"Weird Me": Growing Up Online With "Weird Al" Yankovic

[yankochick38]

One night, while searching the "Weird Al" tag on instagram, I came across this photo. Needless to say, this made me very excited and I researched these comics more immediately. The girl who writes these comics is Kelly Phillips, and is based out of West Philadelphia. According to her store page for Volume 1 (and 2), she used to be a "moderately successful webmaster of a "Weird Al" Yankovic fan site," and apparently a bit of a tourchaser. That got me thinking that some of you might know her, and then I came across this on her tumblr:



(source)

That got me thinking some of you might definitely know her.

She just won an award for "Comic Creator of the Year" at the Philly Geek Awards for a different comic she writes. She's currently inking (?) Volume 3 of "Weird Me" and finished writing the script for Volume 4, and I think she plans on releasing those soon. I just ordered the first two volumes, and I believe these will be the most relatable comics I will ever read. I can't wait to find out more!!

Here's a link to her tumblr and her website. I hope she finds WOWAY (or is on here and I just don't know it!), because what I've seen from her is awesomeness all around.

[Jigawatt]

I definitely remember her old website (I think she was spearheading a UHF on DVD petition of some sort?)... but these comics are new to me. I'm gonna guess Dave might be able to weigh in on this as well, judging by the above.

I've gotta check these out!

[Elvis]

Yeah, the name rings a bell. I may have linked to her website or traded some old emails from her. Either way I guess my hairy legs made an impression!

Just ordered Volume 1 and 2. Excited to get them, and read them! And looking forward to Volume 3!

Dave

[Jigawatt]

Yup, I ordered both available ones as well.

[yankochick38]

Got an email from Storenvy/Kelly this morning saying my order is shipped and on the way! Can't wait to get these books!!

[Jigawatt]

Mine's on the way as well. I wonder if she is curious about the weird cluster of orders she got all of a sudden.

[yankochick38]

THEY'RE HERE!!
Just got these in the mail! Volumes 1 and 2, and a blank postcard! Gonna start reading right now!!

[Annie27]

What exactly are they about? Cause if they interest me, I'll see if I can buy them.

[yank]

Don't keep us in suspense! It's been a month...What happened??

[yankochick38]

It's been a month, and volumes 3 & 4 have been released as well. You can get them here, and the full set here.

Kelly is a young teenage girl growing up during the time of Running With Scissors. She got to go to quite a few shows during Touring With Scissors as well as Poodle Hat, Al Con III, and the Weird Al Experience at the Orange County Fair. She talks about her experience running a Weird Al fansite in a time when WOWAY was not even around yet, how it got her relatively known in the Weird Al fan community (and with Al and the band themselves for a while), and how it led to new people reaching out to her -- friendly and creepy. She has a portable CD player she listens to Weird Al CDs on and writes down the lyrics in a notebook, which gets her made fun of at school. She meets a possible Weird Al boyfriend. She remembers Dave fondly.

Really, you have to read the comics to get the full experience, as they are comics. This is just a sampling to get you salivating for more. I had a lot of emotions reading these. Basically I feel like Kelly is me if I was born a few years earlier. I thoroughly relate to her and also am living vicariously through her comics for the things I wish I could have experienced but didn't because I was in kindergarten. I love hearing about female Weird Al fan stories especially because it disproves the whole "12 year old boys" theory with every new story.

27/10, recommend highly to everyone who has ever loved Weird Al.