Frank Bruce’s grim storybook comic “The Marrow Bones”

Pop quiz! Which of the following best describes Frank Bruce’s online, free-to-read comic The Marrow Bones? Find the answer at the bottom of this post!

  1. a lovingly-illustrated storybook for disturbed children
  2. a pitch for an enjoyable episode of Tales from the Crypt or The Outer limits
  3. “a tale of societal expectations and conformity”
  4. a dark little morality tale with a punchline that could be summarized by the last line of Mother Mother’s song “The Stand”
  5. all of the above

I had a lot of fun reading this. It’s a privilege to see someone’s concept expressed with such diligence, craftsmanship and character. The artwork – generally hand-drawn on Bee Paper products with Sakura Micron ink pens and Copic markers,  according to Frank’s site – is mesmerizing, and the story leads down some interesting paths before taking a (maybe kind of expected but still enjoyable) twist.

There’s a ton of captivating art on his site, including a gallery titled “Women & Werewolves” that had me scrolling for a long time. For more of his work you can also follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

Thanks to @EvilViergacht for the link.

Quiz answer: stop reading this and go look at the comic, ya dingus