BeetleJuice 4 hour speed paint.

Beetlejuice was on tv.  My attempt was to speedpaint a frame of Beetlejuice before the movie was over.  I would have managed it if the movie was as long as Lawrence of Arabia.  So, 4 hour speedpaint study in photoshop.  Enjoy!

Urban Paranormal Fantasy Series. Who do you love?

My favorite book series is The Dresden Files.  It takes everything that I love from the crime noir genre and mixes in all of the magic and wizardry that I also dig in order to create an incredible world that is close enough to mine to be relatable but fantastic enough to be escapist.  One book involves the detective wizard Dresden riding a zombie Tyranasaurus Rex into battle, which is pretty much a standard level of amazing that this series hits with every novel. Also, Jim Butcher is just an awesome guy.

I wont waste time writing a synopsis of the series when it has been done by better than myself already.

What I wanted to do was look for more stories of a similar vein so that I have plenty to read in those long cold years between new adventures with Harry Dresden, Murphy and the skull Bob (and how bout that Molly Carpenter, huh?).  I have made a list from a couple sites and forums and wanted your opinions on which you prefer and if there are any that I have missed (I have not read most of these). Of the ones that I have read I have found I prefer those more realistic, set in real locations (Chicago, LA, New York) and are not borderline romance novels (see Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter by the talented Lauren K Hamilton or the True Blood series). Books of paranormal romance have their merits but I want sarcasm and action with any relationship stuff to be a minor component. Very little brooding, no sparkling. Some of these books listed may involve a heavy romance component or not involve an urban setting, but as I said I have only read a few so I do not know for sure.  Feel free to tell me as well as recommend other titles in the comment section!

My current list, in no particular order:

1. Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore (Okay, I lied. This one is in order as this is one of my favorites so it made the list before the others I have not read.)
2. Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews
3. The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan
4. Iron Druid chronicles by Kevin Hearne
5. Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
6. Nightside Novels by Simon R. Green
7. Wereworld Series by Curtis Jobling
8. Incryptid by Seanan Mcguire
9. Feed Trilogy by Mira Grant
10. The Hallows Series by Kim Harrison
11. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
12. The Night Watch Trilogy by Sergei Lukyanenko
13. The Felix Castor series by Mike Carey
14. The Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks
15. The Myron Bolitar by Harlan Corban
16. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro
17. Webmage by Kelly Mccullough
18. The Dracula Tape by Fred Saberhagen
19. Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia
20. The Zombie Fallout series by Mark Tofu
21. The Secret Histories by Simon R. Green
22. The Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman
23. The Hellequin Chronicles by Steve McHugh
24. The Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones
25. Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony
26. The Women of the Otherworld series by Kelly Armstrong
27. Arthurian Saga by Mary Stewart
28. The Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka
29. The Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine
30. The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks
31. The Black Company series by Glen Cook
32. The Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
33. Riftwar Cycle series by Raymond Feist
34. The White Trash Zombie series by Diana Rowland
35. Tome of Bill series by Rick Gualtieri
36. The Demon Accords series by John Conroe
37. The Grimnoir Chronicles series by Larry Correia
38. The Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy
39. The Laundry Files series by Charles Stross
40. The Allie Beckstrom series by Devon Monk
41. The Greywalker series by Kat Richardson
42. The Imp series by Debra Dunbar
43. The Remy Chandler series by Thomas E. Sniegoski
44. The Anonymous Rex series by Eric Garcia
45. Norse Code by Greg Van Eekhout (Awesome, but not a series.)

It is by no means a comprehensive list as I assumed it to be a small genre when I first discovered it and constantly find new series to add to the list. After I wrap up reading the Feed series I plan on reading Patrick Rothfuss's The Kingkiller Chronicles, which I realize is not urban fantasy but how can you say no to a guy like this?

 

  (pictured left at SDCC 2013 with fellow Knight, Tyler Rhoads)