When Webcomic Became Legend – The Homestuck Phenomenon
The webcomic legend that broke barriers and is reviving its fandom in 2025
Homestuck, created by Andrew Hussie from 2009 to 2016, is a webcomic that redefined how stories can be told online. Far from traditional comics, Homestuck mixed static panels, animated sequences, Flash games, and a full original soundtrack to create an immersive multimedia world. At its heart, it tells the story of four friends—John Egbert, Rose Lalonde, Dave Strider, and Jade Harley—who begin playing the beta version of a strange game called Sburb. This is no ordinary game: instead of fun and harmless challenges, it causes Earth’s destruction, transporting the friends to a mysterious dimension known as the Medium.
Within the Medium, they discover they are “players” in a cosmic process of creating a new universe. They encounter alien “trolls” from another reality, each with their own personalities, goals, and sometimes conflicting agendas. The trolls, with characters like Karkat, Terezi, and Vriska, became as beloved as the main cast. The narrative spans more than 8,000 pages and multiple in-universe years, involving complex time loops, alternate timelines, and characters meeting different versions of themselves.
Part of what made Homestuck unique was its deep integration with internet culture. Hussie’s writing was full of memes, meta-humor, and playful engagement with the audience. Readers could influence certain events, creating a sense of community ownership over the story. Fans expressed their passion through elaborate cosplay, fan fiction, music remixes, and art, building one of the most active fandoms in early 2010s web history.
In 2025, that community has reignited. A global reread event is bringing together veterans and newcomers, accompanied by the release of a SGRUB-themed 2025 fan calendar in both digital and print formats. Even more exciting, SpindleHorse, creators of Hazbin Hotel, have announced an animated pilot to be released on YouTube in September 2025. This adaptation promises to reintroduce John, Rose, Dave, Jade, and the trolls to a whole new audience, proving Homestuck’s legacy is far from over.
