Vol 2 Wrap Up/Cover/Q&A
Added 2024-05-20 21:00:05 +0000 UTCThe Wrap Up!
Being at the end, it feels… odd, to be honest. It’s been a weird few months and it hasn’t really hit me yet I’ve crossed the finish line on this chapter. I know I had a lot to say, random notes I made while I worked, but now I’m just left with the broad, lingering impressions.
If pressed with what I’m happiest about, it’s how Red evolved. I knew going in he wasn’t going to die, largely because most people would expect him to die, but I had no sense of him as a character when I started. His relationship with Swift was a surprise to me as it unfolded, gentle and calm, something for Swift’s brashness to play against. He is one of the things I’m really excited about for Volume Three. That and-- well, you'll see in the epilogue shortly.
While Volume Three feels like wide-open territory, much of Volume Two was been rattling around in my head for a long, long time. The scene with the raven eating Seral, for instance, lived rent free for years, well before the first volume was even finished. Honestly, It can be mentally taxing to carry things around in your head for so long. There’s real catharsis to have finally gotten here, to see these scenes on the page rather than just in my mind. Overall, I’m satisfied with my effort but I’m glad it’s over, and I’m looking forward to the next thing — which is the artist process in a nutshell, hah.
It’s hard, being alive, creating. I think as far as a ‘fursona’ or representation of myself, choosing a coyote twenty something years ago ended up being the right pick. I often feel like I’m just screaming into the void—but that’s what coyotes are made for, in my humble opinion. One long laugh in the face of the abyss, ever onward.
But then someone might leave a casual comment, along the lines of ‘hey stranger, this character/this part/this story affected me,’ and on that particular day, it might bring me to tears. I’ll get overwhelmed by that feeling of being seen, of someone hearing me in the dark. It’s a simple connection but it’s good. It’s grounding; I feel incrementally further back from that abyss’ edge.
I know this story is odd and niche and I see all the flaws (usually, I only see the flaws.) It’s some reflection of myself, I suppose, if we’re being terribly analytical and I’m up my own ass about it— but yeah. I keep making art because somewhere out in the dark, people keep reading and connecting to it.
So… thank you for being here. I’m glad we found one another, for however long or short that is.
The Cover!
Here is the (nearly) finished cover for Volume Two! There are a few things I’ll keep picking at over the next few weeks but overall, I’m pretty happy. I ended up changing Swift’s pose from the original concept— she started to feel really static and it was becoming a struggle-fest. I couldn’t escape this uncanny valley vibe like the box art from old Disney VHS, where none of the characters look on model. So, I re-drew her and started a few things from scratch, and I got there in the end.
Q&A!
If you have any questions about whatever—the comic, the future, the price of weather—drop them in the comments (or send me a message if you want to remain anonymous when I post answers.) I’ll answer the ones I can and post 'em before the end of the month!
KickStarter!
Still happening, details still coming very soon! I have have some ancillary artwork for the launch to finish and one price quote I’m waiting on before I work out my final numbers.
Comments
I've been thinking about Red ever since this was posted, and the way that you'd always known you weren't going to kill him off because you knew people would expect that. I think that expectation exists because it's disappointingly common that disabled characters and romantic interests aren't respected as *entire people.* They're treated more like tools to serve the arc of their spouses, and discarded when they're not necessary. That's the most beautiful, refreshing thing about Oren's Forge. The setting is ableist, but the *theme* is a profound rejection of it. Life itself having inherent value, and the rejection of cruel traditions. Of course Swift as a character will fight for Red's life-- but more importantly, the NARRATIVE ITSELF also treats Red as a character with value. He wasn't killed off for cheap shock. He wasn't offed by Seral to up the stakes of his scene with the pups later. He lives, and Swift even rejects Scree's offer to run off without him because what she's doing is FOR HIM. Not JUST the pups. Can't wait to see how Red interacts with the Hollow in the upcoming volume. I'm already wondering how long it'll take for Oren to see the parallels between him and his mother and Swift and her mate. Also hoping someone references Rask's point earlier, about metal being a symbol of change but Oren made a choice to make teeth with it. Red seems to be able to walk with support on his bad side-- a spear and a crutch aren't all too different.
Luckyclaw
2024-07-24 07:32:33 +0000 UTCFirst of all, congratulation on finishing the volume 2! It was a great read, I feel really invested into the story (more than in many so called mainstream media to be honest), and it gets only better and more interesting with more characters and other viewpoints, especially that predator’s point of view is so different from prey’s side of the story. Hope I’m not too late with my questions! 1. Are we ever going to see Tracker and Nettle in the story? 2. Is Ramble a season younger than Swift or just a runt of the litter since he is called „little” Ramble? Also how did he got his name in-universe? 3. I’ve noticed that Oren looked very upset in the end of volume 2 when Rask announced his decision. It’s particularly interesting because in that moment he seemed to partially drop his mask of a wise leader. Was this because for Oren Rask became an important part of his plan to protect the Hollow and it failed? 4. Was Seral’s father injury similar to Red’s (e.g. was he still alive but crippled in some way) and could be saved if someone did to him what Swift did for her mate? And speaking of Seral—I liked that he was so conflicted. He was not just a minor baddie that was okay with murdering half of his family, he just happened to be a follower type stuck between a rock and a hard place. I wonder if he just missed a clue when Scree wanted to make him to leave with her or he ignored them because he couldn’t imagine living without a pack. And one more thing: is there a piece of a backstory behind Seral’s missing ear tip? ;) 5. Have you decided what is the gender of the pups? ;) I remember that you wrote somewhere in a reply to a comment on dA that at this point it is not important, but it has been a while back. 6. Also, this more a general comment than a question, but I want to say that I really appreciate that you decided to not kill off Red in volume 2—it was really refreshing as there is that overused trope of killing off a partner/wife/husband/best friend to give the main hero a motivation. As you said, he perfectly balances Swift’s more impulsive temper. Loved the happy reunion of the family and I’m really looking forward to volume 3 to see how they are going to fit into the Hollow (if they are accepted).
Pantera
2024-05-31 09:57:59 +0000 UTCWill we see more of Scree? Also is there more to Red's backstory and would that be relevant to future plot?
Felidae
2024-05-27 20:43:25 +0000 UTCHow did Hemlock find the Hollow? Did someone tell her about it, did she accidentally run into the Hollow, or did she meet Oren and he told her about his idea? What kind of danger did she run into while traveling there?
Microgrampup
2024-05-24 04:57:52 +0000 UTCJust how old is Oren? They keep reminding of his advanced age, but he still looks in his prime, unlike other older characters like Gristle and Quanaq...
Looweezah
2024-05-22 06:34:20 +0000 UTCHi Teagan, I can't wait for the third part of the comic. I'd like to ask a few questions. 1 Could you tell us more about Lichen and the mountain where he saw the dark silhouettes he told Rask and Egg about on page 216, or would it constitute a spoiler? Are you planning a mini comic about Lichen's adventures and what happened on this mountain? Based on what he said, are there any magical elements in this world? 2 Does Oren see Egg in the same way as Rask (you once wrote a comment that Oren doesn't see Rask as an equal person. This comment was probably on DeviantArt, Rask himself said that he doesn't want to be a weapon) so is Egg just a tool for him ? I understand that Egg likes to dig in the dirt. Does Oren see nothing more in her? 3 Will we also see other seasons in your comic, e.g. autumn or winter, and what will the characters do then? I also wrote to you in a private message but I don't know if you received it.
Krzysztof K
2024-05-21 21:53:27 +0000 UTCHey, I'm glad you've kept going. From the other side of the screen I get the same kind of connection every time I see work like yours and think, yes, there's somebody else out thinking like this and putting out their story. Anyway, now that you have planted the seed I would like to know - what is the price of weather?
Gurkin
2024-05-21 21:49:58 +0000 UTCIt’s been awesome watching this comic blossom and grow and the focus on a wolf pack this chapter while still dealing with Rask and Oren’s clan — i will miss Mondays at 5 pm ET :) until the new chapter! But awesome things are worth waiting for and you should celebrate this chapter - Congratulations! If I had one question it would be are you going to release the April Fools comic into the wild because it is too amazing and hilarious not too :) Can’t wait for Chapter 3!
JohnnyTikitavi
2024-05-21 03:44:04 +0000 UTCOne question I had about the volume as a whole: Sedge had a lot of appearances in Volume 1 but was entirely absent here. Did he leave with Hemlock? Get replaced by Lichen? Vanish mysteriously into the ether? Or is he there and I just never noticed him in the background?
Gale Tazzin
2024-05-21 03:38:52 +0000 UTCIts been a wonderful journey... and best of all its not over yet. I am So looking forward to the rest of the journey. Rask's optimism, Swift's brashness, Red's stabilty and calmness, and Oren's hopes and fears. May they all find a place in their world.
Marcwolf
2024-05-21 01:55:57 +0000 UTCHonestly, your writing is pretty fantastic. Can't find any flaws whatsoever. I always look forward to the new pages because oI know the quality will be out of this world. The art alone does it for me, but thr plot and pacing is fantastic too. Can't wait for the new chapter! My question would be: what's your writing process like? More specifically, how far in advance do you plan major plot points or where the story is going generally. I've read a few webcomics, but nothing comes close to your storytelling. Almost every page is a cliffhanger by itself and to top it all off the whole storyline is just amazing.
Loïc Van Doorn
2024-05-20 23:29:13 +0000 UTCCongratulations on finishing the chapter! I really adore the changes you made to the cover art for Vol 2. I think pulling her pose down so she crouches over the pups more reflects her motivation throughout the volume to protect them better than the first draft.
Sync
2024-05-20 23:14:58 +0000 UTCThe ears moved as well. The small changes in movement make Swift appear far more protective of her children
AlbinoWolf
2024-05-20 22:42:17 +0000 UTCCongratulations on finishing the chapter!! :D It’s a great achievement and you’ve worked hard for it! I’m so excited for the physical version!
Sarah
2024-05-20 22:30:01 +0000 UTCWas just curious, will the prices of vol 2 kickstarter tiers be quite similar to vol 1 kickstarter tiers or will they be quite different? EDIT: Oops I just properly read the last paragraph, ignore this XD
FERRETBYTE
2024-05-20 22:21:25 +0000 UTCCongrats on finishing the chapter, there where many parts that had me on the edge of my seat my question is if we could learn about when Red and Swift met? I'm assuming that in typical wolf fashion Red left his home pack to search for a potential mate, but what was it that made them both stand out to each other?
RandomDragon2.0
2024-05-20 21:40:21 +0000 UTCThanks for everything, I have read and felt every page every week and have done so for several years now, and always throw away Mondays for that at least. ;) my question is to know if, like volume 01 (one part I think) it will be published in French one day? because yes we bind you in France and I am not the only one either. thank you for everything it's an amazing comic.
Balou3155
2024-05-20 21:28:19 +0000 UTCThat cover is gorgeous
Dhaka Yeena
2024-05-20 21:26:00 +0000 UTCHonestly, the comic has been good since the Patreon launch, and has only gotten better over time, so congrats on finishing this amazing chapter 2! As for questions, one that comes to mind is, is there any kind of reference for the various characters? I've always wondered a bit about their differences in heights for example!
Berto
2024-05-20 21:25:22 +0000 UTCThis was an amazing chapter to come into this outstanding story. Can't wait for more and picking up a printed copy as well. The lip curl on Swift was an excellent touch!
Sudak
2024-05-20 21:10:37 +0000 UTC
