Bounce Gate

I've got today and tomorrow's pages ready to go, and I think I've can get Friday's done on time, but Thursday's "Wild Card" Page might not go up this week since I'm busy getting ready for Tippy Con.  Sorry.

Oh well, moving on.

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club (v.2) #1 Page 5.  Second Half of a Double Page Spread.

Bounce Gate:  Obviously, the Bounce Gate is a stand-in for the Boom Tube from the 4th World.  Bounce Gates Vibrate on a Dimensional Frequency which allows them to move between Dimensions.  Because Bounce Gates work on Vibrational Frequencies they make a Humming Noise.  Anyway, pretty much like a Boom Tube, it's really just a Fancy way to Teleport.  Bounce Gates are 9th Dimensional Omnichronian Technology, which is why HFSAC can use them and, say, Ortex can't.

Jester Kidd's Dogs:  Because Jester Kidd is the New Age Space God of the Hunt, I thought it would be cool if Jester Kidd had some Dogs to help him Hunt.  The Dogs aren't, technically, physical flesh and blood dogs.  They're Energy Constructs powered by Jester Kidd's Meteoro Power and Shaped and Controlled by Kidd's personal Fornever Cube.  Hopefully, we'll see the Dogs in action later in the comic.  Unless I forget or something.

Most of the above sentences were complete and utter gibberish.

Hey Ho, Let's Go!

Well, provided the check makes it through the Mail, I'll be at Tippy Con in Lafayette, IN this Saturday, doing my thing.

Here we go:

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club v.2 #1 Page 4.

This is the First Half of a Double Page Spread.

This series is about Mythology.  I see a lot of Myths written and rewritten.  Look at how we do Vampires over and over again.  As I type this, I'm watching "From Dusk Till Dawn the TV Series", which combines elements of Vampire Mythology with some Aztec Mythology and, I suppose you could argue, Pulp/Crime Noir Mythology.  My Gal and I watched a couple episodes of "Supernatural" today, a show chock-full of Myth and Legend and whatnot.  My Lady is also a big fan of ABC's "Once Upon a Time", which rewrites Legends and Fairy Tales in a Modern Context.

In Comics, our biggest Myths are Superman and Batman.  We see these Myths written and rewritten over and over again.  How many different "in continuity" versions of Batman have we seen?  How many Elseworlds versions?  How many times have we seen Marvel or Image or Dark Horse do the Batman?  Or Superman?  Or even Green Lantern for that matter?  Heck, Mark Millar dropped the entire Marvel Universe into an "Authority" story arc, and Warren Ellis built and warped the entire Marvel and DC Universes into "Planetary".

Mei calls Jack Kirby my God, and if that is the case, the 4th World is my Holy Bible.  It's my Mythology, because it was his mythology.  And the Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club is a 4th World book.  We're rewriting and rebuilding and reworking 4th World Mythology and refocusing it through the Lens of my own personal worldview and experience (Note Tea Cup's Blue Collar Line).  So we've got Fornever Cubes instead of Mother Boxes and the Manta Emperor instead of the Mobius Chair.  Mythological Roots, y'know?

Or, maybe I'm just a big ole rip off artist like everyone else.   Eh, whatever.

SDF vol.2 & Prints

Normally I lead in with the Comic Page and do my Ramble Thingie.  But I got a really cool email from a fella asking me about buying a print of yesterday's "In the Beginning" Page.  At first, I was like, nah, I can't do that.  Then I was like, waitaminute, I own my own Printer.  I can Print anything I want, anytime I want.  So why not?

So, long story short, if you're out there, and you're a TORC Press Fan, and you've always wanted a specific Page or Cover of Artwork from a TORC Press Comic, you can now get it from the store at http://www.torcpress.com/store/.  There's two sizes/types, either an 8X11 Print on Bristol for $5 plus $2 S&H or a Full Poster Size (11X17) for $10 plus $2 S&H.  If you order one, make sure to let me know in the Comments section what Page of Art you want.  Oh, and Double Page Spreads count as two separate pieces.

Second off, I worked a really cool show last weekend, called the Soko Comics Expo.  While at the show I got to hang out a bit with my Comrade-in-Arms and occasional collaborator, Clint Bassinger.  He's got a great new book out called "Merlinja" which is about a Ninja-Wizard.  It is totally rock on.  You can check out his Comics and Art at:  http://www.sparklezilla.com/#!landscape/cyuu.  While I was at the show I made a new Comrade-in-Arms in Loyd Dean Gant III who's been out there working on comics and honing his skills and writing comics for folks.  His book, which is called "The Book" is available now.  It's a cool, trippy read where he's out there trying new stuff and experimenting.  You can find him on Facebook to check out his work.  While I'm at it, I'm also backing some projects on Kickstarter right now.  If that's your kinda thing too, then check out Ninjasaurus by Jason Horn at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1558854542/ninjasaur-vol-1-and-2, and fellow SPACE regular Eric Adams's Lackluster World at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ericadams/lackluster-world-hardcover-graphic-novel

Third off, Comix Work.  Today we have the return of SDF with a brand new Volume 2.  The new Volume is completely written by my Partner-in-Crime, Scott "Boolah" Bayler.  My only contribution to this book is the Art, Lettering, and vague Editing.  Otherwise, Boolah's running the show solo.  As such, I'm passing the Commentary Track along to him.  Take it away Boolah.

SDF v.2 #1 Page 1.

PAGE ONE

The page that usually starts inside the book will start on the inside cover for dramatic purposes. I always liked how Warren Ellis did this in his "Change or Die" storyline from the first Stormwatch stuff he wrote. Here, in the darkness, we see Secret Soldier give his "rally the troops" speech. As a soldier/victim of many wars, he is now leading this new faction into battle.

There will be many themes in the upcoming book ahead. I hope to mix fight scenes, character development, and a whole slew of other stories all into this chapter in SDF. I can see how Joseph writes his book very 70's Kirby style, while mine will be more bit-by-bit style, I guess you could say.

And, as always: Kill Hitler.

The Big Bang!

So, today, we have something a leetle different...

HFSAC "In the Beginning" Chapter 1 Page 1.

Sooooo, here's the dealio.  My goals are twofold when it comes to comix.  1) I want to create my own Universe (I goal which I have achieved for quite some time, and was fully cemented with Bad Rapture) and 2) I currently want to create a Grand, Massive EPIC (that's right, something so epic, it has to be in ALL CAPS.  EPIC!!!!).  The problem is that I only have so much Time, Energy, and Money.  How do I tell my EPIC with all of the strange Planets and Environments, and Hundreds of Characters and Events and Everything Else when I've only got a 24 Page Book and a Supplemental 8 Page Book?  And then, in a Flash, it came to me.  Back Up Stories.  Back Up Stories are the Key.  For you see, I have realized that the title THE HOT FUDGE SUNDAE ADVENTURE CLUB isn't just the title of the book or the name of the group of Main characters.  Oh no.  It is the TITLE of the EPIC.  So even though our Hot Fudge Heroes are our Luke and Han and Chewie and Leia (is that how you spell her name?) and are the stars of the EPIC, we've also got Vader and the Emperor and Boba Fett and Greedo and IG-88 and Pig-Men and Ewoks and everything else floating around out there waiting for their stories to be told as well, y'know?  So, that's where these Back-up stories come in.  You'll be seeing more of these.

Now, to actually introduce this story.  This story is called "IN THE BEGINNING", and it is the Origin of the TORCverse.  Yep, I'm finally getting around to doing my Creation Myth.  I've been reading a lot of Creation Myths lately (if you get a chance, check out "Forming" by Jesse Moynihan.  It's Killer), and I thought it was time to finally do one of my own.

As most of you know, I was raised Baptist, and I still believe in God.  Nowadays what I don't believe in is Religion.  I don't like it, and I don't like what it does to people.  I'm not sure what I actually believe about God nowadays.  I find the old belief system that "He Loves Us with All His Heart, but He'll Send Us to Hell Cause We Deserve It" to be moronic nonsense.  The God of the Bible doesn't make a lick of sense to me anymore, which is ironic considering how many years I spent trying to rationalize all of it.  I feel God exists, and I HOPE he's on our side.  But mostly I feel he's kind of indifferent to us one way or the other.  I think maybe he's just the thing that set all of this in motion.  Or something.  I dunno.

Anyway, with this opening page I get to have my Cake and Eat It Too (another moronic concept... of course I'm gonna have my cake and eat it too.  What am I gonna do?  Stare at my cake and not eat it?), as this opening Page combines the concepts of God and the Big Bang Theory into a single idea.  I mean why not?  If I was God and I was floating alone in nothingness, I'd wanna create something to make my life more interesting.  And I'd start it with a BANG!

Death From Above

Jeez, and here I thought we were done with all of the Death and Destruction...

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club (v.2) #1 Page 3.

Man, I feel bad for all those villagers.  I'd hate to be spontaneously vaporized by a Death Ray from Space.

This scene wasn't in the original draft.  Originally you never actually see the Doom Beam in action.  Now we do, and it's sad.  Maybe I shoulda stuck with the original draft.

Anyway, this is my last regular page of HFSAC for the week.  We'll have additional pages on Thursday and Friday, and we'll see what those are then.

Chee-Ha!

Doom Beam

Here we go:

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club v.2 #1 Page 2.

Okay, just so we're clear, I'm well aware that the planet Jupiter is a gas giant and there's no life on the planet, or any way there could be life.  But c'mon, that's boring.  Now in the TORCverse, Jupiter is a big darn planet absolutely teeming with life.  Unlike Earth, that only gave rise to Humans as its Intelligent Lifeform (well... Intelligent is debatable...also, dolphins are awesome.  Probably smarter than us.  Except when it comes to tuna nets.  Of course, we've got lots of stupid ways we die, and dolphins only have one stupid way they die... Y'know, really thinking about it, I'm gonna go with Dolphins as the only Intelligent Lifeform on Earth.  What was I talking about?), Jupiter has given rise to HUNDREDS of different races of Intelligent Life.  The Blue Monkey-esque creatures in Panel 3 are just one example of those intelligent lifeforms.

Side-Note:  Why am I always drawing those weird Dr. Seuss trees?

Panel 5:  First off, I'd like to apologize for this panel in general.  Not my best.  Clunky.  Bleh.  Anyway, we were very briefly introduced to Admiral Ahab in HFSAC #0.  He was created and designed by Boolah awhile back.  I decided to use him in this story.  We're not gonna delve all that deep into his character here.  He's just a bad guy.

Fun Fact: This is essentially the Second Draft of this story.  I actually wrote up a full set of Thumbnails for a similar, but different story quite awhile ago.  When it came time to actually do the story though, it turned out I didn't like it.  It didn't click.  So I'm rewriting the story, Improv Style.  Yeah, I know.

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club Volume 2!

First off, let me take a moment to thank the greet folks that put on the excellent Soko Comics Expo.  It was a very fun, friendly show, and they fed us pizza, so yeah, cool show.  Also, I'd like to thank the folks that came out and supported TORC Press.  Hope everyone enjoyed the books!  Most importantly, I'd like to thank Mark Griffin for giving me a place to stay while I was on the road, and for hanging with me at the show.  I have the coolest readership ever.

Welp, let's get started, shall we?

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club (Volume 2) #1 Page 1.

This is the Soda Shoppe, the Headquarters of the Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club.  Originally, it just looked a bit like Brother Eye from OMAC, but since the new HFSAC are New Wave Space Gods, I thought we needed to soup up the HQ a bit.  I wanted to combine the Giant Eye Motif of the original, but make it bigger and throw in some crazy new elements.  If you look closely enough, you'll see one of the domes on top is a forest, one is an ocean of some sort, and I think the third is maybe a Power Plant or something?  I dunno.  I also thought it would be cool if there were smaller satellites that orbited the Soda Shoppe.  Originally, they were just artificial moons, but then I got the idea that what if one of them was a miniature sun, giving the Soda Shoppe its own Sun and Moon.

I'm not running on a set schedule anymore, but I'd like to put up at least 3 Pages of HFSAC per week.  Hopefully some other stuff will be going up the week too.  We'll see.

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club v.2 #0 Is Now Available!

The title pretty much says it all.  The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club Volume 2 Issue Number Zero is now available from TORC Press.  You can purchase it in the online store at http://www.torcpress.com/store/ for $2.00 plus $1.50 S&H.  OR you can pledge $5 a month on my Patreon at www.patreon.com/torcpress, and I'll eventually send one to you.  OR you can catch me at the Soko Comics Exop (details at http://www.sokomicsexpo.com/) and purchase a copy in person and save on Shipping & Handling.  OR, you can send a Check or Money Order for $3.50 to:  TORC Press, c/o Joseph Morris, 330 S 5th St SW, Clay City, IL 62824.  OR you can just read the whole comic for free right here on this blog (although purchasing the comic not only helps support TORC Press, it serves as a way of show your appreciation for the material).

Anyway, here's the Cover:

The Book serves as Primer for the TORCverse after Bad Rapture.  It's a down and dirty introduction to the Horrors of the Ortex Corporation, and a complete overview of the Armies of OMNICHRONUS.  It's 10 Pages in Eye Popping Full Color.  It's a cool book.

First Show of the Year and my Extended Break

Well.  I've been a bit quiet. 

First off, our first show of the year is The Soko Comics Expo in Bowling Green, KY, this weekend.  Barring any travel troubles, I'll be there all day, doing my thing, selling comics and yammering at people.  I'm taking a very light schedule again this year (right now this is only one of three shows I'm working), so this will be something of a rare public appearance.  Details on the show can be found at http://www.sokomicsexpo.com/.

Second off, hopefully my little break will be ending soon.  I've spent most of this week getting ready for the show this weekend, but I've also spent a lot of time contemplating my comics, and what I want to do with them, and where I want them to go.  As usual, just when I think I've got everything figured out, a whole new set of ideas explodes into my head (I blame Grant Morrison's Multiversity).  I've been spending some time thinking about the possibilities of Online Comics, and how to tell stories in different ways.  Anyway, hopefully, I'll start putting new pages up sometime either before the end of the week or early next.

Third off, hopefully I'll have the Print Edition of The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club v.2 #0 up for sale in the online story either Wednesday or Thursday.  So there you go.

Alice in Woderland and Patreon Hype

So, last week on Facebook I got Challenged to do this thing where I gotta post 3 to 5 drawings a day for 5 days.  Monday was my first day, and I drew three drawings of the members of HFSAC as characters from Alice in Wonderland.  I colorized one of them last night.  Here's how it turned out...

This is the lovely ladies of HFSAC all dressed up as Alice from Alice in Wonderland.  So there you go.

Other than that, over on www.patreon.com/torcpress I'm slowly adding new content and pages, including a new page of Clown & Penguin #0, which is exclusive to anyone pledging a dollar on Patreon.  So head over there and check that out.

Concluding the Zero Issues

Welp, this will wrap up the Zero Issues.  I'm taking a week long break after this, and then I'm not sure what I'm up to after that.  I'm still trying to decide how to approach my schedule after this, or even if I want to continue to adhere to a schedule at all.  I dunno.  I'm still trying to work this whole thing out, and it doesn't help that winter will never end, and I'm completely wore out.  Bleh.  Moving on.

HFSAC:

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club v.2 #0-10.  Concluding Page.

Heh.  Taco Party.  When I was talking to Boolah about HFSAC volume 2, I talked about the whole Epic War with Ortex, and Boolah was like, "So, no more stories about searching for Chile Peppers or stuff like that?"  Yeeeeeah.  Future issues of HFSAC will potentially be Dark, Sad, Tense, Violent, Serious, and Strange.  But this is HFSAC, and there's always gonna be some Silly floating around in there.  There's always gonna be Tacos and Dancing and Singing and Dumb Utterly Pointless Moments, no matter how big and Epic things get.

Other than that, I think Phantasmo Rex, Mister Halloween, and Pengy Penguin are dancing the Thriller.  Also, it's really hard to draw Sphynx enjoying himself.  Also, also how old is that Boom Box?

SDF time.  What's going down Boolah?

SDF v.2 #0-10

Ah, the last page of the book. Normally people do 24 pages in 24 hours at these events. Being my first time and changing plans 5 minutes into it, I came away with 10 pages of one book, seven pages on another book for Joseph, one double spread poster that I doubt will be used and 14 pages of dialouge for another book (which was Bad Rapture Omega I believe.)

It was fun, but I doubt I'll draw another full fledged book for some time. (maybe the next 24 hr comic day?) The end result wasn't as pants-poopingly awful as what I thought it would be with all the coloring though. That being said, Aliceislost starts to look like the girl from Doom Patrol after awhile in my panels.

This page sets up the definitive team going forward. The whole idea of this book was ten pages to dip your toe in the waters of SDF; I think it may be sold for a dollar (actually $2.  Color is expensive.  JEM) at conventions. Maybe on down the line people will see more original Boolah artwork. We will see.

Our Heroes

Just about there.  Let's Roll.

HFSAC:

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club v.2 #0 Page 9.

Back in HFSAC 24 we did a whole lengthy thing on each individual member of HFSAC, so for today's blog, we're gonna do 3 Fun Facts or Pointless Bits of Info on each of our HFSAC Heroes.

Cactus Joe the Clown:
1) The Clown loves Tacos (yeah, okay, not much of a revelation.  Wait till we get to some of the new guys).
2) The Clown tends to Laugh uncontrollably during battle.
3) The Clown's favorite comic right now is Swirling Forever by Impossible Comix.  His all time favorite video game is Super Hat Bros.  His all time favorite movie is The Wolves Eyes Are Orange by Robert Wolfshire.

Pengy Penguin:
1) Despite having awesome psychic powers, Pengy is still mute and still communicates by Flapping his wings.
2) Pengy is the only member of HFSAC who can send messages to OMNICHRONUS (we've seen it a few times).  He can create Energy Butterflies with embedded messages which travel at several times the speed of light (despite looking like they're leisurely flapping) directly to Big O.
3)  Pengy's the best dancer in all of reality.

Tei Harlequin:
1) I've been told she's wearing a skort.  This is important, in case Tei kicks high.
2) The item Tei is carrying in her hand on this page is a Fornever Cube, which is a device we saw briefly waaaaay back in Cosmic Love #1.  It's pretty much a Mother Box (a sentient super computer), except that it was built by OMNICHRONUS and it's powered by 9th Dimensional Energies.  All the members of HFSAC have one hidden/imbedded in their bodies somewhere.  Tei is notable in that she has two Cubes.  They are embedded in those big Orb things connected to her hair.
3)  Tei is the most organized member of HFSAC.  She likes to have a plan, which is problematic in a group as chaotic as HFSAC.

Tea Cup:
1) Tea Cup still performs and records music.  He regularly performs on several clubs on Jupiter and the surrounding moons.
2)  Tea Cup and Electric Cherry have been dating for quite awhile.  It's going quite well.
3)  Tea Cup's favorite beer is whatever is free and cold.  His second favorite beer is Bapst Red Ribbon.

Electric Cherry:
1) The ladies of HFSAC are pretty much universally smarter than the men.  Electric Cherry is the smartest of the three ladies.
2) Electric Cherry has a daughter named Serenity from a previous relationship with a Shadow Spirit.  Serenity is going through a phase where she's an elephant.
3) Electric Cherry's Thunder Shield draws energy attacks to it.  The Shield stores this energy, which can be released in a devastating Sonic Burst.

@byss:
1) @byss can't talk.  Words can't escape his gravitational pull.
2) Even though it's difficult to tell what's going on in @byss's head, he has unwavering loyalty to OMNICHRONUS and to HFSAC.
3) Inexplicably, @byss is really, really good at video games.  I mean, seriously good.

Jester Kidd:
1) Jester comes from a planet two solar systems over.  His planet was destroyed by an Armageddon Titan, and he is the sole survivor.  That goes a long way to explain his rather grim disposition, let alone his hatred for Armageddon Titans and Nullaphons.
2) Jester is a trained, experienced soldier.  He's only one of two members of HFSAC with Military Experience.
3) Jester is the most abrasive and unfriendly member of HFSAC, so as a result he hasn't really forged too many friends within the group yet.  Despite this, he's developed a sort of mutual respect with Shiv and Cosmic Fool.  Despite doing absolutely nothing to encourage it, Phantasmo Rex hangs out with Jester a lot.  Jester has no idea why.

Shiv:
1) Shiv is a native of a small planetoid in orbit around Jupiter.  Her race was wiped out Uranian Raiders, so much like Jester Kidd, she is the last of her kind.  Unlike Jester, she bears absolutely no grudge against the populace of Uranus.  Holding grudges and seeking vengeance isn't her way.
2) Again, much like Jester, Shiv is a trained soldier.  She seeks to constantly hone her skills and trains on a regular basis, either with Jester or with Combat Drones built for her by Tea Cup.
3) Shiv may be a very serious person, but unlike Jester, she is not closed off or morose.  She actually enjoys being around the fun loving Fudgeheads.

Mister Halloween:
1) Mister Halloween is the friendliest member of HFSAC.  Long before he joined HFSAC he was friends with the Clown, Pengy Penguin, and Tea Cup.  Since joining up, he's managed to develop close friendships with pretty much the whole team (except, of course, Jester Kidd, who remains standoffish).  He's even managed to bond with Sphynx (over tacos) and @byss (over video games).
2) Mister Halloween and Phantasmo Rex have quickly developed a friendly rivalry.  They hang out a lot and compete against each other at cards, video games, and smashing Ortex.  Their rivalry also extends to the fact that both of them have a crush on Shiv.
3) Mister Halloween bears the distinction of being the only member of HFSAC who has been a Demon and an Angel at different points in his life.  (Cactus Joe is a Demon/Angel Hybrid, but only through Medical Experimentation)

Cosmic Fool:
1) When he originally appeared, the Cosmic Fool was a golden guy who rode around on a giant space Manta Ray.  When the Fool evolved into his current form, he and the Space Manta merged into one being.  In case you were wondering what happened there.
2) The Cosmic Fool is the oldest member of HFSAC.  He's quite literally millions of years old.
3)  That chair that the Cosmic Fool flies around on is called the Manta Emperor.  In "The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club Adventure Comix" #1, the Manta Emperor appears as a Spaceship, but now it's a big chair which is obviously a nod to Metron's Mobius Chair.  Although much of the Manta Emperor is composed of advanced technology, part of the Chair is composed of the Fool's own biology.  As a result, the Emperor is an extension of the Fool's own body, and also possesses the Fool's Adapto Power.  The Fool's Fornever Cube is embedded in the Manta Emperor.

Phantasmo Rex:
1) Phantasmo Rex's older brother was Cosmico Rex, who was killed by Akuma Boy.  Even though Phantasmo is a pretty fun loving guy, he really wants a piece of Akuma Boy's hide.
 2) Phantasmo thinks he's a ladies man.  He hits on pretty much any female that gets near him, and he's got a blatant crush on Shiv.  Now, whether the ladies feel the same way about him...
3) Rex is kind of the comic relief of the new team.  He's definitely the silliest member of the team, which, again, is saying something.

Sphynx:
1) Sphynx tends to speak with weird pauses.  Before he disintegrates an enemy with Destroyo, he typically will ask them a riddle.
2) Sphynx's favorite leisure time activity is meditation.
3) There is some sort of unspoken connection between Sphynx and @byss.

Let's see what Boolah's got for us today in SDF:

SDF v.2 #0-9.

I know one of the things Joseph studies art-wise is structure of pencilling and whatnot. One of the biggest things I study as a reader is panel layout and the way it can tell a story. This is a semi-splash page with a major action happening with smaller windows at the bottom of the page using reactions from Death Moth's teammates. I know I'm a Hickman mark with his dialouge and ideas, but he seems to do this well in his page layouts.

This is the page I'm most pleased with. Joseph did a great job on the coloring of the attack on the soldiers and the shading on the silhouettes after they've been zappoed.

The Omni-Army & Ortex Fighting

Here we go...

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club vol. 2 #0 Page 8.

Wars take people.  You gotta have an army to fight a War.  And when you're dealing with a Interplanetary War where entire planets are in play... well, you're gonna need some serious army action.  Whereas Mango-Habenero over in SDF are a Guerrilla Force wrecking havoc at Ground Zero, HFSAC is about the greater war, so it has a bigger scope.  Anyway, I've been running a little long on the blog lately, and I'm tired while I write this, so I'll make this a little quicker than usual.

The OmniMonks are the Spiritual Warriors of the Omni-Army.  Besides the fact that they're Monks, they're kickin' Kung fu guys.  They're the close range fighters and healers.

The Waterbearers first popped up in HFSAC #8.  They're the Full Fledged Military Branch of the Omni-Army.  They're also Espionage and Intelligence.  They're led by Proteus Platypus, arguably one of the most intelligent beings in all of reality.  You might also notice PlatOmega and Platageddon in the shot.  It was mentioned in HFSAC 24 that they remained with the Waterbearers, although they could be considered Reserve Members of HFSAC as well.  Fun Fact:  Tei Harlequin is a former member of the Waterbearers.

The Order of the Eye is a formerly secret society led by Darkwatcher (Old Stick in the Mud).  They're sort of in between the OmniMonks and the Waterbearers.  I call them Philosopher Warriors.  Fun Fact:  Shiv is a former member of the Order of the Eye.

Let's see what Boolah's got for us today...

SDF v.2 #0 Page 8.

Kinetic action with SDF vs Ortex!

Not really. One of the things I love about Frank Quitely's artwork is his one panel fight scenes. I tried that in a splash panel in Bad Rapture but failed it horribly here. Getting the double punch from Secret Soldier was a bit crazy to draw too.

When I went to 24 hour comic book day I brought myself a whole slew of stuff, including supplies and old Torc books. I believe one of Joseph's older 24 hour books had Death Moth defeating a baddie with a sixth dimension shot. Without his shield he may have to use this attack method more often so in the last panel he is revving up for it.

Plus, there's a Regular show nod from the Bear episode in panel 2 where the Ortex baddie is getting smashed by the Chupacabra.

Cawmix!

OMNICHRONUS

It's OMNICHRONUS Day!  Let's Roll!

HFSAC:

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club v.2 #0 Page 7.

Harbingers- Harbingers are creatures created by OMNICHRONUS to serve him in various capacities.  They're cosmic beings, can fly, and can emit bolts of energy.  Their bodies are covered in eyes, so they can see in all directions around them in a multitude of frequencies.  Harbingers have a hive mind, so all Harbingers possess the same knowledge and information as all others.  Harbingers don't possess individuality or personality.  OMNICHRONUS can access the mind of any Harbinger anywhere in Reality (and, by proxy, the minds of all the others), and can direct them at will.

The ArchHarbingers-  Harbingers who have been Evolved by OMNICHRONUS to a higher form.  Unlike a regular Harbinger, they possess individuality, and are tougher and stronger than a typical Harbinger.  ArchHarbingers do not possess the Harbinger Hive Mind, but they can access and direct it at will.  There are Four ArchHarbingers, Eyemo, Eyemii, Run-No-No-Run, Stop-Go-Go-Stop.  All four were previous members of HFSAC, and all four of them bear all of the symbols of HFSAC (Eye Logo on the back of the hand, H/F Badge on the Shoulders, and a Butterfly Symbol on the Back).  Even though the 4 ArchHarbingers have been reassigned out of HFSAC (there's a mention of it in HFSAC 24), they should still be considered Reserve Members.

Eyemo-  Eyemo was originally a normal Harbinger, but he was evolved into his current form by OMNICHRONUS.  As a result, he's only had a personality for a few years, and he's still trying to figure out what his personality is.  He knows he's attracted to Eyemii, but his attempts to woo her have failed miserably.  Eyemo is an Earth Elemental.  On a planetary level, he can control rocks and earth and whatnot.  On an interplanetary level he can control meteors and asteroids.  I recently redesigned Eyemo, giving him an outfit similar to the Hip Bros (no more stupid boots), and I changed his color scheme so he has, appropriately, earth tones in his outfit.

Eyemii-  Eyemii was originally a normal Harbinger, but she was evolved into her current form by OMNICHRONUS.  Unlike Eyemo, Eyemii is not particularly interested in having a personality.  She is only really interested in serving OMNICHRONUS and completing whatever mission she's been given.  She is an Air Elemental.  On a planetary level, she can control winds and create tornadoes.  On an interplanetary level, she can control solar winds.  Much like Eyemo, I redesigned Eyemii.  Her outfit is similar to the Hip Bros outfits (no more one piece bathing suit) and her color scheme is a series of blues for Air Colors.

Run-No-No-Run-  One half of Los Super Hip Bros, Run-No-No-Rn is... not sure what he is really.  A dancing fool who loves to party and have a good time, he was reborn as an ArchHarbinger by OMNICHRONUS.  Run-No-No-Run has goofy speech patterns, and loves the ladies.  Despite being a founding member of HFSAC, he doesn't seem to mind his recent reassignment to being an overseer of the Harbinger ranks.   Run has always been a go with the flow kind of guy.  Run-No-No-Run is a Fire Elemental.  Since he's a Cosmic Being, he can even create Fire in the vacuum of space.

Stop-Go-Go-Stop-  The other half of Los Super Hip Bros, Stop is the more reserved and cautious of the two brothers, but he's still a dancing fool at heart.  Stop doesn't speak English, but instead talks with a series of noises that sound a little like a trombone.  Surprisingly, everyone seems to understand him.  Stop is an Ice Elemental.

OMNICHRONUS-  Judge of Worlds.  Bringer of Kharmic Balance.  King of All Butterflies.  A 9th Dimensional Being beyond all human understanding.  Including my own.  Which kinda makes him hard to write.  I have to write using my gut when I write OMNICHRONUS.  I never entirely sure why Big O interferes when he does, and why he doesn't when he doesn't.  Sometimes it's simple geography.  Full example, when Boolah asked me why OMNICHRONUS didn't get involved in the Bad Rapture Event, the answer was simple enough.  OMNI was on Neptune which is too far away from Earth for him to have an effect on the Battle.  I also know why OMNICHRONUS doesn't just go to Earth and crush the Ortex Corporation all by himself.  I know that answer, but I can't say the answer.  But there is a reason.  A lot of other stuff I don't know yet.  It will be revealed to me as I go I'm sure.

Fun Side Story:  Me and Boolah were at 24 Hour Comic Day working on our books, and all of the sudden Boolah looked up from the Page he was working on and went, "Hey, can we have OMNICHRONUS come to Earth during the Bad Rapture Epilogues?"  And without thinking or hesitation I angrily snapped at him "NO!"  Boolah looked at me like he'd been slapped, and I realized that my gut reaction was a bit... harsh.  After a beat, Boolah replied, "I figure it'd be a lot later in the night before you got snippy."  I apologized for being a jerk, and tried to kind of explain my reasoning (which probably made no sense to him).  And then we went back to work.  I still feel bad about it.

Speaking of Boolah's 24 Hour Comic, here's more of his book, with more of his commentary...

SDF v2 #0 Page 7.

Uh Oh! It's Ortex!

One of the biggest differences between volumes is the limited protection that the Community offered in volume one won't be there in volume two. Our six heroes thought they were safe until the baddies come busting through the walls ready to eliminate Mango Habanero.

One of the plot devices in the next volume will be about safety and territory as well as unit structure. This issue had an old base of the World Hero League that at least three of the SDF members used to belong to ( I think?)  (Yep.  Secret Soldier, Doom Eagle, and Death Moth were all members of the old World Hero League-- Jammin' Joseph).   I'd like to flush out their past history in the forthcoming volume.

If our heroes survive the onslaught from these soldiers that just burst through the wall....

Worldship & Fighting Action

And so it's Monday, and we're knee deep in snow today.  Wonder if the Mill will be running today?  Eh, who cares?  Let's make Comix.

HFSAC:

The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club vol. 2 #0 Page 6.

This is basically a piece of abstract art this stage.  I mean, seriously.  What are we even looking at?  It's just shapes and colors.  Anyway, we've seen the Planet Neptune before.  Back in "Truth or Consequences 100" a group of our Geek Heroes (including several of our Future Fudgeheads) were yanked over to Neptune where the local populace of Fish Creatures had been turned into copies of the demon Toldos by a Black Magic Disease created by Toldos & Rakor.  The virus killed off the original planet's population.  Apparently, Lord OMNICHRONUS has taken an interest in the Planet, because his Worldship has been parked in close proximity ever since.  In HFSAC #20, there is a brief scene where you see OMNICHRONUS on the Planet's surface, where he is up to... something.

As for the Worldship.  I know it's immense.  I'm not sure how big it actually is, or what the layout is, or what's the deal with that Gold Section with all of the energy spewing out of it.  I do not know.  OMNICHRONUS is much bigger than I am, and I really can't fathom his 9th Dimensional Technology.  I do know that the Square Section with the Eye is OMNICHRONUS's Personal Home Area.  So that's something.

Moving on, let's see what Boolah's up to with SDF:

SDF v.2 #0 Page 6.

This is the obligatory plot and story enhancement page. While I'm a fan of plot and such, I won't get too Bendis-y on most things. That being said, I don't want to write a comic that throws various plot points aka Chris Claremont 80s style in there either. I hope for a happy medium between the two. Secret Soldier proves to be the speaking point of the series for the foreseeable future.

What's sad is that I knew the advancement of the character in the direction I wanted to go with him. I wrote and drew this book in November, wrote an epilogue of SDF in January and a rough draft of the new SDF volume in early February and have found to repeat myself in his mantra. So now I have re-writes to do on the first issue of the new series. (Sorry Joseph, I'll get you some pages soon.)



Panel five proves the Chupacabra to be grinning like an idiot as well. GOOOAAATTT!