September 2024 - Time & Autumn
Autumn - Lobster Mushrooms - Kitchen Alchemy - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Autumn has fallen, the equinox has passed, Mabon is gone, and I hope you and yours are cozying up for the shorter days and longer nights.
On my end, I continue to pencil my way through Chapter 7 of The Mushroom Knight, which is the seventh chapter of the overall story, but the first chapter of Volume 3, which will be out sometime in 2025.
Volume 2’s release is just on the horizon—releasing on November 5th, Election Day here in the USA. You can read a little about it, and preview some of the art in this article The Comics Beat posted last April.
Altogether, though, there will be three books telling one story arc, kind of like a feature film broken into three acts, and released act by act. This is unlike a usual graphic novel, which tend to be self contained, with a beginning, middle, and end between the cover pages. Nor is it like a single issue monthly comic book, which are a scant 20-22 pages, containing just a fragment of a highly serialized adventure. It is neither this nor that.
It is entirely The Mushroom Knight. It’s a unique release format that we’re experimenting with, somewhat similar to how bande dessinée albums are released in Europe.
Eventually, the best way to take in the story will be to read Volumes 1-3 in sequence, as if they were all one big book, with little to no break in between each installment. There are lots of hidden details, meanings, and clues in every book; it is dense and very re-readable. Once you finish Volume 3, you will see Volume 1 with a new set of eyes.
But before that happens, I need to get back to work. Until October!
As always—it goes on,
Oliver Bly
Calendar:
October 17th-20th - New York Comic Con
I will be signing at the Mad Cave Booth on Friday, the 18th, from 5:00-6:00pm.
November 5th - THE MUSHROOM KNIGHT, VOL. 2 release date!
Pre-order now!
The rising and setting of the sun is a foundational backbeat within the rhythm of life on our planet. We are attuned to it, we sense and feel it and shape our days around it.
The placement of the sun and moon are an ever present part of our unconscious awareness. Our bodies register them, and their movements can influence mood. Specific times of day conjure different atmospheres and emotional correspondences. We feel high noon differently than midnight. The time of day can feel eerie or magical, foreboding or invigorating. Sometimes the time of day can make us feel nostalgic.
So time of day and the passage of time is a palette of expression within the sequential artist’s toolkit.
The below unlettered preview pages from TMK Volume 2 illustrate golden hour into twilight.
Mushroom season has arrived in Olympia, Washington with all that the rain promises and more.
This month we’re taking a look at lobster mushrooms, or Hypomyces lactiflourum, as they are in absolute abundance around the trails and park systems out here. As an edible (and delicious) mushroom, they are a forager’s treasure, and we have been very grateful to bring home several meals worth on our excursions.
An interesting note about this fungal delight—what you’re seeing pictured isn’t a normal mushroom so to say, H. lactiflourum is actually a parasitic mold that takes over a wild mushroom host, causing incredible changes to its appearance, structure and taste, including the brilliant orangey-red coloration.
We believe the host mushroom in our crop was Russula brevipes, pictured above, as we found some nearby the lobsters. H. lactiflourum specifically attacks Russula and Lactifluus varieties.
Lobster mushrooms are easy to ID and safe to eat, but as always, consult your local mushroom club before you dive in. In theory, H. lactiflourum could attack a toxic host mushroom, though there haven’t been any records of poisonings in hundreds of years.
That’s a better record than most fast food places.
The lobster mushroom is already an earthy example of an alchemical transmutation, but can we continue the process further in order to create dinner?
Here’s a recipe for cooking them into a cream sauce over pasta. No exact measurements are given, as we kind of make it up and scale it to how many mushrooms we want to cook, and how many people are eating.
Ingredients:
Your favorite pasta
A knob of butter and/or olive oil
Lobster Mushrooms, thoroughly washed and sliced into thin strips
A garlic glove, minced
Black pepper, salt
A shallot, chopped fine
Parsley, chopped fine to garnish
Cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
Red or white wine, depending on preference. You can leave this out if you prefer.
Heavy cream, about half a cup
Shredded parmesan, around a cup
Set your pasta water to boil, and cook to taste while you prepare the mushrooms and sauce.
Melt butter with olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot to the pan, followed by the mushrooms, and a sprinkle of salt. Sauté for around 5 minutes, the mushrooms will release some juices.
Add the garlic, cook only for 30 seconds or so, being careful not to brown it or burn it. Cool things down a bit with a hearty glug or two of wine, and let it reduce for a couple of minutes. Then add heavy cream and parmesan, slowly simmering and stirring for a few more minutes until it has reached the consistency you want. I prefer it thick, so it doesn’t run over the pasta. Taste it, if it needs a thing, add the thing it needs. If it’s ready to go, scoop it over plated pasta. Sprinkle the chopped tomato and finish with parsley, cracked black pepper, and a bit of the parmesan.
Enjoy!
The very beautiful, very etheric, “Bright Horses” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.