History Webcomic / WildeLife

* AtTheCrossroads: There is a malevolent, evil being which can be summoned if a person goes to a crossroads just outside of Podunk. [[spoiler:Hazel the hairdresser brings Oscar there to steal his body, but the being refuses as he sees no benefit to his goals by doing this. He will, however, permit Hazel to leave unharmed as she brought him someone to eat]].

* BlackEyesOfEvil: Chapter 13 opens with Pastor Goodness in his church encountering a man in his pews. They talk a bit of philosophy and the machinations of the Devil, why he is more subtle now, and the mysterious man is impressed by the wisdom of the pastor. [[spoiler:Then the mysterious man rises up, turns and reveals behind his blood-red lenses on his glasses, his eyes are pure black right before he kills the pastor by ripping the pastor's mouth with his teeth]].

* DefensiveFeintTrap: [[http://www.wildelifecomic.com/comic/346 Eliza apparently does this]].

* SurprisinglyRealizticOutcome: Oscar tries to pet Clifford once he transforms in front of him for the first time, and he naturally gets weirded out and shifts back. Just because you look like an adorable canine doesn’t mean you’re not still a human with a personal bubble.

** Page 927 has Oscar and Cliff encounter some of Cliff's friends [[spoiler:outside of the church where the pastor is murdered]]. One of Cliff's friends remembers Oscar as the guy who didn't buy them beer. Oscar dryly replied, "Wow. My legacy."

* CreepyCrows: ''Raven,'' oh so much.

* RealityEnsues: Oscar tries to pet Clifford once he transforms in front of him for the first time, and he naturally gets weirded out and shifts back. Just because you look like an adorable canine doesn’t mean you’re not still a human with a personal bubble.

* ShipTease: Oscar and Sylvia have more than their fair share of caring tendencies and meaningful looks towards each other, which is encouraged when the author makes [[https://www.wildelifecomic.com/comic/108 art like the extra comment]] featuring them playing StripPoker.

* BlackEyesOfEvil: Chapter 13 opens with a pastor in a church encountering a man in his pews. They talk a bit of philosophy and the machinations of the Devil, why he is more subtle now, and the mysterious man is impressed by the wisdom of the pastor. [[spoiler:Then the mysterious man rises up, turns and reveals behind his blood-red lenses on his glasses, his eyes are pure black right before he kills the pastor by ripping the pastor's mouth with his teeth]].

* HatesBeingTouched: Clifford, which doesn't mix too well with a mom who describes herself as "a hugger". However, she and Kevin appear to be the only people he tolerates touching him. [[spoiler:It's strongly implied to be trauma from Carl beating him.]]

** He later loans the blue jacket to Eliza and then Clifford during the arc where [[spoiler:Clifford is missing]].

* ApologyGift: Oscar [[http://www.wildelifecomic.com/comic/160 sends a bouquet of blue roses]] to his sister as an apology for his random disappearance. However, he still doesn't want her to come looking for him, so he [[http://www.wildelifecomic.com/comic/164 doesn't include a return address.]] He later sends a live plant after she doesn't believe that they're natural.

* ApologyGift: Oscar [[http://www.wildelifecomic.com/comic/160 sends a bouquet of blue roses]] to his sister as an apology for his random disappearance. However, he still doesn't want her to come looking for him, so he [[http://www.wildelifecomic.com/comic/164 doesn't include a return address.]]

* BodyHorror: When animal and normal people transform into monsters. TransformationIsAFreeAction is fully averted.

* ConvenientlyTimedAttackFromBehind: In chapter 9, Oscar saves Cliff by batting [[spoiler:monster!Raven]] from behind.

* DidNotThinkThisThrough:\

* FantasyKeepsake: Cliff thought Raven coming to his room in shape of a girl was a bad dream, but next morning he finds a feather in his bed.

* GoodIsNotSoft: Eliza takes her duties to protect people from the monstrous things in the world seriously. [[spoiler:In chapter 10 she confirms to Oscar had Cliff been infected by The Madness when he confronted Raven, she would have killed him to save him from what it would have driven him to become]].

* NothingPersonal: While not said by the supernatural being herself, [[spoiler:the fact the spider-woman lures Oscar into her lair to kill]] is considered this by Eliza and an old man aware of the supernatural. The being isn't malicious, but rather just securing her next meal.

* RedBaron: With Cliff's many escapes from the police when doing illegal activity with friends, all they can identify him is the color of his shoes as he was running away. So they call him "Green Shoes" [[spoiler:after they finally catch him and still don't know his identity]].

* ThoseWilyCoyotes: Lester is an ancient trickster who all but [[https://www.wildelifecomic.com/comic/804-2 outright stated]] to be Coyote.

* BlackEyesOfEvil: Chapter 13 opens with a pastor in a church encountering a man in his pews. They talk a bit of philosophy and the machinations of the Devil, why he is more subtle now, and the mysterious man is impressed by the wisdom of the pastor. [[spoiler:Then the mysterious man rises up, turns and reveals behind his blood-red lenses on his glasses, his eyes are pure black right before he kills the pastor by ripping out his throat with his teeth]].

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wd.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:It wasn't what he expected.]]

!!This webcomic provides examples of:

** When Oscar is hiding from some werewolves and they want in to where he is, the caption for the page reads [[Literature/ThreeLittlePigs "Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin."]]

[[NamedAfterSomebodyFamous Oscar Wilde]] (no, not [[Creator/OscarWilde that one]]) has recently moved to Podunk, Oklahoma for unknown reasons. HilarityEnsues when it turns out that his landlady -- [[UsefulNotes/BabaYaga Barbara Yaga]] -- [[StevenUlyssesPerhero might be a witch]], his house is haunted by a 1940s-era ghost named Sylvia, and a teenage werewolf named Clifford passes out on his porch.

[[NamedAfterSomebodyFamous Oscar Wilde]] (no, not [[Creator/OscarWilde that one]]) has recently moved to Podunk, Oklahoma for unknown reasons. HilarityEnsues when it turns out that his landlady, Barbara Yaga, might be a witch, his house is haunted by a 1940s-era ghost named Sylvia, and a teenage werewolf named Clifford passes out on his porch.

* MonochromeApparition: Sylvia is painted in greyish colors.

* [[MrExposition Ms. Exposition]]: Eliza frequently explains the supernatural phenomena. Justified in that Oscar is the TeamNormal, and Cliff, though having been able to use his powers all his life, has never talked to anyone about it prior to the comic's events.

* MysteriousProtector: The White-Faced Bear is protecting Clifford for some reason. Sometimes he extends it to Oscar, but makes it clear that he shouldn't count on that.

* BodyHorror: When (animal) people transform into monsters.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: In chapter 11, Cliff is furious with Oscar when the latter [[spoiler:stands up to and stops Cliff's abusive stepfather from taking custody of the boy. Cliff starts blaming himself for provoking Carl and making him hit Cliff]]. Oscar quietly asks Cliff, "[[spoiler:Do you think there's anything that you could do or say to me that would make me hit you?]]" and Cliff is silenced. The AltText provides a quiet "oh."

** In chapter 11 page 887, Oscar witnesses [[spoiler:Sylvia getting pissed and is able to use her powers to push Cliff off of Oscar and approach Cliff in a threatening manner for daring to hurt Oscar after all Oscar has done for the boy. Oscar is able to calm her down before she hurts Cliff further]]. The caption text lampshades the importance of this moment:

*** As he's fleeing from the same werewolves, he experiences an even bigger moment of "Oh, Crap" wherein he's running across a dry lake-bed trying to get away from it all- and hears a loud cracking noise coming from the surface, expressing a mix of "YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe" and "ThisIsGonnaSuck" just before he falls into a sinkhole beneath the surface.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: So far, pretty much all we know about Oscar's past is that he's "running from his demons." And he did his running the day before the comic started because on his first day in Podunk, his sister texted that she hadn't seen him since yesterday. As far as family, we know he doesn't want a lecture from his sister and he does not like his father. It's implied to have something to do with hospitals and not getting a job.

** Increasingly, Oscar seems to feel this way towards Cliff. This becomes [[BewareTheNiceOnes very apparant]] in Chapter 12, where he is ''furious'' upon finding out that [[spoiler:Cliff is being abused by his step-father, Carl]].

* BearsAreBadNews: The White-Faced Bear seems to be the comic's BigGood. [[GoodIsNotSoft This trope still applies]].

* DidNotThinkThisThrough: So, Cliff, what ''did'' you think would happen when you jumped in a lake ''when you knew there was a monster in there''?!
-->'''Cliff:''' Okay. Call Eliza.\\

** Earlier, Cliff points out this flaw with Oscar [[https://www.wildelifecomic.com/comic/118 calling him for help]] in regards to a bad haunting.
--->'''Cliff''': '''''Really?''''' What did you want me to do? Turn into a wolf at it?

* AbusiveParents: [[spoiler:It's all but explicitly stated at the end of Chapter 11 that Carl beats Cliff. [[HarsherInHindsight We've seen Cliff with small bruises and black eyes on multiple occasions]], but they were never explained or just brushed off as him "getting into fights". The first strip of the following chapter [[https://www.wildelifecomic.com/comic/820 pretty much confirms it]].]]

* PerpetualFrowner: Cliff. He's apparently the commenters' favorite because of this.

* SarcasmBlind: Possibly excusable given the weirdness he's encountered recently, but Oscar genuinely didn't realize that Clifford was being sarcastic [[https://www.wildelifecomic.com/comic/112 here]].

** Nora when she comes home and realizes that [[https://www.wildelifecomic.com/872 there's been a fight going on at home]].