis and Troop have
collaborated on more than one occasion and storyline makes it clear
that Troop is a dedicated padawan learner at Willis's Doritos-stained
knee.
Though the David Willis Sequential Art Derivation Principle is
obvious, it behooves us to examine the three strips more closely to
reveal the depths the principle can be applied to. For example, it
can be simply shown that the primary cast of all three strips are
essentially ectypes off the Willisian archetypes. For example, we
have Ethan, the protagonist of Shortpacked, and truly the
veritable acme of heroism and nobility in webcomics. The one good
man, to use the Noir definition, who walks the cold, mean aisles of
the toy store, doing good in a world of ill. There is also the noble,
but shy Amber, who speaks true things when no one else will, placed
in a situation where she is least comfortable and forced to step out
of her own role with time and evolution. There is Galasso, who is
monomaniacal and driven -- seeking nothing less than world domination
and the imposition of his will upon others. There is Robin, who apes
cheer but really exists as a woman of shadowy, Governmental past,
made something other than she is by alien forces she could not
control, more than willing to use her exuberance and her breasts to
get what she wants. And there is Mike, who is an asshole.
 In Rip and Teri, the Ethan role is clearly embodied by Rip
-- the one who stepped away from darkness into the light, who acts
from nobility of purpose and heroism, who loves openly and survives
injury to his love without losing his sense of self. The Amber role
is of course Teri -- thrust into a world of deceit and pain, where
all things are not what they appear, wearing glasses and bringing
gentleness into a world not known for it. The ectypal Galasso is 12-
Tron, the sensei of the Googolists, whose agenda for control of the
world is obvious, and whose self-image is delusionary. The Rip and
Teri Robin is, naturally, Tatyana Conrad -- damaged and self-focused,
using her sexuality to pursue her own agenda. Focused on Rip, but
wanting to show her love by hurting him. Transformed into what she is
by hostile government forces both foreign and domestic. And the Mike
of Rip and Teri, naturally enough, is Agent XI himself, Andrew Pole.
Because he is an asshole.
In Shortpacked, we have the bright side of the Willisian
paradigm. However, the ectypal imagery -- though flawed as all
ectypes are in comparison with the archetype -- remains solid. The
Ethan of Melonpool isn't Mayberry, even though it seems the first
thing to come to mind when one approaches it. No, Melonpool's Ethan
is Ralphie -- faithful, constant, rational in the face of insanity,
and always trying to do the right thing. The Amber of Melonpool is --
of course -- Roberta. Thrown after one week of nursing school into
being the Ship's Doctor -- willing to say, clearly (even
sardonically) when the Emperor has no clothes. And total Amber hair.
I mean, just look at it. Our Galasso is Ralph, who schemes to retake
his ancestral throne, who wields the force of command even through
delagation, and whose hair looks sort of Galassoish to me. In the
right light. The Melonpool Robin is -- unquestionably -- Jaela Bates.
The product of alien technology made into a human girl of exuberance
(down to the point of being a pop singer) and a preponderance of
willingness to take her shirt off. And finally, there is No'da, who
is our Mike. Because No'da is an asshole.
The David Willis Sequential Art Derivation Principle clearly is
spreading in waves through our community. Those deluded fools who try
to step away from the Willis paradigm end up with unmitigated
pabulum. Those webcartoonists who embrace their inner Walky find the
infinite variations of Willisian creation a fertile field to plant
webcomic goodness.
And we, the writers and artists of webcomics, will find the shelves
well stocked by the David Willis Sequential Art Derivation Principle.
We can select the toys and remainders stocked by Willis, bring them
to the counter, purchase them, and bring them home. Once there, we
are tempted to leave them in the packaging on the shelf, forever
untampered with. But that isn't what David Willis has taught us. Only
by tearing into the package and playing with the toys of Willis's
soul can we evoke that small kernel of Willis within us. Only then
can we truly be webcartoonists.
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