Copper is a webcomic by Kazu Kibuishi, of Amulet, Flight and Daisy Kutter fame. Through a series of mostly-unconnected vignettes, Copper tells the story of the titular character, an adventure-loving boy with a poetic soul, and Fred, his cynical, anxiety-ridden dog. The two of them travel a vaguely-dreamlike world, musing philosophically as they do.
Copper has its genesis shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks, when Kibuishi "drew a picture of a scared, quiet, but calm kid, and ... decided to write a story about him and his fearful dog, Fred." Themes of war and destruction can be found in a few of the earlier comics.
The comic began in April of 2002, and updated about once a month (barring a few hiatuses), before going on an extended hiatus from April, 2009, to December, 2016. The most recent comic was posted in February of 2017.Longer Copper stories also feature in the first volumes of Flight and its successor series, Explorer.
Not to be confused with the television series about the 1864 police officer. The comic can be read on Kibuishi's website, Bolt City Productions
, or (along with two of the extended stories, "Picnic" and "Maiden Voyage") an older version of the same.
Tropes present in Copper:
- All Just a Dream: A couple installments, especially early on, are explicitly revealed to have been dreams. Most of the strips have no such indication, although it wouldn't be exactly surprising.
- Canine Companion: Fred to Copper.
- Crashing Dreams: At the end of "Big Robot".
- Cynic–Idealist Duo: Fred's the constantly-complaining, worst-outcome-imagining cynic, Copper's the more easy-going, take-life-as-it-comes idealist.
- Empathy Doll Shot: Copper and Fred come across a discarded toy truck in the bombed-out city of "Ruins".
- Fictional Currency: The setting uses Kibuishi's standard lugs.
- Fungus Humongous: Pops up a couple of times, including one that provides the page image.
- The Gadfly: The mysterious recurring girl with the shades and notepad seems to get a kick out of bugging Copper. (There's also her implicit crush on him.)
- Happiness Is Mandatory: Provides the page image.
- Hot-Blooded: Fred is a pretty pessimistic pooch, but whenever he somehow gets some (generally unearned) confidence, he can be... intense.
- Humongous Mecha: Encountered by the duo in the aptly-named "Big Robot".
- I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham: Fred is prone to this, not that he would ever admit it.
- In Medias Res: Most comics begin with Copper and Fred having already long begun some journey or endeavor. If you're lucky, they might mention where they've just been or what their objective is. Or, depending on your point of view, if you're lucky, it will remain a mystery you can fill in yourself.
- Insubstantial Ingredients: Love is what makes Aunt Koko's melon bread superior to the cheaper stuff at Melon Bread Palace.
- Jet Pack: Copper and Fred both receive them in the first comic, "Rocket Pack Fantasy". They quickly become disillusioned by a collection of suit-clad people using their own jet packs to drop nuclear bombs.
- Just One More Level!: Fred takes this attitude towards the shooter he plays with Copper.
- Missed Him by That Much: On several occasions, Copper and Fred just narrowly miss encountering the Notepad Girl and/or the Girl in the Red Hoodie (as well as the latter's dog, upon whom Fred has a crush.) In one particular instance, this happens as they are lamenting their inability to find love, with Fred claiming he is watching like a hawk for opportunities.
- Ruins of the Modern Age: In "Ruins", Copper and Fred encounter a crumbling, destroyed husk of a city, which Copper becomes fixated on.
- Serenade Your Lover: Copper does this to the girl in the bubble. At least, he tries.
