It’s Like Cosmic Background Radiation

Except it’s neither cosmic, nor is it radiation.

A lot’s been happening with the comic in the background (and that’s the part that’s relevant!) as of late and for those of you still reading, I’ve figured that instead of simply telling you about it, I should probably show you:

There are still a lot of warm colors and outlines, but now I’ve also opted for punchier colors and hatch shading, giving the visuals some volume while also cutting down on how long it takes to illustrate each page. Ironically, with the time saved, I’ve started going in on more diverse and flashier visual effects, so it’s still taking me some time to get Issue 3 done. Currently, the plan is still for this to be a 36-page issue, but I’m considering posting again once I’m about halfway through the issue and posting one page a week, giving me time to finish the remaining pages, while also scheduling them to go up as they are completed.

It’s been nearly a year since Issue 2 finished, but I feel that the time taken to go back and reevaluate the direction I was going with Issue 3 was definitely the best call, as this really gave me the opportunity flesh out the pacing a lot more and give everyone a chance to really shine.

I’ll be back with another update soon…ish, but until then, please enjoy the new screens!

More life updates—some are great, some kind of suck

More Life Updates—Child Elliott and Andrew locked in arms

A few life updates:

I’ve been hammering away at commissions, so I haven’t had nearly the time I thought I’d have. Either way, I’ve made time here and there to get back to work on the comic. Sure, it sounds like empty promises, but there have definitely been Electric Fencer-related things going on behind the curtain.

I’ve been working on that new-ish style for coloring, and it’s been showing a lot of promise with how quickly I can get illustrations completed (the image of Elliott and Andrew as children above was worked on and completed in only a couple of hours).

Work (the 9–5) has gotten to be a little hectic and draining to the point where it’s actively getting in the way of producing the comic, but for the month of October, I’m going to focus on getting back on track despite the situation. Electric Fencer Issue 3 will be up a bit later than I initially intended but it’ll definitely be worth the wait.

Speaking of which, updates on Issue 3: I wasn’t especially happy with the direction it was going and I figured rather than going forward and simply hoping the comic levels out, I decided to start from the beginning, but this time with better knowledge and more tools in my belt. The new coloring style practice has been a result of that effort. Additionally, Issue 3 will be our first BIG issue with it being a whopping 36 pages as opposed to our usual 24. I wanted to really give the characters a chance to show what they can do as well as touching on some other bits of character development before we go full swing into the adventure.

Tags have been added to each of the pages make your favorites easier to find. I’m new to this SEO business (I imagine some SEO guru out there is saying, “Ooh! He said the thing!!), but here’s hoping this little update will help each new page or post gain some traction and more people can find them.

The layout of the front page has been changed as well and now there’s a background to make the site not feel like you’re looking at a wall. There’ll more of these types of cosmetic changes in the future as well.

While you’re waiting for Issue 3, why not reread the series so far from Issue 1? I hear that’s a great way to build hype for a new season of TV, so maybe it’ll work here? We’ve also got our three articles in the Extras section—Sestius? Wait, What?, What is Klein?, and It’s a Fairly Large World, After All—covering some element of the worldbuilding for Electric Fencer. I promise you won’t be quizzed on it, but they’ll all play some role down the line in the narrative.