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We started off May with one of our best shows, Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas, Fort Worth. One of my all time favorite Horror Conventions, Frightmare did not disappoint. Sales were a little down from last year, but still above average.

2 Weeks later, we were off on our 2 week long trip to the Midwest. Denver Comic Con and Phoenix Comicon. Driving through Utah to Colorado was beautiful trip. I love to show rather than tell, so here are a bunch of photos from the road:

And our table and booth Setups at both shows:

 

At Phoenix Comicon I got to work on quite a bit of commissions. These were drawings of some of the TV actors that were guests at the show. Summer Glau as River Tam from Serenity, Lexa Doig from Andromeda , Alyson Hannigan as Willow from Buffy, Katee Sackhoff as Sarbuck from Battlestar Galectica, Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase from Buffy and Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow from The Flash:

The post May Shows Recap appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

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By Harper Harris

Andi Watson is a British cartoonist whose work has spanned from projects such as Dark Horse’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer to his creator owned work like Skeleton Key. In recent years, he’s moved into more youth-oriented material like Glister and Gum Girl.

Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula, his newest original graphic novel from First Second, centers on the title princess, and her struggles to run the monster-filled Underworld, in the wake of her layabout father doing little else than eating and complaining. After her father fires the chef, Princess Decomposia replaces him with a vampire baking whiz named Count Spatula. Their budding relationship is told within the pages of Watson’s latest offering.

I had an opportunity to sit down with Watson about the genesis of this new work, monsters, cooking, and his creative process.

What were your biggest influences on Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula? What was its genesis for you?

My biggest drive was to create an original graphic novel front to back. After a couple of decades of making comics I had never actually made a single volume that was over sixty-odd pages or hadn’t been serialised. I felt like it was a challenge I hadn’t overcome yet, and after making a lot of comics over the years, finding something fresh is always welcome. I also wanted to tell a story that combined the relationship and romance side of my work with fun genre things to draw. I’ve kind of flipped between the two, but in this book I put them together. So it was satisfying to write and a pleasure to draw.

How would you compare the process of working on Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula with your works just previous like Gum Girl or the Glister books? 

I guess they are all stories with a beginning, middle and an end. That was good training before stepping into a hundred-and-sixty page book. I find figuring out structure and pacing beforehand really helps me. With Gum Girl it was with twenty page stories and I found that discipline really useful. Being concise is a handy skill in comics, and it helped keep me on track. What set this book and Glister apart from Gum Girl was the lack of a long gestation period. I find I do my best work by knuckling down and just getting on with a story. When I’m drawing the pages and am ‘in the zone’ I don’t want any hold ups. Delays of even a few days make it harder to get back to ‘peak fitness’ so I prefer to keep my head down and keep working. That doesn’t always fit in with the publishing process but it’s how I’m best able to concentrate and maintain focus.

Compared to Gum Girl, Princess Decomposia has a bit more of stripped down artistic style (particularly being in black and white), why that choice? 

Funnily enough, if you look at the Gum Girl line art, they’re quite stripped down too. That’s because it’s a colour book and I wanted to have lots of open shapes to hold the colour and little to no black. Working with colour meant spending a lot of time squinting at a computer screen and I wanted to cut that back with Princess Decomposia. I aimed to have as much of the work complete on the page as possible – including the lettering – and as it’s set in the Underworld, the black and white art is appropriate. I was also determined to work on the pace and rhythm of the pages rather than get bogged down in rendering realistic stonework. If the reader is absorbing and understanding the story without even realising it, then I’ve done a good job. The art is there to tell the story, not draw attention to itself. Having said that, the most satisfying aspect of drawing a comic is bringing a character to life, getting their body language and facial expressions right. If I do that and do it concisely, so much the better.

What was your process in writing this book? Did you have a set place you wanted to the story to end up, or did you let the characters run with the themes you determined?

Starting a new book is the hardest part of the whole process. I find it intimidating. The beginning is always made up of page after page of scribbled notes. I might have characters, but no story, or an interesting setting, but no characters. Everything has to mesh and the themes grow organically out of the material. Plot and character have to interact and shape each other. It’s a bit like pushing a very heavy bicycle up a steep hill. At a critical point I know I have enough and the story starts to come together and I can cycle down the other side of hill. I like to have a structure in place and an ending. I make sure I have room to maneuver and if new and better ideas, or a better ending occur to me, I can incorporate that into the story.

A good deal of your work centers on female protagonists, particularly in your all-ages titles, what draws your creative voice to the opposite gender so often? 

I guess it began way back when I made Skeleton Key. That was a reaction to what was on the shelves at the time: few female characters wearing fewer clothes. That’s changed quite a bit, not only are there more female characters but many more female creators. But I do enjoy drawing women and because gender stereotypes are pushed so heavily on women, I think they provide more dramatic story opportunities. Want to write a female physicist, plumber or warrior? That’s a story in itself.

Although done in an all-ages style, Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula definitely explores some grown-up problems…stress of work, delegating, the relationship with an older parent. Did you find maintaining a balance between the conflicts and the style difficult?

I think Princess Decomposia’s experience is one that kids and adults can relate to. A princess has a certain amount of privilege, but that is countered by her many responsibilities. A child understands having a parent in their life telling them what to do. An adult sees the responsibilities in their life that constrain their freedoms. The Princess is stuck between being a child and an adult and the story is about how she navigates that. I think a good story can appeal to everyone, there are different things that different age groups pick up on, stuff sitting under the surface.

You say in the back of the book that you make comics for “grown-ups and children and those somewhere in between.” What has led you down that unique path? Is it difficult to try to appeal to both children and adults?

It’s possible to make a book that appeals to both audiences, and it’d be nice to think that a parent and their child could find something to appeal to them in the same comic. It’s possible in movies and animation if you look at what Pixar have created, and I always return to Ghibli and their films as the best examples of that. As for myself, I’ve made books for kids and grown ups and enjoyed both. Breakfast After Noon was as challenging to make as Glister. They were equally fulfilling. I enjoy trying new things and although it makes career sense to find a niche and dig in, I’ve worked in different genres and looked for fresh challenges. That’s what keeps me interested in the medium, the freedom to work in different ways and tell all kinds of stories.

What were your inspirations for the designs and personalities of the characters, in particular the Princess, the Count, and the King?

The Princess arrived quite quickly in my sketchbooks. I knew I wanted iconic designs for the characters, being able to recognise them from their silhouettes. She has the distinctive bat-wing hair and puritan collar and cuffs in a nod to Wednesday Addams. The Count is a chef, so his outfit is the usual hat, jacket, necktie and checked trousers. He also has the smooth bald head and pointed ears like Nosferatu … his skin probably sparkles a bit too, like a sugar cube in sunlight. The King was tricky in that I needed him to look both old and healthy. So the shape of his face is rounded but within that he’s rather wizened. He also has the crown, so again, he’s recognisable from his outline.

Looking at your past works, you seem to have a soft spot for monsters, working on books like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy, among others. Where did this love for monsters come from?

The monsters go even further back than that. There was a quilt monster, giant cat and hockey-playing Chinese hopping-vampires in Skeleton Key. The short answer is that they’re a lot of fun to come up with and a welcome change to draw. If my main characters are ‘human’ shaped then it’s a nice gear change to draw something unusual. And monsters are fun to write, even more so when they’re the protagonists, as in Princess Decomposia.

You also have done some coming of age and slice-of-life style stories…how did you decide to combine real life problems with the gothic setting of Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula?

The story and themes came naturally out of the characters. If the Princess is a dutiful daughter then I find it interesting to dig in and explore the relationships. If she has a certain kind of dynamic with her father then how will she react to Count Spatula? This spills out into the supporting characters like Clove the sous chef. If one character is overworked then Clove is the one who appears to have the balance right. It all goes into making the characters interesting and giving their actions a real-life foundation that readers can relate to.

Although a lot of the cooking in the book is fantastical in nature, did you do any research on cooking? I think what I’m really trying to ask here is…  Andi, are you fond of cooking?

I’m a lousy cook but an enthusiastic baker. Nothing super fancy, but I began when my daughter was little and we’d have fun making fairy cakes and covering the kitchen with flour. I’d recommend it as a way to get into baking, there’s no pressure, it’s enjoyable and even a slightly scorched rock cake is delicious. Time is a consideration, so I don’t have hours to spend on delicate confections, but I love making cookies, cakes, tray bakes and buns. Those recipes are hard to mess up.

What made First Second Press the best place to publish Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula? How did all of this fall into place on the publishing side?

In retrospect it was a big risk making an entire graphic novel without a publisher on board and it wasn’t until it was finished that I began to look around and get an idea of my options. Because First Second are graphic novel publishers, have a strong record with books for different age groups and have published things like Anya’s Ghost, I decided to give them a go. I thought they’d be a good fit, but publishing being the contrary beast it is, figured they’d give it a pass. I was delighted when they decided to go with it, and against expectations, things moved really quickly. I’ve really enjoyed working with the team there, it’s been a delight.

For readers of Princess Depcomposia, what are you hoping is their key takeaway from your work here?

I hope it’s a fun and entertaining read for everyone, with attractive art and a sweet story. I’d also like to think that there’s more than that under the surface for those who want to come back for seconds.

 What are your future plans after this big release?

I have a webcomic, Princess at Midnight that finishes at the end of January. It’s been years in the making, a kind of Game of Thrones for kids, about sibling rivalry in a fantasy world. I’m hoping to find a publisher for that as it’d be lovely to get it in print. I’ve also completed a graphic novel for grown ups that I hope to find a home for this year. As for new stuff, I’ve finished writing a new spooky graphic novel that I’ll start drawing soon. And if Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula finds an audience, I’d love to do more with those characters.

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Okay can you say instant classic? HALLOWEEN JUST GOT REAL, people.

This wraparound cover by Steve Morris is for Buffy The Vampire Slayer  Season 10 #8 and I’m told it’s a great jumping on point.

No, that is not OUR Steve Morris.

The issue is on sale this week.

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7 Things You Don't Know about readergirlz diva Micol Ostow
1. I've been an avid horror reader my whole life, but it took 30 books under my belt (including ghostwriting gigs) before I was ready to try a scary story of my own. That book, Amity, releases this August! (Pre-order your copy now!)

2. I have a French Bulldog named Bridget Jones -- after the book, not the movie! You'd be surprised how many people totally forget that the book came first! Grr.

3. I can sing along to all of the songs from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode. By heart. No judgements, thanks.

4. I got my start in kidlit writing as an editor. The very first book I edited on my own was celebrity bio of Jim Carrey.

5. I recently sold a chapter book series called LOUISE TRAPEZE to Random House. The only thing more terrifying than writing horror will be trying to conquer the 5-7 year-old market!

6. The house I live in in Brooklyn is over 100 years old and thus the floors are all slanted. My daughter will grow up with no true concept of physics or gravity.

7. I ran the NYC marathon in 2003 (26.2 miles). These days, a typical run for me is 3 miles or so. And when I'm not running, I am the most sedentary creature around. Just one of the reasons I love reading so much!

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If Hermione had been American, she might have enrolled in Hex Hall. In Rachel Hawkins' wonderfully absorbing supernatural trilogy, we learn that Hex Hall is not your typical boarding school. Three years after learning she was a witch, Sophie Mercer performs a spell that lands her in Hex Hall, a reform school for Prodigium: witches, fairies, and shape-shifters. She makes both friends and enemies almost immediately as she encounters vampires, ghosts, warlocks, and strict teachers. As the series progresses, Sophie discovers secrets her family has been keeping from her and truths about her newfound friends, frenemies, and love interests.

There are many reasons why I enjoy and recommend this wonderful trilogy by Rachel Hawkins. First of all, the writing rocks. If you liked Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you will like these books. I seriously want to put these books in the hands of every single BtVS fan. Hawkins has infused her stories with a wonderful mix of humor and drama, fantasy and (fictional) reality, friendship and romance. The dialogue is witty, the individual character histories and storylines are intriguing, and the mythology and magic are well-explained.

The characters rock. There are characters you love, characters you love to hate, and characters you can't decide whether or not to trust. My favorite characters include Sophie, as detailed in the next paragraph; her roommate Jenna, who has a wonderful storyline, personality, cool hair - and, oh yeah, a set of fangs; and Cal, who drew me with his introspective demeanor and his gentle disposition, which tied in so well with his healing abilities.

The main character especially rocks. Sophie is strong, even when she doesn't know it. The books are written in first person from her point of view. Allow me to reference Buffy again, so you understand how awesome Sophie is: both of them can fire back when attacked, verbally or physically; they both fight, defy, accept, and re-form their own destiny; they are surrounded by supportive and talented friends and family; and they hold their ground, no matter what, even when the going gets tough. I admire Sophie's strength and bravery. Her journey is just great - and I love that she takes a literal journey as well as an emotional one.

The pacing rocks. I raced through these books, the second and third particularly. In fact, I waited to read the second book until the third came out so I could read them back-to-back. All three books are page-turners, and each book raises the stakes.

I am cautious of revealing too much in this review because I really enjoyed all of the surprises that appeared throughout the series. If you pick up all three books at one time - which you should - do NOT allow yourself to read the cover flaps of the second book until you've read the first book, and do NOT read the cover flap of the third book until you've finished the second book. Trust me, you're going to want to meet Sophie's friends, foes, and family at the same time Sophie does, rather than knowing about now and anticipating their arrival. There's magic in the journey and in the reveal, in experiencing the twists and turns in step with the main character.

The character names rock. Nick, Daisy, Jenna, and Sophie are some of my favorite character names ever. (If you want to know why I like these names, just ask. Each name has a story or two for me.)

Bonus points to Hawkins for including quotes from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland between portions of the books.

Really, the only thing about this series that disappointed me was the fact that each volume had each a black cat on the cover - and no such cat appeared in the story. Perhaps if I just shapeshift in a cat, I could attend Hex Hall too... Please? (Meow?)

Read all three books in the Hex Hall trilogy:
Hex Hall
Demonglass
Spell Bound

Read my interview with Rachel Hawkins.

Visit Rachel's <

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If you enjoy the Percy Jackson novels written by Rick Riordan and enjoyed the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you will probably be delighted to learn that Anthony Stewart Head will be playing Chiron in the next Percy Jackson film, The Sea of Monsters. Read The Hollywood Reporter article.

Tony Head will be sharing the screen with:
Logan Lerman (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Jack & Bobby) as Percy
Alexandra Daddario (White Collar) as Annabeth Chase
Brandon T. Jackson (Tooth Fairy) as Grover Underwood
Jake Abel (Supernatural, The Lovely Bones) as Luke
Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle) as Hermes
Missi Pyle (The Artist), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), and Mary Birdsong (The Descendants) as The Fates
- and many other talented folks!

The Sea of Monsters, directed by Thor Freudenthal, will hit theatres in 2013.

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Have you ever formed a time loop while tying your shoes? Probably not. But have you ever watched a TV show or film which showed someone experiencing a day over and over again? It's more than déjà vu -- it's actually happening on repeat, sometimes with different results, sometimes with the same results, and it seems as if it will never stop repeating - until, of course, the character finds a way to make it stop.

Time loops are not to be confused with time travel, another of my favorite sci-fi plot devices. In time travel, one moves forward or backward in time, willingly or otherwise. Doctor Who has time travel. The Boys are Back in Town by Christopher Golden has time travel. Groundhog Day, however, has a time loop. This film is so well-known that he is often referenced by characters experiencing time loops; more than once, I've read or heard a character say, "This is like Groundhog Day," rather than, "Gee, I'm experiencing a time loop!"

Many movies and television shows have explored time loops. Consider, if you will, the episode "Shadow Play" on The Twilight Zone, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Life Serial," "Monday" on The X-Files, or Supernatural's "Mystery Spot." Some of these loops have been comedic, others dramatic, with the best ones (in my opinion) being those which deftly mix the two.

Another clarification: Plots such as those in the television series Tru Calling and Seven Days (the latter of which I sadly never saw when it aired) weren't considered to be true time loops: both shows had worked off of a second-chance premise, with Tru repeating a day in attempt to save someone's life, while Frank used the Chronosphere (also known as the Backstep Sphere) to go back in time seven days to "avert disasters."

I recently read Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, an amazingly intriguing debut novel in which the main character, Samantha (Sam), is killed in an accident only 80 pages into the book - then wakes up in bed, unharmed, only to find that it's not the next day - instead, it's the same day, the morning of her last day. She relives the day, bewildered and disbelieving. That evening, tragedy strikes again. The day repeats again, and again, a few times over. Sam does different things each time, spending one day being more cautious, another throwing caution to the wind, still another being more appreciative. It's an amazing book, and I highly recommend it. Like the novel The Time Traveler's Wife, Before I Fall has no overt sci-fi gadgets or gizmos or time machines. Sam has no wizened

The NeverEnding Story by Michael Ende, the fantasy novel that has owned a piece of my heart since childhood, also employs a time loop. It is not the main plot, but rather just one of the many pieces of this elaborate and imaginative story. I don't want to give anything away; I'd rather encourage you to pick up the novel and discover things yourself. Whether or not you've seen The NeverEnding Story movie (which I think is wonderful) or the subsequent sequels or other film/TV attempts based on the book (which didn't compare), I implore you to read the original book.

Now, if you want to get technical, I haven't read the original, Die unendliche Geschichte, because it's in German, which I don't know. Instead, I've read the English translation by Ralph Manheim.

But I digress. Time loops are delicate things which not always treated so delicately, nor do they always have to deal with delicate matters. Time loops are not always handled or broken in the same way. Sam's story in Before I Fall is nothing like Phil's in Groundhog Day, and when they finally break their loops, they do so in completely different ways. The parameters and circumstances established by Danny Rubin in Groundhog Day do not apply to Sam. L

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MTV launches 'A Thin Line' (a "new multi-year initiative to empower America's youth to identify, respond to and stop the spread of digital abuse." The launch coincides with the release of the AP/MTV Digital Abuse Study that found more than half of... Read the rest of this post

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Don't forget 52 Stitches begins its year long run today with I'm Keeping it Light by Mercedes M Yardley. I can't wait for it to go live. I've pressed refresh a gazillion times.

I'm relieved the holidays are over. I loved the break. I loved lounging around watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD and watching old episodes of The Outer Limits on cable, but it's also good to be back at the computer. I'm hard at work (ahem! well almost) working on the second draft of 'Theatre of Curious Acts' and I am about to move onto part two: Paper Dragons. At the moment I'm averaging about 1,400 words a day - I think that's respectable.

I hope to add about 7,000 words by week-end to Theatre and I also want to write a dark short story so that I can submit to 'Necrotic Tissue' this month. I know I said I'd only do one short story a month, but I figure as long as I'm working on the long stuff and doing a resonable amount of wordage that I can play with the shorts too. Got to keep the writer happy.

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IRL (In Real Life): The Bronze Documentary Project, which was written, directed, produced and edited by Stevie Tuszynski, is now available on DVD. Get it at createspace.com and use the discount code V3BNN4DJ to save $5! The disc is NTSC, region-free, and includes the complete 55-minute documentary plus promotional trailers, a gag reel, and more.

The first feature-length documentary to take on the subject of online relationships, IRL (In Real Life) chronicles the life, death and afterlife of an online community called The Bronze, made up of fans from the official website for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The documentary looks at what happens when online relationships move from the Internet into "real life." In their own words, Bronzers talk about what lead them to seek out the community, the prejudices and misconceptions they had to face from family and friends about their Internet activities, and the effect the experience had on their lives.

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News from Timothy Brannon:

Come and demo some of the latest Unisystem Games from Eden Studios.

Chicago Eden Games
June 16th, 2007
Games Plus
101 West Prospect Avenue
Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056 (Map)

Tentative list of games at the event:
Ghosts of Albion
All Flesh Must Be Eaten (running a "Zombies in Space" game)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel (maybe)
Conspiracy X 2.0

If you are interested in attending, playing, and / or running anything, please email [email protected] ASAP.

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For years, as I would assist kids who enjoyed fantasy, sci-fi, and horror novels, I would think, "These kids will love books by Christopher Golden . . . in ten years."

Golden's first novel, OF SAINTS AND SHADOWS, was released in 1994. This dark horror story about a vampire named Peter Octavian contains what Buffy Summers would describe as "violence, strong language, adult content." This and the subsequent Octavian novels - referred to collectively as THE SHADOW SAGA - were not written for kids.

Golden continued to write stories shelved in the fiction/literature department (or sci-fi/fantasy or horror, if the bookstore or library has genre breakouts) until he became involved in the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER line, which was in teen series. He was one of the first authors on board with the BtVS books. He authored or co-authored multiple original novels based on the television series as well as companion books such as the first volume of THE WATCHER'S GUIDE and THE MONSTER BOOK. Then Simon & Schuster started an adult line of BtVS novels, shelved in sci-fi/fantasy series instead of teen series. These books were longer and meatier than the teen BtVS line.

BODY BAGS, Golden's first novel in the BODY OF EVIDENCE forensic murder mystery series, came out in May 1999. (Note that this outdates CSI by nearly a year and a half.) BODY BAGS and the books that followed it were shelved in teen fiction and featured a college-aged protagonist, the intelligent and quick-thinking Jenna Blake. BoE offered ten books which I in turn offered to teens and adults alike. In fact, when a new book came out, some parents and teenagers who would teasingly fight over who got to read the book first!

A few summers ago, Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski released a quartet of juvenile fantasy novels entitled OUTCAST, starting with the book THE UN-MAGICIAN. Finally, finally, I could give Golden books to eight year olds. In fact, due to the timeless nature of this fantasy series, I put these books in the hands of kids, teens, and adults alike.

Golden has continued to write books for adults. His novels and series range from urban fantasy to Victorian ghost stories and everything in-between. He has brought mythology into contemporary settings (THE FERRYMAN, THE VEIL), dabbled in dark magick and time travel (THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN), even re-told Peter Pan as a coming-of-age story set in 1981 (STRAIGHT ON 'TIL MORNING). These and more are the titles you'll find in the sci-fi/fantasy or horror sections of the bookstore. Mature older teens gobble up these stories just as quickly as adults, while other parents hold on to the titles for their kids to read when they are older.

Christopher Golden has successfully written for adults, teens, and kids. If I can claim the same too someday, I'll be a happy girl.

Here is a quick rundown of his most popular works for different age groups.

Adult Series
The Veil
- The Myth Hunters
- The Borderkind

The Shadow Saga
- Of Saints and Shadows
- Angel Souls and Devil Hearts
- Of Masques and Martyrs
- The Gathering Dark

The Menagerie (with Thomas E. Sniegoski)
- The Nimble Man
- Tears of the Furies
- Stones Unturned

Ghosts of Albion (with Amber Benson)
- Accursed
- Witchery

Adult Novels
Wildwood Road
The Boys are Back in Town
The Ferryman
Straight on 'Til Morning
Strangewood

Young Adult Series aka Teen Series
Body of Evidence (with Rick Hautala)
- Body Bags
- Thief of Hearts
- Soul Survivor
- Meets the Eye
- Head Games
- Skin Deep
- Burning Bones
- Brain Trust
- Last Breath
- Throat Culture

Prowlers
- Prowlers
- Laws of Nature
- Predator and Prey
- Wild Things

The Hollow (with Ford Lytle Gilmore)
- The Horseman
- Drowned
- Mischief
- Enemies

Young Adult Novels aka Teen Fiction
Force Majeure (with Thomas E. Sniegoski)

Juvenile Series
OutCast (with Thomas E. Sniegoski)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Original Novels for Teens
Halloween Rain (with Nancy Holder)
Blooded (with Nancy Holder)
Child of the Hunt (with Nancy Holder)
The Gatekeeper Trilogy (with Nancy Holder)
- Out of the Madhouse
- Ghost Roads
- Sons of Entropy
Immortal (with Nancy Holder)
Sins of the Father
The Lost Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Original Novels for Adults
Spike & Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row
Oz: Into the Wild
The Wisdom of War
Monster Island (BtVS/Angel crossover with Thomas E. Sniegoski)
Dark Congress (coming out in August 2007)

BtVS Non-Fiction / Companions
The Watcher's Guide, Volume 1 (with Nancy Holder)
Sunnydale High Yearbook (with Nancy Holder)
The Monster Book (with Stephen R. Bissette and Thomas E. Sniegoski)

Visit Christopher Golden's official website to learn more about the man, the myth, the legend.

Browse through my Golden-related posts at Bildungsroman.

See my previous author spotlights.

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Okay, this tidbit, more than anything else I've heard or seen recently, makes me feel a teensy bit old: Buffy The Vampire Slayer (TV iteration) is 10 years old today. TEN. Thanks to PopWatch for pointing it out, and big, big thanks to this excellent article in Flak for laying out Buffy's legacy so well. Buffy is a major cultural touchstone for so many of us in teen librarianship, and not just because of geeky hunk Giles. For me, it's that Buffy was deeply invested in strong girls coming of age, and as a strong girl who was coming of age while it was on the air, I was deeply invested in it. Even though the show had run its course by the time it went off the air, I was really sad to see it go, and it's a great comfort to me to see how many production & writing alumni of Buffy have graduated to many of my current favorite shows: Battlestar Galactica, 24, The O.C. (of blessed memory), Gilmore Girls and Grey's Anatomy. Share your favorite Buffyverse moments, quotes, and reminiscences in the comments!

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I created the following meme about books and organization just for fun. Feel free to leave your answers in the comments here or post your answers at your own blog and link back to Bildungsroman.

1. How do you organize your books? By genre, by last name, by title, by publication date?
   
2. Do you have a shelf reserved for your favorite books and/or authors?
   
3. What is the first title and author on your bookshelf?
   
4. What is the last title and author on your bookshelf?
   
5. What genre dominates your collection?
   
6. Which author is the most represented? (You own the most number of books by . . . )
   
7. You own all of the books written by . . .
   
8. You own the entire series of . . .

1. How do you organize your books?
   I split my books into fiction and non-fiction, then arrange them alphabetically by author. Books by the same author are organized by publication date, with the first release on the left and the newest on the right, with trilogies and series in number order.
   
   
2. Do you have a shelf reserved for your favorite books and/or authors?
   Yes. I have a shelf specifically for the works of Lewis Carroll and other Alice-related titles. I have multiple shelves for the works of Christopher Golden, the last shelf shared his frequent collaborator, Thomas E. Sniegoski. However, my other favorites are mixed in on the main shelves, alphabetically by author. For example, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is sandwiched between So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane and Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr.
   
   
3. What is the first title and author on your bookshelf?
   The Pursuit of Happiness by Tara Altebrando
   
   
4. What is the last title and author on your bookshelf?
   The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
   
   
5. What genre dominates your collection?
   I own more fiction than non-fiction. My non-fiction section mostly consists of Ancient Egyptian history, as well as books about cats, otters, and the Salem Witchcraft Trials. Most of my books from my childhood and most of my classics are in storage, though I want them to be here in my home. Thus, most of the fiction I do have here is contemporary adult and teen fiction that I've acquired over the past few years.
   
   
6. Which author is the most represented? (You own the most number of books by . . . )
   Christopher Golden
   
   
7. You own all of the books written by . . .
   I won't list authors who have written three books or less, because it's easy to say, "I own all of the books by Lady X," when she's only written one book so far.
   
   I have a lovely used copy of The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll, so I suppose that qualifies.
   
   I am missing some Christopher Golden books. Perish the thought!
   
   I have read all of Sarah Dessen's books, and I own all but two: Dreamland and Just Listen.
   
   You see, "own" and "read" are very different. If I had the means to own every single book I wanted to own, I would. I am so grateful to the public library for keeping me in books. I would go nuts without it. There's no way I could afford to buy 30+ books a month.
   
   
8. You own the entire series of . . .
   I don't own every single The Baby-Sitters Club book, but I want to have them all. I am serious. I have a list of the titles I am missing and I always go to the juvenile series section of used bookstores in hopes of finding BSC books.
   
   I also read and collected the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels* faithfully in their heyday - the same with the Angel novels - but when some of my favorite authors stopped writing for the line and when the series stopped airing, I stopped reading and collecting the series.
   
   * My favorite is The Lost Slayer by Christopher Golden.
   

I am pleased by the success of this meme. All the cool kids are doing it. Participants include John Green, E. Lockhart, Melissa Marr, Literaticat and Carrie Jones. Other have commented right here, directly beneath the original post. Many thanks to everyone who has played along!

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