Webcomic / Baskets of Guts

It's only the half of the story. Or some part of it.

The Lich: Actually, the comic isn't about baskets.
Anna: Neither it's about guts.

Baskets of guts (rus. Корзинки из кишок) is a Dark Fantasy webcomic by JoeDuncan, following the three hundred years old lich on his epic quest to Take Over the World or at least some part of it. However, it quickly turns out that the said world has changed a little since the times the Lich has sealed himself in a crypt. Hilarity Ensues.

Baskets' setting is basically what Standard Fantasy Setting should once become if not for Medieval Stasis: magic is ubiquitous (magical ed is like university ed in this universe) and the whole technology is based on it, loads of fantastic races have finally organized into a stable multiracial country (there's downright no Fantastic Racism), and though some traditions persist, the society has become more enlightened and bureaucratic.

The comic doesn't have a strict plotline. Author takes suggestions from the readers, picking the ones he likes most, be it protoganists' choices, minor characters' appearances or complete plot twists.

Also, there is quite a bunch of well written aversions and lampshadings of the Standard Fantasy Setting cliches. Author is kind of fond of this fact.

And it's a bit NSFW.

Currently russian only.

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This story provides examples of:

• Cast of Snowflakes: One can say that not even two Innocent Bystanders or Mooks are alike.
• Citadel City: Ancard is built on a mountain, and the walls enclose the entire city. It also quarters a large military garrison.

• Dirty Cop: Lt. Rikleeno, his chief and at least one of his collegues.
• Deuteragonist: Anna. At one point of the plot she and the Lich get separated. They join up only much, much later.
• The Dreaded: Pangreedi is described as "a beast, not a human" with scars all over his face. It turns out to be quite far from truth though.
• Dungeon Punk: A shiny example. Magitek, widespread magical education, City Guards in police uniform with heraldic badges and so forth.
• During the War: Alnia, the myconid state, is at war with United Kingdoms.
• Familiar: General Creedy is a one to the Lich. Actually, it's just an undead rat, but it's still the most long living servant of the Lich.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: The Daddy is less than pleased to hear that his sons got murdered.
• Fantastic Racism: Averted. However, it's mentioned that it was a thing back in the days of Lich's youth.
• Fish out of Water: The Lich. The world as he had known it has changed a lot after three hundred years.
• Floating Continent: City of Lingrhyme is located on one.
• The Fundamentalist: Cult of the Sunfollowers will make you praise the sun or die.
• Gasmask Mooks:
  • Animalculists in Chapter 1.
  • City Guard's special forces in the deleted arc.
  • Soldiers sieging the hotel in Chapter 7.
• God of Evil: It's implied that a raw deal with a certain Evil Goddess was the reason why the Lich has been hiding in a crypt for three hundred years.
• Goofy Print Underwear: Rikleeno's underpants are dotted with bourbon lilies.
• The High Queen: Gunehilde, Queen of the United Kingdoms.
• Interspecies Romance: Rikleeno's wife/lover is a spider taur.
• The Mafia: Active and very powerfull.
• The Men in Black: The RSC agents have the reputation of these.
• Mundane Fantastic: Magitek and hoards of battle mages are trivial for everyone except the protagonist.
• Mushroom Man: Myconids.
• Only Known by Their Nickname:
  • The Lich's real name is never revealed.
  • Anna was unnamed for a good part of the story, so the readers came up with the nickname Kiki (short for Kikimora).
  • The Daddy, the Butcher, the Druid...
• Our Dwarves Are All the Same: Dwarves look like the ones of the standart flavor, but their personalities are as variable as of any other race. Many of them do sport long beards, but it's probably because dwarves are physiologically inclined to have them, since they grow even on females.
• Our Liches Are Different: Liches are wizards who somehow bound their soul to an inanimate object (a phylactery) and thus kept their link with the mortal world after their technical death. Though a phylactery can't actually move, the bound soul can still cast spells. Your guess what kind of magic comes in handy first.
• Person of Mass Destruction: Any powerful battle mage.
• Plague Doctor:
  • Animalculists have a touch of this. And especially their horses.
  • Some of paraanatomists also sport familiar masks.
  • One of the criminal barons is a more classic example.
• Posthumous Character: Richard Rosencliff, the previous owner of the Lich's second body.
• Predecessor Villain: Marasmir the Mad.
• Punch-Clock Hero: Every and all of the non-villanious characters are basically this.
• Puppeteer Parasite: Word of God mentioned that myconids can control those who are infected with their spores, and they're well aware of this fact.
• Refuge in Audacity: The way the Lich does his stuff. It works, somewhat.
• Removing the Head or Destroying the Brain: Nope! There is no real way to kill The Undead, save for killing the one who raised it. Tiny moving pieces of flesh are hardly considered effective fighters though. And the same goes for undead fur coats, belts and chickens.
• Shout-Out:
  • Maria, Ancard's sewer system worker.
  • Daddy's sons and co. are a gang of quite dashing hooligans.
  • Image cover◊ of Chapter 3 is a one to Conan.
  • Cover◊ of Chapter 8 parodies "Woman with a Parasol" by Claude Monet.
  • Paraanatomists on the last panel of this strip◊ resemble "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp" by Rembrandt.
  • Image cover of chapter 9 is a shout-out to Jaws.
• The Slow Path: the Lich's voluntary three hundred years exile in a crypt.
• Square Race, Round Class:
  • Queen is a jotun wizard. The absurdity is brought up by the Lich.
  • Half-orc secret agent can also count.
• State Sec: The Royal Secret Chancellory.
• Suicide Attack:
  Myconid terrorist: Spores of the Evergrowing!
• Supporting Protagonist:
  • Lt. Rikleeno got his own small arc. Later, he even joins the Lich for some time.
  • Jacob Gardier.
  • The male naga and female half-orc pair of RSC agents. Their storyline is closely connected to Jacob's.
• Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: The RSC agents.
• Villain Protagonist: The Lich. Though for the most of the story he may seem to be funny, reasonable and kind of passive, his evil intentions are genuine.
• Wretched Hive: Ancard.