Many years ago I read a magazine called Wizard. In said magazine they had written an article about an independent/self-published comic series called Castle Waiting written by an author/illustrator I had never heard of named Linda Medley. The article amused me and Castle Waiting seemed like something I could be very interested in, but – for the life of me – I couldn’t find a store that had any issues in stock.
When I did – finally! – find some issues they were random at best making it difficult for me to get a true feel for the title (like Jeff Smith’s Bone – I hope I don’t reference that series on my blog too much!). In case you hadn’t noticed I’m a fan of continuity and that includes starting a series, no matter the format, from the beginning. It’s just how I roll.
A few years ago – after some time passed and I had all but forgotten about Medley and her book – while my wife and I were shopping at the local mega-book mart I finally found the series published in a hardback, collected form by Fantagraphics! I knew I liked it from what I remembered seeing but when I thumbed through it this time there was nothing but love.
When I saw the simple-yet-detailed artistic style Medley brought to every page and panel and how well her art complimented the characters, the setting(s) and mood(s) it was then that I fell in love. Truly. The artwork reminded me of the books I’d “read” as a child, all the different illustrations for some old story within an Encyclopedia or my dad’s highly touted upon “Book of Knowledge” series. How the little-known (to me, that is) artists would draw simple but well enough structured depictions of certain ideas and themes within the story’s; whether characters, scenery or both on the following or preceding pages within the chapters. I thought it was brilliantly simple, clean and fitting for a fantasy-based graphic story.
Now I won’t bore you with details on the story within the book. I do believe that Medley wrote Castle Waiting for a non-male audience but that doesn’t make this book less enjoyable. Truth! ;o)
I don’t waste time; yours or mine.
There are now two volumes out and I’m just a little disappointed in the second one because it just… drops off (not to mention that Medley’s name does not seem to be on the book, oddly enough!). You should at least pick up the first volume and see if the characters and the mystery behind them and their surroundings manages to pull you in. If it doesn’t suck you in no matter how much you struggle (as if)… it’s obviously not for you; but if it does, welcome. Welcome!
Thanks for reading and I’m sure the ever elusive Linda Medley thanks you too.
-VR
Tasty Robots! 
Excellent!
Thanks!