Page 88 - Climb on my back

There seems to be some confusion. Remember at the end of Chapter Four, how everything went to Hell - er, Mist - in a hand basket? Grey turned into ashes, Brand lost his heart, Hans lost control of limbo, and everything fell into Mist? Yes? No? Maybe? Lobster?

Well, this chapter has all taken place INSIDE Mist. What does that mean? Well...Mist is kinda like a dream world. It goes in your head and you play out a dream. Some are more lucid (like Hans) and some are more primal (like Brand). Nobody realizes they're in a dream. Like the Matrix. The world you think is "Real" is in fact all in your head. Meanwhile, in the ACTUAL real world, other beings are feasting on your energy until you're all used up. In the Matrix, the Dream world is of reality. In Mist, the Dream world is just dreams. Well, nightmares more like. If you don't grow, you don't wake up. If you don't wake up, you get digested and what little scraps of soul remain get re-birthed in Heaven or Hell. If you DO learn something and grow, you awaken from the dream state. Like Neo. Into the PLACE that Mist is, rather than the place Mist made in your mind.

There's a lot of symbolism that I'm cramming into these pages. If you're spending all your time trying to make it fit into neat and logical boxes, you're probably going to miss the point.

Page 87 - Where will you run?

So now we get to see what the mysterious figure actually looks like.

That's right. He's got a totem animal.

Heh. Actually, Brand has been associated with wolves for a while. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe because I have so many dreams with wolves and foxes in them, so they had to make it into the comic somehow.

Page 86 - Title Page

...Ta da!

Okay, so it's just the title page. I had to inject some excitement SOMEHOW.

Speaking of excitement, if you're an Avatar: The Last Airbender fan, I'm now working on a project that may be of interest to you. Check out the DA Gallery for details.

Page 85 - End of Cages

Yay! Moving on from the angst. Brand does tend that direction, given the option. It's nice to nudge him onto something different, finally.

Actually, that goes for all my characters.

Grow my little rose buds! Grow! Be free of your inner shackles!

84 - Annnnggggst

Oh Brand. So angsty. Get over yourself.

Page 83 - Paffff

The fun (and sometimes infuriating) thing about watercolors is that I never quite know how they're going to turn out. For example, the first panel I LOVE. The masking fluid for the borders, however, spread too far and now there's no color between them. Less good.

Ah well. More reason to practice I guess.

Also, thanks laudabilis for catching the p. 80 glitch. It should be fixed now.

Page 82 - Brand Begins

And now we start on what has been the second most challenging experiment (David's is the first, because I did it all wrong) which is watercolors. I have never used watercolors before, so you're looking at my first attempt! I'm not amazed by this page, but I really like the effects I've been able to achieve in the other pages I've done in this style. I think the indistinct nature of the muted colors and medium really reflect Brand well.

Hope you enjoy this change!

Page 81 - Reversal of Roles

I really like this switch, where David realizes that he and Epoch are together in this, rather than isolated and alone. It felt like a really good place to finish this part of his journey.

Up next, Brand! And you'll all have to get used to another art style. Again. Wheee!

ALSO! CALLING ALL RPers! The Shades of Grey online RPG is looking for one or two members! There are no limits on factions or roles. All I ask is that your character is sane (or functionally insane) and can work in a team setting.

Currently in the RP: After discovering that Mist has infiltrated Heaven and is feeding off of the negative emotions there, our team has tried to convince people to cease fire in the Civil War between Rebel and Department forces. Unfortunately, neither side was easy to convince, particularly the militaristic Fist. A massive battle, complete with a demon-fire brigade and kidnapped rampaging demon, erupted in the Contested Zone, only ending when the Voice stepped in to call a truce. Now Rebels and Departments struggle to resolve their issues without further bloodshed. However, some suspect there's something greater and more sinister going on behind the scenes...

Basically, there's going to be a lot of intrigue and mystery in this part of the campaign. If that sounds good to you, let me know! I'll help you stream-line the character creation process and get you into the thick of things ASAP!

Free inked drawing of your character to sweeten the deal! Email me by clicking on "Contact" near the top of the site!

Page 80 - Hands

So tired.

Gonna crash now.

Enjoy page.