Chapter 5, Page 19


Hi guys!

It’s been a busy few days since the last update. First, though it was a weekend ago, thank you to everyone who came by to say hi at ECCC. As always it is thrilling to meet readers in person, and nice to have some extended conversations about comics with so many of you.

The other big news is that after a lot of work, I’m happy to announce that the Mare Internum book Kickstarter is going live on Thursday:

I’ll have just a few limited and discounted book tiers available, so you can sign up for general news for the heads up of when the campaign goes live so you can nab a deal. This book is going to be about 270+ pages of content, extra pages, etc, and there are a TON of great add-ons that will be automatically added to the pledge tiers if the campaign ends up funding past my minimum goal. I have been working my ass off on this campaign and I’m very excited to bring it to you.

A lot of the pauses here have been because the logistics of designing a book, getting quotes for all the ridiculous things I want, setting up agreements with guest artists, constructing a viable Kickstarter and making one billion animations and images to go with everything surprisingly takes a while for one person to finish. I’m sure it’s been fairly trying for you as readers to put up with me continually running away to do behind-the-scenes work instead of posting comics. But everything I had on my plate is pretty much finished now, and all that remains is to actually finish making and posting the last 30ish pages of the comic here :] It’s the last step in a plan I’ve been slowly hatching since last summer, so I’m gonna give it all I got.

See you next update,

Der


The 2018 Hugo Award Nominations close 2 days from now, on 3/15!

I still have to do mine lol. But if you are enjoying this comic, the previous chapter should be eligible and your vote would be greatly appreciated.

51 Comments

  • Hethaa

    KALLA’S FACE PEEKIN THROUGH OMG

  • Kat Serapha

    That last panel of Kalla is so long suffering.

  • Kyle

    Love that last panel!

    Like a dog whose owner just left.

  • Chances are he won’t

    • Solanuma

      I’m not ready to say farewell to her :'(

    • JJ

      My thought exactly. Such an announcement practically is a death sentence.

    • Kim

      :(

  • Saberbeam

    Never thought I’d be commenting on the adorableness of an exasperated, Martian shark creature. And yet, here I am :D

  • Eversist

    30 pages left to make, or 30 pages left total (including possible buffer)?!

    Don’t answer (if you were considering it), I want to be surprised. c: Good luck in this home stretch! Can’t wait to back the KS.

    • shingworks

      the buffer gods laughed in my face the past month, so I have got 30 pages to make in about 30 days, should be wild B]

      • JJ

        I don’t think there’s anything that could possibly go wrong with that.

        • shingworks

          I’ve been running on 5 hrs a sleep per night for the last 2 weeks so yeah it’s a pretty good plan imo

          • JJ

            Good luck with your plans and your health! And I’ll still be around even if the pages take 60 or 90 days … (91 is where I draw the line tho)

          • Android 21 3/7

            Can’t you bump that up to about… 7 hours at least? Five hours of sleep a night doesn’t sound healthy, especially after your innards just went on strike.

          • shingworks

            It’s cool, I know it can sound very harsh but I like the simplicity of the pain/ creation cycle… it’s like the art version of retreating into the wilderness and living off the land. Only need to put in about 45 days of this (have gone for 6 months before) so it should be alright.

      • tatch

        good luck with that omg wow /sending good vibes

      • Eversist

        You crazy! The good kind. Take care of yourself.

  • Lilian

    From Mike’s man-feet to Kalla peering into the cave, this is an amusing page.

  • Ceceoh

    Couldn’t you at least leave Levi with Kallakore until you come back? That is, if you are coming back, which is by no means certain.

  • Mr. Casual

    Man. Kalla better not get left behind for Bex. I will be all kinds of annoyed. I might even harrumph.

  • AW KALLA………..

  • Shunka_Warakin

    CEILING KALLA IS WATCHING YOU, MIKE.

  • Jojo

    Kalla is a gift

  • Okaybells

    What can go possibly wrong?

  • Ponyhome

    Oh, wow, there’s only 30 pages left in the story?

    • shingworks

      Roughly (not including epilogue and one last interlude)

  • Natalie

    :O :D Only 30 pages!? Can’t wait to see how it ends :)

    Also loving Kalla and Levi and Mike’s feet poking through the hole.

  • awhorl

    Glad to know that you were crazy busy and not just terribly ill. BUT crazy busy is not good for your health. Careful now? Yeah, I know–I can say that, but I’ve been there, in some analogous way. Every extra 15 minutes of sleep really counts.

  • AGV

    Only thirty+ pages left?
    Dang, that aint much, I’m really intrigued and kinda sad

    • AGV

      Also, look at that poor distressed Kalla, poor baby

  • Poor Kalla. She’s adorable.

    Look after your health! Especially since you were so ill a short while ago. Your readers will stick around.

  • Indedipal

    …no he won’t.

  • Tom W

    I fear this will be the last we see of poor, sweet Kalla.

    Der, thank you for the fantastic journey you’ve taken me on. I’ve been following since about page #20. Have you given any thought to making a screenplay out of the story? It would be fantastic to see this fleshed out into a full-length movie–live action, or perhaps even animated, in your art style.

    (If this hasn’t already been done in past comment threads, I’ll leave it to others to make suggestions for voice actors to voice the main characters of the animated movie.)

    • shingworks

      Haha, I’ve actually had a few inquiries about the film rights… kinda not concerned about that at the moment, just want to get the story made and out in the world. I honestly do think comics are the finest form of visual storytelling so I don’t have a burning need to see it translated into something else, but it is a fun idea :]

      • Kincajou

        Here in belgium it’s becoming increasingly common for comics to be adapted to animated/live action features usually with great success too! If MI were to get the same treatment “Zombillenium” got last year, boy we’d be in for one fantastic treat! (but yeah, that then becomes full time work for years!)

      • Tom W

        Thanks for the reply, Der. I can certainly see your point, and it makes perfect sense that you’re telling this intriguing story in the way that you, the creator, feels it should best be told.

        Congrats on the opening of what appears to be a highly successful Kickstarter campaign!

  • awhorl

    Are those mushrooms or rocks growing on Mike’s shoulders? I am guessing that his suit isn’t perforated that easily. I am worried about the state of his corporeal self under that suit.

  • Windwalker

    Hey Shing,

    Tried signing up for your general mailings so I don’t miss the Kickstarter campaign, but I still haven’t rec’d a confirmation email. Also, maybe I’m jumping the gun here, but I looked on Kickstarter today (3/15) but didn’t see mare on the website. Just jonesing to contribute. Sad to hear the comic is only about 30 pages away from completion, but definitely want to get this in hard copy.

    • Kincajou

      the kickstarter is now live!

  • Retterhardt

    Haha I love Mike’s feet sticking up here. Something about the way the feet and ankles are reminds me of something from some medieval painting or illuminated manuscript (although the closest I could find was this basket guy in Bruegel’s Netherlandish Proverbs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlandish_Proverbs#/media/File:NP-59.jpg )

    Also, looking forward to checking out the Kickstarter!

  • Rei

    =(
    Kalla…
    I’m so scared something will happen to her…
    *paces*

  • Phil

    So I knew I read this story before, decades ago in middle school, when I found this a few weeks ago. I am talking about major plot points here: sealed environment with an aparent ancient intelligence in charge.
    This is similar to “The Lotus Caves” by John Christopher.
    In my efforts to recall the book I located reference to an even older short from 1935 long before my time. “The Lotus Eaters” by Stanley G. Weinbaum. However I have not located a copy to read. (I am still looking, the title is used by too many other authors)

    Your story is beautifully done and quite original.

    • Phil

      http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0601231h.html

      Finally found it! I can see how it would inspire aspects of John Christopher’s story.

      • shingworks

        Thanks! I’ve never heard of this before, but will check it out :] I like sealed chamber stories (obviously, haha)

        • Phil

          It is more “intelligent plant” but rather short.

  • Tomas

    Will the book include the supplementary Patreon material?

    • shingworks

      It will likely be arranged into a digital PDF as a bonus addon :] I don’t particularly like my sketches so I’m not sure I’d want to print them out, but we’ll see

  • Dogma

    My god, Kalla is Martian Seymour.

  • Kim

    30 pages left?? eeeeee, I’m not sure if I’m ready! But I am! But nervous!

    And you better keep that promise, Mike! Don’t you leave Kalla behind!

  • Sheridan

    Aaaaaaand they’re dead.

  • No One

    No, don’t leave Kalla alone. Remember what happened last time you were separated?

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