Pages 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, and 175

Here are pages 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, and 175 of Zheph Skyre. I have been very busy up until as of late, and I wish to update this blog as quickly as possible.

This may seem like an odd page to come to once finishing the flashback. Zheph is gathering metal and discovers that the giant metal token the dragon pulled off the wall was really made out of bronze that had aged. He decides to use some of this despite the fact that bronze is a weak metal. I wasn't originally going to have this page here, but I felt like it would help later down the road to put this page here.

Here we see Zheph melting the metal scraps for his invention. Jahovac has managed to get into his underground home again, but Zheph doesn't appear to care. It seems he is focused on getting his special weapon made. I think this conversation that Zheph and Jahovac start to have an interesting conversation in my opinion. They have very different ideals about fighting, killing, and life in general.

The two of them continue to talk, and now they discuss magic. This was where I wanted Zheph to come to a realization that magic exists in this world.

Jahovac reveals to Zheph that his father was Flamoxian. This explains a good amount of his features. Jahovac seems to have an alarmed expression when Zheph discribes his mother...

Jahovac leaves and Zheph begins to wonder if they are becoming friends. Perhaps they are, but Jahovac refuses to acknowledge it. And finally Zheph unveils what is under the sheet.

I really enjoyed making this steam punk robot armor! I had some sketches of what it would look like, but I decided to add some details here and there that would make it look more steam punk. And then we go to Vanessa's location.

Pages 153, 154, & 2 Videos at Connecticon 2015

I am sorry, but I have been very busy as of late, though I have been snowboarding and watching Game of Thrones as of late.

I have completed pages 153 and 154 of Zheph Skyre. I had also posted videos in between each weeks because these particular pages were taking a lot of time to complete. As you can see, I drew a lot of detail in certain areas.

Here are videos of Chris Canson and Laura Landa at the Press Junket at Connecticon 2015. These videos I recorded primarily for WCCA TV13. They were really cool guests.

Here's page 153. As you can see, Zheph is not moved by Jahovac's anger and threats. He is focused on trying to get Vanessa back from the dragon, but there is an awful amount of fear behind his eyes. We look back at when the dragon swallowed Zheph whole...

Here's page 153. Zheph was swallowed by the dragon, and it should not have been unexpected to find that he was not the only thing the dragon had recently devoured. He was lucky enough not to have been burned alive or chewed up before entering the dragon's stomach, but as we already know, that did not work out for the dragon in the end.

So now Zheph is going to try to search for this lost treasure the dragon wants. Will he be able to find it? Will the dragon truly spare him and Vanessa if he does bring it...?

Page 144 and 145 of Zheph Skyre are Complete!

 Here's page 144 and 145 of my web comic Zheph Skyre! I am glad to say that I have only one last page of Chapter Four to complete despite not having a working drawing tablet. Chapter Five will begin after next week!

Vanessa seems happy that Zheph is alive, but from the looks of it, he is in no condition to fight anymore. If the devastating attacks of the dragon didn't break him physically, it appears that being swallowed whole broke him mentally...

The dragon recognizes that Zheph is very capable and wants to make use of him, considering that the humans here in the city as well as his own orc lackeys have proven to be very incapable. Whatever could this "Lost Treasure" be and how is Zheph supposed to find it in time?

On this page, the dragon finishes relaying his instructions to Zheph before flying off with the three princesses. Zheph seems to faint from exhaustion and someone familiar starts dragging Zheph away. Where is he dragging him to?

Zheph Skyre Page 143 is Finished!

Here's page 143 of Zheph Skyre in full color! I am very close to finishing this chapter and the Kickstarter crowd-funding project is ending in about three weeks! If I get the tablet, these pages will come out much quicker and in better quality!

Here we see Zheph using his grappling hook to get out of the dragon's stomach. How could this happen? My explanation is that the hook didn't have anything to penetrate into, and since the dragon's throat is coated in saliva, the hook just slipped with the curve of the dragon's throat until it finally exited the dragon's mouth. I had an alternate idea for this scene, but this is more interesting and funny compared to my previous idea.

If it seems that Vanessa appears powerless in this situation, I want to point out that Zheph is just about as powerless. He may have gotten out of the dragon's stomach, but in what condition is he to continue fighting?

Page 140 of Zheph Skyre is Complete and 5 Minute Video of Connecticon 2014 is up!

I have uploaded a five minute video about Connecticon 2014. It is also posted on the main page of my web comic. It includes clips of people in cosplay, famous  people in panels, the Artists' Colony, the vendors, the masquerade, the food available at the convention, and some other things. There will be more videos available soon.

Here's page 140 of Zheph Skyre. I still have a few other pages left of chapter four to complete.

On this page the dragon seems content at first with playing with Zheph as it appears he is helpless. Vanessa tries to hurt the dragon, but normal blades do not appear to be capable of puncturing his thick skin. Somehow though, Zheph's really hot blade manages to pierce the dragon's claw. Most likely the combination of Zheph's blade being made from a tough metal and the fact that his blades heat up to ridiculous temperatures must make it possible for his blade to burn through the dragon's flesh. Maybe there's more to it though...

This attack of Zheph's appears to only have angered the dragon. This dragon throws Zheph aside, sending him skidding on the ground. Zheph's day just gets worse and worse...

There are currently 10 days left of my Kickstarter crowd sourcing project, so please remember to donate soon if you are planning to donate. Currently, the funds are at $270, and I know of a few people who are going to donate, but the project must get to the goal of $800 before the deadline. Just letting everyone know.

Page 137 is Finally in Color!

I finally finished page 137 of Zheph Skyre. Page 140 is still being worked on and I am trying to finish up the Kickstarter video, so things might be a little slow for a while.

Here we see Vanessa getting captured by the dragon. She might be very skilled with swords, but it appears this dragon isn't that threatened by the capabilities of normal humans. Zheph charges after her, which goes against his nature, but considering the situation now is the time to get angry. It looks like anger isn't going to help against this dragon though...

Page 135 of Zheph Skyre

Here's page 135 of my web comic Zheph Skyre in full color. It had taken a while to finish coloring it due to many events this summer. I'm hoping to get caught up in my work as soon as possible.

Zheph threw an explosive grenade. As he has stated before, he doesn't want to kill, so he usually doesn't resort to using this particular grenade. Vanessa seems shocked at this. Though she seems confused when Zheph gets nervous while holding her arm. She doesn't seem to get Zheph's real feelings for her.

On top of everything, the dragon finally finds them! Perhaps the grenade wasn't the best way of dealing with the orcs, but it is too late now!

As you can see, the dragon's speech bubbles are different from everyone else's. I wanted to give the feeling that his voice is much different from humans and even orcs. There's just something about dragons that separate them from other species. I originally had a "Chiller" font for the dragon's speech bubbles, but the more I looked at it, the more I was convinced it was not that legible, so I decided to change it.

I didn't originally have the humorous panels with Zheph getting nervous at grabbing Vanessa's arm, but I felt that it would help lighten the mood right before the catastrophe that is bound to occur soon. It also leaves things unfinished between the two...

Page 132 Finished & Possibly Showing Art at Chessiecon 2014

I posted the finished version of page 132 of Zheph Skyre. I am thrilled to be finished with this page and am now one step closer to getting up to date on this web series.

On this page, Zheph appears to be in trouble as two orcs attack him simultaneously. Luckily, Zheph has two retractable shields, and a tail that can at least stab with gun blade.

Usually in battles, multiple opponents will attack within short times of each other, so there may not be a good chance to go on the offensive. This is where many series and movies get to be unrealistic. The heroes always have one opponent attacking them after the other, but what if three opponents got wise and tried attacking as well? Would the hero be able to block despite having a limited number of limbs and brain capabilities that all humans share? I might explore this even further later on.

Vanessa manages to lend Zheph a hand, and throws him his staff, despite the fact that they are all currently fighting. It appears Zheph's staff is finally ready to produce burning blades.

I have been invited to display my artwork in the art show at Chessiecon 2014. It is a sci-fi/fantasy convention in Baltimore, MD. I doubt I would be able to afford going down there myself to hang my artwork and take part in the convention, so I might mail my artwork down there. I must get more information before I decide.

Page 130 of Zheph Skyre!

I finished coloring in page 130 of Zheph Skyre! I have been very busy this past week with work and social events, but I am going to buckle down this week to catch up with myself! I still have a lot of hours at my job, but I am focusing my free time on this comic!

Here you can see a very odd foreboding character in the background as the orcs continue to discuss their next phase. Truly I want to introduce this character as soon as possible, but it is not within the story line for him to make an actual appearance yet. I have been conceiving this certain character for a long time, and I am quite anxious to bring him to life! It will have to wait though.

Meanwhile, Zheph runs out of bullets. Vanessa suggests him to use his staff, but Zheph is reluctant. He knows his combat skills are not that good, so he tries to find another plan of attack. Apparently he found one utilizing his grappling hook! What comes next I find to be really funny...

Page 129 of Zheph Skyre is Finished!

I finally finished coloring in page 129 of Zheph Skyre! It was taking a while because of my very busy schedule. Hopefully I can still get pages 130 and 131 colored in before I post 132!

On this page, Zheph realizes he has no other options and is forced to kill orcs. Vanessa seems to sympathize with him, but doesn't show nearly as much emotional pain as he does as she strikes an orc down herself. Clearly she has trained herself to fight, but what occurred for Vanessa that makes her less bitter about killing?

Meanwhile the orcs everywhere are starting to run into problems. After they have ransacked the wealthy sector of Corthon, they have found a ton of resistance from the humans. I wanted to show that even if an invading force manages to break into a fortified area that they will still face resistance. People will band together whenever necessary in order to survive. The orcs are also not receiving any assistance from the dragon, which may tell you how well this partnership is...

I decided to keep the background red because everyone is now fighting and I think gray would just make things look dull. I also didn't bother putting sound effects in the panel with the collage of fighting because it is way too busy as it is.

This weekend is the pre-release of "Journey into Nyx" for Magic the Gathering. I enjoyed "Born of the Gods" so I look forward to this.

I uploaded pages 127 & 128 of Zheph Skyre are in full color finally! Pages 129 & 130 are also uploaded, but are still in black and white. I'm not sure whether or not to take a break next week in order to finish the two pages that are not in color.

We can see Zheph is struggling with the choice of killing orcs even as they are charging at him. Vanessa seems to have a different opinion about the whole situation. She knows how dangerous the orcs are and is ready to face them in order to protect herself and her best friend Zheph. It appears Zheph realizes this and is trying to bring himself to kill these creatures.

I wanted to use certain colors in order to portray the emotions that Zheph is going through and the violence that occurs around them. As Zheph and Vanessa get closer to combating these foes, the scenery gets darker and redder. I know a good number of comic artists usually draw the background out, but I am always limited on time. I want to make up for it with certain details.

Zheph Skyre: Page 124 Complete & 125 Incomplete

I have uploaded pages 124 and 125 of my web comic Zheph Skyre. I finished coloring in page 124, but 125 is still in black and white for now. Page 125 does not have any text on it, but the most text it will have is for sound effects.

Page 124 here shows that Jacques's gang has an advantage over the invading orcs, they have a longer range with their arrows and can reload faster. However, this advantage can be dealt with by the orcs' shields and armor. This is basic warfare tactics. Jahovac seems intrigued by this new challenge. Let's see what he does.

Page 123 of Zheph Skyre is Complete

Page 123 of Zheph Skyre is complete, but page 124 is still in gray scale. I have some inking left to do, but I uploaded it in the meantime.

Here on page 123 we get to see the majority of the main cast again. As you can see, they are all completely horrified at the appearance of a dragon and a legion of orcs. Vanessa seems to be providing information about these mythical creatures since she has read up about them and Zheph did not believe in them at all. I felt that Zheph would still manage to put in a wisecrack even though the situation is grim.

Page 124 will be finished as soon as I can manage.

Page 113 of Zheph Skyre is Done!

I finally managed to get this page finished! It had taken a while because I have because I had been working on the next two pages as well.

Here we see a bell ringing as the flying creature approaches the city. Our heroes are confused as the bell rings as it has never done before. Vanessa has a bad feeling. We also can see some figures approaching the city wall as the knights scramble to prepare for battle. The tops of these figures look awfully familiar...

Page 111 of Zheph Skyre, and 24 Hour Game Jam at Becker College

This past weekend I finished page 111 of my web comic Zheph Skyre. Also this past weekend I went to the 24 Hour Becker Jam. I recorded some footage of that and it will be up on WCCA TV13 shortly. I don't know if I will be allowed to post it on my Youtube channel or not.

I think Jahovac's reaction to this fight quite amusing. He's this toughened warrior and a goth princess outshines him in combat. I decided not to have Jahovac just to have a problem with the fact that a girl has outshone him, but someone who has been raised in royalty and has never been allowed out of her castle.

Zheph and Vanessa are now having a conversation as they now appear to have the situation under their control now. They talk about how Zheph has been through a lot and required her assistance. They also agree that Vanessa's dreams could possibly be predictions. They both agree that the more dreadful part of her dream is outrageous and could never happen...

Zheph Skyre Page 110 Complete!

Here is page 110 of Zheph Skyre complete. Sorry it took a little while to finish it, but I am glad I have finished this page.

Here we see Vanessa fighting off both Jacques and Sir Luther. Originally I was just going to have the fight scene play out, but then it occurred to me that both have these men have armed followers. So I decided to show them coming up with excuses not to get involved. Pretty much they all think their leaders are being stupid right now as they attack a member of the royal family! They are correct, but only because Vanessa is quite the sword fighter! I was going to have Vanessa say something witty as she holds a sword right to Jacques's only eye left, but I think the image speaks for itself.

Page 109 of Zheph Skyre is Finished

I finally finished page 109 of Zheph Skyre. Unfortunately I couldn't finish page 110 because I am trying to finish this piece of artwork for the Anime Boston Contest in order to get an Artists' Alley Table. I just posted a link to my video of the past Anime Boston.

I am truly having a good time making this web comic right now! I really like how Vanessa is becoming an empowering female character, and this is where it truly comes forth. For a long time, I was trying to make this character more interesting in my concepts. I am glad I have been giving her much more depth, and making her much more capable!

Page 102 of Zheph Skyre Complete

Summer has been really busy for me, and so I am glad to get this particular page of Zheph Skyre done! I have had extra work on my plate, but soon that will end. The classes at WAM are coming to an end this month, so I will have less hours given to me for that job.

Here on this page we watch as Zheph is on the run from the knights, but someone is on his tail (yeah, I made that lame joke just because Zheph has a tail). Zheph is trying to figure out his best route to the castle, but with limited resources, he might be in trouble.

Meanwhile Vanessa is making her way out of the castle compound. She seems to knock out some guards on her way. How far is Vanessa willing to go to save her friend Zheph?

Page 102 Unfinished and Art in The Park

I uploaded page 102 of Zheph Skyre, but it is still in black and white. It has been really busy lately. I will color them as soon as I can.

In the meantime, enjoy these images of other people's artwork from Elm Park in Worcester. They are part of a series of art pieces in the summer called Art in the Park.

Page 101 in Color!

I finally got page 101 of my web comic finished in color. I suppose there was just more for me to color in than usual, and I have been quite busy with work. There have been classes at the Worcester Art Museum on weekdays and the entire two months of July and August have been free.

Here we see Vannessa getting ready to save Zheph from the knights and the Scar gang. How will she fair against them? Why must she tear the sleeve off her dress? All of this will be revealed soon!