Hello everyone. I'm very sorry, but I may be gone again for quite some time. These last couple of years have been difficult, and I am endlessly grateful for the messages I receive every day asking for my return and for progress on TBoA. I hoped that this year I could get back on my feet again, but on Friday I was informed that my mother has leukemia and I am struggling very much. We are a small family of four and she is all that I have.
I am a private person. Perhaps that's why I tend to disappear rather than say anything when things get hard. I know that this has upset a lot of people in the past, including my friends, which is why I say this now. Please understand that if I could do one thing with my life it would be thisâit would be art, and sharing my work with the world. I want to be here. I want to create.
This year has been difficult for everyone and I hope that you all take care of yourselves.
I just wanted to say that Iâve been a fan of your art since back when you did speedpaints. I love your work and its always a pleasure when you post, even the sketches are phenomenal.
Thank you so much...!!! For sticking around for so long and for still liking what I do. I hope I can one day go back to making speedpaints, though as it stands right now I get so nervous just posting my sketches â I donât know where I ever found the confidence to run a YouTube channel, haha. Thank you for your kind words, it means so much.
In times of woe, why not therefore some Wolfe? Got it? Wo(e)fe? Woof?? OK, I'll see myself out.(Seriously though, your latest studies are beautiful and it took merely a few lines to convey the atmosphere behind some of them. For some good moments I couldn't stop looking at them and I can't thank you enough for posting them. Take care!)
Haha, thank you so very much, thatâs unbelievably kind of you to say! Here are a few recent sketches of him. I never intended for anyone to see them, so theyâre very messy. Sorry ...
I love Wolfe very much. I have a lot to thank him for, and it makes me happy to know other people like him too!
Your new design for Rose is so cute!! I cosplayed her old design a while back and I was wondering if I could do the same with the new one?
It would be an absolute honour! If youâre the same person I think you are, I want you to know I still have your cosplay photos saved and I look at them often, and they bring me so, so much joy and delight. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for that!
I would just like to take a moment to wish everyone well. Please understand that in times of crisis like this, community and togetherness is all that we have. Please stay at home and be considerate. Look after yourself, and take care of othersâdo it for your parents, your grandparents, your teachers, your neighbours or strangers. Do it for your friends and colleagues with compromised immune systems. This is not just a flu. This virus is vicious and leaves behind lasting health complications on otherwise healthy hosts. Pulmonary fibrosis is no joke. I am begging you to take care of yourself.
I want to say I'm sorry to everyone who's mental well-being heavily depends on their daily routines currently uprooted in the wake of this pandemic. To those who were just getting back on their feet again, to those living with dysfunctional families/relationships who are now mandated by law to remain inside, and those who can't sleep for fretting over the uncertainty of their future, their jobs, their loved ones, etc.
Now more than ever is the time to be good to yourself and others. Do whatever you have to doâwhatever you want to doâto keep yourself occupied. It's not about being productive or beneficial. It doesn't matter if you're finally writing that book you've always wanted to write or if you've just spent another week watching TV, it's all right. However I have to ask that you please maintain some kind of routine for yourself. It is imperative that you do. Go to bed and wake up at set times, brush your teeth in the morning, open the curtains, make yourself breakfast, lunch and dinner. When the world is standing still like this you have to keep moving.
I understand this is all easier said than done which is why I want to remind everyone to look out for others too. Check up on your friends and family, let them know that you care. When my neighbour found a spare face mask in his truck he posted it through my mailbox rather than keep it for himself, because he knows my mother is frail and disabled. It wasn't N95 but it didn't matter: that single kind act is one I'll remember for the rest of my life.
To my friends, my followers and anyone who reads this: take care of yourself. I'll sleep better at night knowing you are and I truly mean that.
OH MY GOD!!!! Thank you so so so so much!! This means absolutely everything to me I canât explain how grateful I am, thank you! You've made Rose look so damn beautiful, with the floral border and everything I auggh! I adore your shadows and coloursâthey remind me a lot of the art in 2D era Castlevania games; so bold and rich yet so somber and compelling. I do not deserve this at all! ;____; Ghhhnnnnnshgshafdas THANK YOU!!!
Ionel and Dunant from the webcomic Heart of Gold by the very talented @p-kom and @vivtanner. Congratulations on Book 2 and thank you for the beautiful story. đ
OH MY GOD!!! Oh my God!! My girl, my girl! Sheâs absolutely beautiful! My heart is racing ... Iâm tearing up!! đđđ Your use of colours are stunning and your style is so gorgeous!! I ... I am undeserving!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! ХпаŃĐžĐ±ĐŸ!! ĐĐŸĐ»ŃŃĐŸĐ” ŃпаŃĐžĐ±ĐŸ!!!! ХпаŃĐžĐ±ĐŸ Đ·Đ° ĐżĐŸĐŽĐ°ŃĐŸĐș!!!!
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I miss him too. He was the first of the cast I ever designed and without him, there would simply be no TBoA. Rest assured there will be no shortage of him in the comic :)
I understand that the concept of Wolfe with facial hair will be like marmite for most of you, but itâs probably something that you should prepare for regardless! Wolfe no longer has use of his hands due to extensive nerve damage and he has to get imaginative with ways to keep his grip on things - but some tools, like razors - are simply impossible for him to use anymore due to his tremors. Before the gang comes together he will be looking quite worse for wear.Â
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She calls him âMartyâ :) Her mother called him that so it makes him happy. Heâs not her father but he loves her as one would. He was the one who delivered her as a baby, though during the process there were complications. She broke her leg on the way out and though Martin was able to treat her, it caused her to walk with a slight limp growing up. Teaching her to dance wasn't just Martin's idea of physiotherapy but his way of showing her how dearly he cared for her. Music and dance are our good doctor's love languages, you see.
He will have Twinkletoes refer to him as âSirâ when he reprimands her, but due to some of Martinâs own issues growing up, he hates disciplining children. If he absolutely must, itâs firm but merciful, and under no circumstances would he ever raise his hand to them.
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Michael Graves is one of three of Ashwickâs Senior Wardens, the other being Hunter Gerhardt and an as of now unannounced third. Wardens are the townâs law enforcers who work directly under the churchâs orders. Neither entirely police nor militia, theyâre a bit of both. Wardens patrol the streets at night and make sure no one is out after Curfew.
Wardens are simultaneously feared and revered amongst the deeply religious townsfolk who view them as God-sent, but no one strikes pure terror into their hearts quite like Graves. While Hunter is known for being terrifying but sometimes merciful, Graves holds no such reputation. If gunshots are heard in the night or blood stains the cobblestones in the morning, townfolk know to keep their mouths shut and heads down.
Thank you so much! I still have some demons to battle but I want to get better, and your support means the world.
Thank you! I kinda wanna die when I look at that piece. Damian deserved better than my art in that funky phase and I will capture his true beauty one day.
LOL Bloodborne has been a huuuuge visual influence on me over the last few years. Expect to see some similarities I'm sure.
Thank you ;.; I used Paint Tool Sai religiously but I've unfortunately fallen out of love with it in the last year in favour of Clip Studio Paint. I would highly recommend CSP and since it comes with a one-month free trial you'd be missing out not to give it a go. I occasionally use Photoshop for some final touches but not enough to say it's worth paying that silly subscription fee for. Lately, I've been using Procreate on my iPad. It was one hell of an investment (đđž) but it was worth it - the iPad feels great to draw on.
Thank you! Yes, definitely expect that. There are a few timeskips in canon and I have outfit changes planned.
Wolfe can sometimes be seen circling a bed or chair a few times before sitting/lying down not unlike a dog would. Rose cannot - and I truly mean this - fathom numbers. To say she is bad at math would be a terrible understatement. Martin needs a few shots of whiskey a day to keep him going but he never seems inebriated so itâs impossible to tell (unless youâre Hunter). Hunter is so tall that churches are the only buildings he doesnât have to duck to get in to and he Riker Sits everywhere. Gloria is a little superstitious, and Graves is a cigarette smoker. Twinkletoes likes pigeons.
I would certainly recommend it! If drawing inspires you, give it a shot! Though whether or not I recommend going to school for it is a more complicated question. The good thing about pursuing a career in art is that at the end of the day your work ethic and portfolio are your best friends. Having degrees and connections will help in the industry for sure (and why I DO recommend art courses for people who have the money and want to experience student life), but if you're a poor kid that can't shell out the dough for art school or if you studied a different field, or if college didn't/isn't working out for you, it's not the end of the road. You can build your career on your own terms if you're driven enough.
Hm, let's see. I think Wolfe and Gloria would appreciate some sweet treats! Hunter rarely eats anything that isn't meat, and Rose has lived on the road most of her life so campfire food is what she's used to. She's the kind of person you'd see eat something horrifying like uncooked beans straight from the tin. Gloria appreciates her guilty pleasures and Wolfe recalls her sharing taffy with him as a little boy. But those memories are hazy now, and he's long since forgotten the taste.
Oh jeez, that would mean the world to me! As for the dialogue, itâs probably a bit of both honestly haha.
Hunter: 43, Wolfe: 23, Gloria: 41, Martin: 45, Rose: 19, Graves: 38. Some of you may recall Hunter being younger but I had to make a few timeline adjustments. Otherwise, everyone has remained the same.
Oh, well, it just might be! Wolfe is used to carrying the frail and sickly through the Charnels, but human touch in that regard is alien to him.
You're right about one thing, Ashwick is certainly in the title! I'm pretty close to revealing it so hopefully you won't be stumped for too long. I can reveal however, if I haven't already (and I think I may have, I haven't read the previous Anon Archives in years), that TBoA was going to be called Memento Mori.
He raises an amused brow at your sentiment but if you're under 35 you're all toddlers and babies to him. Plus he can't go 5 minutes without thinking about his wife so it's safe to say heâs settled down.
Haha, yeah! All of the above. Though it goes both ways. Hunterâs antics drive the poor man up the wall for sure but Hunter will be the first to tell you that doc is a force of nature too when heâs got to be. Theyâve known each other for decades. Theyâve taken bullets and bruises and stabs wounds for one another. Martin makes sure Hunter doesnât get himself killed (at least he did before Malignancy took that off the table) and Hunter makes sure Martin doesnât work himself to death. Gloria just wonders why they both have to be so damn dramatic.
1. Rose's candles simulate artificial sunlight and can temporarily vanquish Spectres from the area at night until the wick runs out. These are especially useful to the common folk who may be suffering from seeing their dead loved ones night after night. Her special coloured candles are different, though. They block a Malignant from being able to possess their Host's body and thus allow the Host to keep control of themselves when night falls. You'll learn more about the ins-and-outs of this mechanic in the comic.
2. I can't share that! You'll just have to wait and find out. Though it is a wonder how someone as formidable and self-disciplined as Hunter could fall prey to a Malignant's manipulation ⊠I suppose even men like Father Gerhardt have been vulnerable at one point in their lives, huh?
Itâs private, sorry :( It was a kind gesture from a fan who wanted to show their appreciation but it quickly got a little out of hand and very inappropriate. Iâm good friends now with the few who did join so itâs not so bad and we have a good laugh, but itâs given me a small taste of âFandomâ on a grander scale and it was enough for me to realise it makes me pretty uncomfortable to be in the middle of it. I love being able to communicate with you all but I donât love being in awkward situations so much. I might try again in the future, weâll see.
Malignancy is unpredictable and what happens to one Host won't necessarily happen to the other!
ohohohoh who knowsssssss ;D
Nope, sheâs Hunterâs danger noodle gal.
Yes, I love them!!!! I recall checking them out after you sent this message quite some time ago. I had heard a few of their songs before but I've been listening to them regularly ever since. I appreciate the recommendation since music is a really big thing for me.
Oh thank you very much! They're my own characters yes :) I first created them when I was 16 for a college project. One day I would like to share that with you all because it's come a long way. The comic is in development.
Thank you all for your questions, I think thatâs most of them. If you donât see your ask in here itâs because it was asked already, I got a similar question and took a screenshot of that instead, it was too inappropriate, I canât reveal the information yet, or I simply didnât see it. As always if youâre looking for more prompt responses please message me off anon so I can reply privately since I respond to most anons in bulk!
If may I ask, what is Martin's birthday? It's for science of course. And may Twinkletoes' cuteness reign. PS She might have already stolen my heart (as if the rest of your characters and your art didn't) Thank you. ~MW
Martin's birthday is August 11. And oh man, thank you so much! Believe me, Twinkletoes has stolen Martin's heart too. I'm so happy to have finally been able to show both of them to you all :)
This drawing is a little long in the tooth and there are few things Iâm really unsatisfied with but I have to keep remembering that itâs okay to share that kinda stuff with you guys.
Last year I made some changes to Roseâs outfit while still keeping her original outfitâs charm. This is far more suited to how I had always envisioned her, and even though there are likely going to be a few changes, this will be pretty close to what you all see in the end! If anything good came out of my long hiatus and all the bumps along the way, it was that it granted me the time to work on TBoAâs story as a whole and solidify the comicâs main aesthetic themes. Itâs going to be an odd little mix of the Old West and Victorian/early Edwardian Britain.
Roseâs skirt doubles as a shawl and she wears riding breeches underneath. It can be reversed to black and used to conceal her while she sneaks around Ashwick, as red is deemed The Colour of The Curse and she would stick out too much otherwise. The glove replaces her striker however that will go through some changes.
Also available to read on AO3, if youâd prefer!:Â https://archiveofourown.org/works/20593154
I wrote this piece for Heatherâs birthday last year! Itâs got a little bit of a lotâRose, Wolfe, Hunter, Mallory, Ghasper, Martin, and Gloria all make an appearanceâso I figured it was good for a first post.Â
I.
âFollow me.â
âWeâve never been to this part of the house before,â the boy notes. His fine blond hair is starting to darken into a sort of silverish-blue. Ghasper wonders if it will shift to the color of his own fur when the boy reaches maturity. The thought gives him an odd feeling: pride and possessiveness fused tightly and shoved into his dead chest.
Itâs been aprox. 407 days since I first wept over this and I still go back to it every week. Ace, alongside being Malloryâs VA, is an absolutely beautiful human being and friend both inside and out, and she has written so much for TBoA. Iâm undeserving of her flawless depictions of my characters and all the joy sheâs brought to my life. Thank you Ace!!!
