The Dreams of Innocents is a short series of comics focused on secondary characters who’s story isn’t completely fleshed out in the comic itself. Each one of my characters has a long and varied backstory. The Dreams of Innocents series is a way for me to give you, the reader, a glimpse into their lives before the events of The Prophet’s Web.
The series will be posted once a month and is posted for my Patrons two months in advance! This month we take a look at Elijah!
Clio’s house is featured predominantly in the upcoming page of the comic so I have spent much of my time getting it ready for its big debut. Little details make the scene, so I am making sure that those little things are perfect. Everything in the scene has a story. I do that mostly because I’m a masochist but also because it adds depth to a scene and allows the visuals to be more than something overly simple. Most of what is out there won’t ever make it to print, but it *might* so I spend time making the environment, rather than just a few out of place scenes.
It’s nearly done, then I can get the photos for the next page of the comic, edit them together and have something to post come next Tuesday.
That is, so long as the holidays don’t steal all my time. I’ve got quite a few things that need to be done for home and family and they come first. I’m sure you all understand that, so thank you for your patience. I will do my best to get a comic out asap!
I’ve spent the last three hours working on maps that may never be seen. They have the name of the planet, the names of the continents, regions, oceans and cities.
I’ve worked out the distance between each location and how long it would take to get there by land, by sea and by air. I know the terrain and how difficult it is. I’ve plotted roads, swamps, volcanoes and ruined cities.
I know the names of places before they were put to maps. I know why those ruined cities fell and where their people moved to afterwards.
I know my world very well.
The key to this is; most of this information you, the reader, will never know. The comic won’t touch on these topics unless I finish this story line, the next story line and maybe even the one after that. Even then there will still be areas of the world that will remain unexplored by anyone but myself.
I don’t mind this one bit. It makes the world a deeper place. Gives realism to the world outside of the characters themselves. When the crew of the Jeweled Heron go to a place, it has a rich history. It is there for a reason, and I hope that reason bleeds through the visuals if not the story itself.
I think it’s important when you are storytelling to delve into the world and tease out these little details. To truly explore the world. You never know when one of those details blossom into a lovely plot point.
It’s exciting for me to create a fully fleshed out world and I hope one day to share a few of these details with you!
For instance, I would LOVE to get a wide shot of Fairy right now with the jewel of the city Aedarwood shining like a beacon in the distance. It’s what I’ve scripted and I think it would be a beautiful panel.
But without the sim, I don’t HAVE a forest or a city to photograph. I have a variety of sims I am using to take the photographs I need. I would need to do some massive post processing work to cobble together something that would work.
So what do you do?
Get creative! Switch up angles and layout, adjust the script so that you can make it work. Push off that amazing shot for later in the comic and make it look FANTASTIC when you do it.
Oh, I am going to do it. It will be *stunning*
Until then, however, I get a chance to introduce you to the last of the crew that hasn’t been seen yet. That makes me just as excited! These people have been living in my head for AGES now. Time to let them live in yours too!
Let’s do this!
Lisa Walker England is a storyteller and artist who inspired me to create this comic. She started her comic, The (Re)Invention of Alethia Grey, several months before I started this one. Her comic is a steampunk tale about Alethia Grey, a woman with a mysterious past.
In 1880s Milwaukee, a reticent heiress finds herself forced to step into society upon her father’s untimely death. But with her newfound visibility comes a bizarre mystery around the real source of the manufacturing fortune she’s inherited. Will her discoveries destroy her . . . or remake her altogether?
The comic is done in a simplistic pencil drawing and the story is a fun exploration of Alethia’s life. She has done a lot of research into the history of Milwaukee in the 1880s to make sure that her comic is full of life and interesting little details. Currently it only has one chapter up and she is accepting orders for a print book, but word has it she already has plans for the next chapter.
Lisa is also working on exploring different styles of storytelling and her telling of The League of Marvelosities combines quilting, audio and written words to create a full storytelling experience.
Lisa’s enduring bravery when it comes to exploring her art is inspiring, and her smile infectious.
I can’t wait for the new chapter!
The Prophet's Web 