Comic:21st Century Coeds
From CGWiki
| 21st Century Coeds | |
|---|---|
| {{{image}}} | |
| Artist: | Damien Koh |
| Writer: | Damien Koh |
| Characters: | {{{character}}} |
| Updates: | irregular (daily from April 18 2006 to April 18 2007) |
| Began: | (1st version) September 30, 2004 (2nd version) November 24, 2005 (online) April 3, 2006 |
| Ended: | continuing |
| Art style: | graphic novel/ manga |
| Rating: | Web-14 |
| Website | Website |
21st Century Coeds is a webcomic about ordinary young people living in extraordinary times - almost at the midpoint of the 21st Century. While having a novel setting, it concentrates more on age-old themes of friendship, love, hardship and triumph. Some things never change.
Contents |
Plot
The story begins on February 3rd, 2048, as 17 year old Jeff Fletcher is heading to his first day of university. It's an attempt to tell a story of young adults - their friendships and loves, in a quirky futuristic setting. Beneath the surface of a seemingly straightforward story of comedy and romance are sly social commentary and speculation. In 2048, the world still looks somewhat familiar, yet is also very different - thanks to a century of pollution, the weather is now erratic, swinging from baking hot one day to snowing the next. Venice has been lost to rising water levels. The Olympics now feature extreme sports. Space tourism is at an all time high, with thousands paying premium rates to stay at a prestigious lunar resort. Society is even more automated, with surgery, construction, even restaurants all run by robots. Reflected in the comic is my strong interest in science and technology. As I progress in my comic, I start to think more about what the actual future will be like. Or what it should be like. It's actually getting more and more difficult to write, and I am making constant revisions.
Chapters
Ch. 1 : "Don't be late!" - Set on February 3, 2048 [1] - [2]
Jeff's first day of university. He becomes acquainted with the vivacious Amy Kitts and the shy but pleasant Marcy Hannaford, the daughter of the First President of Luna.
Ch. 2 : "Don't be shy" - Set on February 3, 2048 [3] - [4]
Marcy and Amy (mostly) enjoy a relaxing night out at Takeshi's Karaoke Club. Yes, the late 20th Century fad has returned.
Ch. 3: "Don't scheme" - Set on February 10, 2048 [5] -[6]
It's the class field trip. While Rufus is busy pursuing the beautiful young French lecturer, Jeff is just getting to know his new friend Marcy.
Ch. 4: "Don't stray" - Set on February 10, 2048 [7] - [8]
A little meddling leads to new discoveries during a brief spell at Cordola Central Station.
Ch. 5: "Don't freeze up" - Set on February 15, 2048 [9] - [10]
A snowstorm, rare in 2048's radical climate, brings an opportunity to kick up the ice at Cordola Ice Skating Rink.
Ch. 6: "Simulcra I: Back to the Noughties" - Set on February 29, 2048 [11] - [12]
The jivesome fivesome get a rare opportunity to try out Simulcra, the new facility which allows you to "live your dreams". But what will they think of life in 2005?
Ch. 7: "Eighteen Candles" - Set on March 7, 2048 [13] -
[14]
Jeff celebrates his birthday with a night out. But, he may just end up sharing the spotlight with a reluctant second party. . .
Ch. 8: "The Night is Young" - Set on March 7, 2048 [15] - [16]
The party winds down at a place where the sea meets the sand.
Ch. 9: "April's Fool" - Set on April 1, 2048 [17] -
[18]
Yes, in 2048 people are still playing childish pranks on each other, on April 1st. This chapter focuses mainly on the two girls - in particular, Amy.
Ch. 10: "Mothers, hide your Daughters!" - Set on April 18, 2048 [19] - [20]
It's a boys' night out. Jeff, Nigel and Rufus hit the resort with the latest threads with an eye for the fairer sex. A night that proves to be full of surprises.
Ch. 11: "Carnival Atmosphere" - Set on April 20, 2048
[21] - [22]
After a strange turn of events, Amy swoops in to save Jeff's day. Exploring the wild amusement park Gigantua, they learn new things about each other, and themselves.
Ch. 12: "Simulcra II: Joust a lot of Fun" - Set on May 9, 2048
[23] - [24]
On the gang's second session of Simulcra, they decide to visit 16th century England. Watch these youngsters explore a world long passed - the world of the First Renaissance.
Ch. 13: "The Reunion" - Set on May 25, 2048
[25] -
[26]
Estelle Hannaford returns to Earth after almost a year away. Amy faces the judges for the Carnelian Diva auditions.
Ch. 14: "Road Trip" - Set on June 6, 2048
[27] -
Day One of the annual road trip to Cedar Cove. This time Jeff and Rufus are joined by Nigel, Amy and Marcy. As they pass through Carnelia's wilderness friendships are strengthened and perhaps deeper bonds formed.
Ch. 15: "The High School Chronicles" - Set on June 7, 2048
The road trip saga continues with a visit to the beach, camping and a four year flashback to the characters' high school days.
Characters
Major characters
| Character | Age | Best traits | Bio/description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Fletcher | 18 | Empathy and Understanding | Considerate, witty, old-fashioned guy. Prone to depression and wishful thinking. Interested in architecture and photography. |
| Rufus O'Reily | 18 | Confidence and Courage | Jeff's oldest friend. He's courageous, outgoing and a ladies man. Loves chasing skirts, eating pizza and snowboarding. |
| Amy Kitts | 18 | Sense of Fun and Adventure | Marcy's best friend. Fun, flirty, and ditzy. Formerly an overachiever. Adopted and a talented singer. |
| Marcy Hannaford | 18 | Loyalty and Devotion | First Daughter of Luna, and a hopeless romantic. A shy, introverted dreamer, prone to Amy-induced outbursts of anger. |
| Nigel Osbourne | 17 | Wisdom and Intelligence | Intelligent, perceptive young man. Very knowledgable in technology and history. Spouts sarcasm constantly. |
Minor characters
| Character | Age | Best traits | Bio/description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne Hannaford | 15 | Intelligence | Marcy's younger sister. Intelligent, perceptive, articulate. Acts older than she is. |
| Sherlock Takeshi | 36 | Enthusiasm | Owner of the Karaoke Club. Friendly and loud. Admires Sherlock Holmes. |
| Sophie Marks | 28 | Charisma | Junior lecturer at Cordola U's Architecture Department. Rufus' fixation. Captivating and wise. |
| Yvonne Kitts | 26 | Friendliness | Daughter of Brian and Stacy Kitts, Amy's adoptive parents. She is kind, friendly and helpful. |
| Estelle Hannaford | 50 | Integrity | Mother of Marcy and Daphne. She is driven, idealistic and dedicated. |
Future Characters
| Character | Age | Best traits | Bio/description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neil Keung | 17 | ??? | Self confessed "loud mouth" and "recovering geek" from Hong Kong. |
| Natsuki Miyama | 18 | ??? | Rich and spoiled niece of Miyama's CEO Toyo Miyama |
| Carly Stokes | 18 | ??? | Brooding, angsty cynic from Melbourne, Australia |
| Claire Butterfield | 17 | ??? | Ambitious and brash reporter from Sydney, Australia |
Background
I first came up with the idea of this comic back in early 2003. It was called "Future Shock" and was set in 2075. I just wrote a few character summaries and soon forgot about it. In September 2004 I began drawing the comic in my notebook, renamed "Coeds" and then "21st Century Coeds". It was meant to be a working title, but I never came up with anything else. In late 2005, disgusted at the quality of my story and drawings, I scrapped it. I restarted the series on November 24 and decided to put it online in April 2006. Scripting has occurred at a much faster rate than drawing. As of January I have scripted 51 entire chapters, which means I'm some 1400 pages behind.
Method
Inspired by realistic, well researched comics such as Tintin, I use 3D software for completed backgrounds, and copious amounts of research materials - for technology and anatomy. I use A3 sized cartridge paper folded to make 4 pages. I scan in inked outline images and "colour" them digitally (in grayscale) with a graphics tablet.
Influences
Some of my early science fiction influences include Neon Genesis and Minority Report. I also check on Popular Science from time to time to keep up with new trends in technology. The style of my drawing was heavily influenced by Japanese manga, such as Love Hina and Azumanga Daioh. However, as time went on I began to use less manga devices and developed my own style. Greater realism meant discarding cartoony manga devices. Calvin and Hobbes is the one comic that got me interested in cartooning in the first place. Another great influence is Herge's Tintin series.
What's to come
Look foward to these upcoming events:
The summer roadtrip to Sakura Island.
The always favourite love triangles.
Flashback to the gang's high school days.
Carnelian Diva, the contest to find the best female singer in the country.
Visits to New York, London and Australia!
Revelations, evil schemes, and tragedy!
and yes, you will see flying cars and cities on the Moon. (if only in my comic)
