“Books are a uniquely portable magic”
~Stephen King

The above Nonsequitur comic strip comes courtesy of the latest participant in the Once Upon a Time Challenge (Number 56!), Dana over at Think Pink. She has a wonderful Personal Bibliophile Disclaimer that you simply must read.
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The wonderful folks over at the Endicott Studio blog site have posted a link to this online magazine, Goblin Fruit. This spring issue marks their one year anniversary. Goblin Fruit presents poetry “of the fantastical, poetry that treats mythic, surreal, fantasy and folkloric themes, or approaches other themes in a fantastical way. Re-write a fairytale, ponder an old story, consider history from an unusual perspective — really, it’s up to you, so long as the fantastical element is there.” In addition to featured poems, they currently have the winners of their latest contest, The Fairie Queen, which asked for poetry treating the subject of Queen Elizabeth and the Faerie Court. This being both Once Upon a Time Challenge season and National Poetry Month, I think a visit over there is in order. The website is filled with wonderful art by Oliver Hunter as well. Check it out. They do pay for submissions as well if you are interested.
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Chris, over at Stuff as Dreams, posted about his dream house this past weekend. This is Terri Windling’s English property that is up for sale. From her site:

Want to own a 16th century fairy tale cottage in England, complete with goblins on the kitchen walls painted by Brian Froud, Alan Lee, Charles Vess and other artists? Here’s an extremely rare opportunity to do so. The cottage is located in the middle of a small, bucolic country village at the edge of Dartmoor…perfect for a writer, painter, or dreamer seeking inspiration in the countryside.

My answer to that question is, Yes, I do! More information and more pictures of the home can be seen at the website of Philip Fowler.

As I said over on Chris’ post, I hope whoever buys it appreciates all the fantastic art inside and doesn’t commence to painting over all the walls once the purchase is complete.
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Remember, at noon today, my time, the first drawing of the Once Upon a Time Challenge comes to an end. All you need to is comment on the art in last week’s Friday Favorite here by noon today, CST, to be entered into the drawing for an Endicott Studio t-shirt of your size and color choice:

Check back here this afternoon for the announcement of the winner!
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And to tie all this magical, fantastical, mythical stuff together I take you back to the comic strip that started today’s post. Isn’t it wonderful? I generally like the Nonsequitur strips, but this one is my favorite thus far, even more so because that is how I spent my weekend.

I visited the Halls of the Dead with Conan in the three issue story arc written by Mike Mignola (pics of his covers can be seen here). I visited a Mexican bordertown with CIA agent Silk Satin and the Spirit in Darwyn Cooke’s reinterpretation of Will Eisner’s The Spirit, issue #4.

If you read comics and you’re not reading The Spirit, you are really missing out. Darwyn Cooke’s art and story are incredible. I went on a journey inside the mind with Mike Allred’s creation, Madman, in the re-launch of this as an ongoing series.

In addition I traveled to faerie with Charles De Lint’s wonderful Newford residents in the pages of Widdershins. I am now part way through this, my first De Lint, and I can unequivocally say that he is indeed a fantastic author!

Saturday was filled with good food, good conversation, and a dominating performance by yours truly in Madden 2006 on the X-Box 360.

Spring came back from holiday on Sunday, which necessitated grilling out and watching movies about food and wine. I hope everyone else’s weekend was as fun and fulfilling.