The Benthophonicks: A Cartoon Starring a Christmas Tree Worm and a Venomous Blue-ringed Octopus

Delilah Demilo is a frustrated songwriter, a college dropout, and a venomous blue-ringed octopus. In The Benthophonicks, my debut comic, she sets off on a journey to find herself as an artist, but ends up finding a bunch of randos on the way – randos who turn into unwanted bandmates... who ruin her plans... and turn into true friends!

The story begins in Delilah's native town of Benthoston, at Hatt Hair, Ltd., a hair salon run by Xander the Jewish Christmas-tree worm – a maritally-challenged fellow who once had dreams.

I'm Sabine Ganezer, a frustrated songwriter-or-maybe-cartoonist and recent graduate of Linfield College (now Linfield University.)

All the panels in this comic were hand-drawn and colored by me (and lettered, sorry to the handwriting buffs out there) before being digitally layered and embellished in Ribbet's photo editing service.

I chose the title based on the Greek root benthos, which refers to the set of animals living on the ocean floor, as opposed to the pelagos, or open water.