Animal Star Preview (Patreon)

Hi all! I'm here today to show and tell a little about my next soon-to-be-released project, Animal Star!

Animal Star is an illustrated prose science fantasy story about a cluster of dead planets, solar magic, and the rise and fall of cruel heroes and villains. What is an illustrated prose story? Well, exactly what it sounds like! It's serial fiction with art all throughout. You know, a picture book, like babies read! If you've seen my short Paranatural story "The Activity Club and the Final Hole," it's a lot like that, just longer and more melancholy and with way more swords. Similarly, it will be released for sale digitally, as a PDF!

While most of my work has been comedy for all ages, Animal Star is for mature audiences, a PG-13 to R-rated sort of thing; violence, bodies and identity are central to the narrative I'm excited to explore and share. Expect a fusion of things and themes you're familiar with from Paranatural and TERRAFORM in a new, swashbuckle-y package!

SO! Progress! I recently finished the thumbnail illustrations I'm using to nail down page layout and shot composition, so I can now state that the final first chapter will have 52 full color illustrations spread across 46 pages... it's a real feast, as visually meaty as any comic, with a ton of fun writing to enjoy sandwiched between!

Here's what my illustration process looks like... thumbnails range from quick doodles to more detailed storyboards to me-letting-the-fun-stuff-get-too-elaborate-but-that's-fine-because-it's-fun.

My job now is to go through each thumbnail and turn it into a full illustration, like this!

I expect the full chapter will take me a few months or so more... but YOU can expect more previews here on Patreon the whole time, plus (maybe! if there's interest!) posts about the world and characters. I hope it'll all help get you hyped to see it finished!

That's all for now! I'll see you again soon with a $10+ patron stream announcement and more Animal Star content. Thank you again so, so much for your support, which is quite literally the reason I can do projects like this—by me, for me, for you! :^)