Today I want to talk to you about coding. Coding is a sort of cultural shorthand in fiction, a set of traits and cues that draw parallels between a particular group or character in a story and a real-world demographic. It’s used as a shortcut, allowing writers to tap into their audience’s preconceptions about a real group of people to gain a better understanding of a character and their background without a ton of exposition.
Don’t read this review. Don’t play this game. Don’t look at me.
Two years ago I had never heard of Valerie Halla; now she seems to be everywhere. Whether it’s with her established original comics work, her assistance with other artists’ comics, or her weighing in on trans community issues on Twitter, her impact on the world of webcomics is undeniable, and with the release of her brand new action comic Goodbye to Halos, it’s only growing. I talked with her about her new work and old, her hopes for the future, and the secret to her success.
I admit it: I don’t really “get” New York City. I’ve been there of course, visiting friends, etc. I’ve seen the Met, the village, the park, the restaurants, the bridges, the endless highway gridlock, the claustrophobic streets, the inescapable smells… you know, the whole experience. And I didn’t really like it! Maybe I’m a country critter at heart, but even other cities I’ve seen and lived in have never felt so fundamentally alienating as New York.
I was never much of a metalhead. I mean sure, in high school I listened to the same antisocial noise as every other disaffected youth in those days – NIN, Godsmack, Kittie, etc. – but I never had any goddamn taste about it, and I certainly never got into the, shall we say, scene. And given the fact that, in hindsight, that particular scene is pretty hostile to women and people of color, I was always glad I dodged that particular bullet.