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Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Bovodar Is Back! Issue #3

It's Fall Time.  Time for weather to get cooler, folks to get back to school, and reading to begin.  It's also the time that Mary and I picked to release Issue #3 of the Bovodar and the Bears comic.  

In this next installment, we track Bovodar's travels to the troubled domain of the Deer Folk, where our fellowship encounters their first real challenge in the journey.  

Something about this situation just doesn't seem right...


Catch another piece of the art over at Mary MacArthur's blog.  But, of course, you can read the comic itself over at Arktoons for free.

CLICK HERE to go to the latest installment, episode #18: "Get up here, savage!"  


We will be releasing a new episode every other week. This week's latest came out on Sunday, September 11th. The next episode will be coming out on Sunday, September 25th. And, of course, you can always catch up or re-read starting from Episode #1 at any time, for free, only at Arkhaven---the latest, most dynamic online source for new comic book content.

As always, if you want to get ahead and read about Bovodar's entire adventure ahead of time, please consider purchasing the novel available over at Amazon.  And if you really want to help this ongoing work, please consider leaving a review to help support this project!

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Bovodar vs the Deer Queen




Behold, Mary MacArthur’s best work yet.  The deeper we delve into the Bovodar and the Bears project, the more she surprises me.  I’ve already shown a black and white of this full-page spread elsewhere, but it’s so vivid once we see it in color.


Just a bit of a recap of what I said previously about this page:


This year, Mary MacArthur and I are working on Issue #3 of the Bovodar and the Bears comic. And it is VERY relevant to this ongoing battle within Hollywood. It is in this very part of the story that Bovodar and his friends are captured by the evil Deer Queen.


This adversary, fashioned in the same league as the Ice Queen of Narnia, is no benevolent ruler. A tyrant, this disordered doe has usurped a stag’s role, crowning herself with a golden, artificial crown of antlers, and surrounding herself with sycophantic followers. The image above is some of the most fantastic work I’ve seen yet from MacArthur, and I was shocked when she first presented it to me this weekend. I absolutely had to show you guys.


A little commentary about this art. Perhaps you’ll notice the seating position and posture of the Deer Queen. Brownie points if any of you guys can name what she looks like in the comments box. I absolutely love how Mary portrayed the “gay orbiter” effeminate lions on the right. These pathetic predators have sacrificed their natural, virile nature to become subdued subjects to an animal who’d normally be their prey in the natural world. I like the locks of their manes—they look like band members from Queen on their 70s album, News of the World. And the censure in the front, with the smoke pouring out and intertwining up the page, with the court filled with deer like that—it’s positively Dionysian. Fun fact: I said to Mary “Maybe you should play Venus in Furs by Velvet Underground when you draw this thing.” The overall effect is what you see above. Yes, I’m gushing, guys, but this panel deserves it.”


Not a few people have correctly guessed that the evil Deer Queen, here, is meant to resemble the infamous Baphomet statue that’s been trotted out these recent years.  And, really, the entire setting is meant to look like some kind of a satanic enclave.  Were someone out there to deify Nature and flesh out just what a pagan paradise would look like, the Deer Queen’s court is one such example.


The Deer Queen is one of the first villains Bovodar and his friends come across.  She is local, being only a few days walk away from his home.  She has a domain within which she rules, and there are many clues that she was utterly undeserving of inheriting it.  Her existence is a complete reversal of the natural order.  There is absolutely nothing normal on any level with how things are conducted under her rule.  If her court seems to resemble some sort of a twisted, self-indulgent, King-Herod bazaar, it’s supposed to.  


In her city, the first thing Bovodar and his friends should be thinking is: “How do we get out of here?”

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Fey Touched: Part 2

This short segment is the following installment of an ongoing internet series.  The first part of this story is: The Lord of Two Lands 

The segment before this one is Fey Touched, Part I

* * *

It was a beautiful day in Central Park. There were certain hours designated for when an owner did not have to have their dog leashed. This was not such an hour. So Aaron was kept on a leash no longer than six feet, even though he calmly walked beside Thomas, not giving any kind of problem whatsoever. In fact, Thomas was worried just a little because Aaron was behaving too well. As a dog, Aaron was behaving so well during the walk---keeping a steady and calm pace next to Thomas---that there was even a mildly annoying bit of slack in the leash.

The park was not full. It was a weekday. To be sure, the park had its patrons. Old negroes playing chess. A young woman in a tank tops briskly walking, checking her pulse on a smart watch. A couple leisurely walking their dog passed by, and the latter sniffed and growled at Aaron. But he kept his composure and remained the abnormally well-mannered dog that he was. A breeze of fresh air rolled down from the sky and gently shook the tree branches. A few stray dandelion seeds blew across their path, and a black butterfly with blue spots flapped across the path. It was a perfect moment to be in that exact spot.

A short distance away stood a hot dog vendor. He looked directly at Thomas and Aaron, and he maintained a restrained smile on his unshaven face.

“Need some lunch?” the man asked. “You and your little friend, there?”

Thomas looked down at the dog, and Aaron nodded his head quietly. They walked over to the man who seemed just as ordinary and forgettable as any other man. Tom took a pretzel for $2. But then the vendor said:

“Nothing for your friend? Maybe a polish sausage?”

Aaron nodded quietly and compliantly to his human companion. Wide-eyed and nervous, Thomas hesitantly said he’d take one. He took it plain with nothing on it. After the vendor handed it to him, Tom just stood there hesitantly, confused about what he’d do next. The vendor said:

“Don’t worry about it, buddy. Just give it to him. I won’t say nothin’.”

And so Tom did. He squatted down and put the hot dog in Aaron’s mouth, letting him bite it piece by piece. He wouldn’t just place food on the ground. Who wants to eat off the ground, after all? And if it were true that Aaron was once a man, it’s likely he appreciated the courtesy of not being treated like the animal he was. The vendor was fully invested in watching this. Smiling, he looked over his cart at the gentle dog and sniffed.

“That last one’s on the house.”

“Are you sure?” Tom’s eyes winced with suspicion.

“Yeah, it’s okay. He looked hungry.” The vendor smiled, nodded, and stepped back. Then, looking down, he breathed in, and cleared his throat. “Say, fellas, I think you might wanna head over to Cleopatra’s Needle over that way. There’s a fairy ring growin’ over in the shade over there you might be interested in. Your friend, here, might wanna take a nap in the middle of it.”

“What?” Thomas stood up straight very quickly. He looked down at Aaron, then back at the vendor, then to the tree line in the distance, and back again to the vendor. “You’re telling me my dog’s going to sleep? Did you just poison him?”

The vendor stood aback, his hand on his heart. “Are you kidding me? Do you know how many years it took me to get a license to do this? Look, you two looked like you were in a tough spot, and I offered the free advice. And the free sausage. Here, have a free soda on the house, too.” The vendor handed Thomas an icy cold can of Pepsi. “You better get over there, though. Before some kid or a bum kicks all the mushrooms down.” He lifted his hand and pointed north. Another pedestrian stopped and reached in his pockets as he grabbed the vendor’s attention. Aaron started walking, and he gently pulled the leash taut, leading Thomas away from the hot dog vendor.

They walked about fifteen minutes until they finally came to it: Cleopatra’s Needle. That’s what the locals called it. But for Aaron, it was something much more---for this was the very obelisk where he lost his humanity at the hands of a sorcerer. Aaron’s stride slowed down, and he was afraid to approach the monument. Thomas tilted his head, looking at the ancient structure. 

“So, this is the place where it happened,” he said.

Sunday, July 11, 2021

The Bovodar and the Bears Comic Is Back

As many of you readers probably know, our online comic, Bovodar and the Bears, took a short break, starting in mid-June.  But the series has returned as of TODAY with Episode #7, "Meeting at the Secret Elm."


Come on!  What are you waiting for?

Just a reminder: We originally wanted to print out whole comic books in order to tell the story of Bovodar and the Bears.  Due to length, the novel would be separated into three parts.  Each of the three parts would be split into about six or seven issues.  Each issue would be approximately 25-30 pages.  

What we've seen up until mid-June was only one issue.  Issue #2 is now beginning, and we'll start to see Bovodar and his little friend, Grep, begin their adventure.  (Issue 2 begins with Episode 7 on Arkhaven.)  And, at this point, we will see Issue #2 progress throughout the summer.  There are some parts in it that are very fun and exciting, and I can't wait to show you guys.  Mary's work on this project has been incredible.

Our current goal is to finish the first six issues.  After the six issues are complete, we would like to have them printed in a physical omnibus, available to all.  This would mean that the Bovodar and the Bears comic will one day be available for everyone in a trilogy of omnibus comic books.  

For the time being, however, you can find our work over at Arktoons.  

You can support us by contributing to our Patreon.

And, of course, you can purchase a physical copy of the book, Bovodar and the Bears, available on Amazon.

Please do spread the word, like, and leave reviews of our work.  This project depends upon your support.

    



Thursday, May 13, 2021

Episode #2: Two Strangers Stole Our Ham!


Episode # 2 of the Bovodar and the Bears series is out this week on Arkhaven.com.  

The visual comic book format is very conducive for episodic storytelling.  We're happy to say that, thus far, the ratings for B&B have been competitive with its fellow comic releases.  These episodes are being released on a weekly basis, and as this work is being published regularly on Arktoons, we are continuously working on new script and comic content.  

Suffice to say, the recent inked illustrations are stunning, as our Patreon backers have been made well aware. So enjoy the free content, and consider supporting our work over at our Patreon page.  Becoming one of our patrons is one of the best ways to support our ongoing effort to deliver the visual rendition of Bovodar and the Bears to you and your families. 

And don't forget to like our episodes as you read them!   


    

Monday, May 3, 2021

Today, You Can Read Bovodar and the Bears on Arktoons!

It's official.



We've been holding our tongues for a while, but our team can finally confirm that our comic, Bovodar and the Bears, is now available online for free at Arktoons!  Just click on this hyperlink to visit the site, and read the first release!  

Arktoons will be releasing a new episode of Bovodar and the Bears every Sunday.  On its debut, B&B was released alongside Chicago Typewriter (By Brandon Fiadino), AI Wars (Jon del Arroz), and Swan Knight Saga (John C. Wright).  And I was absolutely thrilled to see on our first day that our views and likes were just as competitive as the other works.  Not only that, but some of the online remarks were very heartening for our team:

- "I may be biased, but Bovodar & The Bears is my Sunday favorite. Surprisingly refreshing and colorful story.  Sunday has a very strong lineup."

- "Bovodar and the Bears - good, lighter approach to storytelling, with lovely drawing. Good, wholesome art work by [Mary MacArthur]."

- "Read it, very Bear-ish. I liked it."

- "Reading Bovodar and The Bears to my 3-year old seems like it will become a Sunday morning ritual for me."

- "This looks like it could be pretty good! We need more bear stories."

- "I did not expect Bovodar & The Bears to triumph over AI Wars, but there we go."

Thank you so much for these warm reviews as well as the hundreds of people who've viewed our work this past Sunday.  Thank you so very much to Bounding Into Comics for covering the release of our project.  And we would like to extend our most sincere gratitude to Vox Day and his team at Arkhaven for including our comic in the lineup for Arktoons' debut.  This was a very high honor for us.  

Our team is very happy to commit ourselves to providing something very special.  If you would like to help support us and ensure that the adventure of Bovodar and the Bears reaches its completion, please consider visiting our Patreon and making any kind of a donation.  Any kind of support is very meaningful for us.  Our current short-term goal is to produce enough content, that we could produce a physical omnibus.  As readers will see in coming weeks, we are well on our way to that goal.  So please join us in this effort to produce fresh, new fiction for all ages.

And again, if you would like to read this week's episode of the Bovodar and the Bears comic:


Saturday, April 24, 2021

Incoming: The Arktoons Asteroid

 As mainstream comic properties the world once cherished become lesser in quality and desirability, a new player in town is coming on the scene to shake up the industry.  I am talking about the all-new Arktoons platform, which is launching next Wednesday, April 28th.  Arktoons is a digital comics site that features their comics in a panel style conducive for viewing on tablets and phones.  This comics site will be a direct competitor to Webtoons, and I understand that there is a LOT of new, fresh and independent content ready to be launched on it.  I have heard discussion about just how much material has been gathered for this site---neither Marvel nor DC property (I'm happy to say)---and I am extremely impressed by the numbers.  

Arkhaven Comics, coming to Arktoons next Wednesday.


Being an independent comic creator myself, I can assure you that both illustrator Mary MacArthur and myself are keenly interested in the developments surrounding this new platform.  I think you can guess why.