The Hovertext, Authorial Commentary, And Digital Space of Taylor Robinâs âNever Satisfiedâ
Never Satisfied, a webcomic by Taylor Robin, is a more traditionally-formatted webcomic: it doesnât delve into any experimental forms, structures, or layouts, but it does use one particular tool that has been used in the likes of Paranatural by Zack Morrison and Parallax by FIGHTBEAST: hovertext.
(Never Satisfied, Taylor Robin, page 2)
Hovertext is present in the vast majority of comics and is a feature of the HTML language that is relatively simple to implement, but theyâre often left blank, or denote a page number. However, some webcomic creators choose to use hovertext as a type of unseen commentary on each page. In comics with more of a comedic focus, like Morrisonâs Paranatural, the author tends to make jokes revolving around the context of a page:
(Paranatural, Zack Morrison, page 298)
Never Satisfied, despite obeying most traditional formats of any comic page, no matter digital or printed, does take advantage of other digital features surrounding the comic itself. To me, hovertext represents one of the more subtle methods in which a webcomic digitises, and is an adaption that means the webcomic itself is embedded into a digital space. Unless the hovertext were printed alongside each page itself, part of the very experience of Never Satisfied is reading the hovertext alongside each update.
(Never Satisfied, Taylor Robin, page 337 [chapter 7, 43])
Never Satisfied also takes advantage of the presence of a description box, directly beneath every page. Outside of the hovertext itself - which can be missed if read upon a mobile device or the reader doesnât directly linger over the page itself - Robin utilises the description box to offer more direct contextualisation:
updates surrounding Never Satisfied:
and, of course, links and self-promotion to a Patreon and external sites:
When hovertext and these descriptions are combined, we gain a more developed understanding of the authorâs intentions or thoughts on each page. Webcomics are a far more intimate form of media, given their digitisation leads to pages that can link directly to an authorâs Twitter, Tumblr, Patreon, and more. Even though a webcomic, like Never Satisfied, can visually seem relatively traditional, they utilise tools that would be unavailable to a printed book, and allow the readers to have a more direct connection to the creator (a trend we can also see with the creators of television shows, actors, and so forth).
Robin also allows readers to comment on each individual page, furthering this communication between reader and author directly:
This means readers can offer their impressions to each other, the wider community, and directly to the author themselves. This also allows the author to answer questions, expand further on a page, correct misconceptions, and more.
All of these examples of hovertext, authorâs notes and comments, are ways in which a webcomic like Never Satisfied can very subtly embed itself into a digital space and bridge the gap between a reader and the creator. Such as in the case of Noelle Stevensonâs Nimona, publication led to the deletion of all online pages, meaning a loss of these above features. However, without the hovertext, commentary, and the discussion of the fans and community behind Never Satisfied, we would lose part of why the webcomic has a wide appeal; many fans enjoy speculation, reading the added commentary, and engaging in the digital elements Never Satisfied has to offer. As such, itâs an excellent example of how some webcomics enhance themselves far more subtly to their digital surroundings.
