Tales of the Trickster

FreeLit, Comics Edition

Okay, so I pointed out some of my favorite places to get my read on for free.  I failed to point out places where you can read comics for free online.  I'd be here all day if I listed every webcomic I ever heard of, so I'll just point out some of my favorites.

FreakAngels - Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield put out this gem every week.  I can't imagine why Ellis is giving this to us for free since I would be more than happy to shell out a couple of bucks for this if I came across it in a comic book store, but if you have read anything by Ellis, you probably already know that he's a little bit insane.  You also probably already know that I have a rather disturbing crush on Warren Ellis' brain, but I'm not just being a crazy fangirl when I say this is one of the best comics you'll read this year.  And hello?  Did I mention you get to read it for free?  That's a total bonus for you.  It's a recession, people.  Take what good fortune you can while you can.

Intergalactic Law - Created by the same mad geniuses that came up with Pink Raygun.  If you haven't browsed through Pink Raygun by now, what the heck is wrong with you?  Go!  Check it out already!

Unshelved - I wrote a little something about this comic already, but in case you missed it, Unshelved is a library comic.  If you work at a library, it's downright hysterical.  If you don't, it's still pretty funny.

Zuda Comics - More free comics than you can wave a backboard at.  Comics for the people, by the people.  Or something like that.

Sinfest - I've been reading this one for years.  Ishida's just not right, y'all.  It's awesome.  Of course, if you're all PC and easily offended, you should probably skip it.  If you can take a joke, you're in for a treat.

Maxwell the Demon - Tonia Walden's comic about a demon.  Named Maxwell.  (No really, it's pretty funny.)

Besides all of these, Marvel and Image will often show off their comics in online form.  For all you Web 2.0 MySpace geeks out there, Dark Horse Presents has a boatload of goodies too, including Sugar Shock by Joss Whedon.

Artists I Know

Time to give kudos to some folks I know of the artistic persuasion.  Check 'em out.

April - Part of the Philly Comix Jam.  She was also awesome enough to draw a cool pic of Nightcrawler for my amusement.  Even if it wasn't for my amusement, I'm concieted enough to believe it was, so there.  I love this chick.  She's got such a wicked sense of humor. >=)  Silly girl doesn't seem to want to collect her art all in one place so that I can easily link to it, though.  *sigh* ;-)

Stacy - Officer Stacy of the Writing Police, and my partner in pain (he works at a library too). He's a great guy to have in your corner, especially when you're feeling blue.  No one can give a pick-me-up like Stacy.  He's been displaying some of his art on his blog, appropriately named "Yeah, I Write This Blog."  (And you know, he really does.)  I love his pastels.

Shane - Clever man not only has his own website and MySpace page, but a deviantArt gallery as well.  Now that's pimping out your mad skills.  The geisha is my absolute favorite of his pieces.  I love, love, love it!

Mission: Somewhat Difficult

Okay, okay, so the mission wasn't exactly "impossible," but it was still kind of a pain.  It seems that I'm down to the last chapter in book 3 of The Dresden Files, Grave Peril.  Since I work late tonight, this was probably the only day of the week where I could stop by the local bookstore and get books 4 & 5.  Sadly, I was already running late, so I had to grab a quickie lunch, call the bookstore to put the books on hold for me (after my cell phone died the first time), run to the mall while stuffing my face, dodge idiot mall traffic, grab the next two books in the series, and run out again with enough time to make it to work.  But in the end, I was victorious!  YAY!  Let this be a lesson kiddies.  Addictions of all kinds, even book addictions, can be hazardous to your health.  Dodging mall traffic is no joke, peoples.

In any case, if you haven't read any of the Dresden Files, you should.  They are really fun popcorn books.  I'm a little grumpy after reading them though, because there's a "fairy godmother" in the third book, and I have a fairy godmother in my comic, and now I'm afraid that people will think I ripped it off (even though the two stories and characters are worlds apart, I think.)  Insult to injury, apparently there is a new Dresden comic book.  Doh!  (Double doh, now I have to read that too!)  Oh well,the dangers of being a reader in similar genres, I guess.  As I understand it, Tori Amos refused to listen to Kate Bush for the longest time because everyone kept comparing the two of them and she didn't want to be influenced.  I'm not as strong willed or as talented as Tori, and I'm no Jim Butcher, so I'll just keep reading Dresden until he stops writing the series.  (Or until I get frustrated with him the way I did Laurell Hamilton.  Honestly Laur, we get it.  Anita Blake likes sex.  Can we get back to the plot please?)  In the meantime, you can get a taste of Harry through a couple of short stories that I just now discovered on Jim Butcher's website.  Apparently, he's letting us read them for free.  Wasn't that nice of him?  (Guess what I'll be doing next break I get?) 

As a bonus, please enjoy some art by a cool chick named Jennifer Rodgers, who did a great job at illustrating said fairy godmother (and more) for the Dresden RPG here.

A Restoration of Faith

Vignette

Terri Windling & The Endicott Studio

I just discovered these paintings by Terri Windling through The Endicott Studio.  In fact, I kinda just discovered The Endicott Studio.  The first one is called "Coyote Woman," and the second one is called "Desert Fox Fairy."  Terri Windling even has a section in the Endicott Studios Reading Room on Tricksters! 

               

The Journal of Mythic Arts has the two poems by Neil Gaiman I pointed you to earlier.  Take a look.  Lots of cool stuff. 

More of my favorite things...

I love Becky Cloonan.  Love love love love love her.  I loooooovvvvveeee Becky Cloonan.  Crazy-scientologist-jumping-on-a-couch kind of love here.   Why do I love her?

This is why:

      

(^She just posted these on her MySpace today.^)

And this:

                

And for her work on American Virgin. You can download issue #1 with this link, courtesy of Vertigo.  Love love love love loooooooooooovvvve. 

Chicks and Comics Part III

So, I was randomly scanning through When Fangirls Attack yesterday (a fun site to flip through when you're bored, by the way), and came across this little gem that I just had to share with my comic book loving friends.  It seems this clever, clever fangirl, Bellatrys, has deciced to put her paintbrush where her mouth is and actually show what we've been complaining about all this time by doing a little role reversing with comic book covers.  Here's the one that really got me.

    

The first is the original cover, the second is the cover she did.  I think I like the second one better.  I never knew Wolverine could look so good (or so well-arranged) after getting his ass clocked by a Sentinel.  I hope Bellatrys does more covers like this, because it would be a fun series to keep an eye on.  It makes me wish I could draw.  What a hoot it would be to do some creative switching with the covers in my comic book collection.  Well done!

Comic Book Chicks

I'm in the middle of updating one of my side lists, called "Comic Book Chicks."  It's a list of links for different women in the comic book industry whose work I enjoy.  Some are writers, most are artists (pencillers, inkers, colorists, letterers, or all of the above.)  The update was inspired by my discovery this morning of Christina Chen, Jo Chen's older sister.  (You all remember my embarrassing fangirl geekspasm over Jo Chen not so long ago, right?)  Also by Nicola Scott displaying her artwork on Facebook recently, which is nice because I've been looking for a collection of her stuff for awhile.  I heard about Scott through the folks at YABS, and what little of her work I've seen I've really enjoyed. 

Check the list out every now and again.  I'll be adding to it the more I discover.

Becky Cloonan

Beautiful art by Becky Cloonan on Warren Ellis' website.  You guys know Becky Cloonan, right?  She does the art for American Virgin, which is a really good read.  Going into it, I was afraid that it would be an overly preachy whinefest about the state of religion today.  I was so wrong.  It's smart, funny, and in some places, pretty intense.  I'm a total fangirl, I admit. 

Check out the colors on this mama.  I love that in-your-face style she has, all bold lines and unapologetic energy.  You just know this witchy woman will fuck you up if you look at her sideways. This is the kind of print I wouldn't mind framed and hanging on my wall.

Dream Gig

I was having this discussion with my sweetheart yesterday about dream jobs.  When I was young, I wanted to be a WORLD FAMOUS BOOK AUTHOR [read that with as many blinking lights and fireworks as possible].  Now?  I'm not sure I have the talent or discipline for such endeavors.  I'd be happy if I could just write comics for a living.  It's not a very glamorous job, and one that doesn't necessarily pay well (unless you're Alan Moore or Frank Miller of course).  Still, it would be loads of fun.

So what would be my most awesomest dream gig ever?  To write a monthly comic that is successful enough to pay for itself.  I'd have Jo Chen do the covers, and Becky Cloonan or Joshua Middleton to do the interiors.  I'd have Todd Klein do the lettering, because after reading Neil Gaiman's Sandman, I started noticing lettering as it's own art.  Seriously y'all, he's that good.  Maybe Pillow Book good.

Hollow Fundraiser

I admit, I'm a fangirl for a comic that hasn't even come out yet.  I did a little snippet on these guys awhile back, but now it seems that a comic I've already fallen in love with may be in danger!  Help the crew of Hollow!  If you help, you'll get some beeee-yoo-tee-ful art as well!  It's a win-win people.

Hollow Fundraiser