The Black Mage

by Daniel Barnes, D.J. Kirkland (Illustrator)

When St. Ivory Academy, a historically white wizarding school, opens its doors to its first-ever black student, everyone believes that the wizarding community is finally taking its first crucial steps toward inclusivity. Or is it? When Tom Token, the beneficiary of the school's "Magical Minority Initiative," begins uncovering weird clues and receiving creepy texts on his phone, he and his friend, Lindsay, stumble into a conspiracy that dates all the way back to the American Civil War, and could cost Tom his very soul.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult, Comics, Magic, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

143 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 13, 2019

Reviews

[Emily W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given an e-book of this graphic novel for free for review by Netgalley.
This was a very quick read, but it still had a lot of great points and topics covered in the short amount of time. I enjoyed this and I think that it could turn into a good series. The artwork was more of a very colorful anime, which I liked. I hope there will be more to come!

[Jamie (jamies_shelves) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I really wanted to like this. The plot sounded incredible! A story about a wizarding school that is accepting it's first black student sounds incredible. I was so ready for intricate character development and watching the main character (Tom) face racism, while breaking down barriers, proving his worth, and maybe cursing some racists along the way.

Instead I got a black boy with his pet crow Jim going to a school run by the KKK... literally they're all walking around in their outfits.

The overt messages in this don't make it bad, but there is no development along with it to keep it from just being a disturbing story. We don't get a backstory on Tom or slowly seeing everything develop and him come out on top. Instead everything happens in one short volume and you're left a bit confused as to what happened.

I will say that I liked the art and the idea of this. I just wish it was more developed.

[demi. ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 / 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this e-ARC for me in exchange for an honest review.❣️

I really enjoyed reading this book and it was quite a quick read for me. I finished The Black Mage like in half an hour because it was fun and I was so excited to see what would happen next in the story. If someone are finding a graphic novel concerning magic, I would highly recommend this.

[Lost in Book Land · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know when this post goes live October will be almost over but I love October and fall so much why not celebrate it all I can! I received an ebook ARC of this book on Netgalley from the publisher over the summer and I really wanted to read it on a particular day but I did not want to post my full review on my site until it got much closer to when the book came out. At the actual time I read it, the book still had over two months before it came out but I still wanted to get my thoughts down sooner so that I would not forget something as time went on. I will put this review on my Goodreads once I am done writing it, however, like I said the post will go live much closer to the release date!

SPOILERS AHEAD

This graphic novel takes place at St. Ivory's a magical school that kind of hovers or floats in the air that is downright gorgeous. The school trains younger witches or wizards in the magical arts and they have a new initiative the "Magical Minority Initiative." This initiative is to bring diversity to the school and the student who is the recipient of this award is Tom Token. Tom is excited to be attending the school however, he quickly becomes skeptical not just because of how others are treating him but because of this student ID that ends up in his possession. I do not want to give away to much but Tom takes it upon himself to try to track down the owner of this mystery ID and finds so much more.

First and foremost I love the art in this graphic novel, the colors pop and the drawings are amazingly done. I thought the idea of St. Ivory's and the characters themselves were very interesting and I honestly wanted to know more about St. Ivory's than even the book relieved but I think that maybe because I am a huge Harry Potter fan and I love all things magical schools. I am giving this graphic novel four stars on Goodreads!

**I was given this ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tasha Birckhead · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really did not like this. The good part about it that it was faced paced and the art was nice. Now for the bad. Where do I begin? As a librarian and historian I did not think it was good to put Harriet Tubman in a ninja outfit. I know the creator were using satire but having the protagonist name "Tom Token" with a crow named Jim was too much. Images of hooded clansman, tiki torches along with the headmaster named "Mr.Lynch" were all disrespectful and crossing the line. Being from Charlottesville myself, I found this to be overwhelming an not appropriate. I felt like screaming "enough already, we get it." I understand the concept but it just does not come through the way the summary portrays it.

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

* netgalley arc for a review*

The Black Mage is fun action-packed can-be-read-as-a-standalone graphic novel, exploring racism in a modern world fantasy setting. The book is a total page-turner! I've devoured the whole volume in less than an hour. I love the vibrant colors and the panel composition. The fighting sequences are particularly excellent. The arc is a full color one and what a pleasant reading it was!

The intro says the comic is inspired by Japanese media and you can clearly see it! The fightings feels as exciting as in shonen fight manga and the power attacks feel like in a game. I was delighted. Also it's an ownvoices for black representation as both the writer and the artists are black men.

The main character is Tom, first black mage to be admitted in a white-only magical school, but him being there might not be as simple as education.
I like Tom, I like his strong will and courageous heart. I like how smart Tom is, in one scene he was like "screw the rules which bounds you to fail, break them and get on an equal ground". Also he is sarcastic and he has a pet crow, what a dude!
The second prominent character is a white girl mage Lindsay who has a good heart, she's ignorant but she learns. I liked her growth and her and Tom dynamics.

The core themes of the novel is fighting and winning against racism, white supremacy and 'make our school great again" white people. But the heroes fight them with magic which is double exciting to see.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the book. The only complains I have are minor ones, like the abrupt shifts from the scenes and a too rushed ending.

All in all, I highly recommend to pick up the book when it's released on October 29th. I hope we get a follow-up volume. The story stands on its own perfectly well, but I just want more time with Tom and Lindsay.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ARC of this graphic novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

I quite enjoyed this graphic novel. I very much appreciated the concept of seeing the theme of racism explored in a fantasy setting. There are definitely similarities between St. Ivory Academy’s headmaster and his colleagues and the members of the KKK, this much was pretty obvious and I think it was explained fairly well.
Tom was a very likable main characters and I admired his confidence and also his bravery. I’m glad he got Lindsay’s help and that the two became friends. And also I’m very glad that Tom managed to free himself, defeat the headmaster and escape.
I wish we could have had some more explanations about the magic system and I would have loved for this book to be the first in a series. I think there could be more to explore in this story.

[Jadey (the Bookish) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was alright for what it was. For me it lacked development and world-building, and all just happened too fast. It felt like the white side character was given more personality/screen time than the main Black protagonist which was disappointing.

If you're looking for a quick fast-paced satirical read handling racism on-the-nose you might enjoy this!

[Justina Ireland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever and funny, with gorgeous art and a quickly moving storyline. Great book all around.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley

actual rating: 3.5

This was maybe a bit too simplistic or 'on the nose' at times but it was funny and entertaining and I liked the main characters and the art style. At first I thought it was a bit much that ALL the wizarding stuff had synonyms for white in their names and that the main character was literally named 'Token', but this book REALLY leaned into the satire aspect of its plot and ultimately I think that was a good thing. I would have honestly liked for it be a little bit longer so we could get more depth in the characters, but it was a fun quick read and definitely got its message across.

[Loc'd Booktician · Rating 4 out of 5]

First wow! Whew! I was not ready for this as my last read of the night. The first clue should have been the name of the school, the second clue should have been Mr. Token, the third, the KKK coats as uniforms... the list never ends.

All of this in the name of John Henry. This was all too relatable in this story. I am will need time to adjust.

[Julia971 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good surprise !

The Black mage tells the story of Tom... Token (yep), the only black student in a magical school, St Ivory school, located in Alabaster station (yep). Upon his arrival, he has to deal with a great deal of racism and mysterious clues / events.

This story is way darker than I thought it would be. Without it being extremely violent or showing blood, it features racism, the Klan, and the exploitation of black bodies. Furthermore, the puns never let the reader forgets what the story is about.

As a european, I must say a bit of knowledge about the civil war, the Klan, Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas is needed to really get what Tom's fight is about.

In my opinion the story would have benefited from a less manichean setting but I really enjoyed the plot and the powerful images (of speech / drawings). Oh, how I wish the sorrow of the countless oppressed black souls could be that powerful !

[Hristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the anime inspired art style and the colors, I thought it looked really cool. I enjoyed the story too, it was a bit more race focused than I expected, but I liked how it was handled. I thought the pace was a bit fast and I feel like I would've enjoyed it even more if there was more back story, about the characters and about the school.
Overall it's a fast and enjoyable read, and the story is interesting. It just makes you wish there was more.

[Libby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I have to admit, I’m wary of passing any sort of judgement of this book. It’s really on the nose...as in TOO on the nose. But I’m also a white reader, and perhaps my inherent white supremacy makes me unable to read this book the way it was intended to be read.
Let me set the stage of this “too on the nose” thing though: This school of mages is called St. Ivory’s (of course) and it needs the soul of a Black person to feed it every 10 years in order to keep itself afloat in the sky. It’s an all-white school (obvs with a name like that and a headmaster who wears the mage equivalent of a KKK outfit and whose name is Atticus Lynch), but one Black mage has been admitted as part of a “diversity endeavor” for the school (aka how they get their one Black person every 10 years). His name is Tom Token (I mean, come on). Tom has a pet crow named Jim (seriously, COME ON). There’s an almost Black face scene, a white knight scene, a chess game with white vs black pieces, a scene where Tom is taken over by the spell ‘Enslave’ followed by him switching from Ebonics into straight up slave vernacular, etc., etc. you get the point. But there are also a few well-done allusions to how racism and supremacy and prejudice are truly acted out in the real world, though (such as when the headmaster’s son falsely accuses Tom of starting a fight by lying and by saying all Black people are violent and scary), and I fully support the message the book seems to want to be sending. But overall, the execution of the book lacked something for me.
To be honest, I’m a huge fan of the on-the-nose aspect of these character and place names (Jim the Crow? Atticus Lynch? Wonderful word play imo), they are clever and could have been a contributing factor to a brilliantly executed book. But these names combined with a lame spells (Blizzaga, thundaga...need I go on?), poor story development, stereotypical/nonexistent character backstories, action scenes that hurt my eyes and brain when I tried to make sense of them, and sexualization of female characters (short skirts and a girl fight where the word ‘bitch’ is said...it’s the only curse word in the entire book, mind you, the one other curse word is #@$*’ed out) just made me roll my eyes a bunch instead of saying, “yes, we white people ARE complicit in racism and too inactive when it comes to our own white supremacy!” which is what I think this book was trying to do. Mind you, I don’t expect every book by a POC to try and send that message, that is not something POC should have to be burdened with (aka white people should be doing the work to educate themselves). But that’s CLEARLY the message this book was trying to send. There were just a few too many factors distracting me as a reader from this message.

I would be very interested in hearing the opinions of POC on this book, though.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review – thanks so much to Netgalley for sending this to me!

The Black Mage is a vibrant, speedy book with an epic art style that’s like a combination of Harry Potter and Little Witch Academia. It’s super action packed, blending different pop-culture references in a way that’s really fun – it’s like lots of little nods to things we know and love. The book follows Tom Token (an awesome wizard who takes no sh*t) and his new friend Lindsay (who’s very reminiscent of Hermione Granger in her younger days – pushy and a little bit socially unaware) as they seek to uncover a conspiracy that’s infiltrated the very depths of notoriously non-diverse their magical school, at which Tom is the only black student.
I can’t say too much about the subject matter of this book, since racism is a huge theme and as a white person that’s something I have no authority to speak on. What I will say is that this book is often uncomfortable, not shying away from the fact that members of the school board are blatantly racist and that the school’s antiblackness is insidious, driven in to the very core. This makes it hard to read at times, but I feel like it’s an awesome thing for teens to see – a black character kicking ass, tackling racists and winning.

While I enjoyed the book, I felt it was a little short for my liking (especially since I believe this is a standalone?) I just thought it could have been expanded to really strengthen it, because it was over so fast that I was quite taken aback by it – the book kind of felt like a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ kind of deal. I also felt that the anime-esque art style worked against it at times. Although I loved the art, the fight scenes were often confusing – something that would have worked really well on-screen just messed with the clarity a little bit for me, so that I wasn’t always sure of what was happening during times of conflict. The campy fights were fun to read, but I did get confused at times.

Overall I liked this book and I’m always happy to see more fantasy with POC main characters. Although I’d have appreciated a little more depth and character development, this was a quick and enjoyable read with amazing art – another great book from Oni Press.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.

This graphic novel is about a Black kid who gets accepted into a shady magical school that turns out to be run by actual KKK.

I really liked the art and colors, and I loved the message of fighting your oppressors with the help and the strength of the generations that came before you.

I do like stories with powerful messages to be a little more subtle or metaphorical, especially when they take place in a fantasy/alternate reality, which is why I'm giving it "only' 3.5 stars (rounded up), but I also wholeheartedly recommend it and think that these types of in-your-face, no-space-for-misunderstanding-the-message-here stories are becoming more and more important every day. A Black kid will read this comic and feel empowered and that's what matters.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic fantasy graphic novel which is set in a magical school which is run by the Klan. The school has just allowed a black person to attend under the guise of adding diversity to their school at last, but everything isn't what it seems. The other students immediately have a problem with the new addition to the school, but he never allows it to get to him. Even when everything unfolds all at once, he keeps himself together. I won't go into detail about the plot because this is something one needs to go into without knowing too much about it, because it takes so many twists and turns!

I love the illustration style, the story pacing, the plot is incredibly gripping and intense, the magical element is brilliant and extremely interesting (though obviously similar to Harry Potter), the characters are well fleshed out in the short span of the book, and the story itself is incredibly powerful, and even though it is set in a magical world it feels incredibly real for the struggles that you read about black people going through. Obviously, I'm not a POC so I cannot comment on the realism of it; but relating to stories I've read from POC in the past, it feels similar to that. It feels so raw, intense and leaves a powerful note etched in your mind. But it really is a fantastic graphic novel; one of the best out there and I would recommend this to people of all ages!

Trigger warnings for racism, violence, abuse.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great. I hope there will be more! This comic is raw and funny and kickass and also completely gutting. The artwork is fantastic and so vivid. I loved it! It's about a magical Black kid who goes, with his pet bird, on a train, to the super-white, super fancy magic academy (ha!) and finds that it is run by the KKK. At this point, all hell breaks loose. The satire is thick in this one and this comic is pretty over-the-top, and it's awesome and affecting and totally in-your-face. I loved it and I don't think I've read anything quite like this before. It's awesome to see a Black artist and writer making cool comics. I look forward to reading more by these guys. If you want to see racism get its ass kicked by a magic Black teenager (and who doesn't?!), check this out. It's clever and thrilling and gorgeous.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black boy magic! This was such a great comic and I can really see kids and teens enjoying it. Not only does it take you to a world filled with magic, but we're also getting American history mixed in. Readers will recognize historical figures and race discrimination that has long plagued this country. Seeing a young black boy triumph over evil oppressors is the type of story young people need to see more often. Definitely recommend to any comic fan, especially because the art is beautiful.

Thank you Oni Press and Netgalley for the digital copy.

[Pastels Passions · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theme of this story is clearly the highlight. The story could have used a few more pages to feel less rushed. Plus, it would have been nice to get to know Tom and the overall magic system better.

I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however, all opinions are my own.

[orangerful · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I really wanted to love this but if this is the start of a series, I'm here for it. I would love to see more adventures with Tom and Jim. I mean, vanquishing one racist wizarding school probably isn't a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. I want him to take on the world!

[Steff Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

| Reader Fox Blog |


I have to admit, I was quite thrown within the first several pages of The Black Mage by Daniel Barnes and illustrated by D. J. Kirkland. This graphic novel is incredibly bold and immensely terrifying, blatantly exposing racism in a way that can shock the reader, and I think is meant to shock the reader. It's uncomfortable in its own right, but frankly, I think that if it were not uncomfortable, this book would not be doing what it set out to do in the first place. The truth is that racism is uncomfortable and part of the reason that it is so is because racism is not some horrific part of our past that has "passed" and we learned from.

It is something that affects people every single day in this country and will continue to do so up until the day that it is confronted, acknowledged, laws and systems of oppression are changed, and the problematic people who support it are pushed out. I know, ultimately, that's a pretty paltry summary and the issue encompasses quite a bit more than that simple list there, but I do believe that The Black Mage is one of those novels that really takes the issues and boldly presents them to anyone who even glances in its direction. And I found that both uncomfortable and amazing.

I think the most glaring piece of boldness in The Black Mage comes from the outfit of the Headmaster and others in charge at St. Ivory Academy. To put it bluntly, these people are full-on wearing the robes of the KKK. There is no room for uncertainty here; we know that the authorities in the school are massively racist and subsequently we know that racism is not only tolerated, but it is also encouraged. Continuing on, even the name of the school points out the blatant racism. St. Ivory Academy, so cleary to anyone who knows what ivory looks like, is referring to the white skin of the students and faculty.

Our main character's name is Tom Token, having roots in racism in two ways. First with the name Tom, which can relate back to Uncle Tom of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, a story that detailed the life of an African American man who was entirely complacent and subservient to whites at his own detriment and that of their race and culture. Secondly, we have his last name, Token, which brings me to the unfortunate truth that the tokenism of having a black friend is incredibly prominent in today's society. You see it with people and you see it with the media. I'm already naming of television shows and movies that have a token character. And Tom here definitely fits the profile of a token as the graphic novel regularly points out that he is the first and only black student at St. Ivory Academy.

Racism is also touched upon within the characters' actions and words. They ask the ignorant questions that so many people have done and still do. There are openly racist students who attack and berate Tom solely because of his skin tone. Authority figures not only degrade him, but they also make the suggestion that a "nice white girl" is becoming "trashy" because of her association with him. The headmaster, at one point, even uses the phrase "make St. Ivory great again" in a simultaneously hilarious and painful callback to our President and his very own campaign slogan. In so many ways, The Black Mage is a bold statement on racism that goes out of its way to make sure that the reader understands and sees the problematic issues that are ever-present in each situation of the novel. And it really doesn't take much to see the parallels that exist within our society.

And if that didn't get you, Tom's adorably illustrated pet crow is named Jim.

Now, don't get me wrong. The themes in this book are terrifying. And a large part of the reason they are so terrifying is because they are still relevant today. But I applaud the author's bold and blatant commentary. I hope more people read it and I hope it educates them if they are not already aware of these issues. As a final comment, it was utterly fascinating and cool to see the inclusion of a variety of African American historical figures play a role in the overall story. I won't say much more than that, so you'll just have to pick up a copy to find out. In fact, I would highly suggest that you do.

I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry Potter meets Get Out in this irreverent graphic novel about the first black mage to attend an all-white school for sorcerers that just might have some dark secrets. (the principle dresses in KKK getup, to give you some sense of what you are in for). You will find dark humor with pointed jabs at white supremacy, the current American administration, and subtle forms of racism throughout. Some white readers may find it to be uncomfortable, but it is probably intended to be. If you enjoyed the Jordan Peele film Get Out, you might enjoy The Black Mage as well. It has a similar feel, but mashed up with a magical school, comic book action, and the ghosts of Black historical figures like Harriet Tubman. Is it a little over the top? Absolutely, but I still enjoyed it and like what it's trying to do. I expect this to be a polarizing one though, mostly due to people being uncomfortable with the sendup of white microagressions that might strike a little too close to home, or the ironic approach to white supremacy (particularly for readers who aren't familiar with how this has been done before in other Black-created media as a way of pushing back).

I received an advance review copy of this graphic novel at Book Expo. All opinions are my own.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Damn, this book reads like a lead pipe to the head. It is sooooooooo heavy handed I couldn't appreciate how over the top it was. And I know, that's the big and obvious manga-like style it's drawn in, but DAMN... Jim the crow. The White Supremacist school is called the Ivory Tower. The wizards wear friggin KKK robes and the ghosts of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and John Henry all help our hero (Tom Token, the token black guy at school...) defeat the evil, soul sucking, white mages. So. Heavy. Handed.
Lindsay is fine, and she becomes an ally, which is good, but the story itself is super underdone. There is a lot of action scenes & fighting, and lame bullying by two dating dweebs, but not much else. Regarding magic, there's a giant magical chess board in the school ala Harry Potter, but no other magical world building besides for the school's existence... Sre we just supposed to assume it's like HP? But then why does everyone have a different type of wand/magical staff, but Tom is able to use his hands? What kind of magic can they all do? What year is it? *shrug*

Representation is awesome. The premise is really good. The execution was not.

[Anniek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this graphic novel through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a fun, fast-paced graphic novel, with a lot more depth then I was expecting, and I really loved it. The parallels with the real world aren't even subtle, and that makes this a poignant graphic novel. But the story is told in a more light-hearted way, and it's often funny. From "St. Ivory Academy", to Tom Token and his companion Jim Crow, and the Academy officials being dressed like Klan members, the fantasy serves a purpose to explore the past and present of racial inequality in the US.

Rep: Black main character, several Black side characters

CWs: racism, violence

[xueh wei · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was alright, you can tell that it was trying to draw on parallels with American Civil Rights History, the moment the black MC was called "Mr. Token" in an all-white school (lmao) while the headmaster was called Mr. Lynch — too obvious!

I appreciated the attempt, but felt the execution was lacklustre. But if you like magic and fighting the bad guys without much depth in plot, just a lot of action, this might be for you.

Thank you Netgalley for the free copy for review!

[Cee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is good and fun, but also surprisingly dark because the bad guys are of the Klan. The main characters has to deal with a lot of racism, so it isn't an easy read all the time. But I would recommend it. The world is really interesting and I wish there was more to it.

[Aditi]

I really enjoyed this! It's a bit confusing at the beginning, but it's filled with plot twists and layered characters, morally grey characters, and inclusiveness. This is a recommended read!

[Patty Zuiderwijk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have received an e-ARC via Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have never read that many graphic novels, when I read the description of this one it definitely sparked my interest!

Harry Potter was definitely an inspiration, the magical school itself and the train ride and the bird companion are just a few of the obvious.
You can hate those details, but I would not see why.

This story combines the magic with the first interaction between white mage students and Tom; who is the first black mage we know.
It deals with wanting to do good but it does not come out the way anyone feels comfortable with and also the very, still existing, real disturbing view on how the world should (still) look like according to too many people.

Honestly I think this story deserves to be told more detailed and extensive in an actual cartoon show.

story :4/5 A lot happened in this short graphic novel, it deserves more of it being told and the characters deserve way more good things happening to them.

characters :4/5 Didn't like Bryce; nasty little brat;showing up Jesse&James style.

writing :4,5/5

art style :4 Anime style; at times very disturbing.

audio/paper :I read the e-book.

reread? :Yes I will.

I would like to thank #Netgalley, the writer, the artist and of course the publisher for the e-ARC I received; Thank you!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you looking for a subtle refutation of the far-too-white-Christian magic school genre? Well, you're not going to find it here! This is astoundingly upfront with its imagery, symbolism, and historical references, and while I absolutely did enjoy it and appreciate it as a minority myself (although not Black), I can't help but feel that a little more subtlety would have helped the story to get its message across.

But I also feel like this was written as an angry reflex, a commentary on how God damned little the world has changed for those of us who don't fit the aforementioned demographic.

It's hard to say that I recommend this, because it has a lot of flaws, but the fear, anger, and need for change that this comes out of still makes it work. I guess the best way to put it is that if you need to see those feelings expressed on the page, The Black Mage is here for you.