November is slowly coming to an end and I’m about halfway done with Christmas shopping. I don’t usually create a Christmas list because as I grow older I realize I’m fortunate to have my family, friends, and my cat to keep me happy and that’s really all I need. However, I always desire new books and comic books to read to help me fall asleep at night. Here is my ongoing Comics Christmas List:

Nail Biter Volume 2 Bloody Hands 

I reviewed Nail Biter way back in the summer but it’s my favorite graphic novel I have read this year. I love the horror/gothic aspect to it and the first volume left a cliffhanger which I love and hate because I have no idea what’s going on.

Sex Criminals Volume Three The Hard Way 

This sex-positive comic series is also one of my favorites. It’s so weird and funky, but I really enjoy it.

Mind Wave Comics 

Mind Wave Comics is a local comic company in the Twin Cities where I’m from. I heard about them from an episode of Panels & Pizza, a podcast I listen to. They have comics about a superhero titled Wonderboy, Bolt, and Totem, featuring a Native American hero. Representation is really important in comics, so I’ll have to pick up Totem for sure.

Diet Land by Sarai Walker 

This isn’t a comic book, but I like the premise of the story. From reviews, it seems like it talks about the beauty standards that the media sets and portrays body positive emotions. Our bodies are awesome and are capable of amazing chemical reactions that keep us breathing. We should celebrate our bodies’ various shapes and sizes. This has been on my Goodreads list for a while so I hope I will finally pick it up soon.

What is on your to-be-read list? Find me on Goodreads! Bizarre Brunette Good Reads

Crafting is such a fun, relaxing way to chill with friends. A couple weeks ago I was contacted to review a new crafting book titled Crafting with Feminism 25 Girl Powered Projects to Smash the Patriarchy. The author shown above is a feminist of course and she’s wearing some of the above crafts you can make. I was emailed a $30 e-gift card for supplies and sent the book for free. Unfortunately, you can’t use the e-gift card in stores only online so I actually haven’t used it. I plan on using it to make a more expensive craft in the future so I can order supplies online. Me & my group settled on the empowering underwear and the tampon crafts.

As a crafting beginner, I wish I would have done more research on making underwear. Apparently, you can’t use a bleach pen on spandex which I didn’t know. Two of the girls in my group ruined their underwear accidentally. So if you use a bleach pen, don’t use it on spandex!! I used cotton underwear and it worked really well. Here are some of the pictures of the finished underwear:

Bleach Pen with Spandex Underwear Before:

Bleach Pen with Spandex Underwear After: 

As for the tampon craft, the tampons look kinda creepy. I think we used too thick of a pen because we called them the “Joker & Harley tampons” So using a thin point sharpie probably would make the tampons look a lot better. I have attached the Joker & Harley tampons here:

Joker Tampon is on the left, and Harley Quinn is on the right. 

Overall, I thought this book was fun. I still really want to make the coffee mug, the feminist-empowered flask, and the candles. However, there are some crafts that just aren’t appealing to me.  I have no interest in sewing a uterus pillow, decorating vagina decorations on the Christmas tree, and making anything revolving with tampons. Granted I’m not good at sewing so that’s part of the reason why I don’t want to do some of the crafts. If you’re a self-declared feminist like myself, I think you will love the crafting book.

I adore small comic strips. One of my most profound memories from my childhood was stealing my dad’s comic section from the Star Tribune and reading each strip daily. Most comic strips are found in the local paper, and that’s about it. Comic strips aren’t as popular as they used to be. Comic books and graphic novels aren’t something I would consider a strip because it’s full stories on multiple pages. I am promoting a GoFundMe project about a lovable comic strip with plenty of general geekiness in each panel. Best in Show is the strip and the launch can be found here: Best in Show Campaign

I met the author, Phil Juliano at May Comic Con this year in St. Paul. He approached me and was gracious as he learned about Twin Cities Geek, another site I write for. He gave me a free sampling of Best and Show and I wrote a spotlight interview about him.*link will be posted at the end*. Through all of our encounters, I kept a watchful eye on his work. So when I spotted his campaign, I wanted to promote and support his new book.

Best in Show is a strip about a geeky guy named Peej who figures out how to time travel. So where does he go? Back to his childhood because who else misses being a kid? Peej in actuality wants his old Star Wars toys which is why he picked his childhood to revisit. This comic strip frequently exhibits nostalgia about childhood while also examining how entertaining children can be. It’s hilarious, heartwarming, and nostalgic as I think back to my favorite toys as a child.

Spending money on multiple GoFundMe projects can be expensive. Phil’s GoFundMe though is rather cheap. $12 dollars for the book, $15 if you want it signed, and $25 for a print with the book. As a Minnesota native, I like bringing awareness to the talent that started here.

Being a consumer is necessary for backing a project that you want to see. I want to see this book launched so I will be promoting this campaign. Even if you don’t have the funds for this project, sharing my post is equally important. Kids will love this story and adults will fantasize about their most missed beloved childhood toys.

Spot Light Phil Juliano

Let me just say, I used to love Criminal Minds. Penelope and Reid were two of my favorite characters because Reid is adorable and Penelope is so quirky. I recently finished this amazing graphic novel titled Nailbiter that feels like a Criminal Minds graphic novel. It’s gritty, dark, and intriguing, and all about serial killers. The artwork is even better. 

Warning: This novel is graphic if you don’t like gore, don’t read this book. 

Nailbiter takes place in the small town of Buckaroo, Oregon. The first pages show the arrest of Edward Charles Warren a serial killer who would chew off the fingers of his victims before killing them. Buckaroo isn’t unique in hosting serial killers as 16 have had their start in this small town. Is this a coincidence or a family affair? That’s the mystery surrounding this graphic novel.

The back of this novel says that this story is a mix of Twin Peaks and Se7en. Se7en is an amazing movie starring Brad Pitt, so that’s a great reason to see this movie.  Anyway, I knew reading the back that I would love this novel, which I did. IGN even left a glowing review of this book so I’m not the only one who loves it.

After finishing this novel I’m halfway frustrated/angsty/excited because there are so many unanswered questions. I like having the cliffhanger because it makes me excited about future novels yet I need to spend money like right now on the other volumes. The characters all seem like they have skeletons in their closet and I’m looking forward to delving into each character.

I’m already searching on Barnes & Noble’s website for the next volumes because I need to know what happens. Horror is such a cool genre and it’s great to find a novel that’s gothic, gritty, and suspenseful.