When 48-year-old Sam Jones first started out creating “Inhumane Resources”, it felt to him like he was still at work from the very start.

“It’s kind of a parody of my business,” he explains, “I was reading Stephen King’s On Writing, and he says that Americans love reading about jobs, so starting with imagining a story about your job is a good beginning.”

Enter Arthur Bloom, a computer vision specialist at a boring corporate office who’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to work with a rather idiosyncratic, yet dignified supervillain who goes by “The Green Skull”.

“I was watching a cartoon with my son, and it showed a Joker robot. It occurred to me that the Joker doesn’t seem to have the temperament and definitely doesn’t have the time to do everything involved in making the robot, so that meant somewhere down the line there had to be an engineer who reports to the Joker.”

 

From this idea, Jones had all the makings for a classic webcomic story. “Inhumane Resources” takes readers on a kooky, quirky journey through the usual office-type fare that might remind some of the popular “Dilbert” strip, but still manages to throw in such things as Photoshopped social media and newspaper clippings, a cast of zany co-workers, and a maniacal (yet somehow well-meaning) supervillain supervising everyone.

And as it turns out, it takes a lot of manpower to be a good supervillain!

Story-wise, the ongoing adventure is funny and provocative on almost every page. Whether you’re a fan of “XKCD” or “Dilbert”, you’ll find a lot of chuckles, especially when Arthur is introduced to, and associates with, his co-workers Ada, Green Skull’s personal manager; Finch, a software expert with a unique stammer; and Charlotte, the armor designer. Things get more interesting as Arthur is shown some of the advanced tech and weaponry at Green Skull’s headquarters, learns a bit of history about his employer that includes betrayal and revenge, and prepares for his first assignment – breaking into a data center with Ada.

From an artistic point of view, we’re torn. Yes, it’s a bit crude and warped, and in some places even nightmarish – but then we remember, this entire comic is a nightmare, in a way. It’s filled with chaos and discord, and that’s exactly how you want the art to look. The spontaneity with the character designs and settings just prove the point home. By comparison, “XKCD” uses stick figures so, is it really always about the art? We think not!

Inhumane Resources” is a wacky, warped, and fun read. We highly recommend it for the laughs and the story, and we’re looking forward to seeing where it goes next.