Think STRANGER THINGS meets FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (but without the songs)... PALE OF SETTLEMENT is a YA fantasy set in 1881, after the assassination of Czar Alexander II (which really happened!). And after evil Cossacks kidnap a rabbi with a dark secret, it'll be up to his daughter to find the legendary Golem and save her dad... and the entire Russian empire. Along the way, she'll encounter monsters, magic... and romance!
NEW PAGES EVERY THURSDAY... once complete, PALE OF SETTLEMENT will be a 152 page graphic novel.
Written by Josh Eiserike, art by Tina Ritchie
Three items of note for today's pages:
- First, if you're unfamiliar, people get dressed up in costume for Purim (essentially the Jewish Halloween). The costumes depicted here are fairly historically accurate for people who lived back then and there.
- second, the idea of "Jewish pride" basically didn't exist for these people. Much like Rivke's necklace, it's an anachronism that I'm choosing to include for thematic reasons.
- finally, the way Rivke sits in synagogue was totally my move as a 14-year old too... except I'd be running an earbud through my sleeve to listen to Nirvana. Nirvana, obviously, did not exist in 1881 either :)