Various creators, see below list
POME Press
$25 print/ $10 digital
Spell (Old English): “story, saying, tale, history, narrative, fable; discourse, command” derived from spellam (proto Germanic), related to Old High German spel meaning “report, discourse, tale, fable, myth”.
Spell as in “an utterance, something said, a statement, remark;” meaning “set of words with supposed magical or occult powers, incantation, charm” first recorded in the 1570s. Related: gospel.
One of the intrinsically wonderful qualities about comics is the way the medium lends itself to a wide variety of subjects and approaches despite the dominance of superhero comics from Marvel and DC. Nowhere is this more true than with indy comics creators. Readers may remember Gay League’s review of the queer inclusive Group Chat anthology with stories focusing on the themes of found families and friendships from last year. Now a number of Group Chat’s writers and artists return and join new ones in the Eternal Witchcraft anthology for stories about spells, charms, and intimate connections to an animistic world.
Behind Annie Lin’s cover composed of purples, pinks, blues, and contrasting gold are 21 stories reflecting aspects of maiden mother crone Triple Goddess, grouped into sections using the descriptive charismatic, sensible, and eternal in their titles. Of these twenty one stories — 21 being an auspicious number — several originally appeared in two popular and now out of print POME books, Charismatic Witchcraft and Sensible Witchcraft. These tales and primers offer means of renewal and revival, of summoning our younger and elder selves and insight, of bidding farewells, and abiding in nature’s bounty in fruitful and fallow times whether in solitude or through communal efforts.
Now you may ask if these spells and charms are effective, especially the one to ward off male creeps that every woman can use? Sadly, with the latter it’s wisest to rely steadfastly on the practical methods. Managing editor Carolynn Calabrese regards these spells as heartfelt and sincere while finding the one for keeping houseplants alive to be useful. While there may be no guarantee here about effectiveness magic is nonetheless about intent as anyone with knowledge of such things will tell you and the intent with all throughout these pages is honorable and yes, some are downright fun and playful. Several pieces which speak strongest to me evoke a meditative interior liminal space though you may discover an affinity for different stories conducive to the power of repetition, rhyme and rhythm. Reading these contributions also makes me want to enhance the reading experience with music, currently Loreena McKennitt’s The Mask and The Mirror and local lesbian/feminist choir Amasong (or watch this video as a tangent but come back here please!).
POMEpress is now crowdfunding Eternal Witchcraft on Kickstarter.In addition to the print and digital editions, a range of pledges and rewards, including retailer tiers, are available at the link.
Here is the full list of creators for Eternal Witchcraft –
Annie Lin
Gabriella Gutiérrez (ciendol.com, @nuditosciegos)
Carolynn Calabrese (pome-mag.com, @presidentcc)
Rachel Weiss (pome-mag.com, @rachelvice)
Scrain (@ladyscrain)
Wai (@belugachop)
Jenny Mott (pome-mag.com, @murdersheedited)
Kara Ramer (@kararamer)
Victor Martins (vicomart.com, @cosmonautvico)
Ashley Gallagher (ashley.pizza, @wyrm_ebooks)
David Tarafa (bethcomics.com, @beth_comics)
Ashley Franklin (arfranklinstein.com)
Jenny Gacy (jennygacy.com, @jennygacy)
Cait Zellers (@caitymayhem)
Victoria Grace Elliott (@fridayafternoon)
Jen Overstreet (streetoverjen.com, @streetoverjen)
E.C. Ibes (@saltysalmonella)
Abi Watson (abiwatsonillustration.co.uk, @abiwatsonart)
Jade Armstrong (jelajade.com, @jelajade)
Sam Wade (bysamwade.com)
The definitions of “spell” used at the beginning are taken from the Online Etymology Dictionary.