Author: Kelci

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Time for a MAJOR Webcomic Shake-Up

Vanita looks away awkwardly, pointing both index fingers together.

I have a major announcement regarding update schedules for my two webcomics, The Legend of Jamie Roberts AND Vanita and the Demon King.

As of today, the hiatus for The Legend of Jamie Roberts is going to extend into next year, perhaps even to the end of August 2027.

Vanita and the Demon King will be on hold for much shorter, so that when it comes back online, it will update twice, perhaps even three times, per week.

WHY AM I DOING THIS

In short, The Legend of Jamie Roberts got a MAJOR rewrite last year (for behind-the-scenes personal reasons that I won’t get into right now). The rewrite meant needing to re-outline the entire second half of the story. This was hard to achieve on the webcomic update schedule I was maintaining, on top of other responsibilities at the time.

To give The Legend of Jamie Roberts the space and time it needs, I need to put public updates on hold. The outline is re-written. Now I need to script and sketch the next three (if not five) chapters.

HOWEVER…

Vanita and the Demon King is fully scripted and edited. It’s ready to go, and ready for multiple-times-a-week updates. I just could not do it until something big happened, like The Legend of Jamie Roberts going on hold.

HOW AM I DOING THIS

I did the math, especially since we’re over halfway through the telling of Vanita and the Demon King. If this webcomic goes to twice a week updates, the story can finish in 9 months. If it goes to three times a week updates, the story can finish in 6 months.

This update schedule will give me the time and space I need to do scripts for The Legend of Jamie Roberts, AND finish telling Vanita and the Demon King to completion!

So, I’m going to work on building up a backlog of pages for Vanita and the Demon King. Once I get a backlog of at least 4 months worth of public updates, then updates can start resuming!

DOES THIS MEAN VANITA AND THE DEMON KING IS COMING BACK ONLINE SOON?

Not right away. I want to build that backlog first. I don’t know how long that will take, especially with my other responsibilities (like my day jobs and taking care of myself).

As soon as I have a solid return date, I will make another announcement. My goal is to get Vanita and the Demon King back online before December 2026.

Once Vanita and the Demon King is told to completion, I may or may not run a crowdfunding campaign to get the book printed. It really depends on circumstances outside of my control (fuck the tariffs).

The more important thing to note is: once Vanita and the Demon King is fully told, The Legend of Jamie Roberts will come back online – and ALSO update twice a week!

IN SHORT

Getting to update a webcomic twice a week (or more) has been a goal of mine ever since Validation wrapped up back in 2019. Vanita and the Demon King is the first comic I can start doing that with. Then, once it’s finished, The Legend of Jamie Roberts can do the same.

I’m very excited about what’s to come! I know it’s a major shake-up compared to how I usually go about posting webcomics.

This is happening to tell the best webcomic stories that I can, at a pace that’s sustainable. I appreciate your understanding and support through this endeavor.

Stay tuned for the next announcement, when I have a more solid date of when Vanita and the Demon King is coming back online.

That’s all for now. Thank you for your support!

You. Are. Awesome.

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What I’m Up To In September 2026

Since my newsletter is updating every other week this month, I’d like to make this blog post so you know what I’m up to from today until September 30.

Let’s go by date…

THIS MONTH – I’m part of Queer Zest Zine Fest! This is an online festival of queer zines and zine-makers (aka zinesters). I’m there as a guest artist, panel moderator, and panel host. The actual panels will be detailed here in a bit. You can find a list of participating zinesters on the official QZZF site.

Also, I’m part of the Trans Het Jam Bundle on itch.io! For $10 you, too, can get a ton of comics and games featuring trans characters in relationships that look heterosexual on the outside.

SEPTEMBER 5 – I’m moderating a panel for Queer Zest Zine Fest, the Reid Zines Vendor Livestream. The panel runs from 10:15 am to 11:15 am.

SEPTEMBER 11 – I’m mailing out Club Rewards early! (I usually send them out on the 15th of the month). If you want to get a new zine in your mailbox each month, you can sign up for a Membership here on this site. You have until Sept 11 to get this month’s zine. If you sign up after this date, then you get the next month’s zine.

SEPTEMBER 12 AND 13 – find me at Small Press Expo! I’m at table W23B on both days. I’m bringing with my my usual comics and zines, plus some new zines! I’m also accepting signups for my Clubs, as well as passing out pamphlets for Cartoonist United.

SEPTEMBER 19 – This one is tricky. I may or may not be at Music & Market at the Library in Toledo, OH. I’m still waiting for clarification from the event organizers because of a miscommunication. If I’m not tabling there, though, you may be able to find me at the Strong Towns table for PARK(ing) Day in downtown Toledo. (I won’t have my comics there, but I may have a zine or two around cycling topics).

SEPTEMBER 20 – my panel “How to Make a Newsletter” is running at 5 pm EST with Queer Zest Zine Fest! This is version 2.0 of the workshop with updated talking points and recommended platforms. More info is on the QZZF site.

SEPTEMBER 26 – 10 am EDT I’m moderating the panel Zines Without Borders. And at 12 noon EDT I’m moderating another panel, Overcoming Writer’s Block: Gabbing with the Gays. Both are events with Queer Zest Zine Fest, and you can find more information on the site.

SEPTEMBER 27 – My next workshop, “Tabling at Conventions for Beginners” is running at 5:30 pm EST as part of Queer Zest Zine Fest! This is also a version 2.0 of a previous workshop, with updated links and tips. So I hope to see you there! More info is on the QZZF site.

And that’s it for September! It’s a lot, so if you’re only able to make it to just one thing, that’s ok. If you can’t make it to any of them, that’s ok, too – my itch.io shop is always open.

(Also now’s a good time to catch up on my two webcomics, The Legend of Jamie Roberts AND Vanita and the Demon King. Both are free to read online).

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

You. Are. Awesome.

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The Cartoonist United Great Outdoors Bundle is Now on Itch!

It’s about dang time!

The Cartoonist United Great Outdoors Bundle is now live on itch.io.

Featuring 20 comics from 15 creators – including myself – this is a great bundle to get those comics with the summer and outdoor vibes. From mermaids to MothMan, we’ve got a little bit of everything outdoors.

READER DISCRETION ADVISED, though, because some of these comics are for mature readers only!

The bundle is $15, and every purchase supports the mission of Cartoonist United, an organization dedicated to supporting cartoonists the world over and fighting for better working conditions.

Get the bundle now until August 31.

That’s all for now. Thank you for your support!

You. Are. Awesome.

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This Mortal Coil Rattled My Bones

cover art for This Mortal Coil by Jasmine Walls and Marie Enger. The background features a castle in silhouette against a full moon, while in the foreground a skeleton in a hooded cape turns to the viewer, wielding a broken golden sword

DISCLOSURE: I was given an advance reader copy of this book for review purposes (thank you, Jasmine Walls). All opinions that follow are my own.

Marrow is a skeleton brought to life by the evil wizard Falthazir. Until one day Falthazir chokes to death on his dinner, and the tower collapses. In the wreckage, Marrow re-forms, somehow still “alive” and unable to be released from their bindings, and in the rubble they find a broken magic sword called Kingslayer. Together the two set out away from the ruins to find a worthy wielder for Kingslayer, and a release from This Mortal Coil for Marrow.

What follows is enormous “two road trip buddies encountering other fairy tales in the woods” energy (in the best way). And also morbidly charming (or charmingly morbid) illustrations decorating the beginning of each chapter.

I loved this book the minute I heard the pitch, and as I read the adventures of Marrow and Kingslayer, I fell even more in love. Everything from the genderqueer skeleton to the gothic descriptions to the haunting nature of the woods engrossed me. Not to mention Kingslayer being the sassiest weapon this side of the haunted lake.

And yet, it’s such a short story. Everything is packed into 100 pages or less, yet it’s perfect. If it were any shorter, there would not be enough room for the characters to quip and explore. And if it were any longer, there would be too much pressure to answer the questions still left hanging in the air. In this case, the story left off on a literal question left unanswered – yet I loved the further questioning it poses.

If I gush any more about this novella, I will accidentally trudge into spoiler territory. This is a must-read for lovers of fantasy and role-playing games who ever asked, “But what happens to the skeleton after the wizard dies?” For bring a book about undead and sentient items, this story is so full of life.

This Mortal Coil is available for pre-order through Bonedust Press (who also released The Traitor and The Wretch, another book I loved). The official release date is coming up soon, so be sure to sign up for their newsletter on their website to get the latest.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading and supporting independent novellas!

You. Are. Awesome.