Manga Review - 'Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Another Story, Vol. 1' by Magica Quartet (Writer, Creator), U35 (Artist)

This 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' manga is Mami Tomoe's mystery story about the decrease of witches in her city, and an increase of witches in another city. That city is the setting of 'Magia Record'.

It's the main series invading investigating a spinoff series, as it were.

In 'Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Another Story, Vol. 1', the magical girls from 'Magia Record' infrequently appear and mostly separately, and they are greatly amateurs compared to the competent, confident and experienced Mami. Kyouko Sakura is Mami's sometimes partner. Madoka makes a very brief cameo in the first chapter, where she's just lounging at home. Kyubey is here, too. Homura and Sayaka don't appear at all.

This is Mami's story, through and through. She's a gunslinging, tea drinking, magical girl detective, concerned but hardheaded.

There is a big witch battle at the beginning, but otherwise, the fight scenes happen off-page.

It is very simple... at first.

It is not straightforward for any 'Madoka Magica' fan who isn't familiar with 'Magia Record' - it can get confusing. I know I was a little confused, as it had been years since I read the first volume of 'Magia Record'. But 'Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Another Story, Vol. 1' will likely sate the thirst of fans of the original anime and manga. Everyone in it is in character.

Is there a running theme of loneliness and needing friends and teammates? It's about Mami, so that's probably the case. The detective's case. Heh.

Okay, I'll shut it now.

If you have read and liked 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story, Vol. 1' and 'Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Vol. 1', then check this additional manga out.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Pillow Talk' by Stephanie Cooke (Writer), Mel Valentine Vargas (Artist)

'Pillow Talk' - what an exhilarating, heartwarming experience.

I am not a fan of sports stories at all. In fact, 'Pillow Talk' might be the only comic of any kind about sports I've ever liked (except, I'm sure 'Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms' counts). No, not like - I love it.

So apparently pillow fighting - as in, pillow fighting as a wrestling sport, in a ring with fighters who are characters with backstories and everything - is a real thing. It looks fun. And the confidence and creativity of the ladies-only fighters in 'Pillow Talk'! So inspiring.

There are so many diverse women and gender-nonconforming persons in 'Pillow Talk'. There are different body types, ethnicities, sexualities, gender expressions, hobbies and interests; and enby rep, trans rep, and even single mother rep! You don't often see that in graphic novels like these.

All this friendship and community. This utter, effortless embrace of differences. Looking out for each other. It is beautiful to behold.

I'll let the blurb tell the synopsis of the graphic novel, as it does it better than I could:


'When shy, introverted college freshman Grace Mendes reluctantly attends her first pillow fight match, she falls in love with the surprisingly gritty sport that's part roller derby, part professional wrestling. Despite struggling with deep-seated body image issues, Grace joins the competitive Pillow Fight Federation and crafts the confident persona of Cinderhella [...] But as her alter ego rises through the ranks of the PFF, gaining traction and online fame (and online trolls), it turns out the real battle is not taking place in the ring, but between Grace and her growing insecurities.
Bighearted and big-muscled, Pillow Talk is an inclusive, high-octane, outrageously fun graphic novel that aims a punch at the impossibly high standards set for women in sports, and champions the power of finding a team that will, quite literally, fight for you as you gain the confidence to back in the ring and fight for yourself.'


The plot is as simple as that. It doesn't need any more to it.

The characters are great. They are beautiful, and often messy - meaning, real - inside and out.

I could relate to Grace Mendes in some ways. Her self-confidence issues and insecurities hit hard, and are presented and dealt with sensitively. She just needs plenty of the right support and understanding. She's also implied to be asexual near the beginning of the book. She has no romantic interest, which is a plus for originality and subversion.

Grace's best friend and college roomie Callie, a pushy, partying, intrepid social media connoisseur and blooming bisexual, is simultaneously the worst/wickedest and most excellent friend ever. She can frustrate me in one dialogue, then make me warm to her in the next.

I love most of the PFF fightsonas - such as Rapunchel, Pain Eyre, Barbara Gore-Don, Lois Slain, Aphromighty, and Elle Bow Baggins (fucking brilliant). I love these women's outfits and fashions, too. So colourful and comfy. And the boots!

I want to give a special shoutout to the PFF professional wrestler Naomi, aka Miss Fortune, who is also a makeup artist and influencer, and going by the trans flag heart on her makeup kit, I'd say that's her identity. She's so good at makeup and tutorials, even I'm interested and intrigued, when I'd never bothered much with makeup before, beyond concealer and mascara. Makeup can be colourful, creative, ethereal and enchanting.

Yes, a comic about pillow fighting wrestling has got me interested in makeup. That's how versatile, inspiring and amazing it is.

Practically everything about 'Pillow Talk' is comforting, cosy, cushiony (heh), supportive, and real. It is not too raw and gritty (but urgh! those internet comments about women who dare to step outside the line of what is "acceptable", like it's still the Victorian times. As one PFF fighter says at one point, "People want to tear down anyone living their best lives. Especially if they don't fit their perfect ideals. God forbid they're fat. People are jealous when we learn to love ourselves without their approval.").

I recommend 'Pillow Talk' to absolutely everyone. It is a bold, daring, thrilling comfort read, and that is not an oxymoron. It has the diversity, moral fibre, fire, colours and atmosphere of 'Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms' and 'Jem and the Holograms', only softer, and lighthearted on the competitive front.

Grace is a winner. In many senses of the word, including in her own heart, and the hearts of the other characters, and of the readers. All women are winners in their own ways.

I hope professional pillow fight matches catch on!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try to think up my own pillow fighting fightsona.

Final Score: 4.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Of Her Own Design' by Birdie Willis (Writer), Nicole Andelfinger (Writer), Vash Taylor (Artist), Fiona Marchbank (Artist), Laurent Reis (Artist), Eva Cabrera (Artist), Rowan MacColl (Penciller/Inker), Linden Cahill (Colourist), Saida Temofonte (Letterer)

'Of Her Own Design' is a fun, touching, cute and versatile little graphic novel. It is a teenage girl's coming-of-age story, where she is an aspiring writer, but is suffering through writer's block. Much is going on in her life: the possibility of moving away, being forced into the middle of her parents' tug-of-war fights, her childhood best friend suddenly turning against her and becoming a mean girl once high school starts, and her crush on a girl, who's a mechanic. It is like a modern sitcom, except there are no lighthearted laughs, only tragic truths.

Oh, and there is a mysterious bookshop that appears from nowhere, and a magic pen from the shop's bookseller, and with that pen the girl writes three different genre stories in one night, to help her process and cope with her problems. These stories end up taking over her real world, her small town, the next day, via portals.

The growing up metaphor is obvious throughout, as is the commentary on escapism through fantasy, but it's nice to see the teenage girl protagonist, whose name is Brie Page, through her own inner strength, ingenuity, and perseverance, progress and deal with it all - the supernatural and fantastical, and the stressful changes in the real world, and working everything out with the people in her life. The whole book can be silly, messy and sporadic, but ultimately deep, clever and creative. Even subtle and understated in some areas.

'Of Her Own Design' is funny, wild, and sad, especially for any reader who is or has been a teenager, in the face of any kind of change that's like the end of the world to them. The stress and hardship - the feelings, the high, fluctuating emotions and thoughts - they are real and direct. No wonder so many people cling to escapism, as therapy.

The art starts off sketchy, sharp, shadowy, and in black and white; in a classic style. Then it literally gets colour - gains its colours, actually - as the story and characters progress, and it has a modern, bright, endearing cell shaded style by the end. The different stories/worlds that Brie writes (three in one night!) and then enters are in different art styles, and it's great. In one world, Brie is an elf queen in an epic fantasy world and looks like Merida from Pixar's 'Brave', bow and all, and in another she is a space pirate captain, and in another she is a hopeless romantic in a Jane Austen narrative. (There's a final boss world/story at the end, which I won't spoil.)

Brie is a shy, insecure and overwhelmed teen, but she will reveal what an awesome, imaginative, cunning and brave redheaded heroine she is. It's to be expected, as redheads make the best kinds of heroines. She is a dear, a sensitive soul, and very talented, if only she could believe in herself, and stay focused. But not too absorbed in her writing - her worlds, her creations - that she avoids reality altogether.

It is Brie's life. It is her decisions, her fate, which she will make independently, of her own design.

The plot of 'Of Her Own Design' isn't anything new, but it especially reminds me of the YA novel 'Reverie' by Ryan La Sala - LBGTQ+ lead, LBGTQ+ gender-nonconforming antagonist (in this case, they use they/them pronouns), fantasy novel worlds created by human imagination that affect the real world etc. - except this comic makes more sense, isn't nearly as complicated, and its characters are likeable. And it's fun.

Ironically, in writing about a book about writing, I think I'm going to show restraint and write less about it now, and end it here:

In an abrupt conclusion, 'Of Her Own Design' is an underrated, lost diamond in the rough of a graphic novel from 2024. I was lucky to have found out it existed from all my long and exhaustive Goodreads searches. Spread the word - the magic words! - give it visibility, give it a chance in the ever-increasing graphic novel market. Don't leave this twinkling little treasure buried! Its creators deserve the ruby recognition!

If you like stories about stories - and writing and creativity and escapism from life and the metaphors therein - then check out 'Of Her Own Design'. Also recommended if you like graphic novels such as 'Tiffany's Griffon'', 'Page by Paige'' (hey, the protagonists even have similar names!), and 'My Favorite Thing Is Monsters''.

A sweet and passionate gem of a comic book, with a lot of heart, talent and hard work behind it.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Sabrina The Teen-Age Witch: 60 Magical Stories' by Archie Comic Publications, Various

'Sabrina The Teen-Age Witch: 60 Magical Stories' is a fun collection of 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' comics throughout the ages, past to present. Therein lie the many varying interpretations and incarnations (and incantations) of Sabrina, from 1962-2022. Sixty years, and sixty stories.

It's all just so funny, goofy, random, and charming, especially the 60s-90s 'Archie Comics' starring Sabrina. Screw morals, let's be silly and have a good laugh!

And seriously, how many friends and rival girls has Sabrina had? None of them have stayed consistent. None of them have stuck*. Except Harvey. It's interesting and incredible to see how much Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda have changed throughout the decades, too. Salem the cat has always been the best.

I might check out the 'Sabrina' manga from the 2000s now, even though the art and the love triangle drama still bother me (but Sabrina wears the most fabulous outfits there - in fact, she always wears the most awesome clothes - her fashion sense is as iconic as she is as a timeless character!). Included at the end are issues from the comic runs by Ryan North (for 'Archie' and its spinoffs), Kelly Thompson, and Nick Spencer, Mariko Tamaki, and Jenn St-Onge (Josie and the Pussycats are in that issue!) I also didn't know Tom DeFalco wrote for Sabrina!

I'm surprised that no issue from 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' is in this. Then again, she never really had any agency, nor did anything, in that series, did she? Heh.

Most bizarre: I don't think her surname, Spellman, is ever mentioned once in any of the issues in the collection. Nor are her parents. There's no mention of her being a half-mortal witch anywhere.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch is such a popular female icon. She still resonates with people, and is still loved to this day. She's like if Marilyn Monroe was a fictional teenage witch. Or, and I'm reluctant to admit this is more appropriate and likely intentional, she's like the star of 'Bewitched' for a kid and teen demographic.

For a cartoony (in more ways than one) witch, from her inception to the modern times, Sabrina remains relatable to so many girls and women everywhere. She's flawed; she's clumsy, impulsive, often selfish and thoughtless, and is juggling different selves and lives for other people - she's torn between different worlds - and we wish we could be like her, magic or not, even though her magic gets her into trouble and causes more harm than good 90% of the time! But hey, no one is perfect, and she is young. No woman should be put on an impossible, goddess-like pedestal.

For more of my fangirling, read my reviews of:


'The Magic of Sabrina the Teenage Witch'

'Sabrina the Teenage Witch (2019)'

'Sabrina: Something Wicked'


'Sabrina The Teen-Age Witch: 60 Magical Stories' - a magical recommendation by me, Artemis Crescent, the Fantasy Feminist Witch/Sorceress!

Final Score: 4/5

*Do Archie and his gang count? Do Betty and Veronica?

Book Review - 'Princess Pumpkin Patch' by Andi Cann (Writer), Elena Schweitzer (Illustrator)

Ah, the eternal question:

Why are pumpkins round?



'Princess Pumpkin Patch' - a strange... yet oddly touching, independently published picture book. It has its own magic and wonder, and contains an important message about self-love, and carrying that love for others, and being enough as your own loving, beautiful, kind, generous self. Your own heart and light are enough for everyone in the world.

And personally, I could never resist a book with a title like 'Princess Pumpkin Patch', and it contains pumpkins (duh), autumn, winter, a princess (though she should be the queen of her Pumpkin Patch Kingdom), owls, balloons, stars, umbrellas, lighthouses, toadstools, and a literal book worm. There is a lot of colour and colourful butterflies in the Pumpkin Patch Kingdom. It's a fairy tale, where a whole lot of whimsy is present.

It's just all so nice and innocent!

It's like 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and the Cabbage Patch Kids and the 'Little Miss Books' mixed together!

However, I'm not really a fan of the art. It looks genuinely sweet and lush sometimes, but more often it resembles a collection of card art - or something out of DeviantArt - than what should be in a picture book meant to tell a fluid story in motion. It also looks AI generated to me (I sincerely hope that's not the case, though it is from 2019, so maybe not?), and I can't decide if Princess Sassinia is more unsettling with her eyes open or closed (was Margaret Keane's work an inspiration?). And she should never smile widely again. 'Princess Pumpkin Patch' is technically a Halloween book, but its scares should be intentional!

Extra note: Where are Sassi's dog Pandy, and the frog Felipe, who took over the kingdom for her while she travelled the world and skies, by the end?

Still, it somehow manages to be heartwarming throughout. It is creative, sweet, inspiring, and life-affirming.

Between this and 'Pumpkinheads' on my enjoyment scale, I can't believe I haven't ever been to see a real pumpkin patch yet. I wish to so badly!

'Princess Pumpkin Patch' counts as a Halloween read. So Happy (late) Halloween, everyone!


'Remember you are light and love whenever you see a pumpkin that is round.'


Final Score: 3.5/5

Book Review - 'The Girl and the Mermaid' by Hollie Hughes (Writer), Sarah Massini (Illustrator)

What a beautiful and precious picture book about mermaids.

It's also about family, friendship, community, history, memories, what's under the sea - and lost underneath the surface - and a lighthouse that lights up said golden memories in beams. The art is just lovely; simple yet lively, ethereal, dazzling, and as magical as the multilayered story full of symbolism. It is a tale (tail) told in rhyme, in poetry, which is a nice touch, adding to the soothing, relaxing tone and experience.

Also included are conches, seaweed forests, pirate ships, magic undersea kingdoms, dolphins, turtles, whales, and other sea life. Don't forget the stars, too. The twinkling stars above.

What enchantment is packed in thirty-two pages. What oceanic, timeless wonder. This story is a gift.

And the mermaids are totally topless. Good thing they have seaweed sashes, right?

Final Score: 4/5

October 2024 Update

Happy Halloween! 👻🧛🐺👺👿💀☽☾🌗🌘🌙🌛🌜🌝🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🥮

Unfortunately, I haven't watched any of my favourite horror and Halloween-themed movies this year. I've had no time, though I've caught up on some new horror and Halloween films. But I have been reading a lot of horror and Halloween books and comics - a few more reviews should be coming up next month, while it's still autumn!

I love this time of year. I love Halloween. I love the atmosphere. The wonderful, magical, rich, pumpkin-y, spicy, pumpkin spice, orange-leaves-and-cafés atmosphere. I love dressing up, especially as a witch! It's cheering me up. It's helping my mental health (sadly I'm still mostly depressed, anxious, fearful and obsessive). It's healing.

Here's me this year:

To close things off, my list of favourite Halloween films, updated as of 2024:

26. Near Dark (1987)

25. Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

24. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

23. The Craft: Legacy (2020)

22. Black Christmas (2019)

21. Till Death (2021)

20. Jennifer's Body (2009)

19. Dracula's Daughter (1936)

18. Assassination Nation (2018)

17. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

16. Crimson Peak (2015)

15. Daphne & Velma (2018)

14. The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

13. Interview with the Vampire (1994)

12. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

11. Carrie (1976)

10. Mary Shelley (2017)

9. Ghostbusters (aka Ghostbusters: Answer the Call) (2016)

8. Black Swan (2010)

7. Corpse Bride (2005)

6. ParaNorman (2012)

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

4. Return to Oz (1985)

3. Coraline (2009)

2. The Love Witch (2016)

1. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

This Halloween post from two years ago feels relevant still.

PLEASE remember to take care. Take care of yourselves and others. NEVER STOP CARING. NEVER FORGET MORALITY AND YOUR CONSCIENCE. Remember love and kindness. And change, and creativity, and new things. Never be afraid of progress, and change for the better. The betterment and safety of others.

Staying nice, polite, kind, caring, empathetic and understanding in the face of all evil and hopelessness is a true magical power.