Finder



Finder is published by Dark Horse Comics in association with Lightspeed Press.

Last Issue

 * Finder #37: 29 Jun 2005

Current Issue

 * Finder #38: 28 Sep 2005

Next Issue

 * none scheduled

Status
Issue #38 was the last regular issue. Additional installments have been released as Webcomics and as serials in Dark Horse Presents.

Main Characters

 * Jaeger - Jaeger is part Ascian and has the duel roles of sin-eater and finder. A sin-eater either helps in absolving the wrongdoings of a person (literally eating the sin by way of blood), or takes the punishment for someone else's wrongdoing. His status as sin-eater makes Jaeger an outcast among his people. Ironically, his role as a finder makes him an exceptional human being, but a finder can never reveal his position. Jaeger's duel roles cause him much conflict, but he has grown used to the life of a wanderer that is forced upon him by his status. At some point, Jaeger went to prison and went through painful experiments, finally being released by taking on a low military position under the command of Brigham Grosvenor. It was during this time that he met Brigham's growing family and also became involved with Brigham's wife Emma, a relationship he has continued on and off throughout the years. In fact, Emma's family is one of the view groups of people that Jaeger has grow close to, although eventually he'll have a family of his own to care for.


 * Emma Lockhart - A member of the Llaverac clan, Emma fits the physical ideal very closely, but she pushed herself away from her clan by marrying a member of the Medawar clan, Brigham. During her years of marriage, Emma gave birth to three children: Rachel, Lynne, and Marcie. When Rachel and Lynne were very young, the entire family moved outside their domed city to a militarily occupied area because of Brigham's position in the Medawar army. Once there, Brigham slowly limited the movements of the family until he finally moved them away from the rest of the military families and forced them to live, day and night, in the basement of a small cottage. Although Emma and the children eventually escaped and Brigham ended up in prison, the years of abuse, mental and physical, took their toll. Emma, who as with most Llaveracs was never quite all there, has a tendency to retreat into her own mind during times of stress. Despite her past difficulties, Emma has managed to cultivate a growing business, designing personal gardens for the rich cliental of the city (gardens are very difficult to keep alive in the dome), and providing a safe home for her children.


 * Rachel Lockhart - The oldest of the Lockhart children, Rachel has the best chance of succeeding in the clan-based world of Finder. Despite her mixed clan heritage, Rachel is very close to the ideal image of the Llaverac clan. If she can gain acceptance as a full member of the clan, she'll be on the fast road to the best jobs, the best housing, etc..


 * Lynne Lockhart - Lynne is the only male in the Lockhart family. In the tradition of the Llaverac clan, Lynne has been raised as a female and is referred to as she. Lynne also is the most obvious of the three children of mixed clan heritage. Her hair hasn't changed black like most Medawars, so she dyes it. She grows facial hair, but is also develping breasts. Life is a bundle of contradictions for Lynne. She works at a Medawar hospital and seems to be leaning towards the Medawar clan, but she will never be truely accepted in any group.


 * Marcie Lockhart - Marcie is the baby of the Lockhart family. The first thing she knew was fear as a toddler, as her father kept her family prisoner. Even years later, she remembers the darkness of the basement. It is possible that her past is the reason for her constant sicknesses and frail state. However, even with all her problems, Marcie is a fun-loving child who would like nothing more than to practice magic. As she grows older, she will discover a love of books and become an owner of a book-filled cafe.


 * Magri White - A member of Sylvan clan, Magri is a famous virtual-reality artist, a sort of human MMORPG server; when he was a boy, his parents used state-of-the-art brain implants to open his imagination to tourists. Volume 5 of the series chronicles his efforts to take control of his life and mind after many years of passively accepting intrusion and pain, though the process is a little more intense than talk therapy.


 * Vary - Vary is a teenager from outside Anvard who was given a sponsership to attend one of the most prestigious schools of prostitution in all the world. In the process, she has also begun taken classes at another Anvard university where she has fallen in love (or sympathy) with two professors Zivancevic and Shar.


 * A.A. Zivancevic - Zivancevic is a very grumpy and very unapproachable professor who forbids his students to read any of the books he has written. Although gruff, he is friends with his fellow professor Shar, and comfortably annoyed by a student, Vary.


 * Hexoholoi Shar Shar is a male Laeske who works at a university in the city of Anvard. He is friendly and kind, and perhaps too enthusiastic. He works closely with Professor Zivancevic and is on good terms with Vary.

Minor Characters

 * Brigham Grosvenor - Brigham is a Medawar with all the looks and tendencies, but he broke tradition by marrying outside his clan to Emma Lockhart. It was soemthing that some consider romantic, but Brigham was too much of a Medawar and couldn't put up with Emma's Llaverac weaknesses. In addition, Brigham was not quite stable. After years of abuse at his hands, Emma left with their three children and Brigham was in jail. Eventually, Brigham got out, still pining after his family even as he became more and more unbalanced. Finally, Jaeger pushed him too hard and Brigham broke. After a stint in the hospital where one of his children tried to kill him, Brigham was taken back to his family. Unfortunately (or, perhaps, fortunately), Brigham was no longer there. All that was left was a screaming invalid with not even enough mind to care for himself.


 * Ollie - Ollie is a friend and confidant of Vary's. Ollie also happens to be a construct; in this case, a humanoid dog. While Ollie teaches classes at the university, as a construct, he can't actually be a professor and has a difficult time leaving the university grounds.


 * Jeannie (Xini) - a member of Jaeger's tribe, Jeannie moved to a big city and changed her name because she loves city music. Jaeger still keeps in touch with her.


 * Blythe - a holographic personal assistant, Blythe is available in multiple models and can be programed to provide various services. Because products are build to survive, Blythe is also programed it bug her owner for an upgrade. Emma Lockhart and Magri White both own versions of Blythe.

Clans/Ethnicities/Species

 * Sylvan - The Sylvan are "a fastidious, orderly family," "bound by all sorts of blood-laws, rules, rituals." They are pale and white-haired with distinctive features, so visually homogeneous even compared to the other clans that they tend to be unusually accepting of mild differences in, say, eye color. Many of them were employed by Elsewhere, the corporation that Magri White's parents built around him. They often have a very weak measure of telekinesis.


 * Llaverac - the Llaverac clan favors conformity in appearance to an even higher degree than most other clans-- both genders, male and female, are held to the same standards. All members of the Llaverac clan have wavy blond hair, a slight build, and breasts. The males' genitals retract inside their body. All members of both genders are referred to as she. The Llaverac have a reputation for being flighty, and many of them pursue artistic careers, despite a tendency to waffle and fret over conditions that aren't quite perfect for creation.


 * Medawar - The Medawars are very strict and very harsh, and, as a result of the general attitude of the clan, the military and police force are dominated by this men of this clan. Female Medawars serve an equal role in the medical service. Medawar life is deeply regimented. Most Medawars have very dark hair, and the men typically sport, at the very least, a thick mustache. The women begin life with blonde hair, but around puberty the hair darkens to match males. Medawar women wear their hair long, but braided tightly. Some of the hair in the braids is their ancestors'.
 * Labres - a very visually conformist clan with different standards for men (tall, thin, and angular) and women (short, dark and boyish); boys who take after their mothers and vice versa are not accepted for full membership.
 * Steinehan - A clan whose members are briefly featured in the volume King of the Cats. Not much is known about them except that, like all clans, they are visually homogenous.
 * Lejeb - A clan whose members dominate mathematical businesses. They are seen only briefly, and have pale hair with a dark lock in the front.
 * Milo -


 * Ascian - Not a clan; the Ascians are a nomadic people who resemble American aboriginals in many ways. Jaeger is half Ascian and has spent considerable time among them, but can't pass in Ascian society any more than that of Anvard.


 * Nymia - A race of bipedal, sentient, highly morally developed lion-women who, like the Ascians, live outside of the city. Unlike the Ascians, they have distinct territories. Male Nymia are quadrupeds and much more animal-like than the women, except for one in each tribe and generation who is selected to be the king and given a serum that inhibits and enhances him so that he has a female-like intelligence and stance.
 * 'Construct' - Constructs are artifically created creatures with the appearance of humanoid animals. They are created with specific functions and possess severely limited rights in society. Most constructs only have four digits on each hand, but some with certain jobs (like accounting) have five digits. Constructs exist in many different varieties.


 * Laeske - The Laeske are not constructs. They are four-legged animals covered in feathers that vary in length and color depending on age and time of year. During mating season, the male laeskes grow large feathers on their front legs that give them enough lift to take some weight of their legs allowing them to move faster. If the male Laeske succeeds in mating, the large feathers stay for the rest of the year. The Laeske are intellegent creatures that are able to speak human languages (in a manner similar to a parrot, only much more complexly) and live among humans. It is not uncommon to see a laeske inside a domed human city.

Places

 * Anvard - One of many massive domed cities. The Lockharts, Magri White, and Vary all live there. Jaeger is a constant visitor.

Sin-Eater

 * Jaeger visits Anvard, one of many large domed cities. There, he plays a dangerous game as he visits a family he knew during his military days- the family of his ex-commander, Brigham. The family thinks Brigham, who is extrememly unbalanced, is locked away in jail, a place they want him to stay, but Jaeger knows something they don't: Brigham has been out of jail for quite some and is living in Anvard. While Jaeger visits the family, he is also trying to manipulate Brigham into finally breaking down, so the city will lock him away again. But Jaeger is risking too much that is not his to risk . . . . Collected in Finder: Sin-Eater Volumes 1 & 2.

King of the Cats

 * Taking what he thinks is a routine guard job for a religious caravan, Jaeger finds himself in Munkytown, the happiest place on earth! Or at least the happiest for the guests, for whom everything is carefully staged and engineered. For several tribes of Ascians and a group of Nymia, however, their performace contracts are feel more like a trap. Even worse, the death of the Nymian King eliminates all the pluses of the situation! Collected in King of the Cats. Preview

Talisman

 * Jaeger gave Marcie a book when she was little. It was her favorite thing in the whole world. But her mother threw it out. Now, Marcie is determined to find that perfect book- a talisman that will inflame her imagination. Collected in Talisman. Preview

Dream Sequence

 * Magri White has a whole world in his head and for a fee anyone can explore that world. But something is slowly tearing that world down, and the visitors along with it. As Magri's worlds, inside and out, come crashing down, he must face his personal demons or lose complete control of his own life. Collected in Dream Sequence. Preview

Mystery Date

 * Vary has a crush. In fact, she has two crushes, on two teachers. One is crotchty and strict and certainly not open to her affections; the other is fun-loving and open to her affections . . . he just happens to be a four-leggeded, feathered creature called a Laeske. But Vary is determined to find her way to the hearts of both of these Professors, no matter what it takes! Collected in Mystery Date.

Trade Paperbacks

 * Finder, vol. 1: Sin-Eater part 1 - Collects #1-7. -


 * Finder, vol. 2: Sin-Eater part 2 - Collects #8-14. -


 * Finder, vol. 3: King of the Cats - Collects #15-18. -


 * Finder, vol. 4: Talisman - Collects #19-21. -


 * Finder, vol. 5: Dream Sequence - Collects #23-29. -


 * Finder, vol. 6: Mystery Date - Collects #31, Mystery Date #1-2, and several short stories. -


 * Finder, vol. 7: The Rescuers - Collects #32-37. -


 * Finder, vol. 8: Five Crazy Women - Collects #38 plus online stories. -


 * Finder: Voice - Collects the Webcomic. -


 * Finder: Third World - Collects the "Third World" serial from Dark Horse Presents -


 * Finder: Chase the Lady - Collects the "Chase the Lady" serial from Dark Horse Presents - - (forthcoming, May 2021)


 * The Finder Library, vol. 1 - Collects #1-22. -


 * The Finder Library, vol. 2 - Collects #23-38 plus online stories & 'Mystery Date'' #1-2. -

Hardcovers

 * Finder Book 1: Sin-Eater - Collects #1-14, 22. -


 * Finder: Talisman - Collects #19-21. -

Creative Team
Created, Written, and Drawn by Carla Speed McNeil

Publishing History

 * Originally a paper publication, Finder made the switch to online updates in October of 2005.

News & Features

 * 19 Jan 2011 - McNeil Talks Finder at Dark Horse
 * 21 Aug 2007 - Interview with Carla Speed McNeil at TCAF (audio)
 * 28 Jun 2007 - Carla Speed McNeil Talks Finder After Going to the Web

Links

 * Lightspeed Press - Publisher's Website
 * Finder (comic)
 * Carla Speed McNeil