We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

As I mentioned in passing last week, I believe that I've figured out a viable workflow for future comics projects, one that is based on high-contrast inked artwork.  I've been doing art tests off and on since last fall using various brush pens to ink sample pages from several different fantasy projects, and overall the results have been quite promising.  However, a recurring problem has arisen…

Continued tomorrow!

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. So, who knows what today's post might feature? Could be Life Drawing or Distressed Damsels content (both of which are featured at least three times per month), or something in the Work Stages, Vintage Con Sketches or Design departments, or possibly something entirely new, such as updates on fantasy test projects The Last Party and The Chaste and the Chained. Golly!

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

To wrap up this week's commentary thread, while I would like to continue Empowered someday down the road, I would need to find some new form of artistic workflow as well as some financially viable format for publication. The fantasy comic I'm hoping to produce next looks to be using an ink-based, (very) high-contrast art approach, which I'm not sure would work very well for Empowered (despite previous brief excursions into "harsh B&W" seen earlier in the series).

Next week on the webcomic serialization, brace yourself for Scary, Badass Emp (as I informally dubbed her) blazing into action!

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

While I mentioned the series' demise being due to the separate reasons of A) the nonviability of the graphic novel format and B) the loss of my pencil-based workflow, I recently realized that those concepts are somewhat connected, as Empowered's OGN format was only made possible in the first place by the once-speedy production enabled by cranking out slightly tighter "layout pages" in pencil. Alas, that production speed plummeted once I allowed the poison of perfectionism to hamstring my artistic process, which certainly didn't help matters much.

More tomorrow!

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, work-in-progress updates on developmental projects such as fantasy comics The Chaste and the Chained and The Last Party, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

As noted yesterday, I burned through the last of my supply of very specific 2mm pencil leads (5B Prismacolor Turquoise leads produced circa 2010-15) used to draw Empowered as I finished this volume. Years later, I found an even softer lead that enabled me to still draw loose, rough sketches, but my oft-ailing drawing hand soon failed me every time I tried to produce finished, detailed graphite rendering like you see here. Alas, seems to the case that my arm just couldn't repeat the Empowered workflow again even if I found a viable pencil lead.

More tomorrow!

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

Continuing a thread from yesterday, the main reason for vol.12 being the end of this version of Empowered had to do with the gradually cratering sales figures for the years-apart graphic-novel releases. Almost as critical, though, was the demise of the pencil-based workflow I used on the series, which largely came about as I ran through the last of my once-massive stockpile of the one specific batch of 2mm pencil leads that enabled the artwork's production. I tried to find replacements for multiple decades, but never found a workable alternative.

More tomorrow! 

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, work-in-progress updates on developmental projects such as fantasy comics The Chaste and the Chained and The Last Party, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

My text afterword for the book will explore in more detail the reasons why vol. 12 was the end of this iteration of Empowered, but I think I might explore some of those reasons with this week's commentaries. The main reason, of course, was the complete lack of financial viability inherent to the "straight-to-trade-paperback" graphic-novel format; almost as important, though, was the demise of the pencil-based workflow I used for the series' artwork.

More tomorrow!

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

While she might not consider herself a dominatrix per se, nonetheless I nicknamed this iteration of Elissa as "Domme Emp" when I was naming the short episodes that made up this portion of vol. 12.

Next week on the webcomic serialization, the "Domme Emp" scene rolls on before (SPOILER?) giving way to yet another Endless Reboot later in the week; amusingly enough, this time I really can't remember which Reboot is up next. Let's find out together, shall we?

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

Panel 1: Decided to use a "camera tilted on its side" angle here because, hey, why the hell not?

Panels 2-4: And we've jumped all the way back in the Empowered narrative to Emp's first encounter with Ninjette in vol. 1. Lordy loo!

Panel 6: A fine head-and-shoulders shot of Ocelotina, IMHO. Well done, 2020-21 Me!

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, work-in-progress updates on developmental projects such as fantasy comics The Chaste and the Chained and The Last Party, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

And lo, with panel 1 we've returned to Ocelotina's interview show(?), first seen in Empowered vol. 5's story "The Powaaaah of the Duct Side." Not exactly a SPOILER to hint that this version of Emp need not fear getting duct-taped by Ocelotina as OG Emp experienced in that vol.5 episode; quite the contrary, in fact, as you'll soon see.

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

With this latest reboot, the narrative has jumped all the way back to revisit a flashback scene recounted back in Empowered vol. 7, which depicted Emp's very first time winding up as a damsel in distress at the hands of this group of supervills. Clearly, things worked out very differently in this timeline, as you might've figured out. 

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, work-in-progress updates on developmental projects such as fantasy comics The Chaste and the Chained and The Last Party, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

Wellp, hope you fine folks enjoyed this brief foray into a fantasy setting, which proved a harbinger of sorts as my next drawn-by-me project looks to be a fantasy comic series featuring a completely different art approach from Empowered. (More on this matter later, perhaps.)

-Adam Warren

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

Note that I was getting really, really sick of drawing Paladin Elissa's armor by this point, so I was quite happy to revert to her familiar supersuit during panel 5.

Next week on the webcomic serialization, stand by for yet another reboot, dear readers! (I think I remember what the next one happens to be; if so, a character not seen here in a long, long time makes a brief reappearance!)

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

For those who had forgotten, ol' Deathmonger from the OG Empverse used a horde of "scythebots" as her minions (when she wasn't using zombified capes as her minions, that is.) Also, of course, the Abyssal Guardian Worms' likenesses were last seen during the climactic act of Empowered vol.8's fiery field trip to Hell.

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, work-in-progress updates on developmental projects such as fantasy comics The Chaste and the Chained and The Last Party, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

Panel 2: Ehh, tried something a li'l different with Kozue's untranslated Japanese by writing it in "romaji," aka English-language characters. (Worth a try, but I probably should've stuck to kanji and hiragana.) 

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

Note that the unusual lettering trick of having word balloons extending off-panel and hence being only partially readable at most is a riff dating as far back as Empowered vol. 2's climactic hospital scene. The idea is that the fact of the characters speaking is more important to the storytelling than what they're actually saying; as much as I like doing this on occasion, this is a much bigger "ask" when dealing with third-party letterers who have never, ever addressed such a concept before.

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, work-in-progress updates on developmental projects such as fantasy comics The Chaste and the Chained and The Last Party, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

Ah, yes, behold once again my oft-seen favorite approach to introducing a scene: namely, four to six panoramic panels featuring slightly cryptic close-ups setting up a (single) splash page or double-page spread that will fully establish the characters and setting. Yay!

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

Lordy loo, whatever could this mean...? 

In any event, next week on the webcomic serialization, stand by for a rebooted timeline, dear readers! (Goofily enough, as I type this brief commentary, I can't quite recall which rebooted timeline is up next; let's find out together, shall we?)

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, work-in-progress updates on developmental projects such as fantasy comics The Chaste and the Chained and The Last Party, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

While I'm planning to eventually cut back serialization of vol. 12 to a M/W/F schedule at some point in the near future (as soon as I make contact with someone who can let me know how to change the website's "UPDATES DAILY" notice, that is), I didn't want to do so until we'd gotten further into the book's rather wacky narrative flow (as you'll see tomorrow).

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, work-in-progress updates on developmental projects such as fantasy comics The Chaste and the Chained and The Last Party, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

Panel 1: Yeahp, "SPLUTCHH" is probably my favorite sound FX of all time for "sanguinary spectacles" (per the Uncaged Demonwolf) like this; I'm fairly sure that I borrowed said FX from the highly influential 80s classic comic series American Flagg! by the great Howard Chaykin. 

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, work-in-progress updates on developmental projects such as fantasy comics The Chaste and the Chained and The Last Party, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.

We continue serialization of Empowered vol. 12, which proved to be the final volume of the series in this specific graphic-novel format, though I was unaware of that unfortunate reality when I started work on the book.

Panel 5 (or, arguably, panel 6): Note that the FX-like "exclamation point with little skull" riff is something borrowed long, long ago from Kenichi Sonoda's manga Gunsmith Cats; I might even have first used this in Dirty Pair lo these many years ago, but can't say for sure. (An oldie but a goodie, IMHO!) 

Today’s Patreon update: Originally done as a means of scratching out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, work-in-progress updates on developmental projects such as fantasy comics The Chaste and the Chained and The Last Party, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.