Octopus Pie
Encyclopedia
Octopus Pie is a webcomic
written and drawn by Meredith Gran. It focuses on the misadventures of two 20-something women living in Brooklyn
, New York
. It is currently scheduled to update every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Around 430 strips have been published so far. The comic has been featured in an article in The New York Daily News
.
and Questionable Content
.
Eve is a post-grad in creative writing from Brooklyn who has already become embittered at just about every aspect of her life, and the universe in general. Grumpy and cynical, Eve worked at Olly's Organix, an organic food
grocer, until she overthrew Olly and was appointed head of the store. When the pressure of dealing with being the head got too much, Eve gave way to Olly, her former boss, and is back as a clerk. Throughout the first chapters of the strip, she gradually begins to open up to her room mate Hanna, as well as taking a romantic interest in Will, an associate of Hanna's.
Hanna Thompson
A classmate who went to the same preschool as Eve, Hanna is the stereotypical free spirit in every way possible. Found by Eve's mother on Craigslist
, she initially breaks into Eve's apartment, and is able to stay simply because Eve is unable to force her out. As the story progresses, Hanna is revealed to be the founder of the "Bake'N'Bake" brand of baked goods, which are created while she and her assistants are high on marijuana; Olly's Organix is her primary buyer. She is romantically involved with Marek, who is also a partner in her "Bake'N'Bake" venture.
Eve's Mom
Smug, snarky and a divorcee. It would appear she disliked James (Eve's previous boyfriend); she is the one who arranges for Hanna to move in with Eve. She also has a strong and often socially inappropriate obsession with September 11
.
James,
Eve's existentialist ex, he broke up with her during a cell phone conversation. He returns later in the strip with a new girlfriend.
Marek Kulasenski
Hanna's boyfriend and co-founder of "Bake'N'Bake", is a shaggy and often silent counterpart to Hanna's exuberant personality, a disciple of the Zen of Duck. Marek is Polish
. Marek spends much of his time on school work as he is still in college.
Park
Park is Eve's boyfriend. They were high school sweethearts who've decided to give their relationship another shot. Park takes a job in Chicago and asks Eve to move in with him, but she refuses.
Will LeBlanc
A bartender and drug dealer. Will acts as Eve's previous main love interest, however she ends their romantic relationship when she discovers he is a drug dealer. He later dates Hanna's friend, Marigold, though it is suggested he has never lost his feelings for Eve.
Olly
Owner and proprietor of Olly's Organix. He was temporarily forced to abdicate his position as boss, thanks to Eve. However, Eve told a large crowd of supporters that Olly was to thank for the recent ad campaign which causes his temporary downfall. Olly is now back as head of the store.
Fairly self explanatory, introduces the general flow of the comic. Eve has just broken up with her boyfriend, James, and Hanna moves in. Eve's job and the general state of her life is introduced.
Bicycle Rights
Eve's bicycle (Mr. Pedals) is stolen, which prompts her to become paranoid about security.
Bake n' Bake
Explores the mystery of what Hanna does for a living, also introduces Marek and Will. A link to the official Bake N' Bake website can be found here.
Grocery Misconduct
Hanna goes topless in Central Park while Marek gives Eve the inspiration to learn of 'Duck Zen' when she spots her ex-boyfriend James with another girl. Then When Olly, Eve's boss, needs to come up with a new ad campaign for the store, Eve jokingly draws a crude dog that calls the store "The Fukken Shit" - not knowing that the drawing will be seen as Olly's temporary downfall and Eve's temporary popularity.
Natural Phenomenon
When James, Eve's ex-boyfriend unexpectedly shows up at their front door, Eve and Hanna make a run for it (Hanna thinking James is a Narc), and Eve eventually winds up hanging out with Will. Eve then discovers that Will is Hannah's drug dealer.
Skate or Don't
On an ice skating outing, Hanna cracks her coccyx and Eve confronts a rival from her childhood. Eve's father appears in flashbacks.
Our Brooklynian Life
While hanging out with Hanna, Eve finds and cares for a parrot
. While the parrot gives her added attention, she also has to deal with the return of Will.
Tag
Eve's old friends and Hannah's stoner buddies collide for a game of Laser Tag as a Eve rekindles a romance with ex-boyfriend Park.
Renaissance Unfair
Hanna recruits her friends to help her gain independence from Olly's Organix at a Renaissance Fair. Will becomes embroiled in courtly love and a fight with the coordinator's son.
Octopus Pie Love Comics
A brief interlude starring Julie of Olly's Organix in her quest for love.
Dumbo
Olly's latest attempt at staying profitable is Ollyween, and all his employees must participate.
Interview
Park interviews for a law firm with some pretty awful results.
Exile on Jericho Turnpike
Eve visits her brother and her father for his birthday and troubles about the amount of influence she has in their lives.
Love Anxiously
It's Valentine's Day and everyone gets a little lesson in jealousy.
Lifetime TV
The Ning siblings grew up wishing they could be contestants on their favorite shopping-based gameshow. Today, they stumble upon reality.
This is How I Deal
Feeling hopeless in her day-to-day life, Marigold decides that surely, Will's job must be more interesting. A drug-dealing adventure awaits!
Snowy Patrol
Hanna agrees to watch Park's dog Snowy for the weekend, in hopes of gaining his trust. Meanwhile, the possibility arises that Park (and Eve, by extension) could be leaving town soon.
Beer Your Own Boss
Olly figures out that beer is made by people, and orders Eve, Julie and Jacob to make some for the store.
Fear Part 1
The annual bike festival is upon Brooklyn, and with it comes a whole laundry list of anxieties.
Fear Part 2
The bike festival concludes with Hanna and her unicycle-riding rival, Park's secret is revealed, and Eve's bittersweet conclusion about fear.
Who Are Parents
A visit to Hanna's parents' house leads to the discovery of a terrible, terrible artifact. Eve, meanwhile, is pondering the role of parents in her life.
Couch Sitter
Eve, Hanna and Marek have a soft-spoken house guest named Victor.
Frontwards
Eve and Park's relationship has reached a crossroads, and whatever happens is going to suck.
Moving On
Eve, Hanna and Marek suddenly decide to leave home. Apartment-hopping abound.
GO Team Willary
Will is rejoined by his partner and friend Larry, who has a new business venture. Their reunion is not without some girl troubles and introspection.
Octopus DIE
A non-canon whodunnit as Will rents out a mansion for what is supposed to be an awesome Halloween party. Pretty much everyone dies.
The Brownout Biscuit
Some unfortunate events disrupt the adults' social group. Hanna and Eve each take the blame for Marigold's despair, and try to fix things in unimaginable ways.
Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards
award and was nominated for and .
, Aaron Farber, and Josh Mirman were the founding members of the now defunct Bagofchips web comic group, set up along similar lines as Keenspot
and Blank Label Comics
. The group disbanded shortly after its inception, as most of the artists - Gran included - abandoned their respective projects.
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
written and drawn by Meredith Gran. It focuses on the misadventures of two 20-something women living in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It is currently scheduled to update every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Around 430 strips have been published so far. The comic has been featured in an article in The New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
.
Content
The comic is light humor, with some occasional swearing and partial nudity. It relies on the juxtaposition of the two protagonists. Octopus Pie also has the feel of an indie comic, focusing on young urbanites, usually from Gen Y. In that way Octopus Pie is similar to such comics as Scott PilgrimScott Pilgrim
Scott Pilgrim is a graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. It consists of six digest size black-and-white volumes, released between August 2004 and July 2010, by Portland-based independent comic book publisher Oni Press. It was later republished by Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins...
and Questionable Content
Questionable Content
Questionable Content is a slice-of-life webcomic written and drawn by Jeph Jacques. It was launched on August 1, 2003. Jacques currently makes his living exclusively from QC merchandising and advertising, making him one of the few professional webcomic artists...
.
Characters
Everest "Eve" NingEve is a post-grad in creative writing from Brooklyn who has already become embittered at just about every aspect of her life, and the universe in general. Grumpy and cynical, Eve worked at Olly's Organix, an organic food
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
grocer, until she overthrew Olly and was appointed head of the store. When the pressure of dealing with being the head got too much, Eve gave way to Olly, her former boss, and is back as a clerk. Throughout the first chapters of the strip, she gradually begins to open up to her room mate Hanna, as well as taking a romantic interest in Will, an associate of Hanna's.
Hanna Thompson
A classmate who went to the same preschool as Eve, Hanna is the stereotypical free spirit in every way possible. Found by Eve's mother on Craigslist
Craigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
, she initially breaks into Eve's apartment, and is able to stay simply because Eve is unable to force her out. As the story progresses, Hanna is revealed to be the founder of the "Bake'N'Bake" brand of baked goods, which are created while she and her assistants are high on marijuana; Olly's Organix is her primary buyer. She is romantically involved with Marek, who is also a partner in her "Bake'N'Bake" venture.
Eve's Mom
Smug, snarky and a divorcee. It would appear she disliked James (Eve's previous boyfriend); she is the one who arranges for Hanna to move in with Eve. She also has a strong and often socially inappropriate obsession with September 11
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
.
James,
Eve's existentialist ex, he broke up with her during a cell phone conversation. He returns later in the strip with a new girlfriend.
Marek Kulasenski
Hanna's boyfriend and co-founder of "Bake'N'Bake", is a shaggy and often silent counterpart to Hanna's exuberant personality, a disciple of the Zen of Duck. Marek is Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Marek spends much of his time on school work as he is still in college.
Park
Park is Eve's boyfriend. They were high school sweethearts who've decided to give their relationship another shot. Park takes a job in Chicago and asks Eve to move in with him, but she refuses.
Will LeBlanc
A bartender and drug dealer. Will acts as Eve's previous main love interest, however she ends their romantic relationship when she discovers he is a drug dealer. He later dates Hanna's friend, Marigold, though it is suggested he has never lost his feelings for Eve.
Olly
Owner and proprietor of Olly's Organix. He was temporarily forced to abdicate his position as boss, thanks to Eve. However, Eve told a large crowd of supporters that Olly was to thank for the recent ad campaign which causes his temporary downfall. Olly is now back as head of the store.
Plot arcs
IntroductionsFairly self explanatory, introduces the general flow of the comic. Eve has just broken up with her boyfriend, James, and Hanna moves in. Eve's job and the general state of her life is introduced.
Bicycle Rights
Eve's bicycle (Mr. Pedals) is stolen, which prompts her to become paranoid about security.
Bake n' Bake
Explores the mystery of what Hanna does for a living, also introduces Marek and Will. A link to the official Bake N' Bake website can be found here.
Grocery Misconduct
Hanna goes topless in Central Park while Marek gives Eve the inspiration to learn of 'Duck Zen' when she spots her ex-boyfriend James with another girl. Then When Olly, Eve's boss, needs to come up with a new ad campaign for the store, Eve jokingly draws a crude dog that calls the store "The Fukken Shit" - not knowing that the drawing will be seen as Olly's temporary downfall and Eve's temporary popularity.
Natural Phenomenon
When James, Eve's ex-boyfriend unexpectedly shows up at their front door, Eve and Hanna make a run for it (Hanna thinking James is a Narc), and Eve eventually winds up hanging out with Will. Eve then discovers that Will is Hannah's drug dealer.
Skate or Don't
On an ice skating outing, Hanna cracks her coccyx and Eve confronts a rival from her childhood. Eve's father appears in flashbacks.
Our Brooklynian Life
While hanging out with Hanna, Eve finds and cares for a parrot
Monk Parakeet
The Monk Parakeet, also known as the Quaker Parrot, is a species of parrot, in most treatments the only member of the genus Myiopsitta. It originates from the temperate to subtropical areas of Argentina and the surrounding countries in South America...
. While the parrot gives her added attention, she also has to deal with the return of Will.
Tag
Eve's old friends and Hannah's stoner buddies collide for a game of Laser Tag as a Eve rekindles a romance with ex-boyfriend Park.
Renaissance Unfair
Hanna recruits her friends to help her gain independence from Olly's Organix at a Renaissance Fair. Will becomes embroiled in courtly love and a fight with the coordinator's son.
Octopus Pie Love Comics
A brief interlude starring Julie of Olly's Organix in her quest for love.
Dumbo
Olly's latest attempt at staying profitable is Ollyween, and all his employees must participate.
Interview
Park interviews for a law firm with some pretty awful results.
Exile on Jericho Turnpike
Eve visits her brother and her father for his birthday and troubles about the amount of influence she has in their lives.
Love Anxiously
It's Valentine's Day and everyone gets a little lesson in jealousy.
Lifetime TV
The Ning siblings grew up wishing they could be contestants on their favorite shopping-based gameshow. Today, they stumble upon reality.
This is How I Deal
Feeling hopeless in her day-to-day life, Marigold decides that surely, Will's job must be more interesting. A drug-dealing adventure awaits!
Snowy Patrol
Hanna agrees to watch Park's dog Snowy for the weekend, in hopes of gaining his trust. Meanwhile, the possibility arises that Park (and Eve, by extension) could be leaving town soon.
Beer Your Own Boss
Olly figures out that beer is made by people, and orders Eve, Julie and Jacob to make some for the store.
Fear Part 1
The annual bike festival is upon Brooklyn, and with it comes a whole laundry list of anxieties.
Fear Part 2
The bike festival concludes with Hanna and her unicycle-riding rival, Park's secret is revealed, and Eve's bittersweet conclusion about fear.
Who Are Parents
A visit to Hanna's parents' house leads to the discovery of a terrible, terrible artifact. Eve, meanwhile, is pondering the role of parents in her life.
Couch Sitter
Eve, Hanna and Marek have a soft-spoken house guest named Victor.
Frontwards
Eve and Park's relationship has reached a crossroads, and whatever happens is going to suck.
Moving On
Eve, Hanna and Marek suddenly decide to leave home. Apartment-hopping abound.
GO Team Willary
Will is rejoined by his partner and friend Larry, who has a new business venture. Their reunion is not without some girl troubles and introspection.
Octopus DIE
A non-canon whodunnit as Will rents out a mansion for what is supposed to be an awesome Halloween party. Pretty much everyone dies.
The Brownout Biscuit
Some unfortunate events disrupt the adults' social group. Hanna and Eve each take the blame for Marigold's despair, and try to fix things in unimaginable ways.
Issues
While Octopus Pie is primarily a humorous strip, it has dealt with wider social issues, such as the right for women to go topless.Awards
Octopus Pie won the 20082008 Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards
The Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards is an annual award voted on by web cartoonists themselves. The nominations ballots for the 8th annual award cover webcomics active in 2007 and were emailed to pre-registered voters by 7 January 2008 and closed those submissions on 23 January 2008...
Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards
Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards
The Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards are annual awards in which online cartoonists nominate and select outstanding webcomics. The awards have been held since 2001, were featured in a The New York Times column on webcomics in 2005, and have been mentioned as a tool for librarians.The WCCA represent a...
award and was nominated for and .
Collected editions
- Octopus Pie: An Interstate Oasis
- Octopus Pie: A Brownstone Companion
- Octopus Pie: There are no Stars in Brooklyn, 2010, Villard Books, ISBN 9780345520432 - collects first two years of strips, with new title pages for each story
- Octopus Pie: Listen at Home with Octopus Pie
Author
Meredith Gran is a web cartoonist and artist who has produced several previous (but abandoned) web comics, such as Not Gonna Take it, and Skirting Danger. Gran, along with Ian Jones-QuarteyRPG World
RPG World was a webcomic by Ian Jones-Quartey that took place in the environment of a RPG. While much of the humor and story-telling focused on parody of console role-playing game clichés and tropes the story was also meant to stand on its own...
, Aaron Farber, and Josh Mirman were the founding members of the now defunct Bagofchips web comic group, set up along similar lines as Keenspot
Keenspot
Keenspot is a webcomics portal founded in March 2000 by cartoonist Chris Crosby , Crosby's mother Teri, cartoonist Darren Bleuel , and Nathan Stone.-History:...
and Blank Label Comics
Blank Label Comics
Blank Label Comics is a collective of web comics whose creators have banded together for mutual assistance and promotion. The Blank Label Comics website officially went online on May 23, 2005.All of the comics had previously been hosted on Keenspot...
. The group disbanded shortly after its inception, as most of the artists - Gran included - abandoned their respective projects.
Change to Update Schedule
In August 2009 the author announced that the comic, which had been updating on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays would be changing its schedule. Instead of updating several times per week, Gran would complete an entire story arc over the course of several weeks, and then publish the whole plotline at one time. In this way, Gran hoped to be able to dedicate more time to the artwork of the comic, and to present a better product. As of 4 August 2010, the comic has returned to updating three times a week.External links
- Octopus Pie
- Meredith Gran's LiveJournal
- Interview with Meredith Gran
- Review of Octopus Pie, ComixTalk, July 2008
- Meredith Gran, Octopus Pie, Gothamist
- "Octopus Pie Extends Its Reach", Publishers Weekly