SR 1 PAGE SEVENTY-FIVE

YO! What do you think ectoplasm feels like? 

I think it starts out as some viscous Nickelodeon-style slime, then hardens into Gummi, then converts into any texture or consistency the conjuror can imagine. According to panel four here it can become as brittle as a Faberge egg.

I think about witchcraft physics a lot. My favorite kind of horror is supernatural horror, but only when it has solid rules nailing it down. It’s hard for me to get into a story if I have no idea what is and is not possible. The story can be about discovering what’s possible, but the writer has to play fair. Don’t tell us one thing then contradict that thing three minutes later. “Wait, I thought The Ding-Dong Man could teleport anywhere. Why did wedging the door closed with a chair suddenly stop him?”

Sera’s powers aren’t 100% consistent in this first book (the next issue has a moment that’s bugged me for two decades), but it’s not too bad. One rule I was certain about from the very beginning, though, was “nothing conjured can last.” No matter how sturdy Sera makes her little ectoplasmic bits and bobs, they’ll dissolve pretty quickly without constant concentration. That vampire-chompin’ pony from last issue? The clock was ticking on that boy the second it burst from her fingertip.

That’s why no matter how much she begs, Sera can’t make Tess a giant pet tarantula to ride to work every day. And no, she can’t just make a fresh one every day, Tess.

But wait! If nothing conjured can last, how have all the goblins and trolls and ogres and such in Crestfallen survived hundreds of years? Great question! I have an answer, and hopefully one day I can share it with you.

(BTW look at that sad old telephone. Thing doesn’t even flip. Get outta here, ya ancient slab of junk! Take your stubby little antenna with you!)

SR 1 PAGE SEVENTY-SIX

Still thinking about the physics of witchcraft! 

Tess definitely looks like she’s dangling from her left ankle. But what does that mean? Does telekinesis work like reaching out a long, invisible arm and gripping stuff with a phantom hand? How big can the hand be? Could Sera have chosen to carry Tess in a 10-foot invisible palm? How much weight could Sera put in that palm? There has to be some limit… She couldn’t scoop up all of Crestfallen and huck it across the ocean. OR COULD SHE?

Maybe she could! 

I’ve always thought of witchcraft as being limited only by the imagination of the witch. If they can visualize something happening, it can happen. So if Sera can imagine, say, a city-sized invisible shovel hand digging underneath Crestfallen and lifting the whole thing in the air, she could do it. 

Wouldn’t be easy, though. It would require intense concentration to wriggle those phantom fingers through miles of earth, and even more intense concentration to lift the town without shattering any buildings. She’d have to do it blind, too, because she can’t see underground. Even above ground, it’d be tricky to see every angle of the city at once, even while flying. A few buildings are bound to crumble. But she could do it.

It would be like setting up a bunch of action figures in wet sand, then shoving your hand under there and trying to lift the whole scene without anyone falling over. Except in this scenario you could theoretically shoot off extra hands to help steady the figures as you lift. I imagine it’d be hard to keep track of all those hands if, like most humans, you’re not used to having bunches of extra hands…

…What was I talking about again?

BACK TO THE PRESENT!

I AM TALKING ABOUT BOOKS.

The new one, specifically. And why? Because this week I received evidence that SHOCK CITY is no longer floating in the digital ether, but has become flesh. CHECK IT:

Aren’t they beautiful?? I’m so happy with how they printed! I’ve had trouble with books printing too dark before (imagine that!), but this one’s been dialed in just right. Can’t wait for you to see it!

BTW the phot shows both the hardcover and softcover version, which are somehow both being released at the same time? I didn’t realize that was a thing. Whenever I’m in a bookstore they only have one or the other, so I assumed the Old Ways were still in effect. But whatever, if you can swing it, I’d recommend the hardcover, mostly because you can open it a little flatter. Both are wise investments, though!

NEXT WEEK: $2.95!