While retrieving the “Eight-Legged Scarab”, an amulet that would unlock the “Web of Ages”, young Brigg Brown’s exuberance accidentally triggers a chain reaction that results in his father’s disappearance and scatters the pieces of the only artifact that can bring his dad back.
“The Adventures of the Araknid Kid” is a quirky, all-ages graphic novel set in the fictional boomtown “Obie City”, where old western aesthetics meet future technology – with bandits on mechanical horses to rodent-piloted robots. The title hero, donning mummy-wrap and his dad’s goggles, swings to the rescue using his trapeze-bar web-shooters and wit.
While wearing the “Eight-Legged Scarab”, Brigg Brown gains the climbing and agility attributes of a spider – but loses his ability to speak with words. Communicating only with picto-grams and rebus puzzles (a sort of hieroglyphics), reader’s are encouraged to solve the puzzles to figure out what the Kid is saying. (If the context clues aren’t enough of a hint – the suggested “answers” can be found on the bottom of the page.)
Araknid Kid first appeared on DC Comics Zuda site where it competed, American-Idol style, for a contract. While it didn’t get voted to the top, it was one of only a few of the comics to be voted back to compete a second time in the invitational.
It is currently being adapted to the long-form graphic novel format – but you can read the comic books here: