Valentine’s Day is that special time when we first start coming out of winter, a time of warmth, and this year I’ve prepared some special promo art for the occasion. And first for you, the S&F readers!
I’ve got two pictures for you to enjoy and share, drawn by Loop-Chan. Along with the art, I’m also going to let you know how these work into the coming ashcan and first book.
Petro & Aurora: The lead couple!
A bit of trivia on the writing process - once we announced a redesign of the lead character, Petro Patriot, I also took it as an opportunity to work on the story and world. And that includes the arc for Michael Albright and “Aurora Cipher,” the sparky circuit bender.
These two feature in Book 1, and currently we’re working on script edit. Pauline’s ashcan story is the opening sequence to Michael’s book, and the two stories collide at the worst possible moment for our hero. Namely, the moment he finds out Aurora is much more than she appears to be. Is she a spy sent to trap him? Or a double agent for the rebel organization Katalyst?
One thing you don’t have to speculate on: we’ve got some high-energy action led by a man with a flamethrower guitar. And per our very first post, you’re going to find out how he gets the Power Rod.
Pauline Censor, the unexpected “best girl”
Between the creative team and our test readers, one unexpected outcome was Pauline Censor, a lead villain in the story, coming out on top as Best Girl during the first readings. And I thought it’d be fun to make some chibi-style sticker art.
Maybe she’s best girl because being a “villain” gave me a lot of license to make her bombastic. Maybe its because Pauline’s the tallest character on the cast, among other features? Personally, I think its the unstoppable-villain moments like these…
Pauline’s getting her debut in a 10-page ashcan coming soon. This ashcan started as a character study of Pauline, which I re-wrote a couple times until the illustrator had the gut reaction “OMG! Pauline doesn’t give a damn!” What I can say for now is, two villain factions seeking to capture Michael cross paths, and only one can remain standing.
I’m looking forward to announcing a release date for Pauline’s intro story in the near future! Like this art post, it will come first via Substack email, so please subscribe!
Happy Valentines all :)
Still a villain.
Still a villain.
Still a villain.
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