#i just wanna be a cool comic maker like you lmao!

[theartofsimpleomens]

Soul Extol: Chapter One

Posting this so that @brytnoter can see that even though I have been hiding from the world for the last few months, I have been making something!

There is a trigger warning for analogies to mental illness, gaslighting, and attempted suicide. there may be more in the future but idk.

Genre is romance and action. Weird romance, to be sure, but it is a romance that I adore hehe

This is 10000% a comic for me, not really making it to be wildly popular or anything, I'm just making something that I think is cool. The mental illness stuff is a reflection of how my brain can feel sometimes so consider the sensitivity editor to be me x'DD

Hiden below so I don't clog up timelines.

[felassan]

Thoughts on Dark Fortress #2

(This post is under a cut due to spoilers.)

So late with this one! some stuff irl was keeping me really busy and hyper-distracting me lately, but it’s finally over now so I’m back on my bioware bullshit. :D

Overall there were a lot of beautiful or awe-inspiring scenes in this issue, and a lot of great, meaningful / poignant character interactions and moments between characters. It’s pretty impressive actually how much was able to be packed in. I posted some of my favorite panels here. also omg! the action sequences! the big reveal! the ending!! woww

cool scene-setting, panned out shot of Neromenian and behind it, the Dark Fortress, to immediately pull you back into the world and ‘where we left off’. the combination of ruined dead trees, red lights, lightning and fire/smoke is very atmospheric and hints at what’s ahead

“From this... city, if we can call it that” is a sick burn and reminds you that the Qunari are technologically more advanced than most of the rest of Thedas, from their cannons to their aqueducts

more individually distinct Qunari soldiers, sth I again appreciate

! last issue there were big ‘You haven’t seen the last of Tractus!’ vibes, naturally, but I didn’t expect him to escape by stabbing and killing the Qunari using a chair-leg..!!

the last panel on the first page of Karasten is really good. the way it’s colored, the way it’s lit, the light and shadow, the fiery backdrop, cinders floating, the details of his expression.. 👌 it also makes me think to the possible future, to DA4 when mainland Thedas may be continuing to face the entirety of the Antaam

in Vaea’s acrobatics scene on the bridge, I know rationally that she’ll be fine but couldn’t help but worry for her. again I like how they don’t shy away from showcasing Vaea’s specific abilities. also the attention to detail - you’d think some rocks are just some rocks, but it highlights the risk she’s undertaking that if she falls it’s into rough seas which could dash her against the jagged rocks :’S. Vaea, gooooo!

Fenris’ “Enterprising girl” line has big “Clever girl” meme energy :D

my heart can’t take Fran and Autumn leaning over the edge after Vaea in worry ;; or Aaron looking back in concern over his shoulder ;; or Fran’s tender reassurance ;; or Autumn’s Worried expression ;; the care and bonds which have grown between this group of characters ;;

notice Aaron starts drinking when Vaea’s away from them and they’re beginning to grow worried about her safety. the poor man’s nerves and stress levels

Fran touching the vegetation while she’s considering if she could use her magic to open the entrance from the outside is a nice touch

did Marius leap in front of Fenris and Fran there when the entrance opened?? damn, he’s quick. and the three of them look all scary and formidable here ready for combat. notice how the curve of the door and the spikes that go into the ground, and the composition of this panel, make it look like they’re standing in front of an opened dragon’s maw? ‘teeth’, a rumbling ‘roar’.. some nice foreshadowing here.

the reunion panels are so cute. Autumn’s lil tum as she jumps and Fran and Fenris’ lil smiles of relief and at Autumn’s reaction to seeing Vaea, then a rare happy beam from Aaron.. feel.. the love ;__;

red lighting in the tunnel sets a dangerous, dramatic build-up mood

👀 more info on Fenris’ past, on the specifics of the process which gave him his markings. in the panel where he says that it took a long time, his shadow on the wall behind him reminds me of the shadow of his past that has dogged him for so long :(

Fenris and Marius height difference

discussion of the process shows the power difference between blue and red lyrium. blue lyrium took a long time, red lyrium is almost instant

Autumn is such an intrepid little explorer and alert scout, tail and ears up, head forward. good girl!

“I just... worry about you, my girl”  ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚  I’ll be so sad if these are death flags for Aaron and he doesn’t make it out of here. also note Fran in this panel, who recently had to kill her own father and is still dealing with that, watching the strongly paternal moment between Aaron and Vaea :(

love Vaea’s faith in Aaron and her sense of humor. also I don’t know why, maybe it’s because Vaea met Sebastian, but her “Maker, no!”, although in a completely different and light-hearted context, reminds me of Sebastian’s “Maker nooo!” at the end of DA2 hh

the reference again to Hawke, who Fenris saw haunted by what they tried to do - save their mother - and couldn’t :’(. also with the shadow in this panel, here’s another person struggling with the shadow of his past qq. this is later emphasized again in Aaron when he continues to talk about his past and in the panel is a chain and manacle. smart visual metaphors, a must in the comic medium with limited space

mushroom skull 💀🍄

“It isn’t about what I’ve done. It isn’t about my failures. Or my choices. It’s about their impact” - he’s misty-eyed here as he thinks back to Ostagar.. does this line btw seem almost meta to anyone else btw? :D it feels like a meta reference to the experience of DA players and PCs, who are always having to deal with the impacts of their choices

I wanna point out that I was right on reading issue #1, when I said “I’m positive that in panel 2 here, it’s the exact moment when he sees Cailan die” ;;

So Aaron is also a veteran of the Battle of Denerim

reference to the Hero of Ferelden - “Those were someone else’s battles”. I’m being captain obvious here but I can’t help but [heart pitter-patter] at any and all references to the HoF

I like the.. parallel? is that the word? Aaron’s stories were him trying to inspire people to make a change, or him trying to convince himself of that. and now here’s Vaea, inspiring Aaron with her words in these panels. the little guys can make a difference! in the world of Thedas, you don’t need to be a big bombastic hero or a Player Character to have an impact 

lmao Fenris right on cue. the moments of humor/light-heartedness are nice because they break up the tension and are sprinkled throughout without derailing build-up or taking away from dramatic story impact. yknow?

yeah Aaron!! leave it behind. leave it to rot with mr mushroom skull (and hey the mushroom skull was there for a reason). again tho if this is a death flag i 

Fenris straight down to business with the tactics

its cute how close Autumn has been sticking to Fran

Tessa checking in on Fran again, as she did in issue 1

Could Vaea’s “Well, shit” be an homage to Varric? :D they have met

I also wanna point out that I was right on reading issue #1, when I said “My guess is that the thing Tractus shows Marquette and Nenealeus is probably a chained up dragon or similar”

the poor dragon :’( big dragon the Qunari had in Trespasser vibes

the sword has a really cool design, kind of reminds me of something a samurai might be depicted wielding

👀 lore-drop! so ancient elven arcane warriors used lyrium-infused swords. this seems to confirm the sarcophagus is an ancient elven artifact, no? makes sense, wasn’t it said that the sarcophagus’ design was based on the architecture/outfit-design type elements of a specific faction, and that this was done intentionally? it looks kinda ancient elfy in make, right? also about the lyrium-infused swords of the arcane warriors, well well well.. remember that the Evanuris and the ancient elves mined the bodies of Titans for lyrium, for power and to use as a resource. here’s an example of that use

as I read through this portion I became increasingly concerned for my boy Shirallas.. we really are in it now aren’t we 😭

the Qunari are launching STRAIGHT-UP ROCKETS ohhhh

pretty ‘lightshow’ over the wall in the “Let’s hope the fortress is as secure as Danarius boasted” panel hh

protective older brother Fenris, impish younger sister Vaea. love that dynamic, we love to see it. sheepish and exasperated Fenris is so cute

the Bone Pit dragon fight with Hawke and co reference!

I wonder how long the dragon has been captive here, and how Danarius/Tractus was able to capture it

lore-wise what are the implications here? when Fenris’ ritual was being undertaken, the sword and the sarcophagus were bombarded with magic, fire spells. in this one they aim to have the dragon bombard it with fire-breathing. is it just fire that makes it work/powers it, or is there magic in dragonfire, in dragons? it reminds me of “Your heart beats with the old blood, as well. Where do you think it comes from? It sings of a time when dragons ruled the skies. A time before the Veil, before the mysteries were forgotten. Can you hear it?”

purple color for the dragon’s growling sounds/typeset is a great idea

lets.. goooo!!!!

Marquette is such a nerd. later on when he activates the sarcophagus he has mad scientist vibes

the dramatic reunion face-offs begin!! as the prophecy foretold!!!!1

true to form, Marius DOES have nothing to say ahahaha, even at this, his personal climax. maybe Marius dies in the next issue, but Tessa lives and gets to go back to Charter

these Venatori look almost Star Wars

Shirallas my boyy.. nooo... don’t do it 😭

ah ah ah! try casting magic with no ARMS

Francesca a beacon of blue light and goodness

the splash combat page is masterful. everyone playing a part, so much going on, everything happening at once. a thing that sticks out to me about it is Aaron’s outstretched hand and alarm as he watches Fran fall 

Autumn with her lil hackles raised

“The Venatori have returned” dun dun dunn

goodbye Shirallas 😭😭😭

the composition of the second to last page with triangle/diamond-shaped panels and the framing of dragon wings is awesome

the Dread Wolf rises, “the Tevinter Imperium will rise again”.. on-point on-point cohesion

there he is, the red wraith

Super Saiyan Shirallas

what a note to end an issue on

wow wow wow!!

and separate to the above, some speculation based on the cover of Issue 3: the piece of metal looks like a broken collar coming off Shirallas, like the one there was on the cover of Issue 2 coming off the dragon. also he’s all bulky now with draconic talons/claws (reminds me of in-world legends of Reavers who dug too deep of their own power after drinking dragon blood and whose bodies consequently began to manifest subtle reptilian traits actually). I’ll be interested to see what results of this allusion between Shirallas and the dragon!!

[system21-au]

Chapter Two: They're Gone

Woot woot~

Finally done! Sorry this took so long but there was a typhoon, then there's my job, and then there's a certain game that got me hooked up... Ugh. Life is so busy nowadays!

But here it is! Chapter 2! Enjoy!

*Long message up ahead so you can skip those parts and it's all good*

Also, don't judge my shadows! 😂😂😂 (defensive much? Lmao)

I wanna apologize for using the comic as my practice area also for new angles and stuff. Forgive me for some art style clashes cause 2019 art style and 2021 art style is having a meet and greet right here so there are some...eh, adjustments. Minor adjustments XD.

Anyways! Lemme just say to those comic makers out there that do all the stuff. Like intricate backgrounds and all that jazz, you guys are unbelievably hella cool.

This is my first comic(at least I think it is) that has some backgrounds and...well, this is as intricate as I can do them?

But boi are they tedious! Still, I enjoyed watching the results. 😊

*End of message*

P.S. Argh! After all those editing, reediting, polishing, repolishing, still there's going to be a stowaway typo or error. Apologies.

If you find it, you'll have a present of... *drumroll* nothing! But my love and affection❤❤❤

****

Undertale by Toby Fox! ❤

System 21 by me

[maiji]

Wow, I think this is the first Anime North ever where I got a relatively decent night's sleep every night (bearing in mind my benchmark for a good night's sleep is if I manage 3-4 uninterrupted hours at a time). IT'S A MIRACLEEE

Thank you to my amazing roommates @atorier, @zanazac and Rachelle. You guys are the best hotel and con buddies anybody could hope for! And shoutout to my table/comics pals @om-nom-berries, @phaena and @illintentcomics plus seeing more of awesome people like @strengefruits, @sunhawk, @mfukuma, @lindateaa, @yamijay, @ichigorennyu (if only for a split second in some cases... lol) and many many more cool artists and makers I got to see again, to meet, and to chat with! And thank you so much to everyone who came by~

Above photos:

A photo of my table at the start of Sunday

Rude but delicious cookies by @illintentcomics

Some on-site commissions and drawings I did!! The middle two are not actually commissions - it's my hasubando North Bound version of Hokushin, drawn as a quick example for the style and media available, and @atorier's hasubando favourite character Sakuma Rei from Ensemble Stars. I googled some helpful information on tomato juice from the V8 website. Mmmm tomato juice. Almost all my commissions were for repeat customers/awesome people who've supported my work for a long time over years, like @yamijay (whose adorable nephew in a Spiderman hoodie was a delight to get to draw)! Thank you guys so much! It's always an honour getting to draw for you all!

The sucky: Somebody swiped a card from my personal Lenormand deck that was out on the table for demonstration/visual sample :( Kind of a weird thing to steal, but fortunately it wasn't something more valuable (I heard there were artists who actually had cash stolen!! Terrible), and actually if I had to name a single most useless card in the deck to me personally, it probably would've been that one lol. Still kind of sucky that any level of stealing happened, and to not have a complete version of my own deck. I don't wanna break into one of my nicely wrapped ones :/

BUT...

The awesome: Just like at TCAF, I did some super amazing Lenormand readings!! Basically people pulled two cards and I recited card meanings and they went "WOW COOL SO EERIE!!" or "OK sure whatever" lmao. Actually, in all seriousness, I’ve only really had one lukewarm response to a reading so far, which honestly surprises me. I always tell people they don't have to tell me their question unless they want to, and I find it way more interesting when they DON'T tell me before I walk through the cards they pulled. It’s really neat to see how people interpret the symbolism for their own situation. A lot of the card combinations - almost all of the readings I've done where the querent has actually shared their question/interpretation with me - do become startlingly relevant and helpful when you hear people's own insights, even if you recognize it as the human brain's fascinating tendency and ability to find pattern and meaning in everything. Some really good stories came out of doing these!

Also I FINISHED A NEW MY LIFE AS A MAIJI MINIZINE. It shall debut at my next event!! ...whenever that is lmao

And ALSO @mfukuma told me her sister (I don't know if she has a tumblr?) had (not at the con, some other time and place lol) showed my Demon King! Urameshi fanbook to a Japanese artist who had done Comiket, and they flipped through the book going "I WISH I COULD READ ENGLISH". I feel extra honoured since I've felt the same kind of feeling many times while reading Japanese doujinshi hahahha (and hey at least one of the stories requires zero translations... lol)

The thoughtful: I got asked a few times at both TCAF and Anime North about when the next Now Recharging book is coming out. I'm still kind of trying to gauge the interest and how best to approach it, since I'd have to reprint both the first book AND print the next book... which is not cheap for two full colour books averaging well over 100 pages each. But it's really wonderful to know there are people who are following the webcomic and interested in it!

NOW back to reality and catching up with all my other art projects, and reopening my online shop. Please stay tuned!