Tag Archives: graphic novels

Oct2

*Super* Early Christmas Present

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*Super* Early Christmas Present

Hi! When it comes to gift giving occasions, I simply cannot wait for the day of and ask my giftees if I can give them their presents as soon as they arrive in the mail. My sweet Johnny knows this firsthand because I don’t think we have ever waited until the day of a birthday, anniversary, or holiday to open gifts! This year, Christmas came especially early for us as we already gave each other presents last weekend lol. Take a look at the best give ever from my husband:

I like to do all of my present shopping way ahead of time so, of course, I had Johnny’s Christmas gift ready to go since the beginning of September. I guess I inspired him to shop early because he let me know that he had my gift too!

Knowing that each of us had our prezzies already was going to make it impossible to wait until Christmas. We decided to give each other a hint and if we guessed right, then we would tell each other. Johnny’s hint to me was “it is something that you have wanted for forever but never want to pay for”.

Right off the bat, I was stumped because there’s a million things that I would love to have but don’t want to pay for – mainly clothes related. Then, it clicked. My favorite comic book series, Sandman, by Neil Gaiman will have its own Netflix show which will be releasing soon. Johnny isn’t familiar with it, so I have been talking about it constantly and every time it gets brought up, I mention how much I would like to have the Sandman Omnibuses so I can have the complete collection.

As you can see, I guessed correctly because that is, indeed, what Johnny got for me for Christmas. It is, hands down, one of the best gifts I have ever received and I cannot wait to reread my favorite series in its entirety for the millionth time – no trip to the library required! 😀

One of my many favorite things about Johnny is how incredibly thoughtful he is. This gift is the ultimate testament of how he listens to me when I’m talking, even if I’m rambling about something for the hundredth time. That is the best gift of all – no matter how freaking cool the Omnibuses are! ❤

Who else is excited for the Sandman series on Netflix? Who has started their holiday shopping already? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

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Aug8

Cool Encounters

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Cool Encounters

Hi!! My husband and I love attending trivia nights together with our friends and, win or lose, a great time is always had by all. Because of schedule conflicts, we haven’t been in a couple of weeks but the last time we went was definitely an evening to remember for me… I got to meet one of my favorite comic book illustrators, Craig Russell!

For those of you who don’t know, I am a HUGE graphic novel/comic book fan and my all time favorite would have to be the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. Sandman is, easily, one of the finest works of literature I have ever read and I try to read the extremely lengthy series once every two years. One of the cool things about Sandman is that several illustrators worked on it and it was so interesting to see the beloved characters drawn from different points of view. Craig Russell just so happens to have worked on the Sandman series and he illustrated one of my favorite spin offs, The Dream Hunters.

When Johnny pointed Craig out to me at one of the opposing team’s tables on trivia night, I lost my shit (for lack of a better phrase!). He told me I have to talk to him after the games were over and I was so nervous because it really was like meeting a hero. I have at least ten tattoos from the Sandman series and one of my biggest pieces is an illustration by Craig!

During my little meet and greet with Mister Russell, he admired all of my tattoos and was blown away that his work was on me. We got to talk shop for over thirty minutes about Sandman, our favorite issues, and the upcoming Netflix series. Craig even encouraged me to let him know whenever I read any graphic novels he might like. He was also kind enough to take pictures with me and sign his autograph. It was basically the coolest thing ever.

I can’t wait to bump into Craig again and I will be prepared because I actually just finished another graphic novel that he illustrated – Coraline. I will have my copy ready to go for him to sign and am looking forward to hearing more of his amazing insights. ❤

Have you ever met one of your heroes before? What was it like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug19

Audible Awesomeness

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Audible Awesomeness

Howdy! Johnny and I both love reading and we have quite a respectable collection of books between the two of us. To me, there is nothing better than holding a tangible book in my hands and turning the pages myself. I have never been too interested in books for the Kindle or book tapes because I do prefer an actual book. But, that all changed when I was introduced to Audible through a chance encounter with my Facebook ads.

For those of you who don’t know, I am obsessed with the Sandman comics by Neil Gaiman. I have read the series countless times as well as all of the offshoot stories for different characters from Sandman. I have several tattoos from Sandman and when I feel like splurging, I might just fuck around and buy the (very expensive) omnibuses so I will have my own copy of the saga.

For those of you who don’t know again, there were talks of making a Sandman TV series or movie for years now but it just never got put into production. And, because it is such an epic tale, it would be hard to condense all of it into a season of TV or a two hour movie. I had all but given up on any Sandman content outside of the comics until I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed.

The ad I saw literally made me pump my fist in the air and say “YES!” because it was for a book tape of Sandman that could be listened to on Audible. It’s not just any book tape though because it features an all star cast with James McAvoy, Kat Dennings, Andy Serkis, and Neil Gaiman, himself, as the narrator. I needed it.

Because Johnny has Amazon Prime, we got a month subscription to Audible FO FREE as well as two free book tapes. Johnny picked a history one out for himself and I, of course, opted for Sandman. I began listening to it as soon as we finished completing the info for our trial order and I honestly could have cried. It was that good.

For the past over half a decade now, the amazing and fantastical characters of Sandman have kept me company. However, all of their voices just sounded like me saying the lines in my head as I read them. Lol, to actually hear the character’s voices while I pictured the comic book pages in my head was nothing short of incredible for me. I got to hear the character’s in a way that their creator, Neil Gaiman, saw fit and that’s the coolest part. And hearing Neil Gaiman narrate is own story the way he wanted it to be told was the cherry on top.

The Sandman audible tape covers the first three collections in an almost eleven hour recording. I am not quite done with it yet, however, I am already chomping at the bit for the next installment which I hope will be a thing. Fingers and toes crossed!

Johnny and I worked out a perfect schedule for both of us to enjoy our own hobbies. As soon as we both get home from work, he settles in to play Borderlands and I curl up on the couch to listen to my tape. For about an hour and a half or two, we hang out while we do our own thing and then we have dinner and watch our shows for the rest of the evening. And, I’ve got to say, it suits us just fine and I can’t wait to conclude the epic audio tale soon. 🙂

Do you prefer an actual book to a Kindle copy or book tape? What are you currently reading? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug11

Tattoo You: Death From Sandman Edition

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Tattoo You: Death From Sandman Edition

Helloooo! I am a huge graphic novel fan and my all time favorite is the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. I have read and reread the fantastic saga countless times and it still manages to surprise and intrigue me every time. I have several tattoos from the Sandman series featuring my favorite characters like Dream, Delirium, and Destiny, but the one I love most of all is probably of Death. Check out this beaut:

death

Death is probably the most beloved Sandman character to anyone you will ask. She’s this darling little goth girl who is the human personification of, you guessed it, death. But, instead of having a grim outlook on life, she loves it and is always up for an adventure. Death is a protector and meets every single person in their final moments to ease the transition from the living to the dead.

Although I enjoy each character from Sandman in their own right, I have always been drawn to death. I adore her spunky, sassy attitude and her sleek sense of style. She’s bubbly and cheerful and I think that that teaches people to find the joy in the not so great situations because it’s always there if you know where to look.

Who else is a fan of the Sandman series? What is your favorite comic book series? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan16

My Second One Lovely Blog Award

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My Second One Lovely Blog Award

Hiii everyone and happy weekend! I hope that everyone is having a fabulous day so far. On Thursday I was so flattered to be nominated for My Second One Lovely Blog Award by the sweet Juliet at: notcapulet! I’m so appreciative to everyone who has been nominating me for all of these fun awards lately – believe me, it does not go unnoticed! As always, with these awards comes some rules for the nominees to follow, so take a look:

The Rules:

  • Thank the person who nominated them, including a link to their blog.
  • List the rules and include the award badge in their acceptance post.
  • Add seven facts about yourself.
  • Nominate fifteen other bloggers and notify them of their nomination.

Now, I suppose I have to think of some new fun facts about me – which is actually kind of difficult! I’m really not that exciting. Let’s see…

All About Me:

  1. I currently have over twenty days worth of music on my iTunes and my collection is always growing. I’m looking forward to adding Enya’s newest album, Dark Sky Island, as well as some Fleetwood Mac next.
  2. I absolutely adore the Despicable Me movies! I usually don’t care for anything animated but those movies are definitely the exception. Minions are my spirit animals and thanks to my boyfriend and sister I have a collection of Despicable Me stuffed animals including: Agnes, Kevin, Stuart, fluffy unicorn, and Kyle!
  3. My two favorite television shows are Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David is a genius.
  4. I love to read and am about to start rereading Neil Gaiman’s Sandman graphic novels for the second time. Sandman is easily one of my favorite series and I plan on getting a tattoo from the amazing artwork that it boasts eventually.
  5. I was completely heartbroken over the deaths of the great David Bowie and Alan Rickman this past week. The world lost two great talents and I am so sad to see them go.
  6. One of my goals is to become fluent in French and I’m working very hard to achieve that.
  7. I’ve gotten over thirty piercings in my twenty-one years of living. I now only have ten – five on my nose, four on my ears, and my bellybutton. I also have four tattoos and I can’t wait to get more soon!

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

So there you have it, all of the details from My Second One Lovely Blog Award! Thank you so much again to my friend, Juliet, at: notcapulet for nominating me! What is everyone up to this weekend? What are some fun facts about yourself? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug17

Man Crush Monday: Sandman Edition

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Man Crush Monday: Sandman Edition

Helloooo everyone and welcome to another edition of Man Crush Monday – Sandman style! This weeks #MCM is a bit different because my man crush isn’t an actual human being but I still love him/lust after him just the same! Enjoy this ironic choice of music and then let’s get to it!

Dear Sandman,

First things first, even though you’re a graphic novel character, I am so weirdly and madly in love with you. Second of all, I’d rather call you by one of your other names, so Morpheus it is! This past year I’ve been on the biggest Neil Gaiman kick ever, so it was only a matter of time before I discovered the Sandman series. Within mere pages of the very first issue, I was totally obsessed. After one single month, I had completed the entire series from beginning to end and all I wanted was more, so I started to read them again! I think what I like so much about these graphic novels is the whole idea that bad people get punished and the good ones get rewarded in some way shape or form. That’s what attracted me so much to Morpheus initially, because he could empathize with the victims and he felt the need to protect them from any further damage. There’s something about reading the chronicles of his world in The Dreaming that makes me feel safe and that’s so important to me. Yes, beautiful Morpheus did have some not so great moments with past lovers, family, and friends but deep down in my heart I still feel like he always means well. Not only is Morpheus a somewhat benevolent lord but he’s also my emo kid fantasy come true. I mean seriously, he’s so gorgeous I can’t even. Hubba hubba. I’ve heard rumors of a possible Sandman film and frankly, I hope that it doesn’t happen. All I need are the words and pictures on paper to take me to a different world and no matter how amazing the film is, it just won’t be the same. Thank you to Morpheus for making me feel understood, thank you for making me feel like I’m not so alone, and thank you for always providing me with sweet dreams. I LOVE YOU!!!!

sandmansandmann

^^^ I really want to get the first image tattooed! That’s definitely going to happen sometime in the near future!

So there you have it, this weeks Man Crush Monday: Sandman Edition! Who is your #MCM this week? What is one of your favorite stories from the Sandman series? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun4

Some Food For Thought

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Some Food For Thought

Hey there everyone and happy Thursday. So I’ve recently been on the biggest Neil Gaiman kick ever and have been completely devouring his graphic novel series Sandman. I just finished volume five entitled A Game Of You, in which one of the main characters is a young man named Alvin transitioning into the gorgeous and sassy Wanda. Wanna know the best part about this story….it was published in 1993. While reading this twenty-two year old graphic novel this afternoon I couldn’t help but be amazed that I was reading such a relevant tale especially now in the light of the metamorphosis of Caitlyn Jenner. It made me so incredibly happy to be reading Wanda’s story and I couldn’t help but smile over the similarities between a fictional red headed transitioning male and the newly transitioned Jenner. It touched my soul to know that there are people in this world – such as Neil Gaiman and the Sandman creators who are accepting and loving of everything and everyone. But it also completely broke my heart that there are still people in the world who are degrading and insulting to such a beautiful and vulnerable group that is the LBGT community. It saddened me that some of the people in Wanda’s made up world still called her Alvin and referred to her as a “him”. It made my heart hurt for Caitlyn Jenner and any person being ridiculed and shunned just for being who they are. As I hungrily read through Wanda’s story this afternoon she became more and more real to me. She felt like me. She felt like a friend. And she could very well feel a lot like you. Unfortunately in A Game Of You, Miss Wanda had an untimely death but there were some really powerful scenes that took place at her funeral. There was one particular image that really stuck out to me in the graphic novel that I felt a strong desire to share with you guys. Take a look:

IMG_3727[1]

^^^ Isn’t that amazing? This picture literally sent chills down my spine and filled my eyes with tears. So the point of this post? Wanda is real. Caitlyn Jenner is real. The struggle that people have with gender identity, their sexuality, an addiction, ect is real. The point of this post? I guess it’s me telling you guys to open your eyes and open your hearts just a little bit more to these struggles if you have your hesitations. Neil Gaiman created Wanda in 1993 and it’s now 2015. In A Game Of You there were those who loved and accepted Wanda and those who were adamant in voicing their disgust about her. Sadly, twenty-two years later there are still those who are close minded enough to call our Wanda’s, our Caitlyn’s, and our dear friends in the LBGT community names that I can’t even bring myself to type. There are those who still spit their poison and hope that their venom will begin to wither away the gorgeous spirits of such an amazing group of individuals. But luckily, there are those (like myself) who will offer their support and a kind word every step of the way to those who need it. This is a Lil Red PSA letting anyone who is struggling with anything at all know that I love you, I’m here for you, and your triumphs and success means the world to me. The end.

I hope all of you guys are having a wonderful day so far! Mine is alright, thanks for asking! 😉 I’m actually pretty excited because tonight I get the princess treatment at the nail salon for my birthday! BTW – I’ll be out of office tomorrow because I’ll be going to the Toledo Zoo with my best friend Lea for my birthday day trip! I’m so excited! But as always, you know how to reach me via the comment section or my email! And please know, that I will not tolerate any negativity on this post and your comments will be deleted point blank period. Questions? Concerns? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

SARAH’S BIRTHDAY COUNTDOWN: 3 DAYS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!