Hello Astray3 readers,
Work continues on new Astray3 pages. In the meantime, here are some visual treats for you on the last day of October! Be back soon with some more art and news! Enjoy!
-Eldon
Happy Halloween!
Category: #misc
Weekly update for Oct. 14th, 2019. Lots of art and actual comic NEWS!
Hello Astray3 faithful,
It’s been a while since I posted an update on the main page. So, here is a massive update to get yall caught up.
I’ll lead with some good news. New Astray3 pages are in production! I dropped a new character design post on the Patreon page. Check it out! No need to be Patron. I’ll be dropping some panel sneak peeks once the first pages are finished. Stay tuned!
Now, here is a ton of Procreate art! I’ve also been participating in Inktober 2019. There may be a big post for those soon.
Enjoy!
-Eldon
Weekly update for Sept. 16th, 2019. ACTUAL COMIC NEWS!
Hello A3 readers,
Finally, some news on comic progress. Preliminary layouts for chapter 4 are done. It’s a whopping 58 pages; including an epilogue that is around eight pages long. However, that’s a bit long for the current individual chapter printing scheme. Thus, I’ll be chopping this baby in half Solomon style. The first 30+ pages will be Enigma part 1 and the second half and epilogue will be Enigma part 2. ( As an interesting bonus fact, chapter four was supposed to be part of chapter three. But….yeah, I thought it was too long then. Yowza! )
The remainder of September and a chunk of October will be spent writing/designing the first 30-page chunk. Page posting will begin once I have around five pages in the can. ( 1 month of updates. ) I predict that should be around mid-November or the beginning of December. This should guarantee at least two months of consistent updates before the inevitable delays begin. Expect to see the print version mid-2020. ( The second Interstitial book too…probably. )
Next week is Spa-Con in Hot Springs, AR. After the convention is when the official Astray3 online store will be set up. I have no idea where it will be hosted yet. Either Etsy or another store hosting site. There will be a discount for current Astray3 Patrons. If/when I figure that out.
Lastly, next year will be full of convention stops. I’m still working out the kinks of my booth. Check out these new shots of my custom signage.
That’s it for now. I’ll be dropping some Patreon exclusive design work soon. ( I only charge when comic pages are posted. So, you can join for free until chap 4 officially begins. ) Look for new art updates soon….one right after this as a matter of fact.
All the best,
-Eldon
Weekly update for Sept. 2nd, 2019. Pardon the dust.
Hello Astray3 readers,
This will be a short post to quickly update you all on what’s happening with Astray3.
First, the great site redesign is currently taking place. However, the new wordpress theme does not support the old theme’s comic structure. I will have to reupload all the comics made thus far. ( Not to mention the other little hiccups that might occur during the transition. ) This should all be done by the end of the week.
As we bid farewell to the old theme, what will the new site design have in store for us? For starters, how about easier comic navigation and reading? The new theme will make it easier to select chapters, find specific characters, and much easier to navigate the comic pages. ( I had some complaints that the old site was a pain to navigate and hard to read. ) The new layout is also simpler with the comic separated from the main page. I hope this will improve the experience for new and returning readers.
And now for the best news, with the site redesign soon to be finished, I’ll be getting back to working on the comic. It’s been grueling the past several months as I’ve ground out a bunch of side work. But, the site redesign is the last stop on the roadmap. When it is finished, work will resume on chapter four. Unfortunately, we are still a few months out from the official relaunch. On the bright side, I will start posting teasers for the new pages shortly after work begins.
That is it for now. I’ll make another post when the work is done.
More art soon,
-Eldon
Weekly update for August. 12th, 2019. It’s all coming together.
Hello Astray3 readers,
It’s been a bit of a wait, but I’m back with a new update. The final big piece of art for my upcoming events is in the can. This coming week will be focused on preparing everything for printing. After that, It’ll be time to start working on revamping the website. Look for some changes here in a couple of weeks.
After the launch of the new website, work will commence on the next chapter of Astray3. I can’t say exactly when the new chapter will start posting. My current estimate is at the beginning of November. It’s a bit of a wait, however, I want the next chapter’s release to go as smoothly as possible. In the meantime, I’ll start posting page teasers and bonus art here until the official launch.
That’ll be it for now. Be back next week with an update on the new prints.
All the best,
-Eldon
Weekly update for August. 4th, 2019. A chapter four teaser.
Hello Astray3 faithful,
Here is a quick update on Astray3 and work in general. I’ve recently wrapped up the last piece of art for the chapter four print. ( The above image. ) All that is left is the final arrangement and proofreading of the book. Then it is off to the printer. If everything works out, copies should make it just in time for the September comic events.
With chapter three in the print can, I have one last big project to complete before the renovation of the Astray3 website can begin. Look for the site to start changing about mid-August. This may include a total overhaul to the comic’s old format. It all depends on how much I can transfer to a new theme.
When the website overhaul is complete I’ll start work on Astray3 chapter four. I’m hesitant to announce when the comic will start posting again, but hopefully, it won’t be too far in the future.
That is all for now. I’ll leave you with some extra art goodies.
All the best,
-Eldon
Weekly update for July. 22nd, 2019. Final cover art for chapter three and new translation guide. (And extra art.)
Hello A3 readers,
After a few slow weeks, I’m back with an update on the next comic print. The cover and a new astray-lien translation guide are finished. There is one last piece of art to wrap up then we’ll be off to the printer. The book will premiere first at Arkansas Comic-Con, then immediately followed by Spa-Con. Since my supply of comic copies is currently limited, I’m postponing online sales till after September. That’ll give me a chance to take stock and consider re-orders if necessary.
There is a lot more work to do before production on chapter four begins. Be back with some new art next week!
Till next time,
-Eldon
Weekly update for July. 8th, 2019. Cover for the third chapter print.
Hello readers,
Work on the next print chapter of Astray3 is about to complete. I should have it ready for the printer by the end of the week. Soon after the book is complete, I’ll start work on revamping the website and creating a webstore. This may take some time. I might have to rebuild the entire comic archive for a new theme. Expect the site to be down for a bit. ( I’m woefully bad at the internets. ) Hopefully, this will only take a few weeks.
That is all for now. More updates soon!
All the best,
-Eldon
Weekly update for July. 1st, 2019. Death Ray Expo post mortem and art!
A quick post Death Ray Expo update!
Hello readers,
My first live event has now faded into the past tense. So, it’s time for some reflection.
Above, and below, are pictures of my humble booth. I shared a table with my long time art pal Fernando on the left. You can visit his website at http://www.calakka.com/ On the right is, Gustav Carlson of www.touristunknown.com Needless to say, wedged in there between two other artist, my presence was diminutive.
However, I consider the show an overall success. The books were well received and I sold a lot of copies. Also, I was able to meet a lot of my peers from the local art community. ( Although, I really need business cards for the next show. ) Not bad for operating from a cramped three-foot space at a small show with a limited crowd. ( No insult to the event meant. I love you Chad! ) The event was very enlightening too. I picked up a bunch of tips to improve my booth’s presentation. As such, I have a ton of prep work to do before the next show. ( Arkansas Comic Con in Little Rock, AR. Followed by Spa-Con. )
In other news, I’m working on the cover for the print version of Astray3 chapter three this week. I should be dropping some sneak peeks in a couple of days. After that, I’ll start working on renovating the website. And in between, I’ll be working on some new prints and banners for the upcoming events. It’ll be a busy couple of months.
That is all for now folks. More art soon.
All the best,
-Eldon
Weekly update for June. 24, 2019. A break, what’s next and a roadmap.
Hello readers,
Astray3 chapter 3 is in the can and trundling it’s way to a print version. If some of you think it ended a bit prematurely, you would be correct. Originally, the combined chapters three and four were supposed to be the end of the first planned big book of Astray3. However, around 30 pages seem to be the best fit for the individual print version. So, I cut the big chapter in half. Chapter four will be the final for the collected big book and include an epilogue.
Speaking of chapter four, where is it? As the last several months have proven, updates have gotten erratic due to all the extracurricular work I’ve taken on. ( Like prepping for books and shows. ) Also, it’s time to update the website and build an online store to sell the aforementioned books. Thus, chapter four’s release will be delayed for a few months. This will give me time to improve the website and rebuild the buffer. As mentioned in the title, here is a roadmap…if recent video games have taught me anything, people LOVE roadmaps.
_____________________________
Tasks in order:
• Finish up and prep chapter three for it’s print debut.
• Renovate the website to make it much easier to navigate and read.
• Create a web store. ( And maybe start offering commission work. Don’t hold your breath though. )
• Build a one to two-month comic buffer. This will merely forestall inconsistent updates given the increased production time. But hey, at least we can have regular updates for a few months.
_____________________________
In the meantime, I’ll be dropping sneak previews of upcoming pages here and on the Patreon page as work progresses. Plus, if you live in the Northwest and Central Arkansas area I will be doing multiple comic conventions. ( Death Ray Expo, Arkansas Comic Con, and Spa-Con respectively. ) Depending on the success of these shows, I’ll look into expanding to neighboring states.
That’s it for now. Stay tuned for more updates as we head into the BIGGEST chapter of Astray3 yet!
All the best,
-Eldon