Bundle Of Bucking -- no, the Godot kind... · 2:21pm Oct 10th, 2020
Just wanted to put this one up for the Foglio fans.
A while back, I invoked the stories of Buck Godot (Zap Gun For Hire!) in a blog-ending image. This led to a brief discussion of the old works, along with how difficult they are to find right now.
So as it turns out, the current Bundle Of Holding (semi-random offerings for Lotsa Stuff, where part of the purchase price goes to charity) is a Phil & Kaja Foglio package. To wit, if you take the Level Up bundle by paying $33.82 US or higher, you get files for the first thirteen volumes of Girl Genius, a few novel adaptations, some blueprints -- and the original two Buck Godot graphic albums.
Now: you don't get the Gallimaufry miniseries, so this isn't the whole of what's available. (I wish...) Additionally, if the first album's file is the unedited original, it will include the brothel short: this has female toplessness and so is both NSFW and not appropriate for minors. (I don't know if it's unedited, though. The BoH people might be able to tell you more.) But it's still more Buck as an easy find than you'd get anywhere else. And if you start heading down Agatha Heterodyne's path, you are in for a very long, very strange, and rather intricate trip. Featuring mad science and Victorian undergarments. Possibly as a combo pack. But mostly mad science and the girl who'd appreciate it if everyone would stop trying to kill her. You can preview that story at the most previous link to see if it's to your taste.
However, if you're a Foglio fan (or just became one) and want to fill out your digital collection...
This is the purchase/donation link. (As of this post, there's sixteen days remaining.)
And it's not as if my opinion means much, but -- I'd recommend it. I think a number of you would enjoy their work.
...of course, on the best days, I think my own writing is remotely tolerable. I may not be the best judge here.
Approach at your own discretion.
Ko-Fi goal adjusted. (Because I don't need legal fees for the Plagscan problem -- yet...)
For those playing at home, Phil also did some Magic the Gathering cards back in the early days.
I first learned of the Foglios through—surprise, surprise—their contributions to Magic: the Gathering. Discovering the comics was a delight and a highlight of my webcomic routine back when I followed about a hundred of the things. Thanks for the link.
But is there anywhere to buy the accumulated Phil & Dixie comics?
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Actually, yes. They were released as graphic albums -- but as they're all out of print, the prices can get rough.
Volume #1
Volume #2
Volume #3
I found some better prices on eBay. No luck with the Studio Foglio store -- although that does show how much you'd be saving with the GG/BG Bundle.
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I too initially learned of the Foglios initially from Magic, but then later the XXXenophile card game and comics. (For anyone who can't guess from the title, said card game and comics are very, very NSFW. Edit: Also, the game was later re-imagined as Girl Genius: The Works.) I've been reading Girl Genius for years. (Finally, after so long, Higgs got his big reveal!) It's simply astounding how much stuff, both simply art and entire comics, that those two have produced over the years.
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I'm pretty sure both of them still do.
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Ta!
If anyone's looking for a new webcomic to get into, I recommend Lavender Jack. Its a bit steampunk and set during the turn of the century in a fictional European city, about a gold-age pulp hero fighting corruption while engaged in a battle of wits with a frech detective.
Phil, as well as many writers, are handicapped by their early years when they produced Intellectual Property for other companies, many of which have rolled over and died, leaving the actual rights to their material in legal limbo. That's one reason why I wrote the legal disclaimer on the compendium book that was sold during Bronycon, so there would be absolutely *zero* doubt about who maintained all legal rights over the material inside. (i.e. the original authors) Sarah Hoyt has some highly informative articles on the issue, since she had some of her earlier works being published by a tiny publishing house that went bust and sold all their (and her) rights to a soul-sucking... um... She says it better than I do.
Wow. Glad I make it a habit of saving online comics to my computer when I find one I like.
Phil & Kaja Foglio are fantastic. I loved Buck Godot (sadly no longer easily available on the internet, but you can try the internet archive). Girl Genius is also pure awesome :)
I'm lucky enough to have the original print editions. Highly recommended! I also have the excellent The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox by Barry Hughart with the Kaja Foglio illustrations, and have followed the Foglios since Phil drew the BSD Daemon logo in 1976 and went on to do What's New With Phil and Dixie in Dragon magazine. Currently looking forward to the forthcoming Girl Genius video game!
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The link 5375038 gave disagrees; the most recent artwork was from "Arena League 2004", the one before that is a one-off from Mirrodin, and the only other cards that don't use the original frame are Tempest Remastered (and therefore artwork that still predates the frame update).
Speaking of Foglio's work:
For MANY years he worked with Asprin on Asprin's Myth book series.
You want the old Starblaze editions NOT the paperback reprints.
I swear, the artwork was easily half the humor in them.
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I discovered Phil's work when I read the Myth series (R.I.P., Robert Lynn Asprin). I love how expressive his characters are, and even the SFW stuff still has a leaning-hard-into-PG-13 vibe. I got out of reading webcomics (GG was one of the bookmarked ones) a little while ago. I have to get back into it.
Excellent stuff! Thank you, Estee!
Link to what I think anytime I hear someone with great talent talk down about themselves.
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...Huh.
Then again, I've only gotten back into Magic in the past couple months (MtG: Arena only, I can't afford real cards) after not having played since well before the current card frame was in use. (The current frame started in Magic 2015.)
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I have Illegal Aliens.
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I missed the Kickstarter for the game (and with this month's car repair bills, wouldn't have been able to back it regardless), but I'm horrible with platformers anyway. It would have been introductory level and freeze. Forever.
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I don't have that and now I'm jealous. 
Ooooooooh!
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as did Kaja.
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I found a paperback copy in the back of a comic shop back in the 90's, and was happy to do so. It's available on amazon for Kindle. I just got it from Amazon Canada for $3 Canadian. Well worth it.
I got into Phil Foglio through Dragon Magazine’s Phil and Dixie and then the Myth Adventure novels (and the comic adaptation). I used to draw that little purple dragon (*growf*) all of the time, and now that I think of it, that was probably my first real fan art of any kind. (I loved when they showed up trying to sell him at the bazaar in Deva.)
Oooh, shiny! Thanks!
So. I just spent a whole weekend archive binging all of Girl Genius. Not sure if I want to thank or curse you. I'm going to go for both.
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...and this is my fault exactly how? Did I write it? Did I draw it? Did I plot out twists years in advance? Did I somehow manage to make the name 'Agatha' into something worth dreading, which was previously only true if you were thinking of naming your daughter 'Agatha'? Did I tell you to look for the Foglio recurring motif of the decorative item with facial features which match those of the person wearing it? Did I even ask you who your favorite Jagger was?
No. No, I did not.
Sorry, Genie. You did that on your own.
And now that you have it... what are you going to do with it?
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It's your fault much in the same way I can be blamed for The Lion and the Unicorn. Inspiration can be a dangerous thing, as all of Europa can attest.
So. Bad time to point out that the site has a relative dearth of crossover stories, then?