Archive for the ‘Preview’ Category

Chapter #68 Preview

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

I thought I might throw this little scene out there for those still waiting for the next chapter. It should make up for the break by being quite extensive! This isn’t the Final Final Draft version, BTW – still got one more revision to go!

***

Theseus looked at Lyra, whose face was as screwed up in confusion as his was. “What the hell is that creep talking about? Is he on drugs or something?”

“Don’t you listen ta anything, Armstrong? He ain’t probably been to our world before. Probably thinks we’ll believe everything he says, ’cause he thinks we ain’t got much clue about the world,”

“Man, even I’m not that stupid!”

“Ye don’t be realising how up their own arses some of these faerie-types are. Some of ‘em be thinking we’re nothing more than a bunch of monkeys they can play games with,”

Why did this Adonis guy keep ticking all the wrong boxes? It were as if he was everything Theseus hated made incarnate: vain, egotistical, arrogant – it was like fate wanted him to lose his cool. He flexed his gloved fingers and snarled at the thought of an intangible enemy.

“At least this proves that creep ain’t a good guy – not that I ever thought he was – which means we have an excuse to go pummel the shit outta him,”

Lyra studied her own glove, its flimsy cotton and twisted braids the opposite of Theseus’s tough leather and studs. “As much as I want te be agreeing with ye, Armstrong, we ain’t gonna be able to do that ’til we got everyone outta that delusion of his. Unless ye be wanting an army of fangirls to claw ye to pieces,”

Theseus pressed his finger to his ear as John’s voice gave more instructions to Andromeda, and soon after her voice cut off Adonis’s droning to roast him with some more specific, but unrelated questions. How that was going to help anyone, he didn’t know, but if anyone could oust a rat it was Annie.

Happier Times

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Got quite a bit of work to deal with at the moment, so I’ll be sticking to the Friday-release schedule of recent weeks. More importantly, if you wanted to know who Adonis really is, you might be interested to know you’ll soon find out, as this coming chapter will feature an illustrated reveal…

It will also have a lot to do with a certain dissipating group of friends…

67-full

Almost there…

Friday, April 16th, 2010

As if imminent moving across the country wasn’t bad enough, I got struck down with flu and didn’t get much work done for much of the week. It’s as if the universe is conspiring against me, I tell ya!

But I’m almost there. I’ve had to cut things down by a page (the last page will crop up when I have time to do it, but its narration will be moved to the current last page, so you won’t miss any story) and now all I have left to do is the actual text. I’ll should get it done for tonight (Friday night).

Page total: 7 (1 double spread). Would’ve been 9 had I got the planned final double-page done, but never mind. 7 pages is still a lot :p

Visual Diversions

Monday, March 15th, 2010

I haven’t updated this with much lately. I’ve either been busy… or passed out from being too busy XD

The new background is a prelude to the slight site overhaul, where the adverts will be moved down to the comments section. They shouldn’t get in the way of reading now! This will also mean, hopefully, that I’ll have space to start introducing a new feature into the actual chapters – this will be a sidebar that will contain a recap of the previous chapter and a list of main characters appearing in the chapter. I’m hoping this’ll help provide a reference those who can’t remember all the names/faces! It’ll be like the opening sequence of a TV show, or the cast list you get at the front of a collected manga volume.

Now for some visual fun!

Here’s an unfinished page from the next chapter.

I’ll leave you to ponder what on earth’s going on there. And now for something pertaining to the next batch of chapters…

dante-copic-5

There’s going to be quite a few illustrated pages over the following weeks, starting with 4 this week. Next week’s section will probably be longer, but is something I’ve been visualising for ages now. I’d say it’ll be my most ambitious attempt at illustrating to date, but there’s #57 not too far away…

Oh, and if anyone was wondering: I do these traditional style for two reasons: firstly it doesn’t take nearly as much time, secondly it’ll be more efficient when it comes to publishing stuff in a book format.

My more experimental take on comics can be found here

A Comedy of Tragics

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Started working on #58 today. It’s a complete contrast to the chapters before it, and for good reason too! From #52 through to #57, things tend to get rather dark and disturbing. Some of it might come as a surprise, but that’s very much the idea – as a reader you’ll go through the same journey the students go through, from not understanding to wishing you didn’t. As the masquerade most have been under since the beginning now begins to fall – as they wished it to – the grim reality of their world is exposed.

Well, maybe.

No, I’m not about to kill anyone off. I am going to force some into confronting their morals and principalities, though.

I recall a review suggesting Phantasia was aimed at younger readers. At the time it made me chortle. You’ll soon be able to understand why. Not that I would stop ‘younger readers’ from reading it (though anyone under 12 would probably have gotten bored by now!). I read enough when I were that age. When was the last time you picked up a book and it said “Warning: this story contains content rated NC-17 and is not suitable for minors”? Exactly. Don’t expect such nanny-state pandering from me :)

ANYHOW! Back to #58. Yes, it’s lighter, more humourous and completely out of whack with what preceeds it. That’s what’s so great about writing a serial. You couldn’t get away with that in a novel!

The chapter is (currently) called “Messages from Malkuth” and focuses entirely on silky-haired, egocentric Chris. Just plotting out the scenes helped revitalise my enthusiasm – diving into the darkness for too long can weigh you down. Meanwhile #59 is a Katrina-centric chapter, following on from the mystery set up in #58. Said mystery gets ‘solved’ in #60, leading into a bunch of chapters that will change everything. Not sure if they’ll be #61-65 or #61-70, as I might adapt a shorter-chapters-twice-a-week schedule by then…

To make this post look pretty, here’s some artwork!

chapter-53-pre

Lighting up the Night

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Was planning on doing more daily posts with little bits of background info, but the Real World conspired against me. Alas and woe! Here’s a preview for tomorrow’s chapter, which will most likely be arriving in the evening sometime.

The times, they will be a-changing

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

I’m working on developing what I will now dub PHANTASIA v3.0! That’s the new look for the site, by the way (v1 was the terrible thing I started with, v2 is the current design, which I hate XD).

Phantasia v2 will be designed to look more, well, professional :p It might have some flash integration in non-core areas (like the database) if I can brush up my flash-skills enough for the task, but the main part – the story – will remain its simplicity. I may even launch a bare-bones version for those who prefer absolute simplicity (and all these wonderful devices that don’t like fancy shenanigans), which I hereby dub Phantasia v0!

I’m also starting rough ideas for v4. This will be something TOTALLY AWESOME, but I currently don’t have the resources or skills to produce it. To give you an idea…ah, I can’t! Sufice to say that I want to move as far away from the looks-like-a-blog look most webserials have and move more into this-is-bloody-awesome territory.

v4 will roll out in the second half of the year, when I’ve got more stuff to actually promote…

ALSO: in a couple of weeks I’ll be experimenting by releasing an extra chapter on the Monday. This will happen every so often until the day comes when updates are always twice a week. The drawback? Chapters might be shorter – av.3k words rather than the current 4k (but two a week means more overall!).

V3 will also be when I potentially launch the ‘subscription’ service, or whatever I’ll end up calling it. Basically: those who donate get access to [x] number of chapters not publicly available, and other nice things.

Meanwhile…

So there you go!

In the Woods…

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Was reading through early chapters today, making notes for continuity/database purposes. Man, the urge to want to go back and rewrite them is strong – and I get it every time I reach this arc in the story!

Nevertheless, I’m resisting the urge – mostly. One thing I will be doing is doing a revised version of the first two chapters as they need the most work, and also because I’m going to write a short mini-series that acts as a sort-of prequel. It deals with the relationship between Thetis and Calypso, the faerie who would turn renegade and become the demon Cecaelia, who attacked the Water Queendom in chapter 1.

I have paid attention to the last poll, though, and stories about the downfall of humanity will be written! There’s already a mini-series in the planning stages, and there’s a couple of short stories I’ve written in the past that I could tidy up. Just don’t expect anything for a month or so – I’m still busy with LIFE and trying to build up a healthy backlog of chapters!

I’m also trying to sort out a portfolio site. I need to make some money from artwork! And this thing will be getting a graphical makeover sometime in the next month…

Meanwhile, here’s a preview of the art from the next chapter, complete with its overly detailed  background! Expect to see a better picture of Mr Payne too – the last one is quite old and rubbish!

Tuesday Blog: Faeries vs Golems!

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

I’m still trying to work out a regular schedule for THINGS. I’ve got into the habit of putting up a new poll every Moon Day and I figured I’d leave the chapter preview until good ol’ Woden’s Day, so I figured I’d use this here Tyr’s Day for…uh…stuff

I’m working on several things for the site other than just the story, but those are taking a backseat since I’m overworking myself (again). Two chapters this week? Well that’s kinda because they started as one and grew so large I had to split them! I think they work better without a week’s break between them, so I’m aiming to have them both up on Thursday. Or Thursday and Friday.

It then gives me two weeks to illustrate a ten-page sequence for #39. Suffice to say it won’t be in colour…well, except for one page, which I’ve already finished. AND HERE IT IS!

Faerie vs Golem!

Exciting stuff indeed. I coloured that digitally, rather than by hand, which was probably a bad idea: it took 8 hours! Oh, and besides those ten pages there’s also the usual chapter headings… And there might be a couple of pages at the end of #38 when two rather important antagonists make their début (well technically one of them has already appeared…)

I wish I could get onto a 2-chapter-a-week schedule already… I was doing stuff for chapter #52 earlier… Maybe if I decreased the workload… (as if I’d do that – I’m too bloody stupid!)

Preview! 35# Understanding Dante

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Art!

35

Extract!

So what happened to your parents?”

Dante would have been annoyed – even angry – had anyone else asked that question, as had happened in the past, but there was something about Phantasia’s naïve, matter-of-fact attitude that forced him to forgive her.

“I don’t have a father. My mother was taken away. Years ago. For her ‘safety’, they said. They said she was…” He couldn’t believe he was even telling her this! Kat was the only person he’d trusted with it before. “They said she was insane. Said she could…” He paused, his body trembling. Admitting this was one of the biggest steps to recovery. “That she could see things. Like I do.”