David Malki

David Malki is an American writer, illustrator and web comic creator best known for "Wondermark," a comic strip series created using Victorian-era illustrations and engravings remixed with modern dialogue. He began publishing Wondermark online in 2003 and later released several print collections through Dark Horse Comics. Malki's work extends beyond comics into various publishing projects, including Machine of Death, a collection of short stories he co-edited that became a bestseller on Amazon.com in 2010. He followed this with a sequel anthology titled "This Is How You Die: Stories of the Inscrutable, Infallible, Inescapable Machine of Death." The author has worked as a filmmaker and commercial director in Los Angeles, bringing his visual storytelling abilities to various media projects. His design work includes creating logos, book covers, and other commercial illustrations. Beyond his creative work, Malki maintains an active online presence through his blog and social media channels where he discusses comics, publishing, and creative processes. His projects often blend historical imagery with contemporary themes and humor.

Readers embrace Malki's absurdist humor and Victorian-era mashup style in Wondermark. The comic receives praise for its clever dialogue and creative reuse of historical illustrations. On Reddit and comic forums, fans highlight his ability to find modern relevance in antiquated images. Likes: - Sharp writing that builds to unexpected punchlines - Creative repurposing of vintage artwork - Consistent update schedule - Machine of Death anthology concept and execution Dislikes: - Some readers find the visual style repetitive - Humor occasionally too random or abstract - Text can be dense/wordy for a comic format Ratings: Machine of Death: 4.0/5 on Goodreads (2,500+ ratings) Wondermark collections average 4.2/5 on Amazon (200+ combined ratings) One Goodreads reviewer noted: "Malki excels at finding the perfect vintage illustration to match his modern sensibilities." A frequent criticism on comics forums is that "strips sometimes prioritize clever concept over actual humor."

Machine of Death (2010) A collection of short stories co-edited by David Malki about a machine that can predict how people will die, featuring contributions from multiple authors exploring the consequences of knowing one's fate.

This Is How You Die: Stories of the Inscrutable, Infallible, Inescapable Machine of Death (2013) The sequel anthology to Machine of Death, containing additional stories from various writers about the implications of a death-predicting machine in different scenarios and settings.

Wondermark: Beards of our Forefathers (2008) A collection of Malki's Wondermark comic strips featuring Victorian-era illustrations combined with modern dialogue and humor.

Wondermark: Clever Tricks to Stave Off Death (2009) The second collection of Wondermark comics continuing the format of remixed Victorian illustrations with contemporary comedy.

Wondermark: Dapper Caps & Pedal-Copters (2011) The third compilation of Wondermark comic strips maintaining the distinctive style of combining historical imagery with modern wit.

Kate Beaton creates historical comedy comics that remix past eras with modern sensibilities through her series "Hark! A Vagrant". Her work shares Malki's approach of finding humor in historical recontextualization and uses a similar mix of cultural commentary with absurdist elements.

Ryan North produces the comic Dinosaur Comics and writes adventure books using constrained formats and remixed elements. His work intersects with Malki's in projects like Machine of Death and shares an interest in experimental storytelling formats.

Dorothy Parker wrote sharp satirical observations about society using witty dialogue and unexpected pairings of ideas. Her writing demonstrates the same type of contrast between formal language and modern sensibility that appears in Wondermark.

Edward Gorey created Victorian-styled illustrated works that combine dark humor with period aesthetics. His books use historical artistic styles to tell unconventional stories, similar to Malki's repurposing of vintage illustrations.

Randall Munroe produces XKCD and writes books that combine scientific concepts with unexpected humor and storytelling approaches. His work shares Malki's interest in combining intellectual concepts with accessible humor and remixed formats.