The color of infinity inside an empty glass

Hey, let's do another bookpost. Though first, speaking of comics: please be aware that the Shortbox Comics Fair is now running, through the end of October! It's a limited-run PDF sale of all-new comics, curated by one of the most fascinating and eclectic editorial tastes I've run across. I still need to do my shopping, but figured I'd put out the alert early so everyone else has time to peruse.

Drew Weing — The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo vols. 1-3 (comics)

Aug 7

Readable online again!

This is a top-tier kids' comic about a secret world of monsters overlaid on/under/around Echo City (a lightly disguised New York). Weing just started updating it again with a new story, and re-posted all the chapters that he had to make book-exclusive while the physical volumes were in print.

I love this comic. The story is a recipe you've seen before (monsters are largely just misunderstood and want to be left alone; there's a code of silence and stealth that's starting to wear at the seams as conflicts with humans become more common; our private detective heroine is caught between worlds trying to keep the peace), but it's prepared with so much grace and verve that it honestly tastes brand new. It's also quietly subversive under the fun and excitement, in a manner reminiscent of Pinkwater at his best.

One thing I especially love here is that since Margo's not our main POV character (that's Charles, who's a bit of a bumpkin but who catches on quickly), Weing's free to just make her unrestrainedly badass. She has clearly not been to school in a decade. She drives a moped she absolutely does not have a licence for. She's up all night shmoozing at the diner or putting the squeeze on informants down at the casino. She's fuckin' great.

Calvin Kasulke — Several People are Typing (re-read)

Sept. 20

I still like this surreal little office freakout.

It was much easier to follow the whole Lydia/Bjärk situation on this re-read.

Evan Dahm — 3rd Voice, webcomic backlog through early September 2025

Sept. 15

Readable online.

Oh man this is the good stuff. This is that high-purity gritty weird fantasy SHIT. Strong recommend.

I'm captivated by the mysteries of the world in this; it feels big and powerful and very badly damaged. I think the setting reminds me a lot of Martha Wells' Three Worlds setting (the Raksura books) — there's a very wide variety of "people" species, and it's not clear whether there's common descent or something else going on.

I'm also really invested in the troubles and triumphs of Spondule and Navichek, who make a lot of really bad impulse-driven decisions but who still manage to be tenacious survivors, and I've developed a real liking for Zelitte, a secondary character from the current arc, who I hope manages to extract herself into a life that feels more honest to her (but it could really go any way at this point).

I think the first volume of this may have hit print just uhhhh this past (i.e. prior to Sept. 15) weekend?