Villa of the Mysteries

Garden-variety conspiracy theories may be as common as weeds. Nevertheless, when they intersect with comics and the Internet, it’s time to break out the tinfoil hats and celebrate. Among the finest sites along those lines is “Villa of the Mysteries,” which features the work of Austin, Texas-based comic-book artist Mack White. Enter the Zircon Theatre inside the site and check out White’s graphic novellas: “Operation Blue Beam,” about a CIA-engineered cult of Princess Diana worship; “Missing Time,” a modern slacker update of The Manchurian Candidate; “Dr. Mercury’s Medicine Show,” a surreal romp involving carnival marionettes and an evil puppeteer; and “Bison Bill Presents Kid Hico in ‘Diablo Canyon,’ ” essentially “Home on the Range” with gargoyles. Fans of twisted X-rated fare will delight in White’s classic “The Mutant Book of the Dead.” You can follow the embedded links to some mind-wrenching reading, too. Yowza!