Artesia (comics)

Artesia is an epic fantasy comic book series authored and illustrated by American artist Mark Smylie. Artesia is also the name of the heroine of the cycle. Smylie has described her as a "Pagan Joan of Arc", to use a popular reference, while noting that the closest historical model is the Irish Queen Medb. Themes in the series include feudal politics, intrigue, and power struggles, complex mythology and world history, and strong female characters.

Currently the series is composed of four "books": Artesia, Artesia Afield, Artesia Afire and Artesia Besieged. Each book is composed of six episodes, or fairly American standard comic book-sized episodes. Each book has been followed by an annual compendium including short stories and details of the history, geography and mythology of Artesia's universe. The books together constitute part of a cycle called The Book of Dooms. Smylie has said that it would take 22 books to tell Artesia's story in full, but that at least 7 will be completed "hell or high water".

Artesia's first two books were published by Sirius Entertainment. After that point it was published by Archaia Studios Press, which was founded by Smylie.

In 2005, a role-playing game set in the world of Artesia was released. It uses the Fuzion role-playing system, and is called Artesia: Adventures in the Known World.

Artesia is tall and beautiful. She is highly intelligent and sexually open. It is strongly hinted throughout the series that Artesia (and most, if not all, of the other female characters) is bisexual. She has a keen understanding of war and strategy. She possesses an enchanted sword of an unknown magic type from outside the Highlands and it will inflict wounds on otherworldly creatures that cannot otherwise be hurt by mere steel. It contains five magical runes; the smith Hymachus believes it to be 800 to 1,000 years old and possibly made by the legendary armorer Brage.

Artesia was born in the Middle Kingdoms to Byron and Argante, the witch of An-Athair. Her mother began teaching her the tenets of witchcraft at an early age. Artesia was raised in the predominant religion of the Middle Kingdoms, the worship of Islik and his father, Helios, the Sun King. She also had two younger brothers, Stjepan and Justin.

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