"Morbid Humor" Collection on Redbubble!

This series is not for the faint of heart. This is for those who possess a particular sense of humor. A "Game of Thrones"- esque, old school video gamer sense of humor. It is a series of digital pixel illustrations featuring the more unpleasant forms of punishment used during the Dark Ages and the Medieval period. The most horrid part is the use of pop culture references. The horror, the horror!

All are available for purchase on Redbubble. Get it on a postcard to send to a friend, a pillow so you can rest your head, or a sticker so you can put it anywhere! (The copyright will not be on the finished product.)

How's It Hanging?

This is a play on words. Also, it should be self explanatory.

Nice Rack

This is in reference to the "rack", a machine that 

would pull the intended victim's arms and legs to 

get a confession out of them. It is, also, a reference 

to a slang term for a person't bust.

Stay Right There

This piece features Vlad the Impaler's 

favorite way to keep people in one place.

Cat Scratch Fever

This piece's title is in reference to a torture 

device called the "Cat's Paw". It was shaped 

like cat claws and they were used to rip off 

skin of the woeful victim.

Whip It Good

This piece's title is in reference to an 80's classic

 and Devo's one hit wonder "Whip It". 

The picture features a man whipping someone else.

This Beat Is Hawt!

This wasn't necessarily used in medieval times, 

although they would burn feet. But it was found 

in a fairy tale in which an evil witch is forced to 

put on flaming hot metal shoes and 'dances' her 

way to death. "Hawt" is actually an acronym that 

stands for "Having A Wonderful Time" 

while also meaning "hot".

We Will Rock You

This depicts a classic stoning during which the

 intended victim would be pelted with stones 

until his demise. It also references Queen's 

stadium anthem, "We Will Rock You".

Hot In Herre

This features a victim being burned to death. 

The title is in reference to Nelly's "Getting Hot in Here".

Saw You There

This one is a play on words. It features a death

 by sawing, during which the victim would be hung 

upside down by his legs and would be sawed 

in half through the groin while still alive.

Give Head

This features a classic beheading with the head 

decorating the end of a pike. It also features a 

double entendre that should be self-explanatory. 

It is always better to give than to receive.

Take A Break

This features the infamous wheel to which the 

intended victim would be strapped down 

and turned over a spit of nails with the sharp ends 

turned towards the victim. The title of the 

piece is simply a play on words.

Quarterly Review

This features one of the oldest forms of execution in France. 

Each of the victim's limbs was tied to four horses. The horses 

were then made to take off in different directions thereby 

pulling the victim apart. Hence the title, "Quarterly Review".

"I Hunt Killers" Book Review

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

"Jasper 'Jazz' Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

"But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

"And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

"In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?"

Let me start this review by saying I was originally attracted to this book because of its cover. It is awesome! The book jacket was very eye-catching, but I was more interested in the book itself: that really caught me off guard, but it looks really cool.

I saw a friend of mine reading this book on Goodreads and thought I would give it a try.

I've never read "Dexter", but I imagine if I compared the two books together, this one would be the younger brother version.

But, also, wow. Loved this book. It was fast and an interesting take on sociopaths - whether they're born that way or nurtured into becoming that way!

I really felt for Jazz, too. It was pretty cool to watch a possible sociopath use people but not to damage them, like his father. And Billy was just so much of a threat.

Even though I loved it, I can't give it 5 stars because Howie's character was a bit of the usual, silly best friend (which is a character I usually hate, but thankfully Lyga gave Howie some smarts and actually funny things to do and say and also made him matter to the story). Although I bet in the sequel he has some more growth to him.

Also, I knew who the Impressionist was way too soon, but the twist at the end totally made up for that.

A few warnings: It is a teeny bit gory (which doesn't stop me) but I know some people are squeamish, so beware. Also, the next book in the series, called "Jasper Dent", isn't out until April 2013 and it has the provoking but unrevealing title of "Game".

I can't believe I have to wait so long to find out how the story goes on!

Got picture here: On A Book Bender Blog.

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I was so inspired, I drew a comic:

"The Luxe" Book Review

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn.Irresistible boys with sly smiles and dangerous intentions.

"White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups.

"This is Manhattan, 1899.

"Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone - from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud - threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.

"With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear....

"In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent."

I originally got this book for its cover - you could say pretty dresses are my Achilles heel.

Anyway, I thought it was okay. It was the usual unrequited love story. You know the kind - boy and girl cannot love each other because they don't belong to the same class and the girl has to marry for money to save her stupid, prudish family.

The 'bad guy', if you will, was almost a cartoon version of evil and selfish. She had a small dog that she would pet as she made devious plans and she even had a No. 2 or a gay henchman of sorts. That part was very predictable and now I feel like laughing about it.

But I am kind of interested to finish the series, or at least read the next book, because the ending left a lot open, in terms of the people I cared most about. I'm certainly at least going to try to read the next book.


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"The Complete Sherlock Holmes Vol. 1" Book Review

The Complete Sherlock Holmes 1 by Arthur Conan Doyle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume I, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:

• New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars
• Biographies of the authors
• Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events
• Footnotes and endnotes
• Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work
• Comments by other famous authors
• Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations
• Bibliographies for further reading
• Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate

"All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works."
Excellent stories and excellent characters! Why have I not read these before?! They should be a part of some high school or literature course somewhere. Americans really should take more British authors seriously. There are only so many plays of Shakespeare and so many novels of Jane Austen to choke over. I find the title kind of funny though: "The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1". I would hate to see the size of the book that contained both volumes.


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"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" Book Review

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Found this book an absolute delight! I hope to finish the whole series of Oz books this year. And I mean all of them! Even the ones not by L. Frank Baum! Should be interesting!


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