The Story

At the dawn of her college years, Janet can't imagine doing anything with the rest of her but living and breathing science... pure, concrete, rational science. She is, after all, a living nerd stereotype. But she has no way of hypothesizing a clerical error that will turn all her career plans completely upside down and, worse yet, dump her smack in the middle of a department where folks don't take too kindly to those down-to-earth, reality-loving types. Indeed, these are dark days for dorks. Can she just grin and bear it? Or will all hilarious hell break loose?

The Author

I'm Simon, the author of this comic, and I study art. The Artiste Manquée, my second comic series, is a humorous and highly satirical little story based on my own experiences as an art student. I believe that the comic strip medium, arguably an art form itself, offers a perfect way to illustrate the bizarre situations, people, and ways of thinking that are encountered in a typical university faculty of fine arts. People not familiar with this setting will hopefully learn a thing or two, and should keep in mind while reading that when it comes to art and academia, the exaggeration offered by cartoons is often not necessary... it really is that absurd.

You can contact me at

Recognition for The Artiste Manquée

Here are some links to reviews and other public recognition of this comic by other members of the Webcomic community. Check out what other people have said!

The Xcentrikz interview - My first published interview about The Artiste Manquée!
Frumph.net Spotlight - An promo for this comic by Frumph.net, a major comic list site.
ChoiceComics.net review page - Public reviews of this comic, including a great one by Kallisti.
WCB Episode 66 Sound Clip - The crew from the Webcomic Beacon podcast share their thoughts on my comic.
WCB Episode 72 Sound Clip - The same podcast talks about my comic for the second time.

F.A.Q.

How do you pronounce the title of this comic?
You may pronounce it however you like, but my official recommendation is "AR-TEEST MONG-KAY", or as close to that as you can manage.

What does the title of this comic mean?
The name is based on the expression "artist manqué". For those still confused, the word "manqué" comes from French, and refers to someone who is "unable to fully realise his/her ambitions; would-be" (according to Wiktionary). In short, the title of this comic suggests a potential artist who isn't quite cut out for the job.

Should I bother writing comments on new comic strips?
I'm the kind of guy who loves comments and feedback. Every time I get notified that someone commented on one of my strips, I get excited and waste no time in reading it. If you're among the first people to comment on a new comic, I'll often reply underneath. But regardless I do read and very much appreciate every single comment and email I receive, so please don't be shy to write.