An adventurer with a lantern hides with their eyes closed hoping the antlered monster doesn't find them

Issue 057 is live!

Jennifer Lyn Parsons |

Hail and welcome! I’m here to tell you that this issue of LSQ is amazing and you should pick up a copy and read it. Well, that was easy. Seriously, though, it’s an incredible read and I can’t tell you how much the staff and myself are excited to share the stories in this issue with you.

You may have noticed a few changes to the site, particularly around how we’re now presenting our issues. There are some really, really good reasons for that. The very short answer is: We want to protect our people so they can write the stories they want to tell and treat their work with the respect they deserve. Touch grass not algorithms. Be authentic to who you are. Be human.

There is a series of posts up on our Patreon (that you can read for free) that outline the plan for LSQ’s future in full. I hope you join us over there, be it as a paid or free member. As a bonus, I’m having a lot of fun writing posts for our patrons, so you get more of me.

But wait! Before you click those links and get immersed in the worlds crafted by our amazing authors, I bid you pause and enjoy some insights into the artist behind our outstanding cover for this issue, Hannah Elizabeth:

Tell us a bit about yourself and what got you on the path to being an illustrator. Was there a defining moment that made you decide to make art your career?

I was the art kid with a World of Warcraft addiction in high school so when I was picking a post-secondary path, game art and animation was always what I wanted to do. I did game art for a long time and it was a great experience, but it can become more of a technical challenge than an artistic challenge and after 6 years I was really looking to get back to drawing and painting. I was lucky to meet Paul Scott Canavan (an incredible illustrator and art director for loads of cool projects) through his Twitch streaming and I did a few months of mentorship with him. That’s what launched me into freelance illustration.

The cover image has got such a creepy vibe and I love that it shows that fighting the monster isn’t always brave heroics. What was the inspiration for it?

I did this piece while I was under Paul’s mentorship, so he actually wrote the brief to inspire me. I like stories where the characters are relatable as well. Hiding is what I’d do if faced with a spooky moose, hah.

Who are your favorite women illustrators, past or present?

I surround myself with Marta Nael’s and Martina Fačková’s work every time I paint.

What is your dream project? If there were no restrictions on time or money what would you create?

I’d illustrate all my favourite stories. It’d take many lifetimes.

Because LSQ is all about stories I have to ask, what are some of your favorite tales?

Anything by Robin Hobb, and The Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee. That series traumatized me and I loved it.

Where can people learn more about you and your work?

I’m on all the social media! Probably the easiest way to find it all is through my website, hannahelizabetharts.com

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