Raoul

Well, I have done both censored  and uncenosred versions of the new character design for Raoul, the missionary who comes into chapter 4, in a big way.  Actually chapter 4 looks like growing into a 'full length' 22 page story if I'm going to be able to include all the background stuff as well as the sex. 

As you will see Raoul is of noble birth, but was brought up as a monk because his physical imperfection (relatively speaking) makes him an outcast in Weare society.   He's been brought up with all the moral repression, and locked into a 'purity shield' but as you will see he isn't really cut out for a life of celibacy.

He's going to develop a relationship with Sabre which will put some interesting spins on the Nax/Sabre relationship and lets me explore what jealousy, intimacy, etc mean for the Ix.

Playing with digital paint

I'm pretty new to the whole digital painting thing.  Well, to painting full stop.  Last time I tried to paint was with nasty cheap arse paints at school and kind of convinced myself was that I couldn't paint.  I'm prepared to give it another go, but -ggrrrrrrr- not got much patience.

UPDATE:
I've been reading a book on Yaoi and apparently the colour green is synonymous with homosexuality in Japan!  LOL.

Barns and windmills

OK, this might not be the single most exciting image I've ever posted here, but hear me out.  Google sketchup is the best tool for artists with perspective retardation like me.  I'm slow enough with the comics as it is, this is going to really help with some backgrounds.

To twink or not to twink

I've been keeping up with Victor's Men of Color Blog for a long time now and I'm fully aware of the racial biases of the porn industry, which means it is with some wariness that I'm working on introducing a character who, if you had to use a label, would be a whitebread twink.

In chapter 4 'The Missionary' I'm introducing Raoul, a naive young missionary who is going to be quite challenged by the Ix lifestyle and world view.  It's going to be a full 22 pages and its going to include a bit of backstory as the Ix nation is explained to poor perplexed Raoul.  Oh yeah, and there's an orgy in the Stately Pleasure Dome so don't worry that will be all talk, you can look at the pictures.

So when designing Raoul I wanted someone young (not too young, I live in Australia and have to be so damn careful, he'll have to have a drivers license!!!!) kind of naive but also able to turn around all the racist moral bullshit that he has been taught.

I hope you can forgive me, I've also indulged in a bit of melodrama and he's the twin brother of the scheming crown prince of Weare who has been shunted off to the monastery to get him out of the way.  Yeah, yeah, it's an oldie...

Anyway because the Men of Weare represent Tolkien's Aryan ideals I made him blond, also a nod to those kind of lanky young guys who are just growing into their bodies and have a puppy dog sweetness. (Shannon Boh, take a bow).   So there is a process to all this, but at the end of the day I'm back in twink territory.  And I've already had an elf boy in part 2.  I don't have much time to draw this and I don't want to waste my time doing more of the same.

One thing that has occurred to me in the process of writing is that I don't have any disabled characters.  Not wanting to go down any creepy fetish alleys, but disabled folks are left out of everything, especially porn, so why not?

I'll have to have a think about this and figure out what exactly could be the cause (polio maybe?) and whether this would be a turnoff for people.  I don't want to be PC or anything, but I'd like this series to explore some different body shapes and sizes.

It could also be a good way to talk about the fantasy body fascism issue again.  So, do I do it to poor Raoul?

Who ever said writing porn was easy?

I shouldn't complain, but I've been agonising over revisions to the third Crooked Sabre chapter, The Generals.   When I started this caper I thought great, lots of sex minimal amounts of talking.  Instead within 3 chapters I have a great big talk fest.

I can't quite bear to write the 'I'm here to clean your pool" kind of dialogue.  I know my stuff isn't brilliant, but I hope it has some sense of realism, and says something about the relationship between the characters.   It may sound pretentious, but I seriously think porn is hotter if I believe that there is some kind of real spark happening.  Girly, I know.

I have to hold back the urge to keep jamming exposition in, about the world, history etc.  Yeah, I know, not very sexy pillow talk.  I'm laying out the dialogue over the next few days and then I can get onto the more fun task of pencilling.