Downloadable Coloring Page - 'Winter Solstice'

Hey folks! Looking for something to do? Why not do a little coloring?

Click here to snag your own copy. This image is 300DPI and will print out at 6.5x10 inches. If you share your recolors online please credit the line art to me so others can find and color the images as well. Thanks folks!

Take care and stay healthy!

Vintage Collection - Commentarii linguae Graecae

Title: Commentarii linguae Graecae
Author: Guillaume Budé
Year Printed: 1556 

This is the oldest book currently in my collection. It's also one of the few I cannot read - it's written in a combination of Latin and Greek. This book was printed in 1556 and is in beautiful condition! The paper is in better shape than most of my more recent vintage finds. This is likely due to the material the paper is made of -- more of a rag and less of a bleached wood pulp. 

The outside of the book is a little worse for ware, especially on the spine. The text block, meanwhile, is sound. The gentleman at the Mark Twain Library, where I bought the book, believed it had been rebound sometime in the 1600s, meaning the current leather cover is not genuine. 

He also told me that his research into the book led him to discover that the printer had died of the Plague a few years after the book was printed. So... that's a thing. 

There's an interesting book plate attached to the front inside cover from one of the previous owners.

There are also short notes in the margins of some of the pages. I love it when I discover little remnants of previous owners like this! 

This was a lucky find that I'm so grateful to have in my collection! 💖

Vintage and Antique Book Collection

Just about everyone collects something. Me, I collect vintage and antique books. (Skulls as well, but we won't go into that here.)

While nothing I have is particularly valuable, they're all special to me. I personally find them beautiful and am often amazed that they've survived as long as they have.

Most of my collection were discovered at local library sales, with a few used book shops and Etsy sales thrown in. I'd love to begin exploring antique shops in our general area with the hopes of expanding the collection. While I planned on starting my little exploration adventure this spring, the COVID-19 pandemic has put things on hold. Hopefully I can move forward with my weird little hobby again next year.

For now, I'll be cataloging these old beauties and sharing them here with you. This is mainly so I have a record of what is on the shelves as well as a general idea of when each book was printed. It's my hope that, if something happens to me, the list will help these books go to good homes rather than just being dumped into a trash bin somewhere.

'Watership Down'

We were asked at work to create interpretations of our favorite books for National Library Week. I decided to tackle a book that's fascinated me ever since I first read it... Watership Down by Richard Adams. It'd been a while since I'd had a chance to play on the Cintiq so, I opted to create a drawing. This is the result. 

Downloadable Print - 'Watership Down'

The full downloadable print of 'Watership Down' is now available.

Click here to snag your own copy. The image is 300DPI and will print out at 11.5x17.25 inches. I just ask that you use this for your personal use only. No selling please. Thank you!

Downloadable Coloring Page - 'Watership Down'

 

Hey folks! Looking for something to do? Why not give coloring Hazel and his friends a try?

Click here to snag your own copy. The image is 300DPI and will print out at roughly 7x10 inches. If you share your recolors online please credit the line art to me so others can find and color the images as well. Thanks folks!

Take care and stay healthy!

Downloadable Coloring Pages

 

Hey folks! I hope this finds everyone well!

I have something for you... downloadable coloring pages! Click on the links below to snag your own copies. Images are 300DPI and will print out at 8x10 inches. If you share your recolors online please credit the line art to me so others can find and color the images as well. Thanks folks!

Take care and stay healthy!

'A Year and a Day Issue 1 Cover'
'A Year and a Day Issue 2 Cover'
'Defending the Gate'
'Hunt Night'
'New Moon'
'Rules to Live By' 
'A Triple Threat'

'Rules to Live By' (Redraw)

Hey folks! Here's the finished version of the redraw!

Book Lovers Unite at BookCon!

Hey folks! This last Sunday Matt and I caught the train into New York City for a day of book-based excitement. June 1-2 was BookCon out at the Javits Center!

I'd never heard of BookCon until a few weeks ago. I was looking up its big sister con, BookExpo America, which I've wanted to attend for a few years now. Unfortunately, BEA is on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. It's also expensive to attend, even with my librarian discount. So, while I could have attended Wednesday, paying an over $100 entry fee as well as around $30 for a round trip train for one day seemed a bit much.

But, my research into BEA lead me to BookCon which was a wonderful compromise! Due to my job we were only able to attend Sunday, something I'm hoping will change next year.

It was an interesting experience! Neither Matt or myself had been to a book con before, so there were many things we were unaware of. Such as the fact that folks start to line up for the Dealer's Den early.

(This is a small section of the line we found ourselves in when we 
arrived at around 9:15 or so in the morning.)

We also didn't know that folks will actually run into the Dealer's Den as soon as they're allowed to enter. Not to mention line up in front of the main publishers' booths. This made wandering around difficult for the first hour or two. It also left us very confused.

Eventually we discovered why. We'd gone to one panel and I thought the author's book sounded interesting. But, when we went to the publisher's booth to buy a copy, we discovered they didn't actually have many books for sale. They were focusing more on giving away Galley and ARC copies. Since neither Matt or myself are reviewers or collectors of Galleys and ARCs, I decided to wait until the book comes out this late summer. But, that explains the lines.

There were also massive lines for author signings. In fact, there were many more people than I was expecting. I've heard people claim that books are a waste of time and that the publishing industry is dying. That's a little hard to believe when you're in a massive convention hall packed with frantic book fans.

(This was the small, independent booksellers section on Sunday afternoon.
While the main area had calmed down significantly since the morning rush, 
it was still hoping. I posted a short video to my Twitter. You can see it here.)

Since I wasn't able to pick up anything from the big name publishers, I focused my attention on the independent authors. My TBR list has increased, though not as much as I was afraid it would. We also attended a few panels, one hosted by Adam Savage and Randall Munroe which, by the time we'd walked the three minutes from the previous panel we'd attended, was standing room only.

 

(Stories about science and explosions...)

The most amazing thing to me was the last panel of the day... it was about magic and mayhem in science fiction and fantasy. The amazing thing was... everyone on the panel was a woman! After years of seeing things like 'Women in Comics' panels where there isn't even a single women involved, seeing five women and a trans-woman presenter take center stage made me so happy!

In the end it was refreshing to spend a day surrounded by fellow book lovers. I often get the impression from folks online that I'm some kind of freak because I enjoy reading. It's comforting to know I'm not the only one who's book-mad. Even if I'm not quite hard-core enough to wait two hours in a line for an ARC or an autograph.

B:TAS Fans and Indy Authors at ECCC!

Hey folks! Busy times are coming up. My next program 'Seuss on the Loose' begins this Friday, which involves me reading Dr. Seuss books, preparing Seuss-based crafts, and dressing up as The Cat in the Hat for the next five weeks. Little STEAMers begins the first week in June, and Women in NASA follows soon after in July. It should be a crazy, and exciting, time!

Before all that begins Matt and I planned on having a little fun. This last weekend we attended East Coast Comicon in Secaucus, NJ. As you can see from the badge, we originally intended to vend there. Due to the whole 'no drawing for six months' restriction, we decided at the last minute to save the bit of stock remaining for Anthrocon and just enjoy the weekend. Don't worry, the table didn't go to waste. The fellow who was supposed to be our neighbor was able to use it and expand his booth space. So it all worked out in the end.

 

(A comic lover's paradise.)

It turned out to be a great choice. We had a blast! This was the first con where we really had a chance to actually immerse ourselves in the whole experience and it was wonderful! We were able to wander about at will, chat with vendors, and attend panels! So cool!

 

(We even got to see one of my comic heroes, George Pérez, talk

about his career in comics. Awesome! Another panel featured some

of the voice actors from 'Batman: The Animated Series'. You can

hear a bit of that panel here.)

I'm sure that most of you are thinking, 'duh, Darc, that's what everyone does at a convention!' The thing is... that's not so. If you're vending you don't get to engage in the wonderful free-for-all geekdom that is a con. You're stuck behind your table for the whole day, often without getting away for meals and missing out on everything. Time spent away from the table means possible missed sales. And dealer/vendor tables run much more than an admission badge, a cost that you hope to recoup in sales. Once the dealer's den is closed for the evening you're often so worn down you just want to grab some food with your friends and then crash. Trust me, it's a completely different experience.

 

(One thing I did not do was stand in line for an autograph from

George Pérez. I love him, but the line was insane. Here's a shot

when the mob was relatively small.) 

Oddly enough, I only bought one comic book. Matt bought just one as well. Most of the indy comic creators were using some hard sell tactics which tend to turn Matt and myself off. We understand why - again, it's not cheap to vend at these conventions - but we prefer to buy a book out of interest, not feelings of guilt, pity, or desperation.

Instead, I spent most of my time focusing on the independent prose authors sprinkled about the dealer's den. I'm always interested in finding new authors to read and while they weren't getting much business, they never came across as desperate or pushy. They all seemed comfortable, excited, and confident in their work, qualities which I admire. I'm happy with this decision, because I came home with a number of wonderful works that I'm looking forward to reading. I've already started one and it's great so far!

(A pile of amazing sounding books to enjoy, and one

crazy comic I couldn't resist.) 

Matt joked that I should wear a button at cons that says, 'I'm a librarian and I read indy authors'. It may not be a bad idea. While I don't have any buying power at work, I do have access to folks who do. Hmm...

And the cosplayers! I'm always amazed at some of the wonderful costumes folks pull together. I didn't grab many pictures because I'm a little shy about asking folks, but we did see a great Master Roshi...

 ... and Harley Quinn.

The 501st were there as well.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend! Thank you East Coast Comicon and Cliff Galbraith for an excellent con and for being so understanding about us not vending! With luck Matt and I will be able to attend next year as well!

In the meantime, I've BookCon in a few weeks to look forward to and Anthrocon in early July. So yes, I've a fun and wild summer ahead!

'Portal Encounter'

A commission. Magical portals are so much fun to draw!

'Goddess of Light'

A commission. I'm quite happy with how the lighting turned out on this one.

'Outrun the Hunt'

A panel from A Year and a Day Issue 3, page 4.

'Mile High Meal'

Another commission complete! 

The thing about gremlins is that their fur is very dark. While great for helping gremlins blend into the shadows, it also leads to them blending into dark spots on planes.

Which, now that I think about it, would probably make them even more terrifying. You'd hear these strange metallic tearing sounds, get glimpses of movement, and yet can't fully see what's causing it all.

Until a gremlin pops up by your window, that is.

'Say Yes?'

A finished commission!

Allen proposes to Emily while Moraine looks on. These two are just too cute.

World Notes: Leystone, a Quick Introduction (1948)

Leystone is still being rebuild during the events of A Year and a Day. The borough was born from the destruction of the East End of London. What once was a thriving area of docks, warehouses, and train yards became a bombed out ruin by the end of the Blitz. Located just east of Victoria Park, the new borough of Leystone is one of the city's many urban renewal projects.

The northern section of Leystone contains buildings that were much less damaged by the Blitz, older brownstones with the occasional modest Victorian home. Southern Leystone, where the destruction was much more extensive, is in the process of being leveled for the construction of council estates.

A large - three stories above, two below - conservatory is scheduled to be erected in 1949. A quarter of the space will be reserved for RCSI use. The remaining seventy-five percent will be dedicated to plots for the use of personal gardens for the residents. Given the nature of the majority of Leystone's inhabitants, RCSI suspects many of these entailment plots will be dedicated to herbs and plants more common in an occult shop than a market.

Moraine and RCSI have extended a welcome to the growing magical population, offering assurance that all beings will be treated as citizens and will have the same rights, as well as be required to follow the same laws, as everyone else. According to RSCI, at least half of Leystone's population is made up of magical creatures of various sorts - lesser Fey of all description, half breeds, succubi, incubi, gargoyles, and various creatures from other cultures. All of the magical residents have registered with RCSI and do their best to live as their neighbors do.

Approximately twenty percent of Leystone's population are considered sensitives. These are mortals with some bit of magical talent. These talents are usually minor, such as speaking to birds or being able to tell which piece of fruit is the freshest. The acceptance of Leystone as a community has drawn them in, and they appreciate living in a place where they aren't considered crazy. The remainder of Leystone's inhabitants are an eclectic mix of general mortals, RCSI agents, and delusional nutjobs.

RCSI is unsure just what has led to the borough being so heavily populated by the more magically inclined. While some believe there may be multiple gates in the area currently undiscovered by RCSI, many suspect it's the Agency itself, as well as Moraine's influence over the rebuild, which is drawing people to live in Leystone.

RCSI offers a form of protection and control that is often lacking in Wildfey, the area of the Fey realm many of the new residents have migrated from. RCSI's commandeering of all the Tube tunnels running through Leystone has led to few general mortals wandering into the borough randomly, giving the community a feeling of closeness and secrecy.

Knowing the effects iron can have on magical beings, Moraine has insisted that all rebuilds in Leystone be as free from iron as possible. While this has delighted many of the new residents, it has frustrated builders and led to the proposed tall tower blocks being replaced by wide, squat designs of at most three stories in height.

'Run Like Hell'

This spread for A Year and a Day Issue 3 kind of got away from me. I was hoping to get an ominous feel here. I'm not quite sure if I quite pulled it off, but I'm still happy with the results.

'A Year and a Day' Issue 3, Page 1

I really like the way the art, as well as Bertie's monologue, turned out on this one.

World Notes: Does Mercy Kill?

Mercy Mackenzie, Max and Ruby's neighbor, is a succubus. This means she lives off the life force of others, using seduction to gain access to it. So does that mean Mercy kills the people she's intimate with?

While killing ones meal is the typical behavior for a succubus, Mercy chooses not to. This is one of the reasons she's able to live in Leystone and is seen by RCSI as a law-abiding citizen. She follows the rules set up by the agency and limits how much life force she takes from each individual.

She does take a bit each time she's intimate with another, but the amount is low. At most it makes her current partner feel drowsy and a little euphoric. Of course, the euphoria could be from everything else going on at the time. The next morning the person is refreshed and not affected at all, yet Mercy still had her meal and a bit of fun to boot.

While it rarely happens Mercy has occasionally gotten carried away in the moment, shall we say, and taken a little too much at once. While it's still not enough to kill, this can lead to her current partner feeling as if they are under the influence of LSD. In these cases Mercy has been known to rush the person to RCSI Headquarters and straight to the Medical Bay. This is done despite the fact that admitting to having taken more than the regulated amount in one sitting will result in her having to pay a fine and possibly receiving a mark on her record.

Draining a person completely and killing them would mean that Mercy would need to feed less often, maybe once every few months instead of once or twice a week. But she doesn’t mind. Mercy actually enjoys being around others and making them feel good, whether that be emotionally or physically.

Mercy also enjoys baking and likes to infuse her creations with her own special brand of magic.

While she can't induce people to fall in love, her magic can create feelings of lust in others, especially if there's a bit of emotion already there, lurking under the surface. While this may sound hazardous to youngsters, she is careful to keep to RCSI's regulations. The end result, minors are not affected by Mercy's spells, potions, influence, or food.

Mercy's proof that a succubus can live among mortals without causing any harm. She's a sweet woman who wants to enjoy life and find her true love. Unfortunately, in her mind, her true love is every man - and more than a few women - who crosses her path.

'The Hunt in Piccadilly'

Herne and his Hunt have invaded Piccadilly Circus. I doubt they're there just to see the sights.