Paranatural
Written and Illstrated by Zachary Morrison
Ongoing, 2011-present
Updates Tuesday and Friday
Prepare to enter a world filled with paranormal mischief and supernatural mayhem in Paranatural as Maxwell Puckett, AKA Max-the new kid in town, joins the Activity Club at Mayview Middle School. That my friends, is where all the trouble begins. I mean aside from beating up the school bully by accident and making a mortal enemy a few pages prior. However, school bullies are nothing compared to the sticky situations spirits create for twelve-year-old Max.
After growing up in the city, moving to the small quiet town of Mayview isn’t an easy transition for Max to make. Max has plenty of misgivings about his new home, especially when Max’s child-like father reveals that their new home will be above a convenience store. For some reason, Max’s father has always dreamed of owning a convenience store, and when one opened up in his old hometown, he couldn’t resist.
Max’s first day of school isn’t exactly stellar either. He misses his alarm, is chased by the school bully and his cronies, is stalked by the Journalism Club, and sees ghostly figures in the hallways. The whole seeing ghosts bit is where the Activity Club comes into play.
The club’s official members include Mr. Spender, a seventh grade history teacher and leader of the club who is always wearing sunglasses, Isabel, the club’s ace fighter, Ed, a hyperactive kid and Isabel’s shadow, and Isaac, a club member with a short temper and is kept in the dark about the Activity Club’s parent organization.
A mystery to outsiders, the Activity Club selects members from the student body based on their ability to interact with the spiritual world, a gift not many possess. Individuals who are able to tap into their spectral powers are also able to connect with a spectral tool, an object, any object (one tool is a toilet plunger), that has been possessed by a spirit who has been injured or weakened. Tools create a symbiotic relationship with their user and lend out their powers until they have fully recuperated.
After finding a tool of his own Max must learn to control his new found powers and figure out who to trust in this complicated spiritual world. Everyone wants Max on their side, but everyone also has secrets.
Written and illustrated by Zachary Morrison, Paranatural began back in 2011 and is still going strong today. Paranatural is brimming with wit and humor, and readers have the opportunity to watch Morrison’s artistic style evolve over the years. What began as black and white sketches four years ago has grown into full color pages that add a sense of wonder and dread to Mayview’s otherworldly environment.
Paranatural is four chapters deep, with the first four pages of chapter five ready for your reading pleasure. If unlocking the mysteries of spiritual world is your cup of tea, Paranatural might be the webcomic you’re looking for.