No Frank, Bill has absolutely no idea.
Legend of Bill
is a webcomic started in 2008 by David Reddick. It started as a Gag Per Day Webcomic, albeit not being a daily issue, but gradually turned into a grandiose epic featuring dozens of characters. Some of the recurring characters even led to two spinoffs: Barwench Tales and The Gnome Syndicate.
The story's main characters are Bill, an overly buff guy with a bit of a child mind as The Hero, and Frank, a blue dragon as the Lancer.
The premise starts as Bill, an accounting clerk tired of his daily job as a pencil pusher, decides to start a new life as a Barbarian Hero. Hilarity Ensues.
The comic has since been passed down to Kaye Vassey and Don Kuehn.
Legend of Bill provides examples of:
- Aborted Arc: The reason Princess Gina initially enrolled the help of Bill. This was never mentioned again, but could very well be a Brick Joke.
- Action Girl: About every female character. Even the local tavern's barwench will turn into one if you don't order properly - and sometimes even if you do.
- Altar the Speed: Dark Queen must marry before the first snow fall lest she loses her powers.
- Berserk Button: Sort of (he is not really sane to start with). Just don't mention to the Dark Underlord that Vasheeva is his "EX" wife, you'll regret it (Ask Gork of Givernly or poor Barry).
- Beware the Nice Ones: If any of the ladies get threatened, Bill goes into berserk mode, remembering nothing afterward. Happened twice so far, or possibly three times according to some reports.
- Brand X: Dragon Burger fast food restaurants.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: At least once, when after a long run of following some other characters, the strip returned to Bill and Frank, this happened.
- Chekhov's Gun: Early in the series, the Dark Queen fumbles on the name of Frank. Two years later or so, Frank realizes Princess Gina isn't really who she pretends to be because she calls him Fred.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The Wet Gill Tavern sociopath barwench, until she was given a name in the spinoff Barwench Tales.
- Eye Patch Of Power: General Foztik has inherited one recently.
- Grand Theft Me: Dark Queen does this to Princess Gina - and is the principal drive for the main current plotline.
- How Much More Can He Take?: General Foztik is still able to escape after having an arm chopped off and losing an eye
- Intimidating Revenue Service: Early in the series, a group of Orcs ambush Bill and are ready to take revenge because as a clerk he misfiled their tax forms.
- The Legend of X
- Monochrome Past: For the whole Gypsy time travel sequence - with the present characters seen in desaturated colors until Vorik/Warix catches them - hinted by his eyes turning blue.
- No Name Given:
- Gypsy
- The omnipresent gnome for a long time (but that's changed).
- The narcoleptic horse - although he is credited with a name, this never appears in-universe.
- Painting the Medium:
- Magic incantations are written with distorted lettering.
- The Dark Underlord speech bubbles are different.
- Reset Button: Was used extensively at the beginning. Seems to have completely disappeared. Now actions have consequences.
- Running Gag: This is a Where's Waldo? gag - a gnome appears in at least one panel in almost every strip.
- Shout-Out:
- The Smurfs — although they sure don't behave as they usually do.
- Craven looks suspiciously like Deep Space 9's very own Benjamin Sisko with turtle neck and everything.
- Various other comics and webcomics when Bill and Princess Gina (as Vasheeva) try different outfits.
- Through His Stomach: The surest path to Bill's heart is through cookies.
- Trademark Favorite Drink: Bill the Barbarian goes against the barbarian stereotype with milk.
