''The Meek'' is a fantasy
webcomic written and illustrated by Der-shing Helmer since 2008. Taking place in a fantasy world, ''The Meek'' focuses on protagonist Angora, a young girl with a magical ability to control plants, as she is trying to reach a place she refers to as "the center".
However, ''The Meek'' follows multiple narratives with several different characters from across the world. Each chapter separately follows one of these narratives.
Development
Der-shing Helmer is a trained
biologist
A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual cell, a multicellular organism, or a community of interacting populations. They usually specialize in ...
and educator, writing ''The Meek'' in her spare time.
[ In a 2009 interview, Helmer stated she draws inspiration from biology when designing the world of ''The Meek''. Helmer created the first draft of her webcomic entirely with a mechanical pencil and marker, but quickly switched to Photoshop CS2 for the final version. She uses a Wacom Intuos tablet to create the comic, and her creation process has become more streamlined since she built a template for her pages.
]
Plot
''The Meek'' follows multiple narratives with several different characters from across the world. Each chapter separately follows one of these narratives. The main characters are:
*Angora – The protagonist, an enthusiastic 15-year-old girl living alone in a jungle, aided by her plant manipulation powers, until she embarks on her quest to save the world. She has little use for clothes, and will only wear a pair of cut-off shorts
Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because the ...
.
*Luca – An emperor and leader of a group of people called the Pasori. Murder drives him to switch from peaceful negotiation to war against another country.
*Soli – A bandit who is searching for her ex-boyfriend, so she can kill him.
*Pinter – Angora's companion, a wandering, alcoholic cartographer
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
who meets Angora and, out of concern for her safety, travels with her.
*Rana, Suda and Hyla – Luca's children.
*Alamand – Soli's companion, a skilled young boy.
The plot of ''The Meek'' concerns a war that is brewing between several of the world's nations, notably the Carissi and the Pasori people.
Reception
Caitlin Rosberg of '' The A.V. Club'' recommended ''The Meek'' as one of the best comics of 2016.
In 2017, ''The Meek'' won an Ignatz Award in the "Outstanding Online Comic" category.
References
External links
*
Website of Der-shing Helmer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meek, The
2008 webcomic debuts
American webcomics
Fantasy webcomics
Anime and manga inspired webcomics
2000s webcomics
Ignatz Award winners for Outstanding Online Comic