The end of July quickly approaches, as does the end of the Sparkler Monthly: Year 3 Kickstarter. The campaign hasn’t quite reached its goal yet, but I desperately want it to succeed. With that in mind, hoping to draw more attention to the project, this month’s giveaway will be a little different than usual. I happen to have an extra copy of Tokyo Demons, Book 2 to give away, but that’s not all I’m offering. The winner of the contest will also be able to choose one item (physical/print or digital) from the Sparkler Online Shop! (Yes, a Year+ gift subscription to the magazine, which also includes a free ebook, is a completely valid option.) As always, the giveaway is open worldwide!
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Sparkler Monthly and Chromatic Press. I’m fairly obsessed with Tokyo Demons and I adore Off*Beat, and so when those two series became the flagship titles for the newly established publisher in 2013, I knew it was time to pay attention. It was the right decision. I honestly haven’t been disappointed by a single thing that I’ve read (or listened to) that has been released in Sparkler Monthly. (Just take a look at the Chromatic Press tag for my in-depth reviews and features of a small selection of the content.) Sparkler Monthly is a multimedia magazine that includes prose, comics, and audio, and I devour it all. I love the range of formats and genres, the diverse stories and characters; the variety found in Sparkler Monthly is one of its greatest strengths, and more is constantly being added.
The work the creators and staff are doing through Sparkler Monthly is phenomenal. It would be tragic if they can’t garner the support to continue. So please, if you haven’t already, give the fantastic stories of Sparkler Monthly a try. Almost everything is available online for free, so there’s no excuse! And if you like what you see and/or hear, please consider donating to the Kickstarter campaign, too.
So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of Tokyo Demons, Book 2 AND one other Sparkler goody of your choice?
1) In the comments below, name one of your favorite Sparkler Monthly stories and write a little about why you like it. (Never experienced Sparkler? Now’s the time to check it out!)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).
That’s all there is to it! Each person can earn up to two entries for this giveaway and has one week to submit comments. Entries can also be sent to me via email at phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com if you have trouble with the comment form or if you would prefer. I will then post the comments here in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on August 5, 2015. Good luck and happy reading!
VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address in the comment form, a link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.
Contest winner announced–Giveaway: Sparkler Monthly Giveaway Winner
I actually hate Tokyo Demons and am not really interested in being entered for the giveaway, but i agree that Chromatic Press and Sparkler Monthly have published some really terrific literature. I very much enjoyed reading the transcript to Awake both as realistic sci-if/murder mystery and YA lit and I’d probably reread it. I also appreciate the idea of it being a radio drama, but listening to English voice acting usually inspires gagging for me.
If I must pick a favorite, I’ll go with Knights-Errant. I’ve been following it for a while (since before it was rebooted!) and I absolutely adore Wil. When I heard it was being added to the Sparkler Monthly lineup, I was really excited because I love their tiny publisher and their mission.
Hmm… How do I choose a favorite?! Sparkler has SO many great titles.
I adore Tokyo Demons, Lettera, Witch’s Quarry, Windrose, Knights-Errant, and Orange Junk. If I have to choose, then I’d say it’s a 3-way tie between Tokyo Demons, Witch’s Quarry, and Orange Junk. All three are well written and make me want more after each chapter/segment. My favorites characters are Kiyoshi (TD), Wes (WQ), and Bruce (OJ). I tend to fall for the quirky characters.
P.S. Don’t worry about adding me to the drawing. Own almost all titles in print/digital. ^_^_v
The only one I’ve read so far is Off Beat (thanks to you guys on the manga bookshelf blog convincing me), but I quite enjoyed it (my friend still hasn’t read it yet, I lent her those books at least two months ago!) But I enjoyed the character study, and I’m glad I didn’t discover it during Tokyopop’s heyday because v2 left on an awful cliffhanger (for years) that I didn’t have to experience.
I love love LOVE Tokyo Demons! I used to be an avid reader, but once I got into high school I just stopped, and couldnt get myself to pick up a book during my downtime. I discovered Sparkler through advertising by my favorite artist/mangaka Christy Lijewski (creator of Sparkler’s Dire Hearts, on hiatus). I’m more of a physical media person so I immediately checked out the shop and started reading various synopses for various books/series, and Tokyo Demons just sounded so original that I knew I had to try it out. It DID take me a couple months to get up my willpower to actually read the book, but once I started reading, I could NOT stop. I read it in literally ALL my spare time during my family’s vacation in Italy, and thinking about my ultimate OTP Sachi & Ayase literally kept me up with anticipation and excitement.
I love a lot of Sparkler series, but I’m going to give a shout out to the oft-overlooked Gauntlet, which is possibly my favourite title from them. I’ve always wanted an Alice in Wonderland tale for grown ups, and Gauntlet delivers in spades (and hearts, clubs, diamonds and fools). It’s a beautiful, dreamlike narrative with none of the frustrated disjointedness, blank characterization or directionlessness that normally comes with surrealism. My main complaint is that there’s no forthcoming sequel.
1. My favorite Sparkler series is Gauntlet. I love the suspenseful and dark tone of it, and that it has a horror aspect. It’s a series that always manages to stay interesting and keep you guessing. The characters also are unique and have a lot of depth, which makes it interesting to read about them.
2. I posted a tweet about the giveaway as @Bamboopanda27.
I’m actually pretty new to Sparkler. I’ve been following Knights Errant for about 3 years now and decided to check out some of the other Sparkler series about a month go. I ended up marathon-reading Tokyo Demons and getting a monthly subscription! I like KE and TD because of their nuanced character writing. KE also has its incredible world-building and representation of different gender identities. TD is built on some of my favorite tropes (strangers becoming family, reclaiming power and agency) and has incredible inter-character dynamics. I’m really excited to see where these series and the rest of the Sparkler line-up will go over the next year!