The creature from the woods is stranger than she seems...
One stormy night, the citizens of Treehollow, a cozy town of woodland critters, discover a small, strange creature left alone in the middle of the forest. Tiny and abandoned, the little human girl only says one word: her name, Tamberlane.
Belfry, the accident-prone and anxious bat with a heart of gold, is determined to prove to her family (and herself) that she's a capable adult by taking in this strange, lone kit. As the story goes on, however, it becomes clear to little Tamberlane that all is not what it seems in this cozy town and what lies beyond its borders. What is Abroad? Why do the grown-ups speak of it in hushed whispers?
As the child grows, so too does the world around her…and the dangers that are on the horizon. All the while, Tamberlane’s mysteries continue to unfold. Who (or what) is she? Where did she come from? Are there more creatures like her?
And are they going to come back for her?
An emotionally complex ensemble story, Tamberlane explores different kinds of love, upheaval of the status quo, and ultimately how, in the face of hopelessness, we can find hope, belonging, and a safe place to land.
Updates when sequence completed, on Wednesdays
Rated PG13. Authors have chosen not to present content warnings.
An Important Note to All Readers...
Caytlin lives with fibromyalgia, a disorder which means she's in varying levels of pain and fatigue 100% of the time. Her health always comes first, and therefore Tamberlane does not have a set update schedule. However, she adores working on Tamberlane (which is also her day job!), and she is passionate about getting pages out as quickly and consistently as possible! Thanks for your enthusiasm and patience in between updates.
☙ About the Team ❧
Tamberlane is written and drawn by Caytlin Vilbrandt, a queer, disabled woman from the Pacific Northwest, in conjunction with co-writer Ari Noble and with occasional help from friends. Inspired by the worlds of Beatrix Potter, Redwall, The Secret of NIMH, and similar works, Caytlin created Tamberlane as a way to pour her childhood love of talking critters into an exciting new adventure.
In addition to writing and drawing for Tamberlane, she is also an independent illustrator and graphic designer. Her previous work includes various fan-made games, comics, and other creations for the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fandom and webcomics such as Walking on Broken Glass and Tar and Feathers.
Caytlin lives with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain disorder that impacts her daily life and abilities, but does what she can to share her stories with the world as her health allows. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband Ryan and her two cats, listening to Broadway musical soundtracks, and daydreaming up worlds and stories. She also dabbles in game design, web design, and tabletop RPGs.
Ari Noble is the co-writer and editor for Tamberlane, and makes it his mission to help every one of the comic’s readers cry at least once. He is also the head writer for the webcomic Mothorial, which combines his love of emotional storytelling, complex characterization, and worldbuilding.
Originally a singer-songwriter going by the moniker Metajoker, Ari has since expanded into scriptwriting and story editing. His work is heavily influenced by sci-fi and fantasy works he enjoyed in his youth, including Redwall and Jeff Smith’s Bone. These influences combined with his love of reading have inspired him to explore complex characters and densely plotted genre stories.
As a nonbinary, asexual artist, Ari strives to be an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, both in his life and his work. He lives with his wife, fellow artist and Mothorial co-creator IzzySqueakzy, and their feisty feline twins, Charlemagne and Bambadee, and their adopted sister Holiday “Holly” Piper Greene.
Nakata “Knack” Whittle is a sequential artist from northern Maryland specializing in storyboards, comics, and writing. They enjoy urban fantasy and sci-fi stories with queer themes, unique world-building, complicated interpersonal relationships and found family.
In addition to their work on Tamberlane, Knack has worked as a flatter and colorist for Scholastic Graphix, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Dark Horse. Currently, they are working with 2Gen Labs out of Boston’s GBH. Knack is also working on various short web animation pilots, including as the lead background designer on the Sunflower Club’s The Figment.
As part of the SVA Cartooning Class of 2021, Knack received the 2020 Will Eisner Sequential Art Scholarship, the highest awarded to the Cartooning Major. They also received the Rhodes Family Award upon graduation.
Echo is an epic gamer, and in their free time they are also Caytlin's social media assistant. Their job is to update Tamberlane on all social media platforms, such as Patreon and Tumblr.
They're also a blossoming 3D artist with a little over two years of experience. They specialize in creating character models, many of which have tails of all different shapes. They even made Belfry once! When they're not gaming, posting an update, or making something in Blender, you may just find them info-dumping about Rewrite Sonic and Fin Fin on Teo the Magic Planet.
Ryan is Caytlin's wonderful husband and number one fan! He wrote comic_git, the engine that the Tamberlane website runs on, and has ever been a partner in crime for creative projects, including Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder.
