What is TOF?
Tales of Fantasy is the name of my self-published small press comic book. The first issue was published in January 1988 and I have produced more than 40 isues since.
TOF offers the on-going adventures of the citizens of the city of Brookston where weird things always seem to be happening. We have Lew Brown, an ordinary fellow who happens to experience extra-ordinary things, and an ancient gypsy woman Madame Boogala, who runs a tearoom on Hemlock Street where in the dead of night she releases demons in compliance with her curse. Together these two individuals form the focal point for most of the the strange happenings in the city.
There's a whole supporting cast, too, and nearly each of them has been featured in their own adventures. You can learn more by clicking the TOF Info link above.
Aside from comics, sometimes were have text stories in the style of the old 50s science fiction magazines, featuring Bart Rover, a shape-shifting android hunter.
And in color each issue we have the surreal Space Cat, a wordless strip of weirdness.
There's other features in each issue also, notably a long run of pieces from EVERY SATURDAY, an 1893 "National Enquire" type newspaper.
And lately we've been running short essays on obscure 1960s comic book characters like DC's Space Ranger, Mighty Samson and Sea Devils.
And last but not least we have Mails of Fantasy. This letters column has been called by some as one of the best letters columns in small press comics. We have talented individuals in their own right offering comments and criticism each issue, and I can only improve from their perceptions of what I'm doing with TOF. Sometimes I'm not so sure, but that's the act of discovery common to the practice of making art. Some fans of TOF have collaborated with me in producing stories featuring my concepts, adding more flavor and a different perspective I ever could to the comics featured in Tales of Fantasy.
It's a labor of love, like nearly all of what can be found on the self-publishing scene and I guess that's what keeps me going. So if you haven't already, give TOF a try. You might like it. Single issues are $3.00 and a subscription for 4 issues is $11.00
Order the current issue if you like, or look in the back issues section and take your time browsing. Curious?