Linda Medley and ‘Castle Waiting’ Need Your Help

Castle Waiting is one of the best indie comics of the last twenty years. It's high fantasy by definition, but rooted in relatable characters rather than epic quests and magic (although it also contains those things). And it's all the work of one spectacular writer/artist named Linda Medley.

Castle Waiting, for those who may not have had the pleasure of reading it, is an ongoing story about characters plucked from fairy tales who find a home and make lives for themselves not by having their wishes granted or being Blessed with Good Fortune, but by coming together in a community to cooperate and support each other. And it's very much in that spirit that Linda Medley recently approached her fans and readers on the internet.

Medley had to take a break from making comics after being diagnosed with severe cervical spondylosis and carpal tunnel syndrome, but now she's back to work on Castle Waiting Volume 3. Unfortunately the field of comics often leaves even the most talented artists without a safety net, and Medley must crowdfund her living and working expenses while she creates this next book.

To that end, she has set up a GoFundMe page, where fans and community members can send one-time donations directly to her. She also has a Patreon account set up for monthly donations, and it offers some pretty cool rewards for funders, including access to her in-process work and high-res downloads. In addition to these funding sources, she directs people to her Etsy Page, which features prints and cards of her work for purchase.

It would be nice to live in a world where the financial security of talented artists was guaranteed. But until that wish comes true, the least we can do is come together as a comics community and support those creators who need our help.