''Skin Deep'' is a

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

webcomic Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Webcomics can be c ...

series written and drawn by

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

an Kory Bing. The story follows the lives of various

mythical creatures A legendary creature (also mythical or mythological creature) is a type of fictional entity, typically a hybrid, that has not been proven and that is described in folklore (including myths and legends), but may be featured in historical account ...

, such as a

gryphon The griffin, griffon, or gryphon ( Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and ...

, a nixie, a

satyr In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, σειληνός ), is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, exa ...

, and a

sphinx A sphinx ( , grc, σφίγξ , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon. In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches of ...

, as they disguise themselves (using magical medallions) into the world of humans. The story's narrative, which began its twelfth arc in January 2015, presents the point of view of Michelle, a college-aged

Sphinx A sphinx ( , grc, σφίγξ , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon. In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches of ...

who has only recently learned that she is not a human, and the various points of view of the citizens of Liverpool's Avalon, an entire magically hidden city. The plot often works to establish a theme of different versions of normalcy, promoting acceptance and diversity.

Premise

The story of Skin Deep chronicles around a world where most, if not all, mythical creatures, objects and terminology (e.g magic) exist, but are hidden away from the world of humans. Most Mythical Creatures have magical medallions, which can hide their true forms from human sight. The comic is split into chapters, some of which are single multi-page short stories, others are multi-chaptered long stories. The story, as of February 2018, mostly takes place in the year 2004, though one story takes place in the year 2000 and two of latest stories take place in 2005.

Arcs

* Orientations - Takes place in the

US state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

, in September 2004. Focuses on the turning (de-spelling of human disguise) of Michelle, a member of the supposedly extinct

species. Explains many of the mechanisms of the ''Skin Deep'' world. * Exchanges - Takes place in

Liverpool, England Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

, in August 2004. Focuses on the turning of Anthony Gillis, as well as the interactions between several of the inhabitants of the Liverpool Avalon. * Illumination - Takes place during June 2005, at the Finns residence and focuses on the exploration of the secret of the sphinxes past and how Michelle Jocasta is involved. There are 9 short stories in the Skin Deep Archives, with them expanding upon Character bios and World-building.

Characters

* Jimothy James, also known as Jim Finn ''(Orientations'' and ''Exchanges)'' - A maned

. He is an exchange student from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

who has the most knowledge about t/he mythical community, having been raised in one. * Michelle Jocasta ''(Orientations)''- A

Grecian The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...

sphinx who is the focus of Orientations. She is accidentally turned from her human form into her real form, releasing a large burst of magic that causes the events following to happen. * Merial McMinnus (''Orientations'')- A nixie who is Michelle's roommate and friend. * Greg Tragos (''Orientations'')- A

, Merial's friend from before college. * Eustace (''Orientations'') - A

totem A totem (from oj, ᑑᑌᒼ, italics=no or '' doodem'') is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage, or tribe, such as in the Anishinaabe clan system. While ''the ...

fox who runs the shop in the small Missouri Avalon. * Marshall (''Orientations'') - A

raven who is Eustace's best friend. * The Bloodcarver (''Orientations'') - A mysterious member of the also supposedly extinct race of

dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

. * The Grimm Brothers (''Orientations'') - Three demons sent from Dis to retrieve the lost shade of Michelle's father. end up targeting Michelle, the newly turned

. * John Anthony Gillis (''Exchanges'') - A "human" who has a spell on him that hides his Harpy genes. * Blanche Noir (''Exchanges'') - A white stag who introduces his best friend, Anthony, to his hidden life in the Avalon. * Lorne Lyon (''Exchanges'') - A nemean lion, the best friend of Jim Finn. * Jon Lyon (''Exchanges'') - A cranky nemean lion, the brother of Lorne and the best friend of Paul Finn. * Vadoma Winifred Euryale, also known as Madame U (''Exchanges'') - A blind

gorgon A Gorgon ( /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. While descriptions of Gorgons vary, the te ...

who runs the shop named Prestor John's that is full of magical items such as medallions who lives in the Liverpool Avalon. * Alec Orville Hyde (''Exchanges'') - A

bugbear A bugbear is a legendary creature or type of hobgoblin comparable to the boogeyman (or bugaboo or babau or cucuy), and other creatures of folklore, all of which were historically used in some cultures to frighten disobedient children. Etymology ...

who seems to be friends with Blanche. * The Finns (''Exchanges'') - The clan of gryphons of which Jim is a member, consisting of James, Mary, Tobias, Paul, and Colin. * Eleanor and Rupert (''Exchanges'') - A

bandersnatch A bandersnatch is a fictional creature in Lewis Carroll's 1871 novel ''Through the Looking-Glass'' and his 1874 poem ''The Hunting of the Snark''. Although neither work describes the appearance of a bandersnatch in great detail, in ''The Hunting ...

and

jub-jub bird The Jubjub bird is a dangerous creature mentioned in Lewis Carroll's nonsense poems "Jabberwocky" (1871) and "The Hunting of the Snark" (1876). In "Jabberwocky", the only detail given about the bird is that the protagonist should "beware" i ...

, respectively. Disgruntled Wonderlanders who have left their home to live in the Liverpool Avalon. Seen playing a mysterious card game in front of a restaurant. * Zech Smith and Elise Madison Driver (''Exchanges'') - A centaur and pegasus, respectively. Seen arguing in the Avalon. * The Stanley Dock Monster (''Exchanges'') - A giant water-like creature that lives outside of the Liverpool Avalon. She eats the garbage from the Avalon. * Gabe (''Orientations'') - An angel who is friends with the Grimm Brothers. He/She is usually seen smoking or drinking.

Development

Bing has run three Kickstarter campaigns to collect the comic in print, one for each volume.

References

External links