Homestuck Has Me Hooked

Shannon Cottrell

Homestuck at Anime Expo.

On the MS Paint Adventures website, Hussie describes his stories as "mock games," with each page featuring a link that mimics a game command. The command takes the reader to the next page. It's also a story that incorporates reader suggestions, though Hussie writes that the reader input element isn't as crucial to Homestuck as it is to his previous efforts.

Hussie employs a variety of different techniques to tell the story. Much of the text is written in the second person, with "you" representing the character taking action on that page. These portions of Homestuck read like a exceptionally witty instructional manual, where the directions are consistently interrupted by the characters' quirks. Elsewhere, the story unfolds through dialog written as instant messages, called a "pesterlog." Other pages feature only illustrations or animated sequences.

One of the most interesting things about Homestuck is the use of animation and how the quality improves over time. In the beginning, animation is limited to small elements inside a panel, maybe a blinking light or a moving hand. Later on in Act 1, though, Hussie begins to incorporate full animated sequences with music as well. As the story progresses, these sequences grow longer and more intense. Then he adds pages that require user input, i.e., the reader clicks on something to make it move. So far, my favorite panel is one that features a sampler where clicking on the pads produces different beats.

I've never read anything quite like this. Structurally, it's an incredibly inventive take on the web comic. More importantly, though, it's a really good satire of 21st century youth culture and relationships in an age where we're all connected by instant messenger programs. I'm definitely hooked on Homestuck.

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