muses + musings

I love to exercise my creativity in many ways, and no couple on a TV show has ever sparked creativity in me like Rick and Michonne. I loved Rick Grimes from the first episode of The Walking Dead. His bravery, good heart, and devotion to his family captivated me. Then, in season 3, we were introduced to Michonne, and I went from being a big fan to the ultimate fangirl of the show. Michonne was the badass character. She was strong yet soft. A warrior yet feminine. It was the type of role Black women don’t usually get to play in a genre show. Add to it Rick and Michonne’s amazing chemistry, and I couldn’t help but to stan these unforgettable characters both together and separately.

During the show’s between-seasons hiatus, my obsession didn’t wane. I wanted more, so I started reading fanfiction and then wrote some. It was the creative catharsis I needed. A beautiful community was formed through that fanfiction, making watching the show much more fun. However, my love for the series waned once Rick and Michonne left the show, and I stopped writing fanfiction.

But lightning was caught in a bottle again with the premiere of The Ones Who Live. Rick and Michonne were back, and those six episodes topped everything we saw in The Walking Dead. Danai Gurira, Andrew Lincoln, and Scott Gimple crafted a beautiful love story set in the backdrop of the end of the world. My creativity was sparked again, and I started crafting more stories. Only this time, I wanted to try new things and new creative endeavors. I wanted to come up with fun ways to show my fics. This magazine was born from a creativity brainstorm. It was a labor of love that didn’t feel like labor at all. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

You can download the magazine for free (including my new exclusive fanfiction) here: Richonne Magazine.