V44-46 and END

After this long break due to unexpected life changes, I give you the last 3 pages of volume 5 all at once (with the preceding page again, as a reminder of where we left off.) More discussion below the pages!

So now we know how THAT ended, and that Amer didn't quite tell Malaak the whole story!

Ever since I set the date of the flashback so precisely, I wondered if a history buff would remember it or if someone was going to look it up and call me on it, but that managed to go under the radar for two years. It has been a long time since Lebanon suffered a serious earthquake (1759 and knock on wood!), but it's well-known that the ancient cities were flattened a few times by devastating tremors, and the coastline was hit by tsunamis 14 times over the last 2,500 years. The earthquake and tsunami of 525 B.C. is one of the best-known ones, and destroyed Tyre...
The idea, by the way, took shape while researching for our book Tyre and its History several years back, but the tragedy of the Japan tsunami in 2010 provided visual references I could never have imagined.

With this volume 5 ends, and we have one volume left to go. There will be another long break before I begin posting that, because I'm going to the UK for art courses and it will be difficult to focus on the comic for a while. Also I want to really work on the writing to give this series a worthy ending. The best way to find out when posting resumes is to follow this blog or join the mailing list (leave me a comment for that).

I have also decided not to print single volumes anymore, so I'm afraid this will not be published just yet: I prefer to complete volume 6 and then put out a complete book with all 6 parts of the story. I will, however, publish an ebook with the usual booty of sketches and other bonus material, so people who have been waiting for its completion can enjoy it asap!

Thanks for reading!

V43

End of part 5! Oh wait, no, I forgot... Just a couple more pages...

Sketch page:

Webcomic of the week: Sunset Grill by Kat Feete


"It's 2426. Earth is a patchwork quilt of squabbling Domains, loosely joined under the mantle of the Empire, which fights to present a united front to technologically advanced, land-hungry alien races. None of which matters particularly to the Sunset Grill, a bar on the shady side of town in the corrupt city of Kieselburg. The comic follows the bar's staff and patrons as they meet the challenges of their imperfect world with humor, determination, and the occasional moment of grace."

V42

Adrian still has a hard time wrapping his head around some of the "psycho stuff." Malaak seems to finally have gotten to the root of the problem... sort of. What happened to the temple in the first place?

Sketch page:

Webcomic of the week: Ley Lines by Robin Dempsey

"Three siblings from a broken family are caught in the conspiracy that claimed their mother's life. To save their family and nation, they seek out ancient gods for answers -- but the gods give nothing for free." It's hard to stop reading this culturally rich story set in a thoroughly fleshed-out world.

V41

Some of you had already figured this out about Nryz, but I must say I only found out recently myself ;)
Poor Malaak looks so uncomfortable and hardly able to move. It's an unusual spot to put one's superhero in, to say the least. What will she do if she's physically unable to act?

Sketch page:

Webcomic of the week: Footloose byAlice Nuttall and Emily Brady

"Keti Jones is a third generation Primary Protagonist, with some seriously mixed up DNA and a predispotion to Multiple Genre-induced Sanity Dysfunction. In a world where the rules of Fiction control everything she must learn to defend herself... with shoes."

V40

Hospitals! I hate hospitals!! But here's a kind of sweet moment I've been looking forward to drawing. ^^
Yes, that's a different scarf on Adrian. His original one is still in Malaak's possession, remember? Safely back at her place, and probably washed and ironed, too.

Sketch page:

This week's webcomic is Precocious by Christopher J. Paulsen:

Precocious is "a nifty daily webcomic about 9- and 10-year-old kids who are too smart for their own good", based on the author's childhood. "If this comic looks and reads like what would happen if Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Ozy and Millie, Bloom County and Fox Trot were thrown into a blender and distilled– That's because it IS. I'm a huge fan of all those strips, and following them most definitely helped shape me into who I am today." Chrispy offers a useful selection of strips so new readers can get a feel of the comic without going through the entire archive.

V39

The blurs here were quite fun to make, I must say. Always wanted to make a good use of that effect... Hope you enjoyed seeing the open air for a couple of pages, because uh... It's going to be a while till we see them again I think!

Sketch page:

Webcomic of the week: Spare Keys for Strange Doors by Lucy Lyall:

Your local Specialists are:
Toby Hathaway and Marion Sark.

Highly experienced and skilled professionals, experts at handling the uncanny, supernatural and subnatural. Some experience of the natural, but discussion of your exact needs is advisable.

Specialities include visitations, disappearances, compulsions, manifestations, transformations and removal of uninvited guests. We can be diplomatic or more persuasive as the situation requires."

Spare Keys is a delightful and riveting series of short paranormal stories in a crisp art style that makes it beautifully readable. Each story stands alone, and they typically portray small life dramas made highly interesting (and humorous!) by the presence of the supernatural. Well written, well drawn, well paced, a highly recommended read!

V38

Featuring our new ER double act, Drs Kamal and Jarone, and a cameo appearance by Samer Chehab ;)

Sketch page:

Webcomic of the week: Twilight Lady by Blake JK Chen

"In demonic circles, she is spoken of in hushed whispers… and known only as the Nameless Lady in the Hood.
For eons she wandered the realms of the living and dead, craving solitude, yet compelled to aid any wronged who sought justice… or vengeance.
Two decades ago, this immortal soul found itself born into an earthly body under mysterious circumstances.
Having previously attained near god-like ability and status (worshipped by some, feared by others), the Lady had no desire to endure the limits of being mere flesh and blood. So she created Jen, a separate mind within her own… to experience life in a physical body whenever she didn’t want to… which was most of the time.
Only Jen turned out stronger than her creator imagined, at times becoming the dominant personality in their shared existence. To prevent losing herself completely, the Lady began surfacing whenever Jen was “asleep”. A necessary compromise.

Now a young adult, Jen still has no inkling of the being that dwells within. A budding musician, she just wants to find her place in the world.
But there are those who know of the Nameless Lady in the Hood. Friends, enemies, and those who seek her aid…"

A good jumping point is the current storyline, Occupy Senserealm.

V37

Finally out in the sun again! I won't be sorry not to have to shade the insides of that thing anymore, grumble. Well, well, looks like there's only a few pages to go for this volume...

Sketch page:

Webcomic of the Week: Chirault by Varethane

A lovely fantasy webcomic with signature use of brushpen and markers, Chirault is "about this weirdo named Kiran and this tiny kid who sits on his shoulder and tells him to do things. Sort of, anyway. There are also demons and imploding cities and the possibility of the world's imminent demise, in roughly that order of mention." What doesn't transpire from this blurb is how completely loveable the characters are, each with a history that is revealed ever so slowly, and how addictive the story is – a good old string of adventures within the central framework of having to get from one place to the other, in a world rich with mages, hunters and demons. The 600-page archive was an absolute pleasure to devour and now I'm waiting for more.

V36

There's an anecdote regarding this page that involves my quizzing my (ER Doctor) brother as to what kind of injury Adrian could immobilize with only his belt at hand, then demanding he demonstrate how on his (freshly arrived) partner so I could take reference pics... It was worth it for a medically plausible scene!

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Webcomic of the week: Keys by Nicoli Gonnella

"Keys is about a young man trying to find himself in a world that is on the brink of war. The Empire readies to sign a peace accord with the savage Freidheim, but men and women plot and scheme to grab their handfuls of power. While in the shadows there is a whisper, a call from long ago: he is coming. He is coming."

V34-35

I wasn't sure I'd manage to finish this for today, but I'm not so cruel! Stayed in on this beautiful Sunday to get it done (and to stop myself pillaging Whole Foods, which should have been kept hidden from me.) Something else I managed to do was finish scripting this volume till the end, and start on the next one.

Sketch page: