Linda Medley
Encyclopedia
Linda Medley is an American
comic book
author and illustrator
, known for her Castle Waiting
series of comic books and graphic novel
s.
, Medley now lives in Portland, Oregon
.
Before embarking on Castle Waiting
, Medley worked in the comics industry as a penciller
, inker
, painter
, colorist
, and sculptor. Her pencilling work includes stints on DC Comics
' Justice League America (1991) and Doom Patrol
(1993), as well as the Galactic Girl Guides for Tundra Press.
As a colorist, Medley worked for Image Comics
in 1994–1995, most consistently on Deathblow
. She colored DC's Batman and Robin Adventures for two years spanning 1995–1997.
A freelance illustrator since 1985, Medley has illustrated children's books for Putnam, Grosset & Dunlap, Houghton-Mifflin, and Western Publishing. Her paintings have appeared on the covers of Paradox Press
's Family Man, Howard Cruse
's Stuck Rubber Baby
, and TSR, Inc.
's Dragon
magazine, to name just a few.
and William Heath Robinson.
Medley conceived of Castle Waiting in 1984, when she was studying folklore and children's book illustration in college. Intending to do her own take on some of Grimm
's fairy tales, Medley found herself most interested in the unexplained pasts — and their often unresolved fates — of the tales' background characters.
The first Castle Waiting publication was Castle Waiting: The Curse of Brambly Hedge, which was self-published by Medley with a 1996 grant from the Xeric Foundation
. Medley self-published seven issues of an ongoing Castle Waiting series in 1997-98. In 1999, Medley self-published a Castle Waiting hiatus issue. Jeff Smith
's Cartoon Books started publishing Castle Waiting (volume two; 4 issues) in 2000. In 2001, Medley went back to self-publishing and put out five more issues of the title. In 2006, Fantagraphics Books
began publishing Castle Waiting, and as of April 2009, fifteen new issues have been published by them.
Medley is currently working on a series of nine graphic novels based on L. Frank Baum
's Wizard of Oz books.
nominee for Best Writer/Artist; and in 1998, she won two Eisner Awards, for Best Ongoing Story (Castle Waiting) and for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition. Also in 1998, Medley was a Lulu Award nominee for Lulu of the Year.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic book
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...
author and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, known for her Castle Waiting
Castle Waiting
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....
series of comic books and graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s.
Biography and early career
Born in Stockton, CaliforniaStockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
, Medley now lives in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
Before embarking on Castle Waiting
Castle Waiting
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 worked in the comics industry as a penciller
Penciller
A penciller is an artist who works in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms.The penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form and may require several steps of feedback with the writer. These artists are concerned with layout to showcase...
, inker
Inker
The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional comic book or graphic novel. After a pencilled drawing is given to the inker, the inker uses black ink to produce refined outlines over the pencil lines...
, painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, colorist
Colorist
In comics, a colorist is responsible for adding color to black-and-white line art. For most of the 20th century this was done using brushes and dyes which were then used as guides to produce the printing plates...
, and sculptor. Her pencilling work includes stints on DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' Justice League America (1991) and Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol
The Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
(1993), as well as the Galactic Girl Guides for Tundra Press.
As a colorist, Medley worked for Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
in 1994–1995, most consistently on Deathblow
Deathblow
Deathblow is a fictional character in the . He first appears in Darker Image #1 was created by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi.-Fictional character biography:...
. She colored DC's Batman and Robin Adventures for two years spanning 1995–1997.
A freelance illustrator since 1985, Medley has illustrated children's books for Putnam, Grosset & Dunlap, Houghton-Mifflin, and Western Publishing. Her paintings have appeared on the covers of Paradox Press
Paradox Press
Paradox Press was a division of DC Comics formed in 1993 after editor Mark Nevelow departed from Piranha Press. Under the initial editorship of Andrew Helfer and Bronwyn Carlton the imprint was renamed. It is best known for graphic novels like A History of Violence and Road to Perdition...
's Family Man, Howard Cruse
Howard Cruse
Howard Cruse is an American alternative cartoonist known for the exploration of gay themes in his comics.Cruse was raised in Springville, Alabama, the son of a preacher and a homemaker. His earliest published cartoons were in The Baptist Student when he was in high school. His work later appeared...
's Stuck Rubber Baby
Stuck Rubber Baby
Stuck Rubber Baby is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Howard Cruse, first published in 1995. Set mostly in the 1960s in the Southern United States, in the midst of the Black Civil Rights movement, it deals with homosexuality and racism....
, and TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
's Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
magazine, to name just a few.
Castle Waiting
Castle Waiting tells the story of an isolated, abandoned castle and its eccentric inhabitants. Medley illustrates Castle Waiting in a style reminiscent of the work of Arthur RackhamArthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham was an English book illustrator.-Biography:Rackham was born in London as one of 12 children. At the age of 18, he worked as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art.In 1892 he left his job and started working for The...
and William Heath Robinson.
Medley conceived of Castle Waiting in 1984, when she was studying folklore and children's book illustration in college. Intending to do her own take on some of Grimm
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...
's fairy tales, Medley found herself most interested in the unexplained pasts — and their often unresolved fates — of the tales' background characters.
The first Castle Waiting publication was Castle Waiting: The Curse of Brambly Hedge, which was self-published by Medley with a 1996 grant from the Xeric Foundation
Xeric 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. Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith (cartoonist)
Jeff Smith is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the self-published comic book series Bone. His current series, RASL, focuses on an art thief who hops through dimensional barriers, hiding out on various parallel worlds.-Early life and education:Jeff Smith was born in McKees...
's Cartoon Books started publishing Castle Waiting (volume two; 4 issues) in 2000. In 2001, Medley went back to self-publishing and put out five more issues of the title. 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...
began publishing Castle Waiting, and as of April 2009, fifteen new issues have been published by them.
Medley is currently working on a series of nine graphic novels based on L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
's Wizard of Oz books.
Awards
Medley was a 1996 Xeric Award recipient. In 1996, she was an Ignatz Award nominee for Outstanding Anthology or Collection. In 1996, she was an Eisner AwardEisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
nominee for Best Writer/Artist; and in 1998, she won two Eisner Awards, for Best Ongoing Story (Castle Waiting) and for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition. Also in 1998, Medley was a Lulu Award nominee for Lulu of the Year.