Intrigue and Peril Awaits in Dominion, Volume 1 by Memoh

dominion volume 1 by memoh
Photo Credit to Memoh

DISCLOSURE: Memoh and I are members of the Cartoonist Co-op. Memoh put out a call asking for reviewers for their book, Dominion, volume 1. So I reached out to Memoh and they gave me an ARC (Advance Reader Copy). I’m not being paid for this review.

Before I read Dominion, volume 1, I had some vague notion of what the comic was about. I had seen some of the art before, as it’s also a webcomic on Tapas and Webtoon.

And then I picked it up, and could not put it down. Volume 1 absorbed me from start to finish with its charming character art, intrigue, and on-fire action scenes.

The story follows Desmond, a new recruit in the guard who is also a Blessed, or someone with divinely-gifted powers. (For you RPG nerds, think Paladin from D&D). He’s eager to prove himself, and not just to get out from under the thumb of his brother, who is a tradesman taking over the family business and a manipulative dick. Desmond gets dragged by his brother and father into “a trip” into the seedy part of town, going into an illegal fighting ring.

Then suddenly, an arsonist bursts into the scene, blowing the place up in flames. Who is the arsonist? Pasha, a young woman with a dark past and a bone to pick with the city’s seedy underbelly.

I’ll admit, as a reader, I struggled with the first couple of chapters, mostly because the writing edged into Jane Austen-esque interpersonal drama with the family dynamic. This kind of writing is not usually my cup of tea, but I made it through… Rewarded with the arson attack and everything that comes after. If Jane Austen levels of drama is your jam, expect a fair bit of it in this series. It’s a romance drama, and volume 1 is there to set the stage for more fireworks to come.

But back to volume 1.

Once we got to starting the murder mystery, however, that was exactly my jam.

Pasha, the arsonist, is forced by the captain of the guard to pair up with Desmond to solve the mystery behind a string of murders happening in the city.

Eventually, we meet Jaavir, aka Pasha’s friend and my new obsession. Look, I have a type when it comes to fictional characters, and that type is big, green, and taciturn with an appreciation for puns. He helps Desmond and Pasha by taking them to their first lead. And I’m going to stop the summary there because I highly recommend this comic! And I will tell you why:

It’s not just the murder mystery. Or the interpersonal drama. Or Jaavir. It’s also that Desmond is genuinely a sweet guy trying to do right in a time and place where that is very hard to do. I haven’t even touched on the world-building, which is itself detailed and intriguing in a way that I look forward to learning more about this world. Also, the world-building is paced with the plot in a fluid, natural way.

(Look, I’ve read my fair share of comics that did lore dumps out the gate, or had characters provide exposition in a canned and forced way. Dominion, by comparison, is a breath of fresh air.) The story feels like you’re dropped into a new world and you need to figure it out as you go, in a fun and character-driven way.

Dominion, volume 1 is giving some flavors of Jane Austen personal drama, some flavors of Fullmetal Alchemist (especially Captain Leddeck. Very Olivier Mira Armstrong vibes there), and some flavors of Dungeons & Dragons. I had a great time with this book! You should read it!

You can get a copy of this comic anywhere in New Zealand, with a worldwide release coming soon. Find out more (and even get a copy of your own!) by going to Memoh’s official site.

That’s all for now. Now go read some comics!

You. Are. Awesome.

I Made A Comic About Lake Erie and the Toxic Algae Blooms

I made a comic about Lake Erie and the toxic algae blooms! You can read it now, freely, on Crucial Comix and The Revelator.

This is my first nonfiction comic publication, aside from a 3-page explainer for a Columbus, OH zine about the 3 Sisters crop arrangement (that’s coming later). I had not made a science comic like this before, and I’m glad I accepted the challenge!

On Crucial Comix, it’s, “Lake Erie Was Declared Dead. Now We’re Fighting For Its Life.” On The Revelator (a publication of The Center for Biological Diversity), it’s, “In Ohio, Facing A Future Without Clean Water.”

Here’s a sneak peek of it:

part 1 of my lake erie comic.
part 2 of my comic about Lake Erie

To read the rest of the comic, head to Crucial Comix or The Revelator. Links are above the art.

I want to make more comics like this. The scientists who got me in touch with the biologists for this are expressing interest in working with me again on a separate project. We’ll see who likes the pitch and where we can go with it!

During the making of this comic, I learned *way too much* about Lake Erie. So if you have questions, leave them in the comments and let me know.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

The Membership Drive Have Slowed. Will It Pick Back Up?

Things have really slowed down in the Ko-fi Membership Drive. Will things pick back up?

Here’s what we’ve got so far:

  • We made it to 10 total members on my page! Which means all members will get a Little Caticorn mini-print mailed out to them after Jan 31.
  • At 12 members, all members will get that mini-print PLUS a Caticorns pocket zine mailed to them.
  • That Caticorns zine got drawn live on YouTube! You can catch the replay here.
  • We still need to hit the 12 member threshold for folks to get this zine. Which means we just need two more people to join the club!

So if you have the means, consider joining as a Ko-fi Member on my page!

If you are broke, do not stress about it. Seriously. The two best things you can do to support this drive if you’re broke as heck are:

  • Spread the word to the folks in your life who like comics about genderqueer pirates, caticorns, dragons, and adventure! Use the link ko-fi.com/kelcidcrawford
  • Subscribe to my YouTube channel. My other goal this year is to get to 1,000 subscribers on YouTube before the end of the year. It’s free and you get to see my art process in my livestreams!

That’s all I’ve got for now. Spread the word and get some zines!

Thank you for your support.

You. Are. Awesome.

LIVE STREAM – Holiday Art-Making Stream

Today at 6 pm, it’s time for a Holiday Art-Making Stream! Let’s draw some comics and art. (Feel free to lurk while I work, either here or on YouTube.)

Be sure to check out the LIVE STREAM BINGO CARDS, which are available for free download.

Join my email newsletter to get the ROXIE Christmas special in your inbox!

💜 Leave a tip on Ko-fi!

🖌️ I’m available for commissions. Check this board for more info.

🎨 Tools Used:

Music: Kevin MacLeod, Louie Zong, and Streamyard

Streaming – Streamyard

Mic – Blue Snowball

Drawing – Clip Studio Paint

👏 THANK YOU TO MY CLUB SUBSCRIBERS! 👏

To get your name added to this list, join one of my clubs on Ko-fi.

  • magicalgirlkyra
  • All Unka
  • Raiden
  • Ella Q
  • Andrew Balch
  • Adam Vazquez
  • Maya Smith
  • Pat Jade
  • JessicaMcIntosh
  • RPZ
  • Bryce Bargar
  • Heidi Allison
  • Saphronia Maple
  • Cakes

And thank YOU for watching!

You. Are. Awesome.

Printer Proofs, Zine Fests, and Shop Updates

I have news about printer proofs, zine fests, and shop updates.

While The Legend of Jamie Roberts, volume 1 is still going back and forth, volume 2 has been approved for printing! I’m hopeful that this next iteration of volume 1 will be the final draft. Fingers crossed, yo.

I haven’t had time to assemble stickers or draw minicomics because of election stress. Also, I came back from Akron Comicon, which was a huge flop for me. (How hard did it flop? Well I sold so little that I had to turn to mutual aid to help me pay for the electric bill coming due soon.) Unfortunately, I will not be returning to that show for the foreseeable future. 

Speaking of events, this week I will be doing a lot with Queer Zest Zine Fest. So digital reward fulfillment is going to wait until next week.

Speaking of Queer Zest Zine Fest, I’m running a workshop tonight at 5 pm EDT, talking about Tabling at Events for Beginners. More info is on the Workshop page of the official site.

Queer Zest Zine Fest is also allowing me to showcase my work on Thursday at 5 pm EDT and Friday at 4 pm EDT. All 3 of these are on Zoom.

In other news, I updated my Ko-fi page to include some new pocket zines! Be sure to check that out – they’re all $1, plus $1 for shipping. I also have a Big Cartel shop where you can get sweaters, mugs, and notebooks. For the Big Cartel, 10% of all sales will go to TransOhio, an organization advocating and fighting for the rights of trans, nonbinary, intersex, and gender non-conforming people in Ohio.

a gray sweatshirt shows a red and orange dragon roaring. Around it are banners in trans pride colors, declaring "Protect Trans Kids!"

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.