#Fantastic Adventures Quarterly

[tomoleary]

Julian Krupa (attributed) Fantastic Adventures Quarterly Winter-1941 Back Cover Painting Original Art (Ziff-Davis, c. 1941) Source

I’m in love with this image. It’s the orange and blue.

[pulpsandcomics2]

Fantastic Adventures Quarterly Summer 1942

[thenightfolknetwork]

Hello,

I need help. Or maybe I don’t. Maybe I need someone to tell me to stop worrying? Oh let’s be honest I have no idea what I need, that’s why I’m writing in.

See, I have a perfectly ordinary job during the week. I work in an office. It’s nice. Spreadsheets, cake on birthdays, quarterlies. It’s a boring existence but my afternoons and evenings are my own and the pay’s good. Sapio-Liminal relations are improving, but by bit. Honestly I’m just impressed my coworker got the time off when they wound up expecting in two of their three dimensional shifts.

So that’s during the week and you’d be forgiven for thinking I’m just about the most sapio a sapio can be. My liminal properties tend to activate on Friday afternoons, when I- travel.

Teleport?

Move. I move. To the same general area of a whole new plane of existence. It’s a known family trait- I’ve got a grandfather who became king of a small nation in my secondary plane, and my sister’s the apothecary for the capital city. She sells the really good potions, by the way, so if you’re in the area of Spirits and Sundries or someone gives you a radiant quest to bring ingredients to Amaranthia in the Bronze Quarter, just be polite and she’ll fix you right up.

Ah, but this isn’t about my sister’s business, it’s about me and what I do. See, this shift is so regular that I went and got myself a weekend job, just to have something to do. So if you’re sent to the Caves of Madness just north of the Foresaken Forest, be ready for the Riddle Master!

I’m in the first room of the dungeon, just after you pass the initial key puzzle. I keep my uniform in a chest in there, and there’ s a nice break room off the back. I like the work a lot! I see lots of new people and I’m always gathering riddles- there are some chat standards but I like to mix it up sometimes. They aren’t supposed to be hard, or else what’s the point of trying to conquer a dungeon? So sometimes, I admit, I give hints. There’s always the rude adventurer who attacks me first but when you take a job like this you don’t die, it’s in the fine print. I don’t like cleaning the blood off my stuff, though. Takes ages.

Anyway now that we’ve walked halfway around the block, my point.

I look very plain. Humanoid, two arms, two legs, a beard. It’s never bothered me but I am very distinctly ordinary which tends to be recognizable and last weekend I was in the village during my break and I saw a coworker. Not from this side, not from the Caves of Madness, no. It was Tina, from accounting. She was picking up a quest by the stocks.

And I realized, she might wind up at the Caves of Madness. She might make it through the puzzle door and be faced with the Riddle Master only to realize this Riddle Master is Jeff. From the office.

I don’t have hangups about my two worlds meeting- it’s hard to, when your sister pops in for Christmas still dressed for the Winterscratch Festival, or your brother’s filing out taxes for a whole kingdom over lunch. I just really like my job in the Caves, and I like to think I do it well. Our rating as a starter dungeon’s quite high, and I’m proud of that. What if my transdimensional adventurer coworkers encounter me and just- aren’t impressed? That’s not the Riddle Master, that’s Jeff. He has a rubber band launcher on his desk. His mug says ‘party naked’ with a balding chicken on it and he won’t let HR throw it away.

I don’t want to disappoint adventurers, especially not ones who work with me in my primary plane. I also don’t want to cause harm to my dungeon’s reputation. But aside from the whole ‘moving planes’ thing I am utterly dull. What do I do if my performance isn’t enough to make up for not being fantastical like Mordrath the end room boss or Reyala the sidequest kobold queen?

Is it okay to just be Jeff the Riddle Master?

Thank you for writing in, reader. Your letter serves as an excellent example of quite a common genre of letter we get through the inbox here at the Nightfolk Network and I think it might be rather illustrative for other followers.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but what you've done here is make up a scenario in your head based on the worst possible interpretations of everyone involved, and then worried yourself sick about that scenario coming to pass.

This may sound a little blunt, but please understand, I don't mean that dismissively. I only hope to offer you a little perspective, and to help you come to a more accurate understanding of the situation as it actually stands.

You enjoy your work in the dungeon, and are clearly doing a good enough job to keep your managers happy. None of your previous visitors have expressed any disappointment at your relatively mundane appearance, and it hasn't been an obstacle in the job so far.

Perhaps your co-worker will end up in your dungeon. Perhaps she'll make it to your section, and perhaps she'll recognise you. So what? I don't see any reason why she should be any more likely to be disappointed by you than any of your other visitors.

And even if she is disappointed, that doesn't have to mean anything to you. She's a co-worker, not a treasured friend whose opinion could make or break your self-esteem. You owe it to her to be a conscientious, respectful colleague. That's all. What you get up to outside of work, and whether she enjoys your efforts, is irrelevant.

You haven't let down your dungeon so far, and I see no reason to believe you will in the future. Stop borrowing trouble from the future, and concentrate on having fun and being the same old Jeff the Riddle Master you've always been. He seems plenty interesting to me.

[For more creaturely advice, check out Monstrous Agonies on your podcast platform of choice, or visit monstrousproductions.org for more info]

[beginningspod]

It's time for Beginnings, the podcast where writer and performer Andy Beckerman talks to the comedians, writers, filmmakers and musicians he admires about their earliest creative experiences and the numerous ways in which a creative life can unfold.

On today's episode, I talk to comics creator Michael DeForge. Originally from Ottawa, Michael had been making mini- and webcomics for years before he created his first "real" comic Lose, which was published by Koyama Press in 2009. Since then, he's published over a dozen books and collections through publishers like Koyama and Drawn & Quarterly, and also worked as a designer on Adventure Time for six seasons. His latest book Holy Lacrimony was published through Drawn & Quarterly just a few months ago, and it is fantastic!

(Photo by Matthew James-Wilson)

I'm on Twitter , Bluesky and Instagram, and you can get the show with:

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[thursdaygarbageday]

In the enchanting land of Quirkshire, there was a firm known as FIRM—**Fantasies In Real Management**. Here, the employees were not just workers; they were adventurers, and their boss, Mr. Ferdinand “Ferdy” Fizzlewump, was the most whimsical top you could imagine.Ferdy had a reputation for being a diligent manager, but he also had a penchant for daydreaming so vividly that his office sometimes resembled a cross between a jungle and a circus. Hanging vines and colorful balloons adorned the ceiling, while stuffed animals peeked out from behind desk plants. He often quoted famous sayings, albeit with a twist. “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” became “Why fit in when you can wear a feather boa?”

One sunny morning, Ferdy called a meeting in the mythical Conference Room 42 (because, naturally, all great meetings occur in rooms with quirky names). As the team gathered around, Ferdy stood at the head of the table, twirling a sparkly magic wand and wearing an oversized wizard hat.

“Alright, my fantastic crew!” he began, his voice booming with excitement. “Today, we embark on a journey of productivity, creativity, and a bit of mischief! Ever heard of Jumanji? Well, we’re going to play it…and work at the same time!”

The team looked bewildered. “But Ferdy,” interjected Sarah, the sharpest strategist in the room, “what about the quarterly reports?”

“Ah, Sarah!” Ferdy exclaimed, waving his wand dramatically. “Reports can wait, but adventure cannot! If we don’t take time to explore our imaginations, how will we ever innovate?”

Just then, a plush elephant with a party hat wobbled into the room. “Meet Elvis, our new mascot! He’s here to remind us that ‘life is a carnival, and we are the main attraction!’”

Laughter erupted, and soon, Ferdy announced the first challenge: “Let’s transform our deadlines into treasure maps! Each completed project will lead us closer to the ultimate treasure—the elusive ‘Extra Day Off’! But watch out for the pitfalls of procrastination!”

As the team got to work—drawing treasure maps and inventing ridiculous codes—Ferdy wandered around, occasionally stopping to share puns, like, “Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!”

Days turned into weeks, and the culture at FIRM flourished. Employees were not merely clocking in; they were playing, creating, and sharing laughs. They embraced the chaos that came with Ferdy’s unconventional leadership.

However, Ferdy had one rule: “If you’re going to fart around, you better do it in style!” This led to spontaneous dance-offs in the break room, where even the grumpiest accountant would show off his mad moves to the beat of imaginary drums.

Eventually, the day arrived when the team gathered to present their fantastical projects—a series of ideas inspired by their playful adventures. Each project was not just innovative but infused with humor and creativity, showcasing the true spirit of FIRM.

As Ferdy concluded the presentations, he said, “Remember, folks, ‘Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.’ And if you can find joy in what you do, success will follow!”

And so, in the magical realm of Quirkshire, FIRM thrived under the leadership of Fizzlewump, whose kindness and unique approach showed that a little imagination and a lot of laughter could transform any workplace into a wondrous adventure. Who knew that the secret to success was simply laughing together, dreaming big, and maybe even playing a game or two along the way?

[tomreview]

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[beautifulbizarremagazine]

🖤 SUBMISSION SUNDAY 🖤 It is easy to fall for the sculptures created by @forestrogers! Fantastical beings that take us on an adventure, telling stories about otherworldly heroes, the mysteries of nature and the power of magic. Escape reality on this beautiful, bizarre Sunday and follow the artist! — Do you want to showcase your work amongst this beautiful, bizarre community and be featured on our platform? Then our SUBMISSION SUNDAY is your call! ✨ Every Sunday, our Social Media Manager @kaalo.101 scrolls through our hashtag to curate a stage for amazing artists. You participate by liking our page and tagging your works with #beautifulbizarre; that’s it! The cherry on top: We will showcase some selected pieces in our quarterly print magazine in the community feature.⁣ 🖤 — #beautifulbizarre #forestrogers #sculpture #art #sculptor #submissionsunday #newcontemporary #darksurrealism #darkart #artist #inspiration #fantasy https://www.instagram.com/p/Co1DaGco4_P/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[everythingstarstuff]

Julian S. Krupa (1913 - 1989)

Fantastic Adventures Quarterly, back cover art (1941)

[vintagerpg]

Back to BasiX was a fanzine dedicated to B/X Dungeons & Dragons that ran for ten quarterly issues from 2017 to 2019 (and I believe issue 11 is in the works and maybe out at this point). This hardcover (2021) collects all ten issues and sticks them behind a fantastic new cover illustration by Matthew Ray.

Ray is, honestly, what attracted me to BasiX. He handled the art for every cover and I just adore it. He really embodies not just the feel of old school D&D illustration, but also old school fantasy and sci fi fanzines (the sort that gave folks like Stephen Fabian and Jeff Easley their starts) — they’re similar, but distinct, vibes and Ray marries them nicely. His work also has a sculpted, three dimensional sense that I appreciate. Peter Mullen pulls of a similar effect with his hatching, but in a different style. Ray’s greatest legacy for me is that he makes giants super interesting. They’re usually so boring!

Anyway, the zine itself is basically the work of Thom Wilson, pretty much every word. Each issue contains an adventure, an interview with an old school creator (its an all-star list including Jennell Jaquays, Erol Otus and more), some reviews and other musings, all topped off with a comic by Travis Hanson. The layout is utilitarian (especially compared to something like Knock, see tomorrow’s post) and clean, something that really harkens back to the old school zine and APA scene. Mostly I am impressed that this is (mostly) the work of just one guy. I’ve been publishing digitally for like decade, but I have lots of writers and support staff. That Wilson pulled this off for a year and a half all by his lonesome is an impressive achievement on its own. But then it is also really good, too!

[archivyrep]

Archivists and archival themes in the National Treasure franchise

Occasionally, archives are shown in popular culture, whether in film or other media. This is because, as Jeff O'Neal put it, "Hollywood loves a library" because the "combination of ambiance, seclusion, hidden knowledge, and the sheer beauty of shelves upon shelves of books" make libraries a fantastic setting for films. Hollywood does not portray the debate within the archival field or any nuances. There is a lot of the confusion between libraries and archives in the Star Wars franchise. To start this, let me begin with the National Treasure franchise.

Reprinted from my Wading Through the Cultural Stacks WordPress blog on July 28, 2020.

In the 2004 movie, the first of the franchise, two would-be thieves do research in the Library of Congress and try to find "a way to break into the National Archives so they can steal a priceless historical document." While there are parts of this movie which make some cringe (understandably), like historical inaccuracies and bad preservation practices, some say that "anything that...puts butts in the seats at the National Archives is alright by me."

Diane Kruger (as Dr. Abigail Chase, the archivist), Nicolas Cage (as Benjamin Franklin Gates, treasure hunter), and Justin Bartha (as Riley Poole, a computer expert) look at the Declaration of Independence, courtesy of the Peel Archives blog.

In the film, Chase is an archivist working at the National Archives and is accidentally kidnapped when he "steals the Declaration of Independence" leading to wacky and historically inaccurate adventures. As some archivists make clear, she is not typically "archivisty" or "librarianistic" but instead is "all Channel suites and evening dresses," meaning that while she "wears attractive clothing she manages to avoid the sexed up male-fantasy version of the librarian/archivist." She isn't "your wilting-flower variety information professional." Instead, she is "full of feistiness and one liners throughout ridiculous and dangerous events" but does, jokes the archivists, "lose points for allowing Cage to use the Declaration as a bullet shield." Another review by a fellow archivist, Kyle Neill, adds that "Chase comes to embrace the adventure, although she, like any good archivist, remains fiercely protective of the Declaration document" and that the team is "ultimately successful, locating the treasure deep underground in Manhattan." At the end of the film, as Neill writes, Chase isn't drawn to "the gold jewelry, statues, or other artifacts found in the huge underground cavern." Rather, she is fascinated by "what she identifies as scrolls from the lost Library of Alexandria."

However, as Catherine Lucy, Technical Services Manager/Archivist at Fontbonne University wrote in Solo, the quarterly newsletter of the Lone Arrangers chapter, depictions like the one in National Treasure end up reinforcing "stereotypes that surround the profession," especially of archivists. The film that followed, National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007), is worse, having Nicolas Cage return as a treasure hunter, hoping to solve the "mystery behind Abraham Lincoln's assassination with missing pages from his killer's, John Wilkes Booth, diary," with his father (played by Jon Voight) assisting him. And of course, Chase, still working at NARA, assists him. They have some sort of fight behind Mount Rushmore, discovering a secret indigenous city of gold. That's where the movie becomes silly and worthless. Sure, it grossed a lot of money, but that doesn't mean that it is a good film. In fact, the movie critics gave it awful reviews. For instance, Peter Bradshaw, in The Guardian, writes that although the film is sometimes entertaining it is "mostly pretty tired, with worryingly semi-serious conspiracy theory stuff" while Roger Ebert notes the strange plot holes, saying that there is no plausibility or logic in the film. Ebert notes how the movie has the same National Archivist and only praise it for its "completely unbelievable special effects." Ebert similarly criticized the 2004 film, calling it so silly that "the Monty Python version could use the same screenplay, line for line."

Beyond this, Lucy mentions two articles which review mentions of archives in popular culture: Tania Aldred, Gordon Burr, and Eun Park's "Crossing a Librarian with a Historian: The Image of Reel Archivists" in 2008 and Arlene Schmuland's "The Archival Image in Fiction: An Analysis and Annotated Bibliography" in 1999. The first of these articles talk about National Treasure, notes the librarian character in The Mummy, while noting films like In the Name of the Father and Citizen Kane (considering the character is an archivist). [1] They also reviewed The Mask of Dimitrios (1944), Carlton-Browne of the F.O. (1959), Agnes of God (1986), Treasure (1990), Secret Nation (1992), Just Cause (1995), Ridicule (1996), The Avengers (1998), Blade (1998), John Carpenter’s Vampires (1998), 8mm (1999), Erin Brockovich (2000), Bartleby (2001), Possession (2002), Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones (2002), and The Time Machine (2002). Looking at a sample set of 21 films, they found 14 male archivists and 7 female archivists, with almost half of the female characters wearing buns. Almost half of the characters were only cameos, which is unfortunate. They found that reel archivists are "physically and behaviourally following...established stereotypes," and are not used interchangeably as "librarians in the films." This article attempts to fulfill the call by the writers for further study:

Future research, including an expansion of the current study to increase the sample film size, is clearly necessary in order to solidify the results we have discovered. As well, the study, or related studies, should be expanded to include other forms of popular culture such as television programs, movies, and advertising; an exploration of the positive or negative portrayal of reel archivists; the amount of technology reel archivists are portrayed as utilizing; an examination of the archives represented in films; and a comparison of archival characters in books-to-film with their counterpart literary sources...The current study benefits the archival profession by providing a solid base for archivists to begin examining their portrayal in the media...the influence of the media means that its vision or perception is imparted to the public on a regular basis, and thus ultimately shapes how the archival profession is viewed, either positively or negatively. By examining how the public perceives them, and how they are being portrayed, archivists can gain a better understanding of themselves and their perceived place within society, identify areas of longer-term concern, and thus work toward strengthening that position.

The second article looks at 128 novels, noting how perceptions of librarians are shaped by films like The Music Man, and looking at various novels. [2] Schumland notes that, simplistically, archives are "not only repositories for the source documents of history, but for history itself" which many authors and filmmakers have not recognized. She also notes that the fact that documents or information is stolen from archives "implies that archival holdings have value" although not every author follows this advice, with archivists as custodians of paper and "representatives of history." As such, records are either seen as history, secrets, or garbage in fictional writings, although many fictional archives "represent more than just collections of papers," having the potential to reveal the truth, represent history, and provide information. However, stereotypes are often useful tools for authors, acting as a shorthand for character description. Furthermore, male archivists are often in supervisory roles while female archivists are not, with archivists generally middle-aged to elderly.

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] In their analysis, they eliminated Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (Doppleganger) (1969), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Name of the Rose (1986), The Phantom (1996), The Bone Collector (1999), Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), DaVinci Code (2006), and Silent Hill (2006) after watching all these films.

[2] Schumland specifically reviews Robertson Davies' The Rebel Angels, Robert Barnard's The Case of the Missing Bronte, Robert Goodrum's Dewey Decimated, Martha Cooley's The Archivist, Carol Shields' Swann, A. S. Byatt's Possession, Catherine Aird's The Stately Home Murder, Peter Hoeg's Smilla's Sense of Snow, P. D. James' Original Sin, Jeffrey Archer's Honor Among Thieves, Frank McDonald's Provenance, Charles A. Goodrum's The Best Cellar, Clive Cussler's Treasure, Caroline Preston's Jackie by Josie, Julie Smith's Huckleberry Fiend, David Carkeet's I Been There Before, Ralph Mclnerny's On This Rockne, and many others. She also talks about various other authors like Robert Ludlum, Sarah Bird, Elizabeth Scarborough, Duncan Kyle, Katherine Neville, Terry Pratche, and Patricia Cornwell, along with the role of archives in Lempriere's Dictionary.

[ralafferty]

Lafferty in Debonair

Finally managed to dig up a Lafferty publication that, while hardly secret (it’s been listed in the admirable if incomplete list over at Galactic Central) nonetheless has not to my knowledge been documented online yet. It’s not in any of the institutional holdings I’m familiar with, and comes up so rarely for sale that prices seem more like random stabs in the dark—either far too high (maybe? who knows?), or suspiciously low.

It’s also quite possible—likely, even—that Lafferty himself had no idea it had been published. More on that in a sec, but first:

If I hadn’t already assured you there was a Lafferty story here, you might think this image unrelated. It’s the first issue of a publication called Debonair, which by 1964 was very late to the Playboy clone market. Still, the cover promises the standard blend: pieces on the bachelor lifestyle, travel, sex, and the arts, alongside erotic photography that reads now as touchingly chaste. The literature seems to be here mostly on the rationale that the Playboy model includes fiction, so we should have it too, though short of the international prestige (and very high rates) promised by a platform like Playboy and the marketing machine of Hugh Hefner, it was never going to be a major selling point, nor was Lafferty’s name going to move any copies off the newsstand. (The other short stories in the issue are by the prodigiously productive Henry Slesar, and by Van D’Amato, most likely an editorial pseudonym since that name is uncredited anywhere else.)

The Stanley in “Stanley Publications” here is Stanley P. Morse, and his involvement, however tangential, provides a major clue about a magazine about which very little documentation exists. Morse came to prominence as a prolific if not highly-regarded publisher of comics, especially of the weird/horror variety; as Lawrence Watt-Evans sums him up:

Anyone who thought men like Bill Gaines gave comics a bad reputation had never met Stanley Morse. Naturally, he published horror comics, including some of the grossest and most vile. … I don't think Morse was trying to imitate E.C.; I think he was trying to top them. Not in quality -- that would never even have occurred to a man like Morse. No, he was trying to outdo them in gore, violence, and shock value.

After the Wertham Panic, Morse didn’t even try to stick with comics, jumping ship instead to men’s magazines in a variety of formats: war yarns, adventure tales, survival fiction, and quite a lot of stories about women being tortured or otherwise placed in peril, all wrapped in covers that were lurid even by pulp standards. (If you’ve read this far, I urge you to pick up David M. Earle’s book All Man!). Debonair would’ve thus have been a paint-by-numbers attempt to reach an audience that considered itself slightly more refined: lose the blood and sadism, add some arts and culture, above all else keep the boobs.

It may seem strange for Lafferty, a Catholic conservative, to appear or seek to publish alongside such fare, but he was hardly prudish on these matters, or at least not so prudish that he would pass on a paying market at a time when he was struggling to place much outside his SF/F strongholds. Certainly he had tried to query Playboy as early as January 1959, sending them an early version of “Adam Had Three Brothers”; he sent them almost a story a month for the next year and a half, of which “One at a Time” was the last. (It would eventually take Kidd’s influence to land him that Playboy spot in 1972 for “Rangle Dang Kaloof,” a story that, whatever its other charms, would not likely be anyone’s recommendation for a Lafferty intro.)

“One at a Time,” on the other hand, is a fantastic choice for introducing someone to Lafferty. The author himself seemed pretty enamored of it, even if it couldn’t quite seem to find the right category for it. He tried most of the science fiction and fantasy press, he tried lit mags like New Mexico Quarterly, prestige outlets like Harper’s and The New Yorker, and men’s mags of varying respectabilities, from Rogue to Nugget to Sir Knight. (Especially intriguing: he notes that he “incorporated it into a short novel” in September 1960 before rewriting it again as a short story two years later; I haven’t yet found any trace of this novel otherwise, but the prospect of a Galveston-centered novel is tantalizing.)

What remains uncertain is how “One at a Time” got into Debonair. Lafferty was fastidious about recording his submissions, and it is clear from them that he did not submit to Debonair directly, or to any Stanley Morse-run periodical. He also does not record any payment received from the magazine, or from its parent company. There is no correspondence between him and any of the above. There is no contributor’s copy in his personal archive. In the years after, he does not even seem to be aware that the story was ever published, since he sends it to Fred Pohl in 1965, and then—after a final rewrite—to Damon Knight, who finally takes it for Orbit in 1967 or ’68. When he lists his publications prior to signing on with Virginia Kidd, it’s Orbit that he lists for “One at a Time.”

It would not be at all uncommon for an outfit like Stanley Publications to move a story submitted to another one of its magazines to a new one it was looking to fill up—Morse is particularly difficult to track in this respect, because (Watt-Evans again):

[Morse’s] titles often changed publisher from one issue to the next as he dodged creditors or changed partners, and would sometimes have cover art taken from a story in a different issue as deadlines were missed. If he came up a story short he would simply reprint something. If he couldn't get an artist for a particular slot, he'd have his editor cut up and rearrange the art from an old story to make a new one.

One could easily see Morse, or one of his interchangeable editors, grabbing something off the slush pile to fill out a new magazine, something that didn’t quite fit the all-action mags but definitely is a tale of a bachelor lifestyle. And as one can verify from the first paragraph alone, alongside the manuscripts in the archive, this is clearly an earlier, if not much different, version of the story later published in Orbit and in Nine Hundred Grandmothers.

And yet. The story has these striking, specially commissioned illustrations, one depicting McSkee asleep, and another four of the five things he indulges in while awake (singing being the part of the “pentastomic orgy” left out). The artist signs himself as Donald Leake, a well-known industry illustrator of the period with a number of books and album covers to his name—not someone you’d tend to get at the last minute. Additionally, the magazine is undeniably of a higher quality than the more customary Stanley Publications content—full color ink on a glossy cover, spot color on the illustration, more expensive paper throughout—though it does also have the usual apparatus of the pulp world, the ads in particular…

Chances are that, unless further documentary information turns up, this is a mystery that will not be resolved. If I had to make a guess, it would be that the story got mishandled or misfiled by someone at the literary agency where Lafferty had sent the story, possibly for a consultant’s reading—there is a listing among the submissions above that the story went out twice to (presumably Theron) Raines and did not come back the second time. If someone there got wires crossed and sent it on to Debonair thinking that it came from a client, it’s further possible that the payment would’ve been delayed, mishandled, or otherwise unprocessed, and thus word of its publication never reached the author. Whether that proves true, or whether the truth is even determinable, remains to be seen; in the meantime, enjoy this bit of Laffertiana not quite like any other.

[thursdaygarbageday]

In the enchanting land of Quirkshire, there was a firm known as FIRM—**Fantasies In Real Management**. Here, the employees were not just workers; they were adventurers, and their boss, Mr. Ferdinand “Ferdy” Fizzlewump, was the most whimsical top you could imagine.Ferdy had a reputation for being a diligent manager, but he also had a penchant for daydreaming so vividly that his office sometimes resembled a cross between a jungle and a circus. Hanging vines and colorful balloons adorned the ceiling, while stuffed animals peeked out from behind desk plants. He often quoted famous sayings, albeit with a twist. “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” became “Why fit in when you can wear a feather boa?”

One sunny morning, Ferdy called a meeting in the mythical Conference Room 42 (because, naturally, all great meetings occur in rooms with quirky names). As the team gathered around, Ferdy stood at the head of the table, twirling a sparkly magic wand and wearing an oversized wizard hat.

“Alright, my fantastic crew!” he began, his voice booming with excitement. “Today, we embark on a journey of productivity, creativity, and a bit of mischief! Ever heard of Jumanji? Well, we’re going to play it…and work at the same time!”

The team looked bewildered. “But Ferdy,” interjected Sarah, the sharpest strategist in the room, “what about the quarterly reports?”

“Ah, Sarah!” Ferdy exclaimed, waving his wand dramatically. “Reports can wait, but adventure cannot! If we don’t take time to explore our imaginations, how will we ever innovate?”

Just then, a plush elephant with a party hat wobbled into the room. “Meet Elvis, our new mascot! He’s here to remind us that ‘life is a carnival, and we are the main attraction!’”

Laughter erupted, and soon, Ferdy announced the first challenge: “Let’s transform our deadlines into treasure maps! Each completed project will lead us closer to the ultimate treasure—the elusive ‘Extra Day Off’! But watch out for the pitfalls of procrastination!”

As the team got to work—drawing treasure maps and inventing ridiculous codes—Ferdy wandered around, occasionally stopping to share puns, like, “Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!”

Days turned into weeks, and the culture at FIRM flourished. Employees were not merely clocking in; they were playing, creating, and sharing laughs. They embraced the chaos that came with Ferdy’s unconventional leadership.

However, Ferdy had one rule: “If you’re going to fart around, you better do it in style!” This led to spontaneous dance-offs in the break room, where even the grumpiest accountant would show off his mad moves to the beat of imaginary drums.

Eventually, the day arrived when the team gathered to present their fantastical projects—a series of ideas inspired by their playful adventures. Each project was not just innovative but infused with humor and creativity, showcasing the true spirit of FIRM.

As Ferdy concluded the presentations, he said, “Remember, folks, ‘Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.’ And if you can find joy in what you do, success will follow!”

And so, in the magical realm of Quirkshire, FIRM thrived under the leadership of Fizzlewump, whose kindness and unique approach showed that a little imagination and a lot of laughter could transform any workplace into a wondrous adventure. Who knew that the secret to success was simply laughing together, dreaming big, and maybe even playing a game or two along the way?

[naomibeetee]

The Fantastical Quarterly Goals

Ah, here we are again. The snow is slowly beginning to melt. The temperatures are crawling upwards. The sun is stubbornly staying out later. Life is returning to the mountains in the form of green grass and wildflowers, and if you listen closely, you might hear the birds chatter as they search for food.

In the blink of an eye, the first quarter of 2022 is gone, and we are facing the second quarter of the year.

And you know what that means!

It’s time to re-visit our previous Quarterly Goals to see how we did, and create new ones for April-June!

(I feel both these emotions right now)

For those who don’t know what Quarterly Goals are (or need a quick refresher), Quarterly Goals are a list of objectives you create for yourself to complete within the span of three months.

Quarterly Goals break up the year into quarters (it’s in the name, yo). It separates the year into smaller, bite-sized pieces, thus making the goals you set for yourself appear less intimidating and daunting (in my humble opinion). You are also less likely to blow them off and forget about them if they are trapped into a smaller chunk of time.  

Personally, I like to set up 10-15 goals, and if I crush ¾ of them, I consider myself a wild success. However, the ones I fail to accomplish will typically be tacked onto the next round of goals (if applicable). And while I make some of my goals Writerly Oriented, I also create others depending on:

1) What have I been putting off that I reallllly need to do?

2) What can I do to set future me up for success?

3) What can I do in this period of time to challenge myself?

I’m going to save everyone the suspense and say that I did NOT do well in the January-March quarter. I was a fail whale through-and-through. I did have some wins, however!

Let’s get to it, shall we?

Here were my Quarterly Goals for January-March:

1)  Re-join my old Roller Derby league (if the world decides to open up again)

This was a fail, but in my defense, it was because the world didn’t open up.

2) Complete the outline for my fantasy WIP

Oh my goodness, SUCH A FAIL. I haven’t had time to even open the dang document.

3) Write the first five chapters of said fantasy WIP

As you can guess, this was a fail as well.

4) Seek out cover artist to design His Blue Eyes front + back covers in multiple formats  

Another fail. I thought about it multiple times, but that doesn’t count.

5) Establish social media voice on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and TikTok

Hey! My very first Win! Hooray!

6) Complete Developmental Edits for His Blue Eyes and continue to next editing phase: Line Edits

This was a fail. Sad day. If I had known the work cut out for me when I made these goals, I would have adjusted the crap out of them.

7) Finish decorating my office

Another win! Pictures to come!

8) Read 3-5 books (I know it’s not a lot…shh!)

This was a win as well! I crushed this goal with a total of 6 books. Some were bad. Most were good.

9) Have date day/night/adventure with the Husbando at least once a week

Another win!

10) Establish a workout routine because GOOD GOLLY, the holidays were rough…delicious, but rough

A win! Yay!

11) Meet Personal financial goal

Win! Bam!

Tallying up the damage, I’ve left this round of Quarterly Goals with 6 wins and 5 fails. While I did have more wins than fails, this isn’t technically a win overall; my job is to accomplish ¾ of my goals, and therefore, I didn’t do all that well. Not to mention, most of my wins didn’t include the writing side of my life. As an aspiring author, that stings.

I could give you excuses. I could say that this quarter was exceptionally busy, that I bit off more than I could chew, that I didn’t expect my mental health to take a sudden leap off a cliff. I could say that work got a lot busier than I had anticipated, that burnout came when I least expected it, that performing even the most mundane of tasks was a gargantuan feat.  

While all of these are true and valid, it doesn’t exclude from the fact that I set up goals for myself and failed to meet them. That sucks hard. But instead of dwelling on the negative, I am going to attempt to turn my frown upside down and look at this as a learning experience. I will adjust my strategy and create more manageable, obtainable goals. I will still challenge myself, but I will not set myself up for failure by creating goals that are wickedly out of my reach. I will pick myself up, adapt, and move on.

And that brings us to our next round of Quarterly Goals! Here is what I’d like to accomplish from April-June:

1) Re-join my old Roller Derby league (I swear…this time, it’s happening)

2) Complete HALF of the Developmental Edits for His Blue Eyes

3) Research editors for Line Edits regarding His Blue Eyes  

4) RESEARCH cover artists for His Blue Eyes

5) Read 3-5 books

6) Have date day/night/adventure with the Husbando at least once a week

7) Research locations to publish/self-publish secret-and-cutesy short story

8) Continue training for upcoming half marathon

9) Finish decorating living room

10) Begin decorating spare bedroom

11) Clean out closet/donate things the Husbando and I don’t need

12) Meet personal financial goals

I know I said previously that any goals I failed to accomplish would be tacked onto the next round of Quarterly Goals, but at this stage in my life, I just don’t think that’s feasible. My previous goals were wildly irrational (for me, anyway), and to add them to this round would be absolutely devastating, not to mention soul-crushing. Therefore, I have added some that I failed on previously, and adjusted others to make them more manageable.

And there you have it!

How did your last round of Quarterly Goals go? Did you win like the star you are, or did you perhaps bite off more than you could chew, like me? How do you go about crushing your goals and objectives? Let me know in the comments!

Let’s make this next round a good one, shall we?

Be sure to tune in every Writerly Wednesday for new writer posts!

Come for the tips.

Stay for the awkward.

Until then,

May your inspiration never cease, and may your ink never smudge.

~Naomi.bee.tee

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 8/26/21

Captivated, By You | By Yama Wayama | Yen Press – A collection of short stories that originally ran in the magazine Comic Beam, they all take place around the same school and feature some of the same cast intermingling with each other, but each can also be read as a standalone. This is not a BL title, but I’d say it’s BL-adjacent, and there are several relationships that you could see going that way. My favorites included a social media relationship done via cut-out “kidnapper” letters, a man trying to reinvent himself in high school… as the creepy dude everyone avoids, and a bullied kid trying to get petty revenge on his bully but being unable to because he’s too decent a person at heart. The stories vary in quality, but the collection overall is very nice. – Sean Gaffney

Days on Fes, Vol. 2 | By Kanato Oka | Yen Press This continues to hit at what it does best, showing off how awesome it can be to go to a music festival. You can hear things you’d never even knew existed, and you might even run into the singer of your favorite band incognito inside the crowd. Will romantic sparks fly?? Well, probably not, because honestly our two girls seem to be really into each other—as with Captivated, By You, this is not yuri or BL but it is yuri and BL-adjacent, as each pair of leads makes an awesome couple but isn’t actually one. If there’s one complaint it’s that so far this is almost entirely on the fan side of things. There’s a suggestion that might change, as we do get a few pages of one band, but I’d like to see more actual music—and more struggles. -Sean Gaffney

Happy Kanako’s Killer Life, Vol. 1 | By Toshiya Wakabayashi | Seven Seas – This is a black, black comedy, and if you find the idea of a happy-go-lucky girl killing people appalling, best to skip it. That said, if you do like black comedy, it’s wonderful. Kanako is an OL who just quit her job and finds that the new one she answered the ad for… is a hit man. Her first target… is her old boss. And she’s really good at killing people. Plus, it’s got great pay, and you get to go out and have meat and alcohol afterwards. Oh yes, and the book is filled with weird animal puns—and the animals appear behind Kanako as she says them, so the translation must have been FUN. This isn’t for everyone, but it’s gleefully silly and dark as hell, as you watch Kanako sink further and further to the dark side. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 20 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – It’s Valentine’s Day, and as you can imagine that means different things to different people in this book. We also find out that Maki is actually one of the most respected students on campus… it’s just we’ve only ever seen her reflected through her hilarious unrequited love, so we don’t get it (and neither do the main cast). Also, exam results are out, which means that Ishigami gets to show off the results of Kaguya’s tutoring… and Shirogane, who’s dropped to twelfth because he’s narrowing his focus to studying English for Stanford. Believe me, there’s still plenty of silliness, mostly from Fujiwara, but the characters are beginning to grow up and throw off the shackles of the past… or have it done for them. – Sean Gaffney

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 14 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – Sometimes this series has a long-running arc, and sometimes it just coasts along on pure cute. This volume is one of the latter, and it is very, very cute indeed, which is the main reason people are reading the title, but does make things a bit difficult to pick out to review. Komi and Tadano remain the best couple who aren’t one, and everyone can see it. Manbagi is also clearly very much in denial about her own crush on Tadano, and I anticipate the next arc will be dealing with that. Najimi remains obnoxious but fun, Yamai remains obnoxious and not fun. If you’ve enjoyed other volumes, this is an obvious one to get. And it sure is cute, isn’t it? – Sean Gaffney

Medalist, Vols. 1-2 | By Tsurumaikada | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Even if the story in this series weren’t great, I’d likely still be recommending it solely based on the art, which is frequently stunning, and has beautifully characterized expressions. Fortunately, the story is also excellent. A former ice dancer who was never quite able to go pro discovers a young girl who is trying desperately, despite her mother’s misgivings, to be an Olympic figure skater. Like a lot of lead girls in this sort of series, she’s not got a lot of knowledge but has a great deal of raw talent and iron will. Together, the two of them try to pull each other out of the depression they were in. The girl being eight years old means there’s a lack of mentor-mentee romance you might get if she were a teen. This is just sweet. – Sean Gaffney

Night Bus | By Zuo Ma | Drawn & Quarterly – Finding independent Chinese comics translated into English is something of a rarity, so I was very excited to see that Zuo Ma’s Night Bus was being released. I had previously encountered Zuo Ma’s work in the underground Chinese comic anthology Naked Body published by Paradise Systems. Drawn & Quarterly’s edition of Night Bus, translated and with ending notes by Orion Martin (founder of Paradise Systems), actually gathers stories from two of Zuo Ma’s books: Walk, a collection of ten short works, and an updated and expanded version of the long-form comic Night Bus. In these stories, Zuo Ma frequently incorporates semi-autobiography, fantastical dreamscapes, and the supernatural, working and reworking themes and ideas throughout the volume. Elements of reality and unreality are interwoven and fused in powerful, visceral ways, capturing intense emotions of anxiety and dread, but also evoking a sense of nostalgia. Night Bus is an unsettling, riveting, and compelling collection. – Ash Brown

Queen’s Quality, Vol. 12 | By Kyousuke Motomi | Viz Media – The series works best when it’s equating the stresses and paranoia of the inner mind with outer monsters to match. Sometimes, though, it’s just a bunch of fighting, and the monsters seem to be there just to be antagonists. Fortunately, there’s still our two leads, who remain the best thing about this series. Kyutaro is trying his best to retain his sense of self, and fortunately he has Fumi to help, who is happy to go all the way with him, although perhaps not with the snake inside him. They don’t, however, and Fumi ends up getting her best moments when she shows off what a vicious badass she’s become. That said, the danger of this series is it doesn’t come out often enough, so I forget the plot a lot. – Sean Gaffney

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 13 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – The start of this volume is a lot of fun, as Sariphi ends up dealing with a tsundere female version of his highness, a woman who is said to have beast ancestry in her past and thus is accused of being evil. Given that this series tends to run on pure Fruits Basket, it’s no surprise that Sariphi is able to help with the pure power of shininess. All is not well back home, though, and it’s becoming pretty clear that endgame is going to be revealing the King’s other form as an excuse for executing him… and I would not be surprised if they blame Sariphi for it. This is still very good, and remains a wonderful reminder of the days when we always got piles of Hana to Yume manga like it. – Sean Gaffney

Sazan & Comet Girl | By Yuriko Akase | Seven Seas – Perhaps the most striking aspect of Sazan & Comet Girl is that the all of the artwork is in full color. Akase’s watercolor illustrations of planetary and interstellar backgrounds in particular are simply gorgeous. Story-wise, however, Sazan & Comet Girl isn’t particularly innovative, primarily revisiting and combining familiar tropes and character types of its genre. Even so, the volume is still great fun, coming across as a nostalgic, loving homage to older science fiction media. The entire series has been released as a single omnibus volume in English and doesn’t have obvious chapter breaks, so once the story gets going it just goes and keeps going, shifting from romantic comedy into action adventure before returning fully to its underlying love story. Sazan is goofball of a lead and Mina, the titular comet girl, is an endearing heroine—apart from the artwork, the manga is at its best when focusing on them. – Ash Brown

This Wonderful Season with You | By Atsuko Yusen | TOKYOPOP – Junpei Enoki is a bespectacled nerd who belongs to the electronic engineering club. Ryousuke Shirataki, a “normie” with a reputation for being cool and manly, is searching for something after an injury ruined his baseball prospects. After Shirataki joins the club, they get to know each other and, ultimately, fall in love. The tone is mostly comedic, with an art style that reminds me a bit of vintage shounen, and I really liked that some characters who seem like comic relief end up being important. I also loved how each boy has an unexpected side to him that the other sees immediately while others fail to notice. Shirataki appeared aloof, but he was actually suffering, and it’s so nice at the end to see him goofy and happy. I could’ve done without the final sex chapter, but aside from that, this was great. – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

[fogsrollingin]

SPN reclist: Stanford Friends! I love a good story that explores who might’ve been the friends Sam had back at Stanford, and how they’d react to who Sam always was and/or who he’s become. Here are my faves. ✧ My fic recs are updated regularly on DW and quarterly on Tumblr. Link to the possibly updated reclist on DW here ✧ My entire catalogue of fic recs on tumblr here ✧ This post was last updated 1/21/2022  🤗 ❤️

In Reverse by Sodakey. Rated PG-13, Gen, 148k. Summary: After S1E12 Faith, a job has the boys looking for missing hikers in Wyoming. While Sam worries it’s connected to what happened to Dean ten years ago, Dean wonders if Sam would be better off back in the world of normal. fanfiction.net/s/2787883 my thoughts: This fic is in my top favorite spn fics of all time. A fantastic read especially if you're new to fanfiction and looking for something similar to canon but deeper. This is a superbly written insightful and believable case fic that takes a long time to resolve while exploring so many aspects of Sam & Dean's characters and personal histories. In particular I’ll always remember and love Sam’s domineering guy friend that’s got this kind of unsolicited possessive feeling towards Sam, and as such he’s got a beef with Dean and tries to go toe to toe against him.

Four Years and One Week by Onari. Rated PG-13, Gen, 33k words. Summary:  What can you say or do to help the most important person in your life when you have stopped knowing him and his life has come apart? A fic about the week in Stanford right after Jess death. Dean POV. COMPLETE! fanfiction.net/s/3514905 my thoughts: covering the week Dean spends with Sam in Palo Alto after the pilot, Sam's going through such acute grief and Dean doesn’t know how much he’s needed. This fic was so amazing and emotional.

hold your head high, heavy heart by fogsrollingin. Rated PG-13, Gen, 4k words. Summary:  Takes off immediately after the pilot, Sam's grief and Dean picking up the ol' dusty mantle of 'big brother' ao3.org/works/27111112 my thoughts on me: this was more heart-wrenching than comforting I think; Sam’s grief must’ve been crazy. I want to continue this story, Sam having a meltdown about having to buy new clothes and stuff 😭😭😭 but I’ve marked it complete for now (it’s decent where it ends, it just could carry on to the next several days)

Fellowship of the Nine by emebalia. Rated PG-13, Gen, 26k words. Summary: Sam spends a weekend with some Stanford friends. But he's not the man they used to know anymore. Outsider POV. Season two.  fanfiction.net/s/9016084 my thoughts: This fic perfectly combined my love for outsider POV with my love of Sam’s Stanford friends getting a reality check meeting him after a year or two on the road with Dean. And yay emebalia wrote a sequel! Two Brothers, fanfiction.net/s/9646447

Sucker Punch by K Hanna Korossy. Rated PG-13, Gen, 15k words. Summary:  Sam goes alone to meet an old friend from college. What can go wrong? fanfiction.net/s/9373051 my thoughts: Sam goes alone to meet this old friend from college at a hotel and things definitely go wrong! Cue injured Sam trying to escape, exploring the bowels of the hotel until Dean to the rescue. Such a great crisp action/adventure hurt/comfort fic

[beautifulbizarremagazine]

🖤 SUBMISSION SUNDAY 🖤 A world of fairytales and fantastical adventures: @marketanovakphoto takes us on a whimsical journey to a world where magic exists, and myths become a reality! — Do you want to showcase your work amongst this beautiful, bizarre community and be featured on our platform? Then our SUBMISSION SUNDAY is your call! ✨ Every Sunday, our Social Media Manager @kaalo.101 scrolls through our hashtag to curate a stage for amazing artists. You participate by liking our page and tagging your works with #beautifulbizarre; that’s it! The cherry on top: We will showcase some selected pieces in our quarterly print magazine in the community feature.⁣ 🖤 — #beautifulbizarre #marketanovak #marketanovakphoto #photography #artistsofinstagram #fantasy #fineartphotography #submissionsunday #inspiration #art #storytelling #nature #artist #artcommunity #sunday https://www.instagram.com/p/CpqsnsFByGH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=