Line #21 Webcomic/Monsterkind


1	[[quoteright:279:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/monsterkindtitlepage_2299.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:279:It begins...]]
3
4	Written by Taylor C., ''[[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/ Monsterkind]]'' is a story about humans and monsters living in a city ruled by segregation and inequality. Monsters are treated as second class citizens, and are not allowed in certain areas of the city-- especially those inhabited by wealthier humans.
5
6	Wallace Foster is a human who has just been transferred into District C of Fairway City. He has never lived among monsters until now, but he's quickly realizing that they aren't as bad as everyone has made them out to be.
7
8	Change and progression have never come easy in this backwards city, but perhaps Wallace can help close the gap between human and monsterkind and bring the two together in harmony. He'll at least try.
9
10	First page can be found [[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/comic/first here]].
11	----
12	!!This webcomic provides examples of:
13
14	* AlliterativeName: Kip Kaizer, Molly Monday, and Ben Baker. If we're counting businesses/places, there's Cuddy's Cafe.
15	* AllThereInTheManual: [[http://enenkaydoodles.tumblr.com/post/77338095726/monsterkind-world-building This post]] on the comic's tumblr describes a lot about the Monsterkind universe, including the description of each district from A to D (E is deliberately left out).
16	* AlmostKiss: Between [[spoiler:Ben and Wallace]] in chapter 4, before Kip interrupts them and ask if he's interrupting anything.
17	* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Mostly provided by the monster inhabitants.
18	* AmbiguouslyGay[=/=][[AmbiguouslyBi Bi]]: Questions regarding most of the male characters' sexuality are unavoidable thanks to the in-universe ShipTease and the guys themselves not outright refusing that he may or may not have feelings for the other male. The fact that the author ships them as well and had expressed it through drawings several times (case in point, [[http://enenkaydoodles.tumblr.com/post/76700058429/jk-kip-wallace-for-life-happy-valentines-day Valentines]] [[http://enenkaydoodles.tumblr.com/post/76697364295/happy-valentines-day-here-are-some-crummy-phone Day]]) doesn't help either. Or maybe they were bi/gay from the start but it doesn't have to be stated blatantly.
19	** There's also Wallace Foster. [[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/comic/70 In here, he blushes when he sees Ben]]. At first, it looks to be simply out of embarrassment but he does it in a few panels as the pages go on. [[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/comic/77 Then when he said he could call him since he has his number]]...
20	* AmbiguousGender: Louise is hard to identify as either male or female, and is referred to as "they/them" by the author, implying that the character is genderqueer.
21	* AmbiguousSituation: In chapter 3, Molly talks with Ben and Roy with Louise. According to Molly, Roy is having memories of things that didn't happened, that they've known each other for 5 years maybe but he claims to know her and her father. According to Roy, Molly doesn't remember him and they are childhood friends and she has lost their memories of their time together. This leaves the situation ambiguous on which of them is in the right.
22	* AmbiguouslyHuman: Some monsters definitely look monstrous, while some could pass as human with no problems. Ben is one example of such a monster.
23	* AnIcePerson: Kip, as confirmed by WordOfGod. Cue, ice/snow puns.
24	* ArtEvolution: Compare chapter one's cover (pictured above) with the cover of chapter [[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/comic/136 three]].
25	** Character designs, too. Wallace, for example, had very yellow skin which in time, changed to a more flesh-like color by the third chapter, and the huge cowlick on his hair was gone. But the most notable would have to be Ben. [[http://40.media.tumblr.com/ee3a2f712f0708cfb5e1da2a25ee55d9/tumblr_ncxr4nI3PA1s9ny6qo1_400.png Here's a comparison]].
26	* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Roy, Molly, and Ben are an example of this.
27	* BigRedDevil: There is an as-yet unnamed background monster with red skin and huge horns, and BlackEyesOfEvil. He doesn't appear to actually be anywhere close to evil, though his design is obviously meant to evoke this trope.
28	* CrapsaccharineWorld: District C is a bright and colorful place, even with the monsters roaming around which is a given due to {{amazing technicolor population}}. But as Louise puts it, monsters are under heavy surveillance daily and messing up could already mean serious trouble for them. [[spoiler: This is most likely what happened to Charlie]]. Louise's line sums it up as well.
29	--> '''Louise''': Even "nice" things have dark secrets.
30	* CuteMonsterGirl: Molly. Kip and Roy are [[SpearCounterpart Cute Monster Guys]].
31	* EmbarrassingNickname: Kip doesn't appreciate the nickname 'Kipster'.
32	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Charlie's first line of dialogue is "Who the HELL are you?!" directed at Wallace, followed by screaming at his roommate to shut up when they try to explain, and then [[spoiler: assaulting Wallace while threatening to kill him]]. This is setting up to be a SubvertedTrope, however, as the next time we see Charlie he's tending to flowers with his hair pulled back with a headband, is suffering from flashbacks and expresses ''concern'' for Wallace. At the very least things are more complicated than him being "the one violent asshole monster".
33	* EvenTheGuysWantHim:
34	--> '''Cuddy:''' ''Kip, you attract business... and girls. Lots of girls. And dudes.''
35	* ExtraEyes: Molly's four eyes. No, [[StealthPun not the glasses]].
36	* EyeScream: Roy's googly eyes can be removed at will [[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/comic/58 as seen here]]. Though this is PlayedForLaughs.
37	* FantasticRacism: The main issue of the comic.
38	* FishPeople: Some characters have this characteristic.
39	* FishOutOfWater: Wallace is a human who has never even ''seen'' a monster his entire life, and now he's living in a monsters-only apartment complex.
40	* {{Flashback}}: The introduction of Chapter One where it shows Wallace working in an office and is being greeted by his co-workers, implying that he had a pretty good life up until Jerry shows up to tell him the news that he's being transferred.
41	* GenkiGirl: Molly has shades of this.
42	* GratuitousFrench: Eno, Kip's therapist, usually does this when not being punny.
43	* {{Hipster}}: Parodied with Kip, along with one panel pointing to factors (i.e. clothes, glasses, haircut, etc.) what makes one look like a hipster as Cuddy explains. She's also responsible for bringing up the {{embarrassing nickname}} "Kipster". Naturally, Kip disagrees and takes it with much chagrin.
44	* HeartSymbol: Pops-up a lot, especially where Molly and Biv are concerned.
45	* HornedHumanoid: Ben has two protrusions covered by his hair that look like horns, and thus, the only striking feature that confirms him as a monster, [[AmbiguouslyHuman though he could still pass as a burly human]].
46	* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Since it is them that implement the discriminatory treatment of monsters when in reality, they're mostly harmless.
47	* InnocentBigot: This is what the humans that haven't seen a monster for real seem to be, especially Jerry; the guy Wallace was talking to at the start of the prologue. Apparently, they're stuck in the mindset that monsters attack at any chance they get, hence Jerry's message reminding him to lock his doors.
48	* IronicName: The city of '''Fair'''way and is under the rule of segregation and inequality.
49	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Louise is very blunt with Wallace, and threatens to snap him in half if he breaks their trust... but they are still willing to invite him into their home, and they even make him tea. [[spoiler: And they also stop their roommate from potentially beating Wallace to death]].
50	* {{Keet}}: Roy G. Biv, massively so.
51	* LastNameBasis: Downplayed with Roy as he is sometimes referred to as Biv.
52	** Cuddy, the eponymous owner of the Cuddy's Cafe. Her first name is Florence.
53	* LocalHangout: Cuddy's Cafe.
54	* MonsterClown[=/=]CreepyDoll: Roy avoids the creepiness and scariness of both tropes due to his dorkiness but is clearly meant to be this type of monster because of his stitched-up, ragdoll body-type along with having a big red nose and wearing bright colorful clothes.
55	* MotorMouth: Biv's EstablishingCharacterMoment is a page that is literally [[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/comic/9 half speech bubbles]].
56	* OneHeadTaller: Or even more. Roy G. Biv automatically since he is canonically 6'7" and towers over most people, humans and/or monsters.
57	* OurMonstersAreDifferent
58	* PrecisionFStrike: "Just stay away from us you piece of '''shit'''!!" Until this moment, the language in the comic had been fairly tame. This is the moment when you realize that maybe [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids this cartoony, brightly-colored comic isn't for kids]].
59	* PunnyName: Roy G. Biv. Who is a [[RainbowMotif rainbow-themed]] monster.
60	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Ben the apartment manager. He chastises Kip for his treatment of Wallace and explains why it was ''not'' okay.
61	%% * RedOniBlueOni: Roy and Kip.
62	* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Charlie has a lizard tail, spikes, and scales on his skin, and is easily the most abrasive monster met. While the other monsters Wallace tries to interact with on his first day on the job merely slam the door in his face, Charlie [[spoiler: slams him into the coffee table hard enough to draw blood and screams death threats while Louise has to physically restrain him]].
63	** Subverted when later Charlie [[spoiler: is regretfully hoping Wallace is okay and promising that he will try harder to be calm if Wallace came back. He is even upset to see he accidentally cut off the flower while absorbed in a flashback]].
64	* RomancingTheWidow: Wallace has clearly become interested in Ben, who seems to be grieving his last love. [[spoiler:However, their AlmostKiss shows that these feelings aren't exactly one sided]].
65	* TheScottishTrope: Just by saying you're from District A can have all the monsters think of you negatively and will not let you get a word in edgewise.
66	* ShipTease: While at first the ships were pretty loose and it was easy to think the comic would follow the Kip/Wallace relationship with some possible tendencies towards Kip/Roy and Wallace/Molly, later chapters have introduced Pascal and have Ben as a more active character, resulting in the plot having a much more focused tendency to tease [[RomancingTheWidow Wallace/Ben]], [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Roy/Molly]] and [[NewOldFlame Kip/Pascal]].
67	** This one is pretty blatant on the Wallace/Ben ship, [[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/comic/432 Holy moly]]. [[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/comic/439 And then some]].
68	** [[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/comic/350 Charlie implies]] that Roy has been interested in Molly ever since they were children and describes him as being starry eyed for her.
69	** [[This extra comic]] shows that Kip thinks of Pascal while in the shower.
70	*** Also, [[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/comic/251 by the time they meet,]] there are LoveBubbles in the background.
71	* StealthPun:
72	** Molly has four eyes, both literally and figuratively.
73	** Kip is confirmed by WordOfGod to be an ice monster, and his reception of Wallace is initially very... [[http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/comic/29 cold]].
74	* TalkingAnimal: Lots of monsters are this.
75	* TokenHuman: Wallace is, so far, the only named, ''confirmed'' human in the comic. Cuddy and Kate ''may'' be human, but it is likely that one or both of them are human-looking monsters.
76	** Averted, as Cuddy and Kate have now been confirmed to be humans via [[AllThereInTheManual their official character profiles]].
77	* TwoGuysAndAGirl: The monster trio: Kip, Roy, and Molly.
78	* WhamLine: After Ben reminisces a human friend he once knew who he described was just like Wallace and concludes:
79	-->'''Ben''': She was a friend to all.
80	-->'''Wallace''': Where is she now? Do you still talk to her?
81	-->'''Ben''': [[spoiler: She's dead. She was killed]].
82	* WideEyedIdealist: Wallace, so much so that it borders on TooDumbToLive. He doesn't realize until Louise spells it out for him that monsters react adversely to him because he's human, and they then have to elaborate that being human gives him rights that monsters don't have. He also reacts to Charlie's paranoid freak-out by ''smiling and going for a handshake''. [[spoiler: Charlie then slams his head into the coffee table]].
83	* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Molly gives Kip a quick pep talk that pretty much boils down to this.

Context Webcomic / Monsterkind