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Sep 30, 2022 4:36 pm
Supernaturals come in different colors
I started watching the tv adaptation of The Sandman, the Neil Gaiman comic. It was one of the first comics I ever started collecting, back when Neil Gaiman was this unknown author whose main claim to fame was co-authoring a book with Terry Pratchett.
I remember how intimidating it was to go into a comic shop back in the 90s. Comic shops always felt overtly hostile to outsiders, especially women. I liked this comic enough to brave the snide comments or stink eye I'd get when entering the male-only desmene.
I'm not much for television, but I got caught up in the story again when they got to the episodes with Rose Walker's odd "found family." I forgot how much I liked those characters. That was the first time I remembered reading a trans-gendered character that wasn't played for laughs. The Sandman was, for its time, very progressive. The television show is pushing that. The show has recast some of the characters with different races and genders. I'm sure this will have its detractors. Some modern fantasy seems to posit that while viewers will totally buy a flying dragon, brown hobbits suspend disbelief.
I know why representation matters, so I'm not going to get into that here. Yet, I feel intimidated writing Black characters. Like, what if I get it wrong? But I know I will get some things wrong. I'll rely on stereotypes or overused tropes and some readers will roll their eyes. But it's better than omitting them. Can you imagine a story set in Philadelphia that didn't have Black characters? Yeah, neither can I. Warlock vampires cursing people to death, sure, but an all-white cast in such a racially diverse city? Puleeze, totally implausible. Y'all would never buy that.
Ancient vampire societies will kill those who disobey their rules, even if Kit doesn't realize she's broken them. Far from home, she'll have to rely on her wits to escape with her life. (Wide)
This week's question: do you have a favorite comic? (You can reply to this email. I read and respond to everyone who emails.)
An untried sorceress teams up with an immortal gargoyle to stop a goddess from enslaving Earth in this epic urban fantasy romance tale. (Wide)
I used to hunt vampires until a hunt went wrong, and I woke up in the morgue. Now, I'm not hunting vampires; I'm working with them. I don't trust the rebel vampire Grey, but he, and the mysterious witch Felix, are my only option to find the vampires who killed me. (Amazon)
What if Snow White stole Cinderella's life?
What if the Evil Queen wasn't so evil?
What if the men are just pawns in a labyrinth game to steal kingdoms?
What if magic is just a puzzle? (Free)
After months of training and learning to work together, three supernatural spies that make up the Chimera are finally a cohesive team. Can the crime-fighting supernaturals clear their names in this action-packed paranormal espionage thriller? (Amazon)
In a world where food is thin and magic is dying out, only one farmer gains enough magic to water his crops. Even sharing all his crops is not enough. He must rebuild magic and make it common again. But something more ancient lurks below the surface, ready to feast. (Free)
A secret spell is cast to bind two lovers without their knowledge. Lyle is in love with Jared, but he has eyes only for Sophia, who wants to marry Zane, and he is, unknown to anyone, a vampire. (Amazon)
Gratuitous Cat Picture
Zinko knows when to mug for the camera.
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