Joan lived in Houston, a bustling Gulf Coast metropolis known for its traffic, failed petrochem tycoons, and humidity. She had the same hopes and dreams as any other child. She wanted to grow up, meet the right person, have a good career, and live happily ever after.

But then she threw all that away, and became an engineer instead.

For years now, Joan has been grinding away in lonely obscurity, while life passed her by. Finally, after a particularly rough day at her soul-sucking job, she stopped by a local pet shop to cheer herself up. She went in to play with the gerbils and parakeets, and came out with a couple of goldfish. Then things got interesting...

Gravel has been described (mostly by the cartoonist) as Ally McBeal meets Dilbert on a blind date arranged by Pinky and the Brain. It's a story of friendship and love in the shadow of a sinister piscine plot for world domination.

Or something like that. What do you want? It's just a webcomic.