First Look at MythFall Interludes Art and Dang it's REAL GOOD!

Hi there, Cici here!

Quick announcement before we get into things: We’re down to the final hours on the Phoenix Planetarium campaign. We’ve unlocked our first Stretch Goal and we’re working on the second. If you want to pick up one of these planet themed birds, get it now, before it’s too late!

Get a Planetary Phoenix Pin

On to the main event: I’ve been teasing updates on MythFall Interludes for a few weeks now. It’s finally time to share and I’ve got A LOT to say. It’s a thick update this week and though you may need to click to open the email in a new page to view the dog tax, I think you’ll find it worth the effort.

We’re working with a fabulous collective of artists to produce MythFall Interludes anthology style. Two members of this collective are here on Substack and I’m excited to announce them this week. They both have projects active now on Kickstarter, so if you like what you see, you should check those out as well.

I’ve been a fan of Nathan Lueth’s work since reading reading Impure Blood, a complex and interesting steam-punk fantasy series that combines themes of lost history and acceptance with action and adventure. Mark Romero also got to work with Nathan last year on Concrete Arcanum, a modern dark fantasy anthology that pairs nicely with Nathan’s latest series, The Canon of Vangel.

I’m really excited to work with Nathan on MythFall Interludes, since MythFall shares some overlapping themes with Impure Blood. He’s generously allowed me to share his roughs with you here and they’re really fantastic.

We’ve paired up on perhaps the darkest section of Interludes — a young king learns the truth about his nations past and is burned alive for heresy when he tries to warn his people.

It’s been exciting to see the way each artist interprets the reoccurring characters, especially Naeva, who is the main protagonist of this book.

Nathan recently live-streamed himself drawing Page 16. You can watch the replay in two parts over on his Patreon while he discusses:

• Script to sketch: Words coming to life!

• Page layout and panel flow

• Creating frames and emphasis

• Repeating composition in panels and how to cheat.

• Burning people alive!

It was both cool and instructive to see him break down his process for roughing out a page. He reads the script page aloud in full, discusses some short cuts he uses in photoshop and also shares the reference board we’re using for the project. He’s happy to answer questions as well. If you’re interested in making comics as a writer, as an artist, or just as a curious person who likes to learn, I really recommend giving it a look. Here’s a link to Part 1 of the livestream:

Watch Nathan Draw MythFall on Patreon

One of the most impressive things about Nathan is that he does it all: writing, illustration, and even lettering. He’s latest artbook is live now on Kickstarter. You can pick it up along with copies of The Canon of Vangel and Impure Blood. He’s also got a sick-ass dragon print available as a reward, and the option to commission a drawing of your D&D character. Check out his project here:

Back Mind Astray

I got a chance to see Gerald von Stoddard’s work when he teamed up with writer Frank Martin on Immortal Coil, a re-imagining of Norse mythology told through the lens of Eldritch horror and set in a modern world on the brink of annihilation. Immortal Coil exposes Ragnarök as a hoax to protect Odin’s family.

I loved the way Gerald illustrated these gods at war and I was thrilled to get a chance to work with him on Part 5 of MythFall Interludes. In Part 5, Naeva works with the trickster goddess, Madira, to sow discord between the other gods, causing them to fight each other for power. This section takes place fully on the God Plane — a realm separate from the material world and shaped by the gods’ will and whims. I thought it would be a great fit for Gerald’s dynamic style. We’ve gotten our first look at Gerald’s pages for MythFall Interludes and they’re gorgeous.

Here is an in-progress image of Page 25.

Immortal Coil Issues #1-3 are live on Kickstarter now. You can catch up on this richly illustrated story of Loki’s quest to reveal the truth about Ragnarök and punish Odin’s family for their lies.

Back Immortal Coil

I have even more art to share for MythFall Interludes (and MythFall Issue 2) but there is only so much awesomeness I can pack into a single email. Keep an eye out for the next one, but in the meantime don’t miss:

There is an abundance of worthwhile and interesting indie projects live on Kickstarter right now. I’m both proud of and excited about some of the projects that are active, so if you’ll indulge me here are a few more that I recommend. These projects are ending soon, so check them out today if they sound fun.

After being left for dead and floating adrift in the Serpent’s Sea, TATSUMI NAKIHANA teamed up with the most unexpected individuals: The pirate crew of THE SIDESTALKER. Together, they’ll get revenge on the undead hoards of the DARK KONQUESTORS, who menace the seas leaving a trail of embers, ash, and corpses in their wake. Check out this swashbuckling sequel from Insymmetry Creations, with some dragon themed merch.

Back Tatsumi The Serpent Mistress

[Edit: Can’t believe I forgot to mention that if you haven’t read MythFall yet, you can get a free digital copy by backing Tatsumi. Leave it to me to get distracted by dragons.]

This 190-page graphic novel by autistic creator Tess Langston is part educational comic and part memoir. Tess was diagnosed autistic and nonspeaking at a very young age and worked hard to learn how to navigate the strange, neurotypical world we live in. Now, as an adult with a love for sequential storytelling, she has created Growing Up on the Spectrum to share all that she’s learned. This project, published by Oneshi Press, showcases the power of comics not just to entertain, but to share the unique things that make us human. You can check it out here:

Back Growing Up On The Spectrum

Luke has been a key member of the fulfillment crew for Bound By Words as we’ve been working to ship out the first wave of orders. His primary responsibilities are to lick the arms and legs of the packing team, boost morale, and make sure each package contains the appropriate amount of dog hair. (This is his free gift to all our backers.)

After our first evening of shipping, we shared this pupdate to our Discord:

A short time later, we received this message from concerned citizen Gogololo.

The team at ADM took this feedback very seriously, and prepared Luke for an emergency appointment with the Human Hairy Resources department that very night.

We are happy to report this complaint has been resolved successfully and with treats for all parties. In addition to his duties as Director of Barketing, Luke will be involved in all shipping operations moving forward and will be cuddled on his favorite chair at regular intervals. Thank you all for your attention in this matter.

Hello everyone who made it down here to the end of the update. Thanks so much for reading! If there was a part of the post you particularly liked, please leave a comment and let me know.