August 2024

On this, the very day that I address the readers of a small, inefficient, print-only publication, the once-largest newspaper production facility in North America, the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center, has begun the process of demolition to make way for a giant casino. Harrowing times, indeed. Even though TVW took a huge step last week in being carried by an actual, physical, store (Quimby’s Bookstore in Chicago), we still have no interest in online content or selling ad space. Except to Moop’s. Because, well, they’ve got the Moop.

As once Rome, and possibly Atlantis before that, got too big for its britches, perhaps the printing empire reached critical mass and had no choice but to deflate. But here we are with our bicycle pump of a publication, putting air back into the tires of physical media, one small puff at a time.

In terms of content this season, you might notice the absence of our prolific C.S. Norton. Fear not, that’s only because they got a hot tip and have crossed state lines to investigate, leaving no time to contribute to this issue, but the next one is sure to be a banger.

In place of The Norton Files, we have a new contributor, Robert N. Webster, with a story that blurs the line between true sighting and Creepy Pasta (I honestly don’t know which one it is, and I don’t care to find out).

Read on, enjoy, and don’t forget to do your part in normalizing the paranormal.

Love you all,

-Rosealien K. Baker 8/27/24

April 2024

Welcome to the 1 Year Anniversary edition of The Vitreous Wick!

I sincerely want to thank everyone who has read, contributed to, and/or tolerated the existence of, this publication.

When we started out, the agreement was to go at least one year no matter what, and then reassess at that point. Having reached that reassessment point, I can confidently report that after the past 12 months, we only have more reason to keep going.

At this milestone, we’ve reconsidered how TVW is distributed and looked at the possibility of making the content available online, but with the direction that AI and the internet in general is going, we’re even more steadfast in our decision to keep this writing and artwork in the physical world and out of search engine algorithms and amalgamations.

As such, I’m happy to announce that we’re adding a subscription option. You can still purchase issues individually, or sign up for the full year and get all four issues (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) sent to you automatically. Additionally, for a limited time, you can get all of the issues from the past year (June, July, August, Fall, Winter, Spring) ad a reduced package rate. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram (@the_vitreous_wick) and check the website (thevitreouswick.com) for new merch and updates.

Love you all,

Rosealien K. Baker - April 20, 2024

February 2024

People have asked me why I don’t have a Facebook page for The Vitreous Wick. Truth is, I did consult Spirit about this and Spirit said, and I quote, “Facebook is fucking over.”

It didn’t say anything about Instagram, so look for us us there until further notice.

Now that that item of business is out of the way, I really want to talk about the D word.

That’s right.

The D word: Disclosure.

There’s been a lot of hype about the UFO/UAP topic and Disclosure and how these “whistleblowers” are going to release new and incontrovertible evidence “soon.” It really is amazing how short our memory is. Despite what most people think, this is not the first time that the US government has treated UFOs as a serious subject. All the way back in 1947 the concern was raised that UFOs could be a matter of national security and task forces were created to study and understand them. Of course, nothing very useful came of these efforts and after a short time the projects were abandoned and forgotten about until the next whistleblower steps up and says “I have evidence of the government studying UFOs” and it starts all over again. Not only does history repeat itself if we don’t learn from it; we do nothing but repeat it. We’re stuck in this same loop. Maybe this time, with internet records to keep the information front-of-mind, we can actually learn and advance our knowledge of the phenomenon instead of spinning our wheels. Again.

I know it’s exciting to talk about UFO disclosure, and disappointing (another D-word) when it doesn’t happen like we expect. But let’s not give up on it this time. Let’s not count on the government to figure it out for us. Get out there with your binoculars and telescopes, take notes, and tell people about your experiences so we can keep the UFO topic from being swept under the rug for another 50 years.

Love you all,

-Rosealien K. Baker 2/19/24

November 2023

In anticipation of The Holidays (and to give our writers a break), this TVW is a fun activity book that a very specific type of person might enjoy. Give it as a gift, keep it for yourself, use it for kindling to keep the Yule log lit and ward off the nasties that would otherwise invade your home during the long, cold night.

If you were wondering why there hasn’t been a new issue for a few months - and if you weren’t wondering, you’re about to find out anyway - several factors conspired against our ambitious schedule of monthly releases. We found that our writers and artists need a bit more time to put together the quality content that we’re committed to publishing. Also, the printing service that we were using made it clear that they do not care to do business with us. I don’t know if these guys thought our orders were a waste of their time, if they thought I was a sucker, or if they just don’t like fun. Whatever the reason for their disgruntled-ness and weaponized incompetence, Message Received.

But fear not, for we’re working out a relationship with a different local printer. More Wicks are coming, so keep sending your sightings, stories, and investigations.

-Rosealien K. Baker - Nov 12, 2023

July 2023

I got some great feedback from the June issue, some of which you can read for yourself in the next few pages. Something that was conveyed in a more general sense was, more or less, this one question: “Is this real?”

I’m intuitive enough to know that an unambiguous yes/no answer is what the querents are after. But, like many things, the truth isn’t that polar. I’ve found myself having to navigate this question differently based on who asks it since not everyone is at the same intellectual and spiritual vibration to align to any one shared reality. So, to make things easier on everyone I’ve included a few possible responses here. If you’re wondering if The Vitreous Wick and its contents are real or not, choose whichever category below that you believe you fit into (be honest, now!) and you shall there find thine appropriate answer.

If you are annoying and undeserving of a satisfactory answer: You fool! How can you doubt the reality of something that you’re now holding in your own hands and seeing with your own eyes?

If you’re nice and I find you unproblematic: There are some works of fiction in The Vitreous Wick, which should be obvious. I can’t comment on the veracity of Ledditors to the Etterer submissions or ads. The sightings, stories, and investigations, as far as I know, are true. I can confirm that the advice in the Dear SB7 column really does come from a spirit box.

If you’re really fukkin cool and I respect you: How do we know if anything is real or not? No really. Please tell me. What really even is everything?

-Rosealien K. Baker - June 26, 2023

June 2023 issue

I can’t be the only one who’s tired of listicles, doom scrolling, and screens in general. It was all fine during the COVID lock-down, but after three years my eyes long for ink on paper and content that lasts for more than five seconds.

Now that we’re all acting like everything is normal again, I went to one of the few remaining book stores (independent or otherwise) where a modest rack of sci-fi magazines from the 1950s caught my eye. I was never very interested in such things, but these were suddenly what I craved: Imaginative stories to browse or binge with no pop-up ads or activity trackers. I bought a couple of them at three dollars each and went home satisfied.

I didn’t get around to reading them right away, but seeing the cover art on my desk activated something in my brain. It started way in the back and slowly crept forward, much like the vitreous wick that oozes from the back of the eyeball to the front after an eye has undergone trauma. It started as a subtle sensation and proceeded until it manifested itself in full. This is commonly known as an Idea.

This Idea is nothing ground breaking. This Idea might not even be good. But I hope at least one person somewhere will appreciate a printed collection of weirdo stories with no strings attached.

I don’t aspire to be an influencer. This is not a vehicle to sell ad space. The vision for this publication is to create a fun, rambunctious, and probably messy input and output for those who miss the pre-internet-cookie days and just want to read something without consenting to a privacy policy first. This is also for those who have never experienced such a thing and are curious about what it would be like.

It is in this light that I welcome you to The Vitreous Wick. -Rosealien K. Baker - Thursday April 20, 2023