Ironborn

For practical (vacational) reasons, I will spend the next two weeks without my computer and Ironborn stuff. So that’s a hiccup in the schedule for you, but this time I intend to bring something back with me! It’s a short intermission story that fits rather nicely into the present juncture of the plot.

And look, this guy RidderHalfrijm drew a wonderful (and slightly uncanny) picture of Opal! It is here and is officially my first piece of fanart. A little Ghost in the Shell, isn’t she?

One hundred pages and one week short of two years of Ironborn. Isn’t that something! Still, much like poor Grate here, we have a long way to go yet. As a means of celebration, here’s the sketch that started it all.

Dating back to October 13th, 2006: Opal, version one, and something like the fourth sketch drawn for this whole project (the first few were of random robots and magicians that never made it anywhere). Akira cape and staff thing notwithstanding (what was it supposed to be good for, exactly?) it was immediately clear that I’d found my main character. By the look of it, the first glints of Purity were also taking shape at this point. The title “Ironborn” wandered into my head shortly thereafter; everything else seemed somehow to follow logically.

It’s a tired notion that stories write themselves, and they don’t, but as far as we’ve made it (about halfway) I’m a little startled by how coherent the whole has become. A lot of the time I feel like I’m just putting scenes in sequence, but the plot stitches itself together and marches on. Are you having fun? I’m having fun. And now for the next hundred.

… at my parents’ house.

And that’s the end of chapter four! I think you’ll enjoy the next chapter. I know I will.

My favorite page in a while.

I’m off with my botany course tomorrow, and will be gone a week in the woods, counting pistils and measuring petals and generally getting down with nature. As a consequence, you’ll have to sit tight until mid-June to see Jaspar’s reaction. Have a good one!

It’s times like these that my relative lack of web management skills really become apparent. I’ve relied on helpful people to set me up with a system that I can learn to use with ease, going through a set of movements like a blind lady pouring tea; the moment somebody shifts a teacup, my act shuts down and there’s a steaming mess.

I’ve got this page up at a temporary locale, but I’m looking for a new permanent hosting service down the line - something cheap and easy, suitable for the limited amount of traffic this place gets. You’re very welcome to make suggestions.

Anyway, enjoy the return of mail coach man! You’ve all missed him, I know you have.

Page 97 is all done and very pretty but I can’t access the server right now for some reason. Pardon the delay.

SUSPENNNNSSSSSSE

This update brought to you through an electrical storm; I like to think that’s sort of hardcore. Next week will see the return of another character that you’ve probably forgotten about!

If you, like me, have a bit of an attention span-defying hobby, such as drawing comics, and you’d like something fresh and exciting to listen to while you’re at it, and you’re also partial to a bit of horror fiction in your life, then you may want to check out Pseudopod. From what I’ve heard so far, they have good people writing and good people reading and the guy who presents it is all super-slick and British. Check out “Flash on the Borderlands I”, but don’t blame me for any adverse reactions you may experience, such as disgust, or the jibblies.

Here’s another scene that’s been a long time coming. I’m having a lot of fun drawing it. Enjoy!

I’m doing a new round of advertising. If you came here from Dinosaur Comics, Wonderella or Rice Boy/Order of Tales: Hi, and thanks for clicking! Make yourself at home.

As for everyone else: check out all of the above. Each one has the potential to improve your life, albeit in different ways.

And it’s back to our favorite grumpy spy duo, locked up in their hotel suite. In case you’ve forgotten - because it’s been a while - the last thing that happened to them was this and this.

Er… try not to look at Brideslock’s face in that first one.