This post originally appeared on Damage Control Blog on November 4, 2021 under Quarantine Control #83 as a staff column. Since it’s related to webcomics, I’ve reposted it to TWWR. Feel free to check out the original article here, along with Geoff and Joseph’s contributions.
Oren’s Forge (2015-Ongoing)
Source: DeviantArt, Tapas
Pages: 190 (As of this writing)
I haven’t had time to watch or read much in the last week, but I have made an effort to catch up with a few webcomics in my backlog. I don’t normally write about webcomics here because the quality of them ranges from professional to amateur. (I do keep a completely separate side blog for that type of writing.) However, Oren’s Forge is something special and its author has worked in the professional realm in the past. Teagan Gavet is best known for her collaborations with Tess Garman under the working name “Blotch.” They wrote and illustrated Norguard: Across Thin Ice and The Dog Days of Summer. Gavet also illustrated novels written by Kyell Gold– namely the Out of Position novels series, Dude Where’s My Fox? and Where’s My Pack? in addition to various furry anthology series. Since then Gavet has parted ways with Garman.
Oren’s Forge is a refreshing change of pace from Gavet’s previous works.
In a world occupied by animals that are either carnivores or prey, life is harsh if you’re considered prey. However, rabbits, squirrels and other small animals have decided to band together in the forest in an enclave known as Stone Hollow. There they are led by Oren, who has used fire and metal to create weapons for self-defense. Two pine martens who are both carnivores and prey seek shelter from being hunted by larger carnivores in this haven.
On the way to Stone Hollow Quanag, the older pine marten dies. He entrusts his nephew, Rask to make it to the enclave. The small embers of fire his uncle carried with him are the key to entry. After nearly being eaten by wolves, Rask eventually makes it to Stone Hollow. The reception he receives isn’t what he expected. The prey animals are weary of him at best and want to outright murder him at worst. There he learns that the creatures he merely thought of as food are so much more, and he finds himself confused and hopeful about his place in a changing world.
The issues Oren’s Forge touches upon feel right at home in works like Beastars or Zootopia— just with a more primitive edge regarding the animals’ societies. I’m not saying OF was inspired by any of these works. The tension between predator and prey is a common theme in anthropomorphic stories. Also, Gavet’s comic predates both these stories by a year. I am saying this story does come at an interesting time as Beastars and Zootopia are popular. I can easily see someone who may have never heard of OF enjoying it because it touches upon the realm of prey-predator relationships while tackling the issue from a very different angle.
All and all, Oren’s Forge is a fun read. The artwork is has a smooth cel-shaded feel and everything comes together nicely. The character designs are fantastic and they occupy a space between feral and anthro. They’re also toony with touches of realism. Backgrounds are detailed and Gavet doesn’t rely on brushes for foliage—something I’ve seen way too many other webcomic artists do. This comic is heavy on dialogue between characters, but when action does occur it’s exciting and well-executed. If I had any gripes, it would be that Oren’s Forge could use more sound effects, aka onomatopoeia. Also, word bubble placement can be weird at times. Still, it’s a few minor issues in a sea of perfection.
With this being a webcomic, it suffers from a problem that haunts a variety of webcomics—slow pacing. New pages are released roughly once a week, sometimes weeks are skipped. This comic has been in production since 2015 and hasn’t made it to 200 pages. Depending on how long Gavet plans to continue this project, audiences could be looking at years until Oren’s Forge is completed, if it’s completed. The overwhelming majority of webcomics are abandoned before they’re ever finished due to the author growing tired of the project, or an inability to work on the project. Even so, things look hopeful as a hard copy of the first volume of OF was successfully funded on KickStarter and will also be sold for a time through FurPlanet. The comic itself is free to read and I do recommend at least trying it out.
Cool