Castle Waiting
Encyclopedia
Castle Waiting is a comic book
series created by Linda Medley
. It is in a world of fairy tales and mythology
featuring a mix of old-fashioned storytelling and more ironic, modern touches.
Medley's story brings together characters from many classic tales, including the enigmatic plague doctor
Dr. Fell of the "I do not love thee, Dr. Fell" epigram
, Simple Simon
, a gold-egg laying hen (a reference to a hen from Jack and the Beanstalk
) and the Three Little Pigs
. Medley's story focuses on the daily lives of fairytale characters, and, as she puts it, "What happened after 'Happily ever after...'"
The story begins with a stand-alone, prologue tale, Castle Waiting: The Curse of Brambly Hedge, which retells the story of Sleeping Beauty
mostly from the perspective of those at the periphery of the action. The book then picks up many years later, after the castle, long abandoned by Sleeping Beauty, has become a home for another group of fairytale characters, many of whom have rather troubled pasts. The castle's daily workings are now overseen by Rackham, a stork-headed dandy, and the place has become somewhat run-down and is beset by mischievous but generally friendly sprites and poltergeists. This story originally focused on Lady Jain, a pregnant woman fleeing her abusive husband. Medley planned to tell the backstory for each of the castle's inhabitants, but she'd only gotten through the story of the bearded nun Sister Peace before the book's disappointing sales compelled Medley, then a struggling self-publisher, to put the book on indefinite hiatus in 2001. After a break that lasted several years, Medley resumed publishing in July 2006, this time for Fantagraphics.
.
Medley self-published seven issues of an ongoing Castle Waiting series in 1997-98.
In 1999, Medley self-published a Castle Waiting hiatus issue.
Cartoon Books started publishing Castle Waiting (volume two; 4 issues) in 2000. These are number #1-4, but are considered #8-11 (following the 97-98 series).
In 2001, Medley went back to self-publishing
and self-published five more issues of Castle Waiting (#12 aka vol. 2, #5; #13 aka vol. 2, #6; and #14-16).
In 2006, Fantagraphics Books
published a Castle Waiting hardcover collection and relaunched the continuing series. The first Fantagraphics issue was published in July, 2006. Fifteen new issues of Castle Waiting have been published by Fantagraphics and later collected in a second hardcover book in November 2010.
Currently Linda Medley is taking a break from Castle Waiting.
ranked Castle Waiting as one of the best comic books of 2006 in a critics' poll.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series created by Linda Medley
Linda Medley
Linda Medley is an American comic book author and illustrator, known for her Castle Waiting series of comic books and graphic novels.-Biography and early career:...
. It is in a world of fairy tales and mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
featuring a mix of old-fashioned storytelling and more ironic, modern touches.
Medley's story brings together characters from many classic tales, including the enigmatic plague doctor
Plague doctor
A plague doctor , was a special medical physician who saw those who had the bubonic plague. They were specifically hired by towns that had many plague victims in times of plague epidemics. Since the city was paying their salary they treated everyone, the rich and the poor...
Dr. Fell of the "I do not love thee, Dr. Fell" epigram
John Fell (clergyman)
John Fell was an English churchman and influential academic. He served as Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and later concomitantly as Bishop of Oxford.-Education:...
, Simple Simon
Simple Simon (nursery rhyme)
"Simple Simon" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19777.-Lyrics:The rhyme is as follows;*Simple Simon was played by Charley Rogers in Babes in Toyland ....
, a gold-egg laying hen (a reference to a hen from Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack and the Beanstalk is a folktale said by English historian Francis Palgrave to be an oral legend that arrived in England with the Vikings. The tale is closely associated with the tale of Jack the Giant-killer. It is known under a number of versions...
) and the Three Little Pigs
Three Little Pigs
Three Little Pigs is a fairy tale featuring anthropomorphic animals. Printed versions date back to the 1840s, but the story itself is thought to be much older...
. Medley's story focuses on the daily lives of fairytale characters, and, as she puts it, "What happened after 'Happily ever after...'"
The story begins with a stand-alone, prologue tale, Castle Waiting: The Curse of Brambly Hedge, which retells the story of Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
mostly from the perspective of those at the periphery of the action. The book then picks up many years later, after the castle, long abandoned by Sleeping Beauty, has become a home for another group of fairytale characters, many of whom have rather troubled pasts. The castle's daily workings are now overseen by Rackham, a stork-headed dandy, and the place has become somewhat run-down and is beset by mischievous but generally friendly sprites and poltergeists. This story originally focused on Lady Jain, a pregnant woman fleeing her abusive husband. Medley planned to tell the backstory for each of the castle's inhabitants, but she'd only gotten through the story of the bearded nun Sister Peace before the book's disappointing sales compelled Medley, then a struggling self-publisher, to put the book on indefinite hiatus in 2001. After a break that lasted several years, Medley resumed publishing in July 2006, this time for Fantagraphics.
Publishing history
The first Castle Waiting publication was Castle Waiting: The Curse of Brambly Hedge which was self-published by Medley (under the publisher name of Olio Press) with a 1996 grant from the Xeric FoundationXeric Foundation
The Xeric Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation based in Northampton, Massachusetts, which for twenty years awarded self-publishing grants to comic book creators, as well as qualified charitable and nonprofit organizations...
.
Medley self-published seven issues of an ongoing Castle Waiting series in 1997-98.
In 1999, Medley self-published a Castle Waiting hiatus issue.
Cartoon Books started publishing Castle Waiting (volume two; 4 issues) in 2000. These are number #1-4, but are considered #8-11 (following the 97-98 series).
In 2001, Medley went back to self-publishing
Self-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design , formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR...
and self-published five more issues of Castle Waiting (#12 aka vol. 2, #5; #13 aka vol. 2, #6; and #14-16).
In 2006, Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
published a Castle Waiting hardcover collection and relaunched the continuing series. The first Fantagraphics issue was published in July, 2006. Fifteen new issues of Castle Waiting have been published by Fantagraphics and later collected in a second hardcover book in November 2010.
Currently Linda Medley is taking a break from Castle Waiting.
Best of 2006
In December, 2006, Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
ranked Castle Waiting as one of the best comic books of 2006 in a critics' poll.