(Big &) Tall Tales

Who or what is Hunter Black?

Hunter Black is the best #hardboiled #fantasy #webcomic on the Internet…if we do say so ourselves. The brainchild of Justin Peniston and William Orr, it's been running since the summer of 2011 and will continue updating two pages a week for the foreseeable future (with the occasional hiatus thrown in).

Hunter Black is also our "hero," a cursed former assassin seeking revenge on the cabal of criminals that betrayed him and left him dying of a painful magical disease. He's already losing his life…will his quest for vengeance cost him his soul?

If Tarantino, Tolkien, and Tartakovsy put their heads together to make a webcomic…it might look something like Hunter Black.

Hunter Black Page 873 - Even Dogs Walk The Gods' Earth

What I Said Then: "I am unreasonably proud of that last sentence."

Hunter Black Page 872 - Their Spiritual Duties

What I Said Then: "For the continuity wonks, if you think you see an inconsistency, trust me. We know what we’re doing. For everyone else, come on…the background in Tandros’ Basin is pretty damn cool."

Hunter Black Page 871 - Some of Us Made Enemies Today

What I Said Then: "Just in case you’re wondering if the Great Throne would have made the same decision if he’d known that Cardinal Hoc Zhai was in the room…the answer is probably not."

What I'm Saying Now: Nothing. I'm not saying anything at all. My lips are sealed.

Hunter Black Page 870 - He's Got the Sack?

What I Said Then: "Hey! The same week that I mention Quick-Kick, and we get our Snake Eyes doppelgänger back on the page! Bootstack Joe, for those of you who don’t remember, was a character created by readers who donated to the Kickstarter for Hunter Black Volume One. Actually, so were Packwing and Ryota Nichiren."

Hunter Black Page 869 - Devotus HAS to Know That

What I Said Then: "You know, when I first created MY part of The Cur, I was envisioning a character in many ways like the Kingpin from Marvel Comics. This was before the Netflix Marvel shows, so I was definitely thinking of the Frank Miller Daredevil version…so of course, Will designed him with a 'What If G.I.Joe’s Quick Kick was a gigantic Indian?' vibe. Looking at the Great Throne in these last few pages, I’m starting to think that Will is in some way channeling the Kingpin NOW."

Hunter Black Page 868 - That's a Die We're Gonna Have to Roll

What I Said Then: "This page does what it’s supposed to do, which is (among other things) convey what an insecure weasel the new Great Throne is. Will hit that nail right on the head."

Hunter Black Page 867 - Heresy Calls For the Pyramid

What I Said Then: "Introducing Devotus IV, the current Great Throne. He’s not an impressive sight, is he? (Not our smoothest transition, by the way. My apologies, this one’s on me.)"

Hunter Black Page 866 - We Get The Hell Out of Here

What I Said Then: "I really have to force myself to use as little profanity as possible. In my real life, I curse like a sailor, and when Will and I are together, it is an extravaganza of inappropriate comments. If you didn’t know us, and you saw a transcript of one of our conversations, you would think that we were the WORST. All of that said, I just couldn’t stop myself from using 'shitshow' in today’s comic."

Hunter Black Page 865 - A Righteous Butt-Kicking

What I Said Then: "This past weekend was EXTREMELY thought-provoking. Will and I have a lot of thinking to do about our business model. The thing that we won’t be changing? Updating this bad boy three days a week."

Hunter Black Page 864 - That Was Unexpected

What I Said Then: "Panel Three is one of my favorite things. I love how Hoc Zhai’s eyes are perfectly round and how his teeth are chipped. Hunter’s no joke when she throws a left."

What I'm Saying Now: Man, I had absolutely no memory of this page. I wonder how well Will remembers these -- he spends way more time with them than I do.

Hunter Black Page 863 - The Wizard's Departure

What I Said Then: "Man, I think this is cool. This is one of those moments where I can pat myself on the back for having a pretty good idea, and then pat Will on the back for elevating the idea and making it work."

Hunter Black Page 862 - This Complicates Things

What I Said Then: "Magic can be a real [REDACTED]."

Hunter Black Page 861 - Too Many Pieces on the Board

What I Said Then: "Do those two guys behind the Cardinal look like idiots? Because I’m pretty sure I mentioned how clueless they’re supposed to look in the script. I mean, I’m convinced…but then again, I KNOW. You know?"