Middle Grade Webcomics
Audrey’s Magic Nine
Written by Michelle Wright and illustrated by Courtney Huddleston, Francesco Gerbino, and
Tracy Bailey, this webcomic, now a series of graphic novels published by Farthing Press,
centers on a black orphan adopted by a well-meaning but clueless suburban white couple.
Breaking Cat News
House cats Elvis, Puck, and Lupin report on such breaking news stories as “The people are
missing!” and “There’s a box with a towel inside it on the kitchen table.” Georgia Dunn’s
hilarious webcomic, with its feline’s-eye view of the world, is also being published by Andrews
McMeel as a series of graphic novels.
Cucumber Quest
In GiGi D.G.’s video game–esque tale, adorable Cucumber the bunny and his sister Almond go
up against a series of baddies. A vibrant palette, nonstop action, and a bizarre cast of
friends and foes make for immersive reading. Also available as a series of graphic novels
published by First Second.
Homestuck
Andrew Hussie’s wildly popular webcomic follows John Egbert, who on his 13th birthday plays a
video game that unleashes the apocalypse. Available in print from Viz Media.
Ozy and Millie
Two anthropomorphic foxes navigate the world in this sweetly snarky webcomic, now a
graphic novel published by Andrews McMeel, by Dana Simpson, creator of the best-selling
“Phoebe and Her Unicorn” series. Enjoy the archive, or check out reruns on GoComics!
Scared by the Bell
Though being the new kid is never easy, it’s especially hard for Peter, an average kid
whose classmates include a mummy, a pumpkinhead, and a skeleton. Creator Dylan Campbell
updates this hilariously creepy webcomic every week.
Wormworld Saga
Still reeling from the loss of his mother, Jonas escapes into his vivid daydreams. After making
his way through a portal in his grandmother’s strange painting, he finds himself lost in a
fantasy world, unable to return. Daniel Lieske’s arresting comic series has also been
published in print format by Lion Forge.
YA Webcomics
As Per Usual
Dami Lee’s self-deprecating webcomic details her quest “to be a real lady person,” from
dating woes to FOMO in the age of social distancing. The graphic novel Be Everything at
Once, available from Chronicle, collects many of the entries in her webcomic.
As the Crow Flies
Two outsiders endure microaggressions on a Christian backpacking trip and find solace in
each other. Melanie Gillman’s contemplative, poignant webcomic was published as a graphic
novel by Iron Circus Comics and won a Stonewall Honor in 2018.
Bird and Moon—Science and Nature Comics
Whether naturalist and science writer Rosemary Mosco is describing how to distinguish a
dolphin from a porpoise, offering improvements on bird species (like hummingbirds that are
10,000% bigger), or urging readers to join the fight against climate change, her abiding passion
for the natural world comes through loud and clear in this delightfully quirky webcomic.
Available from Andrew McMeels as B irding Is My Favorite Video Game: Cartoons About the
Natural World from Bird and Moon.
Check, Please!
When a happy-go-lucky former figure skater joins his college hockey team, hilarity ensues,
but so do lasting friendships and even a burgeoning romance between protagonist Bitty and
team captain Jack. Ngozi Ukazu’s webcomic has garnered a loyal fan base, and the graphic
novels, published by First Second, are just as popular.
Cheshire Crossing
What became of Alice, Wendy Darling, and Dorothy Gale after they returned from
Wonderland, Neverland, and Oz? Though few believed their stories, the three girls meet
and find kinship in one another. Andy Weir and Sarah Andersen’s enchanting
webcomic–turned–graphic novel (published by Ten Speed) will inspire readers to write their
own fan fiction.
DeadEndia
Hamish Steele’s webcomic, now a print series published by Nobrow, centers on an
amusement haunted house with a mysterious portal that entices demons, ghosts, and angels.
Deep Dark Fears
Fran Krause creates mordantly funny yet tender comics based on emails submitted by
readers detailing the absurd but deeply resonant fears that plague them (What if, while
walking over me in bed, my cat steps on both my eyes? What if, when I take off my
goggles, the suction yanks out my eyes?). Two graphic novels, Deep Dark Fears and T
he
Creeps, based on the webcomic have been published by Ten Speed.
(H)afrocentric
Now a graphic novel series published by PM Press, this raw, deeply funny, provocative
webcomic from Juliana “Jewels” Smith, Ronald Nelson, and Mike Hampton follows a black
revolutionary college freshman and her friends dealing with racism, gentrification, and
privilege at Ronald Reagan University.
Heartstopper
Since 2016, Alice Oseman has been chronicling the burgeoning romance between Nick and
Charlie, two secondary characters from her prose novel S olitaire. Her sweet, manga-flavored
tale will be published in graphic novel format by Scholastic next month.
On a Sunbeam
Tillie Walden’s mesmerizing, strikingly original space epic seamlessly blends romance and
sci-fi. In graphic novel format, published by First Second, O n a Sunbeam has racked up
accolades, making its way onto numerous best books lists and being named a YALSA Top Ten
Great Graphic Novel.
Space Boy
To make the long trip back home to Earth from a mining colony deep in outer space, Amy
and her family must be cryogenically frozen, and when Amy returns, her friends are far
older, and she’s not sure where she fits in. With fluid linework and a pitch-perfect palette,
this tender webcomic from Stephen McCranie, now published by Dark Horse as a graphic
novel series, is ideal for sci-fi readers and newcomers to the genre alike.
Witchy
Ariel Slamer Ries’s webcomic, now published in graphic novel format by Lion Forge, takes
place in the magical world of Hyalin, where witches’ magic depends on the length of their
hair. But revealing one’s power can be perilous.
