Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messenger
Hi! I'm Alakotila! 🌈 🏳️⚧️ they/he
Enthusiastic about flowers, elves, armor, fantasy thieves, and satyrs
🌻 Webcomics: SPIDERSILK, Fell Swoop
🌻 sometimes NSFW art 🔞
🌻 Freelance Comics Editor, BG artist
Sort tags by user: #fantasyart, #fancylad, #elfenjoyers
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerIt’s really weird for some corners of the media to do a whole “the Epstein files are a moral panic that has gone too far” thing when no one has faced any sort of punishment and doesn’t sound like they’re going to.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messengerdeciding on what to work on for next month
- I like bookshop.org for this -- pick your local bookstore to support (or pick someone else's bookstore if you don't have one!) and you can have it delivered right to you! It should be about $15 USD!
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerQuick new pinned post! I'm Reetta, a Finnish freelance comic artist, illustrator and indie game dev. 🏠 www.reettakallio.com ✉️kiertotie.art[at]gmail.com @ kiertotie on IG
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerHey all! The bills are piling up this month, so I'm looking to take on new editorial commissions!
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerTime to accelerate the instagram exit strategy
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messenger
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerI've told this story on ContrabandCamp but it's worth sharing for BHM because it's one of the greatest stories ever. A thread.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerVenerable magazine Harper's Bazaar is running its short story contest again, with the winner receiving "the chance" of publication in the magazine. Just one catch: per the wording of the guidelines, _just by entering_ you transfer copyright ownership of your story to Harper's parent, Hearst. 1/3
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerSpeaking of comics: Whether this new administration “observes” it or not, it’s still Black History Month. Here’s a list of great comics by Black creators, and/or centering Black characters & stories 🕊️ 📚 bookshop.org/lists/graphi...
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerPlease speak up for Rodney. A year in an ICE camp is beyond comprehension. Public pressure works. If enough people speak up, a life may be saved. Many of the deaths in ICE custody have been due to medical neglect… let’s make sure Rodney isn’t one of them.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerIf anyone else wants an Adobe Animate alternative, I can’t recommend Moho enough. It’s affordable, it’s efficient, it’s been used in feature films from Cartoon Saloon like Wolfwalkers, and the best part…NO Ai whatsoever.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerOkay please shit on jkr But don’t use the logic “it’s suspicious an adult wanted to make a magical world for children” Bc that’s how you get “everyone who works on media for children should be jailed” ass logic
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerTime for my regularly scheduled reminder for K-pop fandom circles that, when it turns out someone is a monster and everyone suddenly goes "oh I've always hated that guy he's an ugly talentless loser", what you're doing is reinforcing the idea that beautiful talented people can't be monsters.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messenger
[This post could not be retrieved] - Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messenger✨ Centipede Knight 🌙
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerEvery day Mamdani comes out and is like "hey guys, I turned off the orphan-crushing machine. Literally just had to flip a switch. Took less than 5 minutes." After decades of dem leadership pissing and moaning and fundraising about how complex an issue it is and how difficult the process is etc
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerInstead of ever paying attention to anything Ricky Gervais says just click play on this outstanding James Acaster bit instead
- lol well i get to post my fav james acaster bit again i guess youtu.be/adh0KGmgmQw?...
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerLast year, I successfully crowdfunded my new, original, all-ages, adventure comic series -- ENDLESS FANTASIA! It follows the adventures of Jack and Jill, as they travel across a world of reimagined fairytales and fight Wolf demons! Lots of Sonic and Kingdom Hearts vibes! It drops later this year!
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerYou can still buy Rubber Match digitally! If you want a cute queer pro-wrestling romance, toss Elizabeth some money for the PDF! My pipe dream is that she someday breaks even on it. (context: like many indie comics, the writer fronted the cost of the art) peachchild.gumroad.com/l/rubbermatc...
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messengerwe need to tax every billionaire out of existence. this is the moderate position.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerI'm Catarina and I make Children of the Night, a Victorian Gothic Romance that's like Pride and Prejudice meets Dracula. Find it on Webtoon! 🔸Webtoon webtoons.com/en/challenge... 🔹 Main Site: childrenofthenightcomic.com 🔸 linktr.ee/yuugiarts Support: 🔸Patreon patreon.com/yuugi #webtoon #vampire
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerReminder for artists: don't get blinded by the "big number" for an art project. Remember to do the math. $3,000 for a tarot card desk *sounds* great. But in reality you're only being paid $38.46 per artwork. And if each artwork takes 20 hours to make, you're getting paid $1.92/hr
- I guess comic people are talking about how long they've been in comics? I've been making webcomics for 23 years.
- Once I got past 10 years I stopped mentioning how long I'd been making comics because I had this dumb idea it made me look bad...???? Success looks different for everyone. I am happy with where I am.
- Some years I made more pages than others. Like way more. I went through university, moved abroad, did a whole bunch of different jobs. But comics stayed with me. It can be something you do long-term.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messengerbaby goat centaur doodles from a million years ago still make me happy
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messenger⚠️TO EVERY ARTIST HERE ON BLUESKY, WATCH OUT!!⚠️ Don't believe that qAI account, DON'T CLICK ON ANY LINK if you got mentioned by them!! Stay safe y'all🙏💖💖 #moot #artmoot #artistonbluesky #artsky
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerOur February ✨ HERE THERE BE DRAGONS ✨ crate is now available for new subscribers and one time purchases! 🏳️🌈 Our February books are The Blood-Born Dragon by J.C. Rycroft and Hunted by Misu Loy! Check our previous posts for more information about our February picks! 🧵
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerThere’s only a little over twelve hours left!
- LAST CALL FOR MINICOMICS! The submission period for the 2026 Minicomic Awards closes 2/1/26 12:00am PST (Pacific) ⏰ Submit your comic here: mca.cartoonist.coop
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerQRT and tag with your black and white comics 🖤 🤍 ! #bwcomics Feat. my ongoing Horror/Fantasy webcomic, Guilts of Tundai. Free to read on multiple platforms for your convenience. C-: linktr.ee/galtenoble
- QRT and tag with your black and white comics 🖤 🤍 ! #bwcomics Spidersilk is available on Tapas and spidersilkcomic.com!
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerICE has been holding a disabled Black man for a year! Rodney Taylor is a double amputee who was days away from receiving new prosthetic legs when ICE took him. He’s been denied his prosthetics & placed in solitary. His health is declining. Public outrage might save his life. Say his name:
- I haven't had korppu in aaaaaages and man this is good! I didn't think I could eat it. So glad that I can 😂 It's just a cinnamon rusk but c'mon, the nostalgia. I missed it of course we call it korppua here bc we love adding that a
- QRT and tag with your black and white comics 🖤 🤍 ! #bwcomics Spidersilk is available on Tapas and spidersilkcomic.com!
- QRT and tag with your black and white comics 🖤 🤍 ! #bwcomics 🔞Adults Only!🔞 asmodrawscomics.com
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messengera week or so ago @tonyisabella.bsky.social was looking for as complete a list as she could assemble of comic creators who are trans-inclusive i named a whole bunch of folks, so i added in a buncha editors and made a starter pack!at://did:plc:hx7wnw7r7rr2l5uy3g365ubq/app.bsky.graph.starterpack/3mdebe2a2rq2d
- It's not animated. This is generated. Generated images are resource-heavy as it is; imagine entire films, no matter how short? Yikes. I'm also ... surprised that there would be SAG/AFTRA va's involved? Generative ai is gross, not just when it's stealing your likeness and voices.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerNot just any journalist, she won the goddamn Triple Crown of broadcast journalism (an Emmy, a Peabody, and a Murrow) in 2024 for her reporting on Gaza. This is textbook censorship of the highest degree
- Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda with 1.4m followers reports TikTok ban aje.news/ljjuww
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messenger🌟"PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE I DON'T WANT TO BE A MAGICAL GIRL" EPISODE 2 🌟 "I Want to be a Normal Girl" SATURDAY, JANUARY 31ST @ 11AM PST!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerA reminder that ICE hasn’t slowed down in Minneapolis at all. Outside of Minnesota, it might feel like everything has changed since Alex Pretti’s murder. But ICE hasn’t actually lost any power and they’re continuing to terrorize our communities.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerSubmissions for the 2026 Minicomic Awards are NOW OPEN through 1/31/26! 🎉 To submit your comic(s), register an account at mca.cartoonist.coop. Be sure to check out the full guidelines and FAQ before submitting.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerOkay, a real one: Every once in a while, check to make sure the version of your characters, setting, and timeline that exists in your head lines up with the information you've actually communicated to the reader. Which might mean you need to rewrite/redraw, but it can also be an opportunity to pivot
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerI thought about this a lot when we were all pushing to get kilmar abrego garcia released. I'm glad we got him back but literally NO ONE should be sent to CECOT. They should have ALL been brought back. Never accept an inch. Never accept their framing. Bring everyone back and abolish DHS.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerHourly Comics Day has MOVED! It's the 20th anniversary and we're taking a stand alongside our Black cartoonist members and friends to demand a change to honor Black History Month- draw your comics on the 8th, not the 1st! hourlycomicsday.com #hourlycomicsday #hourlycomicday #hcd
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messenger1. In a major new federal rule, Trump is attempting to attach billions in international aid to recipients agreeing to impose anti-trans restrictions. This includes social transition "at any age," attempting to export transphobia globally. Subscribe to support our journalism.
- Last call! Would you like fancy lad art prints in the mail? I've got a new series for you! patreon.com/alakotila
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerMake friends. Real ones. Maybe they’ll be your collaborators and maybe they won’t. Maybe your careers will grow together, maybe they won’t. That part doesn’t matter as much as real honest connection. Develop real friendships in the space with people you can trust.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messenger
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerI'm working on Spidersilk again! Amazing. I took a nice long hiatus (unexpected, in the middle of a chapter lol!) and am coming back with a lot of energy. But hey, I'm only one person. And sometimes those breaks happen.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerA fancy satyr from my sketchbook earlier this year. Still really like this one! #fancylad #fantasyart #ocsky #fantasysky
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerHEADS UP: DO NOT TRUST BLINKMOON. IT'S A SCAM. blinkmoon.com
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messenger1 week left to order my physical comic zines from my online shop (for now)!✨ I draw a little doodle in each of them 😊 Shipping is available to limites countries, please read the info page carefully! 🙏💜 👉 annikcomics.bigcartel.com 👈
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerAnother question I came here with was: how effective are the whistles and honking? Does it stop abductions? And the answer is, surprisingly to my cynical self, yes, and often. I have talked to so many people who have successfully interrupted kidnappings.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messenger🐺My Werewolf Girlfriend updated!🥕 The girls are fightinggggg... Read here!: mywerewolfgirlfriend.com #mywerewolfgirlfriend #comics #webcomics #wlw #yuri
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the Messenger[This post could not be retrieved]
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerDeporting children with cancer. Using a 5-year-old as bait. Shooting moms. ICE is beyond reform. And today the House is voting to bankroll more terror. Hell no.
- Reposted by Aleksi Gray @ The Bard and the MessengerWhen Mr. Rogers said “look for the helpers” he meant also in ourselves
