Again Here's the Lonesome October

and spooky season wishes

Welcome to spooky season! First up, in Paper Octopus’s last issue, I shared a work-in-progress. Here it is in my usual black.

Or do you prefer it with some color?

Next, I have announcements! It’s been a while since I’ve had some announcements, so I gotta share these little joys. One, a story of mine is going to published in an anthology. You can get a copy by supporting the Kickstarter (pictured below). Of course, post-Kickstarter, you can buy it too. I can’t wait to read the other stories included. They even interviewed me! Go see!

The other announcement is that I’m hanging my art at a local coffeeshop again! I haven’t done that since Covid. The photo I used in the below image is of me, taken by my mom for a photography class.

In this most challenging year, time has felt almost unbearable. I’m trying to finish my princess detective story, and over on Patreon, I’ve shared a few short stories I hope to put together in a collection. I’ve made on of those stories available for everyone, so you can read The Astonishing Flight of Fabio McGill here. It’s a very short story.

In other news, my husband and I went to a nifty, spooky bookstore, Haunt Happy Books in Lockhart, Texas. We were there for Austin Seance’s Ouija board workshop. I didn’t speak to any ghosts, but we had a great time!

At Haunt Happy Books

And I bought some haunty, spooky picture books:

I guess I’m too old for picture books, but oh well!

And it’s OCTOBER!!! Which means, of course, reading A Night in the Lonesome October once again, one chapter a day. I was going to share a link to the book, but I’ve discovered that apparently copies with the best cover are posted for ridiculous amounts of money. Maybe the hideous cover ones are cheaper, but those covers are all wrong. I can’t share them because I’m like that. Then there’s some bloke who has tried to publish another book with the same title. It looks terrible.

Anyway, it may be many kinds of wrong to love a book about a mysterious man named Jack, his knife, and his dog. Jack-the-Ripper was vile and should be in dustbin of history. I’ve long despised the glamorization of murderers. But this…isn’t like that? This is “horror, humor, mystery, and fantasy.” “Narrator Snuff, a guard dog who performs complex thaumaturgical calculations in his head, has many duties: to keep various Things firmly trapped in mirrors, wardrobes, and steamer trunks; to accompany his master, Jack…on weird collecting expeditions into the graveyards and slums of Victorian London: and—for a single hour each night—to discuss the day’s goings-on in human speech.” ~Kirkus “Jack-the-Ripper meets Dracula, Dr. Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes, and a few other choice individuals in this romp through the anal of literary horror and mystery.” ~ Library Journal. The dog is the hero, to be clear.

I really like drawing these mandala-esque, spirograph type things. They calm my mind. The lighting effects are added digitally, but the shape itself I draw with a ruler and pen. But when I finish, I don’t know what to do with them. (See last art picture at the end of this missive for another such problem.)

Some video recs—

Because I like language—Why is English awash in sailors’ jargon? This is October themed, but language is for every season.

Because I like (make of it what you will) conversations about death—How Death Changes Your Perspective (ft. Caitlin Doughty)

And some history of the Fox sisters talking to the dead. An even deeper dive is at Aaron Mahnke’s Unobscured. I recommend (again, I think) the entire Unobscured series on spiritualism.

And what about fashion? Fashion for witches, that is. I came across this video about what witches wear in the movies. What’s your favorite witchy style?

And finally, my yearly reminder to watch Over the Garden Wall. I love it so much.

Some of you might remember the sunny Maypole I shared for the summer solstice. Well, we’ve switched it out for some spooky season vibes. A Halloween pole, if you will. We’re going to be the house with the pole until further notice!

Okay. We’re coming to the end! Last time, I shared the beginning of a drawing (which I finished and shared above). Here is another. I drew this design and now I’m stuck. I have no idea what to do next. Thoughts?

Well, that’s all until the lovely day of Halloween! Thanks for reading. If you want to support my writing and art, there’s Patreon, of course. And you can just keep subscribing! Share. Tell others about my work. Buy this book or that book. Or help out the Kickstarter. Thank you again for reading! May you have magic and excellent dreams!