Creepy towns are not new in storytelling. Stephen King may have a copyright on the trope. But in Stagtown on Webtoons, the disturbing occurrences literally creep up on you.
Frankie just returned to her hometown of Stagtown, and what was once a mundane, quiet little corner of the world is now bubbling over with weird happenings. At first, it seems as if someone is playing a prank or that Big Brother has finally pushed things too far. But then things take a turn and it’s apparent that there is more at work here.
Creator Punko (TOKYOPOP’s bestselling OEM series Bizenghast, Action Lab Entertainment’s Toyetica) perfectly sets the unsettling atmosphere from the word go. The comic’s tones are a mix of black and white and muted colors. There is only one bold color in the palette—blood red, which effectively adds to the feeling that something is utterly wrong in Stagtown.
While the threat appears technological on the surface, there are elements that hit too close to our COVID-influenced home. When the landlord checks on the conspiracy theorist neighbor, she’s wearing a face mask. I don’t know what bothered me more—that the mask seemed so commonplace or that she had to wear a mask to stay safe.
Stagtown only has four episodes up so far on Webtoons, making it easy to catch up on the tale. Look for updates on the horror comic every Tuesday.
