Rigsby, WI: Foothold (Volume 1) by S.E. Case. Iron Circus Comics, 2025. 9781638991410. 120pp, Includes a few short bonus comics in the back. My favorite is the one titled “This Comic Is About Pooping”.
This webcomic is about the lives of four teens in a small city in Wisconsin in 2002. At its heart are Jeordie and Bethany (that’s them on the cover), their friends Erik and Anna, and the blind — the forested, dead-end where they go to smoke and get high. They’re worried about sex, relationships, where to get cigarettes, and homecoming. Beth is on the outs with her mom, living with her aunt, and stuck getting home-schooled. Anna is (minor spoiler) taking Beth to prom as friends. Erik wants to take the girl he’s obsessed with, Pam, but she doesn’t seem to respect his feelings much (if at all). Jeordie is about to celebrate his three-month anniversary with Jenna, and he’s got a proposal for what they should do to mark the occasion. (He’s also got an awesome little old dog, Lou.)
I have little in common with any of these teens, but I absolutely loved this graphic novel. This is one of those wondrous comics where everything works, including the fabric of everyone’s clothes.
Worth noting: One of my favorite sequences takes place after Bethany’s mom won’t take her word that she’s taken her meds, and makes her take them again. The aftermath is both hilarious and heartbreaking.
Volume 2 will be published next year. (The Kickstarter for it is ending in a few days!) But if you also can’t wait, the comics are still available (and updating twice weekly!) at rigsbywi.com
