Molarity (comic strip)

Molarity, created by architect and cartoonist Michael Molinelli, is a comic strip about student life on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Molarity Redux is a webcomic following the same characters as alumni.

Molarity, 1977–1982

Molarity first began in The Observer, Notre Dame's student newspaper, in 1977. It appeared sporadically at first, but with advocacy by Steve Odland, Observer managing editor at the time, Molarity eventually ran five days a week during the school year, in a four-panel black-and-white format. Molinelli continued the strip even during a year abroad, while studying architecture in Rome.[1]

In chemistry, "molarity" is a term for molar concentration; the strip's title plays on the name of its protagonist, Jim Mole. "Molarity" is also said to be a portmanteau of "Molinelli" with "hilarity".[1]

Molarity Redux webcomic, 2010 onward

In the Summer 2000 issue of the alumni magazine Notre Dame, Molinelli contributed "Molarity Redux," in which the strip's characters, now older, are working on the Notre Dame campus. In January 2010, Molarity Redux returned as a monthly feature on Notre Dame Magazine's Web site.[2] In format it is generally a color strip of eight to nine panels.

Selections from the original strip, billed as "Molarity Classic", also run on Notre Dame Magazine's site.

Characters

Molarity's central character is Jim Mole, a student everyman. His roommates include Mitch, a football player; Chuck Mason, an anarchic political activist; and Dion Wicker III, who comes from a wealthy and privileged family. Mitch's intelligent girlfriend, Cheryl, is a roommate of the self-involved and fashion-conscious Brenda. Notre Dame's diverse student body included Alfie, a dolphin.

Years later, in Molarity Redux, Jim is a tweed-clad Notre Dame professor. Also teaching is Brenda, who is married to Mitch, now an assistant football coach. Chuck Mason has become a performance artist.[3]

Collections

Three books of collected Molarity strips were published in the 1980s, each reportedly selling 4000 to 5000 copies.[1] Two were issued by Juniper Press, and the third was published by Buy the Book Press.

Molarity: On the Road to Selling Out Juniper Press (Notre Dame, Indiana), 1980.

Molarity: Don't Make a Right Juniper Press (Notre Dame, Indiana), 1981.

Molarity: No Outlet Buy the Book Press (South Bend, Indiana), 1982.

In 2016, Buy the Book Press published Molarity: The Compleat Molarity, a collection which incorporates every Molarity strip published in The Observer, a total of 581. Commentary by Molinelli accompanies many of the strips.[4]

References
  1. Gamble, Jordan (18 February 2011). "Molarity: a study in a successful Observer comic". The Observer. Notre Dame, Indiana, USA. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  2. Monczunski, John (2009). "Something funny bites again". Notre Dame Magazine. Notre Dame, Indiana, USA: University of Notre Dame.
  3. Molinelli, Michael. "Characters and Trivia". Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  4. Molinelli, Michael. "www.JimMole.com". Retrieved 24 October 2016.
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