well there you have it!! otherknown chapter 5 is complete!

Thank you all for getting this far with me. 400 pages is staggering. It's a huge amount. I'm so glad to have crossed the finish line of this chapter at last. it's been 8, nearly 9 years of working on this story, which makes you appreciate the heck out of anyone who's stuck around. Thank you so much again.

If you've enjoyed Otherknown, I would be beyond thrilled if you checked out my debut graphic novel, MAELSTROM: A PRINCE OF EVIL. I've given my all to it and I'm really proud of how it turned out. It hits library and bookstore shelves in just a few short months (May 28, 2024), but you can preorder it now (or ask your library to stock it)! It's a fun, quirky YA fantasy about a bored demon prince who pretends to team up with his fated nemesis to take down his tyrannical mother, all for a bit of excitement and lulz, with the aim of double-crossing his new allies at the perfect moment. He will definitely not experience The Power of Friendship along the way. 

Maelstrom: a Prince of Evil (graphic novel) - bookshop / amazon / b&n

And now for a lil bit more about Otherknown!

As I've told patrons, I at least want to commit to getting chapter 6 out into the world - I'm really fond of what I have sketched out for it. It's a wild ride, with a lot of new settings, characters, and of course, upsetting events (but also some cathartic ones too). However, this last year has been a lot different than I initially envisioned. Progress stalled on my second graphic novel while my editor and I hammered out the script (it's technically only been through about three passes - the wheel of publishing just turns EXTREMELY slowly), which means the punishing art phase hasn't even begun. Meanwhile, I felt the pull towards trying my hand at new types of stories. Eight and a half years (six minus hiatuses) is a really long time to spend dedicating all your creative energy towards mainly one project, especially one that has sort of reached its limit growth-wise and requires so much time and effort.

So, in short, I can't say for sure yet what's in store for the future of this comic. I want to give my all to chapter 6 at least, and then I'll reassess from there. There's definitely a timeline possible where I finish this thing. I still deeply love the story and its characters and it pains me to think about never writing endings for them (especially after all the torment they've been subjected to - lmao). I'll keep this page updated with estimates as I work on putting together the new buffer. 

See you soon!! And feel free to check out Fall Until Summer (ace-centric coming-of-age school webcomic, wt/tapas) and For a Horse and Horseman (mlm fantasy webnovel, tapas) for my other (easier-to-update) work!

-Lorian

EDIT: I should have remembered to say that I went into a major surgery (a good one that I wanted~) the day before this went up, so apologies for belated replies - I appreciate the support and am hoping to get back to posting when I'm recovered!