100 updates and a lot of steem later here we are! The first released color page for Issue 2 of Ithaqa. The movie posters in the background are REAL posters from films that Wharton Studios actually did put out!
It has been so much fun digging up the silent film history of Ithaca, NY that it makes me kinda sad I set my story during the death rattle of the Wharton Studios. They were mostly kaput by 1921, courtesy of having gone toe to toe with William Randolph Hearst. And if you've seen "Citizen Kane" you know that wasn't advisable for anyone in the media biz back then.
It's crazy to think that one of America's first film empires was started by filming a Cornell football game, and then ended going against one of the most powerful men in the world...
Now I know what you're all thinking, this color panel is well and good, but what about those pencils we still haven't seen? Fear not here they are!
Joseph Dunwich reveals himself to be more than just your average puritanical prohibitionist asshole. By playing cat's cradles with some threads of Iss-Nagish he is able to bend space and time slightly to disfigure and (temporarily?) blind Hugo.
This ultimately backfires, causing Hugo's gun to go off and kill Joseph's son, Daniel. Chuck at the nearby police station clearly hears the gun go off, which means the police will not be far behind.
This moment serves as an origin story of sorts for Joseph. The second his son dies, he becomes an antagonist. Sure he probably wanted to keep our main characters from poking around the remains of his cult, but now this is personal. Now his hate has a focus...My hope is that while we are repulsed and afraid of Joseph, we still can sympathize with him as he works through his loss. In future issues we will learn just how much he has sacrificed in order to learn what he has.
We also have to ask ourselves a very important question: If there are an infinite number of universes, and Iss-Nagish's powers allow her to move between all of them, is this really the end of Daniel? Or is this just the end of one version of him?
Speaking of Iss-Nagish, I think it's time I reveal to you all what she looks like!
Now she is actually larger than our feeble minds can truly comprehend, but if through some fever dream you were able to pierce the arch of time and gaze upon her, this is what she would look like.
But wait, there's even more! Something that even those of you who have visited ithaqacomic.com haven't seen...
Iss-Nagish is an infinite being who exists in all timelines and all universes simultaneously. As a 10th dimensional creature she is not physically capable of focusing in on a single individual in a single universe. Could you locate a specific grain of sand in the desert?
Iss-Nagish requires a 4th dimensional avatar if she is to trap enough human souls to feed upon. This is where Nageesi comes into play...
While Nageesi is nowhere near as powerful as Iss-Nagish, she is much more dangerous to humans, as she actually has the ability to perceive them...
Thank you again to everyone who has supported the comic throughout 2017! Your comments have given me the courage to submit "Ithaqa" to every publisher I can get my hands on, and your likes have helped me finance this project by paying my letterist in full!
I am officially out of budget for this project (once issue 2 is fully complete) so now "Ithaqa" is in fate's hands. Whether we strike a deal with a publisher or crowdfund our way to issue 3, look out for 2018! So help me god you will go to a book store and see our comic on the shelf!
SO much love,
Michael
Theresa Chiechi's (The Artist @la-fumettista) website is here: http://www.theresachiechi.com/
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Wow, 100 updates! Your dedication has been spectacular. Please keep it going so we can help fund with votes. One quick skyrocket of Steem value could get a few more issues prepared.
This weekend I’ll have to do a bit of scouting and see if I can suggest any publishers. Have you submitted anywhere beyond Image & Chaosium?
Love the designs and backstory. And no need to regret setting your tale a few years after the heyday... I’m sure there’s some interesting story threads reaching back through the decades to explore. I sense some prequels!
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Thanks your dedication to this project has been even more spectacular! I have submitted now to Action Lab Comics, and Markosia. I'm about to mail a submission to Fantagraphics as well.
Happy to submit to any other suggestions you have!
Luckily we have probably a little over 2 months of issue 2 updates to go through, so hopefully by the time that well has run dry we'll already be in print!
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I looked at Oni Press but they’re not accepting submissions currently from what I saw. They do well with 6th Gun, which reminds me of Ithaqa due to the historical fiction/horror mix.
I like what Alterna is doing with newsprint comics & broader distribution, and I believe they’ve done some more mature horror such as The Chair, but I’m not sure they’re an overall fit.
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Well I'll check em out! No harm in trying :)
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So much information in this post -- mind boggled!
The details on Ish-Nagish are awesome, very intriguing and just make me want to read more & more about her (it?). Her physical avatar is great, too, our heros will have a hard time when she starts perceiving them... I like the "science" behind them, the multiple dimensions and infinite universes; they are a good & fitting modern take on Lovecraft's existential horror.
Certainly, losing a son in such a horrible way leaves a mark on you, a horrible mark that might lead you to dark paths... not that this Dunwich guy was a saint to begin with, but he can always take a step towards even more evil! I am eager to see how he will extract his revenge...
Great job on the historical details, the movie posters and the Hearst reference -- you just don't go against this guy! I love such historical references in comics, and I respect the effort made to put them in. I've been slowly reading Moore's magnum opus Providence and it is full of such things, in every single panel.
I hope the stars will be right about your finances and publishers, Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!
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Another great page. What is your system between writer and artist? Do you tell the artist what to draw? Do you two meet and map it out together?
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So the process is that I write a script and send it to my editor, Lisa. Lisa is a playwright and is very good at a) correcting my myriad of heinous grammatical errors and b) letting me know if I have unnecessary scenes, missing scenes, or characters acting out of character.
Then I research images and videos that I think will help direct Theresa to the imagery and vibe that I want and create an image reference document for her.
Finally I give the script to Theresa and we go back and forth. She'll give me some pencils, then I'll give her some notes, then she'll give me inks, and I'll give more notes, then colors and letters. :)
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Sweeeet. It's always interesting to me to hear this from people in comics. I feel like every artist-writer combo is a bit different.
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All the best for issue 2!
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As if puritanical prohibitionist asshole wasn't enough.
Good luck with the funding!
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It's a superb comic dear @drwatson.
Resteem done.
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Such a great collaboration and a truly intriguing story! Keep up the great work!!
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When is it public?
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If you go to https://www.ithaqacomic.com/ you can put your email into the "Buy The Comic" section and you will be notified when and where you can buy it :)
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thank you dear.
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I would like to thank you very much an amazing art
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Thanks for informative content.
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