Under the Microscope

Alcheringa

By Patti Martinson
July 23, 2018

When I followed up with Bram Meehan of 7000 BC, the Northern New Mexico-based organization providing opportunities for comics writers and artists, Bram pointed me towards Stephanie Alia and her comic Alcherina. We arranged a phone interview and I found Stephanie an absolute delight to talk to. We chatted about her photography, her influences growing up, her dive into world mythology and the effect of the New Mexico landscape on her work. I enjoyed talking to her so much, I only managed to capture a tiny essence of all that she is and hope to be able to do her justice in a follow-up interview.

Alcheringa had a dual purpose. The word "alcheringa" is an indigenous Australian Aranda word used to refer to their concept of "Dreamtime", a kind of ongoing eternal past that is also here and now.

In the first page of this issue of Alcheringa, a woman named Madelyn is sitting in chair in her psychiatrist's office. We see only Madelyn's face in profile, and it's obvious she is indifferent to the off-panel voice of Dr. Dirac, who is suggesting she take new meds and new therapy to deal with her insomnia-induced hallucinations. Madelyn just says "fine" and is brought back home by her father. That night, she talks to herself and we see panels of a constant dripping of water alternating with Madelyn's troubled face. She appears to awaken in a cave tunnel. As she wanders the cave, she talks to herself, wondering why she can't remember anything but a song.

I found these first couple of pages pretty effective. You immediately get a sense of what has been happening to Madelyn, and it is clear that she is not hallucinating. You don't know what exactly is happening to her, but it can't be fixed by pills.

In one panel, we see in the background that a hideous, tentacled monster is swimming through the water towards her. Just as she is about to be attacked, the monster's tentacles are hacked by a cloaked and hooded woman, who calls out to her. Madelyn does not remember who this new woman is. The woman removes the cloak and we see a woman with a shaved head but with hair in a topknot and a wide stripe of red across the bridge of her nose.

The setting immediately switches to the gardens of a French estate. A young man, named Marcus, pleads with his father's servant to be left alone for a little while. It appears that this man suffers a condition similar to Madelyn's and considers himself a danger to others. He enters a hedge maze and encounters a monstrous fountain in the middle that he has never seen before. Blood oozes from the eyes of one of the monsters carved into the fountain and hands suddenly thrust out of the waters and grab Marcus by the throat and pull him underwater.

We switch back to Kaynin and Madelyn. Madelyn still can't remember, but Kaynin mentions that Marcus, their other guard should be with them. Kaynin talks about Madelyn taken by the Dark World, and of sacred waters that will restore Madelyn's memory. Kaynin also mentions they were summoned by Lord Khthonios and in pulling out a paper with sympbols on it, pushes on a particular symbol carved into a the cave wall, which opens up, revealing another tunnel.

Next is a two-page sprawl of an enormous city composed of elaborate gothic or medieval buildings. Kaynin says this is the City of the Architect of Dreams, one of many Dream cities in Alcheringa, and its Crown Jewel. Madelyn and Kaykin wander through a bustling marketplace like thoroughfare and we see the various alien and human denizens gossiping about current events: the arrival of a famous nomad DJ to provide a distraction that a hub of Alcheringa has been shut down.

I was almost immediately reminded of the Star Wars universe, funnily enough, with this series of panels. There were many multiple scenes of a bar, restaurant or open marketplace where we see all kinds of beings. It also contrasted with the two-pages before it. Like seeing a massive, elaborate cathedral and then being surprised by all the people inside it.

Kaynin warns Madelyn about making eye contact with anyone, but not soon enough: a couple of spies appear and are confronted by some people they call Dark Angels. I wasn't quite sure of the point of this panel, other than a reminder that whoever these Dark work people are, they are everywhere.

We switch to Lord Khthonoios's castle where Kyanin confirms the news the citizens are talking about, that one of the hubs as fallen. As Kaynin explains, hubs are places that connect the planets in Alcheringa. Each hub's size seems to be determined by how well-developed the planets are. As they are granted access to the castle, Kaynin further explains that these hubs can affect waking reality. Lord Khthonios welcomes Madelyn and Kaynin and grants Madelyn permission to drink from a large cistern of water, which restores her memories. Marcus, the other guard, finally arrives himself and says that the Dark World appears to be affecting the waking reality.

These scenes reminded me a different genre, that of King Arthur and Camelot. With kings, lords, royalty, knights and all the trappings that go with it. This comic seems to capture a lot of different bits of mythology, some from the past and some from pop culture.

At this point in the comic, I think I get how things work here. Earth is a planet, as confirmed by Kaynin earlier, and Earth seems to be the "waking reality", that Marcus and Kanynin talk about. Earth's dreamscape is called Gideon Prime and this dreamscape is connected to a hub, and it is this hub that is apparently has fallen.

After hearing Marcus talk about the dark affecting waking reality, Madelyn says that the treaty has been broken and they must reclaim the hub. Lord Khthonios says the hub has already been sealed, but with innocents possibly still trapped inside. Kaylin chastises Marcus for apparently neglecting his duty and thinking only of himself. Marcus begins to argue, but Madelyn shuts them both down, telling them they must focus on the innocents.

Madelyn makes a sword appear and they all travel to the hub, which they find devasated and lost to the Dark forces. Madelyn sends Marcus back to Lord Khthonios, while she and Kaynin stay to look for survivors. Kaynin affirms her vow to fight alongside Madelyn, when they are both shocked by the appearance of a woman, dressed in black with horns as a headress holding the severed head of an innocent. She gloats that she had hoped that Madelyn would be sent. She taunts Madelyn and Kaynin, saying that she despises the balance that they're fighting for, and asserting that the Dark will overtake everything. Grotesque monsters appear from above and behind her, reinforcing her evil words. One of the flying monsters grabs an innocent by the throat and swallows him alive, with his blood flowing down to the Dark woman's hands, to her delight.

Madelyn and Kaynin are infuriated. They ready themselves for battle, and we get a series of panels of Madelyn and Kaynin battling the Dark woman's forces, Kaynin with her staff and Madelyn with her sword and magic. The Dark woman, with some sort of weapon on her arm, fires back. Madelyn watches in surprise as Kaynin transforms into an enormous beast surrounded by electricity. Kaynin suddenly charges, attacking one of the Dark woman's beasts. The Dark woman seems shocked, but quickly recovers, taunting that her zombie horde will eat the remaining innocents.

Madelyn is suddenly surrounded by light and sprouts multiple, and ethereal, arms, each one holding a different weapon. These arms toss the weapons that cuts down a large horde of the zombie-like creatures, to the Dark woman's great displeasure.

Madelyn senses that Marcus has made it back to Loard Khthonios and that the Lord is making the hub collapse. The electrical beast from earlier suddenly transforms back to a naked Kaynin. Madelyn orders Kaynin to rescue the remaining people while she continue to do battle. Kaynin leads the survivors to safety as Madelyn puts out one last burst of energy that appears to destroy the Dark horde and races to escape the hub. She appears to do so, but immediately finds herself in the bed she was in at the beginning of the story, but with the dark horde surrounding her bed.

Alcheringa — Official Comic Website