Amber Waves

Some comics take you somewhere familiar. Others take you somewhere you didn’t realize you missed. Amber Waves somehow does both. Set on a quiet Midwestern farm, David Phipps’ long-running strip finds humor and heart in everyday life—between a boy named Gerald, his friend Owen, their family, and a full cast of farm animals who see the world with startling clarity. It’s warm, funny, occasionally wistful, and full of small truths that sneak up on you. We caught up with David on Inside the Kingdom to talk about how Amber Waves began, why the animals always seem to know more than we do, and what keeps him drawing after 25 years. Finding the Heart of the Heartland Phipps grew up in Iowa but admits he never milked a cow or drove a tractor. Still, small-town life and family stories stuck with him. “I was surrounded by farms,” he shared. “My dad’s name was Gerald, and he used to tell me stories about working on one after his father passed away. He loved it—his favorite cow, tree forts, all that stuff. It made me want to capture that kind of simple, genuine […]

This crisp fall week welcomes a new strip available on Comics Kingdom by cartoonist and illustrator David Phipps: Amber Waves, a fresh and heartfelt tale of a kid, his family and friends, and the pithy and sometimes goofy animals that reside on the family farm. LIFE ON THE FARM Capturing the simplicity and charm of small-town life free from the overstimulation of an urban landscape, Amber Waves focuses on the experiences of a young boy in rural America. It’s main character Gerald lives on a farm with his lovingly relatable parents, a tried-and-true best friend, and a whole lot of pigs, cows, chickens and ducks that provide silly commentary on human foibles of the everyday. Bringing an authentic and personal touch to each story, Gerald is named after and inspired by David Phipps’ own father, who grew up on just such a farm. A FAMOUS ADMIRER MAKES IN INTRODUCTION Amber Waves has been gracing the pages of small market papers for decades. As early as 1994, the comic was included in an experimental page for weekly papers. But it was an inspiring connection to an iconic cartoonist who introduced the […]