Carla Speed McNeil is a witty, sharp, amazing person. She’s also a great storyteller. Her comic Finder mixes anthropology, mystery, adventure, tribal ways, virtual reality, and anything else that pops into her head. She’s one of those creators who honed her craft in public, each issue of Finder stronger than the one before.

These days she’s posting her comics directly onto the web, then releasing them in collected editions. She’s also very savvy in that she’s put the first chapter of several of her longer works online. (I highly recommend checking out Finder: Talisman for a story all about the love of reading books as well as creating one’s own stories, and Finder: Dream Sequence for an entrancing, slightly-disturbing look into virtual worlds and games and businesses.)

The second one to contribute to the wine-book, I remember her staring at the empty page for about five seconds, then diving right into an illustration that makes a lovely mathematical joke. (All it needs is some Moebius crackers on the side, really.) And of course, beautifully drawn to boot. That’s just the kind of person she is.