I have made comics exclusively for newsletter subscribers before. And I think it’s time I bring that back.
This time, we’re jumping to one year after the events of The Case of the Wendigo. (You can catch up on that story for free online – or get the graphic novel with remastered pages and bonus content.)
The story goes that 1000 years ago, a Demon King threatened humanity itself – and the only one brave enough to stand against him was the hero of mankind, Richard. Richard punched the Demon King so hard that the demon vanished!
Cut to 1000 years later, and Vanita is jogging at the park when she sees the Demon King himself passed out in the bushes!
Thus begins this silly slice-of-life story about a demon passing out on the couch of a trans woman.
So This Story is Happening?
Yes! Thanks to the lovely backers of the Crowdfundr campaign, they helped cover the basic set-up costs and the production of the first few pages of the comic!
The comic is all set to launch this Friday, March 17 (yep, St. Patrick’s day).
If you want to get Vanita and the Demon King and its latest pages straight to your inbox, be sure to get on the email newsletter!
You get other perks for being on the newsletter as well, such as access to other free comics, convention announcements, and shop discounts.
Yes, this offering is free. It’s also spam-free. You only get emails once a week and I don’t share your info with anyone else.
Afraid of missing an update? Don’t be! Pages for Vanita and the Demon King will be posted a few days later on vanitaandking.com, Webtoons (coming soon), and Ko-Fi. So you have options to help you catch up and stay tuned.
A thousand years ago, the Demon King and his armies marched across the lands, terrorizing the people who crossed their paths. Only one man stood up to the Demon King, and his name…was Richard.
At least, this is the history Vanita grew up with her whole life.
Her story takes place in the present day. But one morning, on her usual jog in the park, she comes across the legendary Demon King himself – heavily beaten and close to exhaustion in the bushes.
And so begins this domestic story of a trans girl trying to make sense of the fabled Demon King passing out on her couch.
Also…Vanita and the Demon King takes place roughly one year after the events of The Case of the Wendigo. That’s right – we’re coming back to the Charlie and Clow universe!
I need your help to cover some costs before production starts. A full breakdown is available on the Crowdfundr page, but here’s the TL;DR: help cover web hosting and domain costs, and all funding beyond that will cover producing pages for Vanita and the Demon King.
Almost all rewards are digital, with a handful of physical rewards. All of these will be easy to fulfill.
Rewards include early access to finished pages, commissions, and downloadable comic scripts!
If you’re able to pledge support to this cozy odd couple story, head over to Crowdfundr now and make your own reward bundles!
If you’re broke, share this campaign far and wide. Shares help more than you know.
A thousand years ago, the Demon King and his armies marched across the lands, terrorizing the people who crossed their paths. Only one man stood up to the Demon King, and his name…was Richard.
At least, this is the history Vanita grew up with her whole life.
Her story takes place in the present day. But one morning, on her usual jog in the park, she comes across the legendary Demon King himself – heavily beaten and close to exhaustion in the bushes.
And so begins this domestic story of a trans girl trying to make sense of the fabled Demon King passing out on her couch.
The Origins
This concept all started with this sketch.
(In the beginning, the Demon was a Golem, but the more I researched it I went, “Nah. Demon.”) So I started with this sketch and the notion of wanting to make a slice-of-life/romance story. But I made it a fantasy with a demon king because…fantasy is my MO.
(To be honest, if I have an idea for a story but it doesn’t click with me for some reason, I’ll transplant it into a fantasy setting. Then the story clicks. It works 98 percent of the time.)
The Twist
So I started scripting the story as part of the National Novel Writing Month challenge in 2021. I was a rebel that year and drew thumbnails for the script of Vanita and the Demon King.
As I scripted the story, something happened that surprised even me…
I know! I’m surprised, too. It only took…4 or 5 years from The Case of the Wendigo going to print to the beginning of production for Vanita and the Demon King.
The story is 90 percent scripted with an outline in mind for the very end. I only have roughly 20 pages or so left to thumb.
After That…Will There Be a Crowdfunding Campaign?
Yes!
At first, I thought I would need to pivot because of Journey of the Mystery. But thankfully that project is being handled separately. By doing that, it frees up time to focus on getting Vanita and the Demon King funded before launch.
How?
Well, I’m looking at running a campaign on either KickStarter or Crowdfundr. Both have their pros and cons, which I’ll talk about more tomorrow.
Whichever platform I pick, though, I hope to launch it soon.
The goal is to get certain back-end costs covered. A domain name for a website and website hosting are the two biggest concerns right now. Extra funding after that can help with overhead during production.
If you would like to see more development sketches – or get the first notice when the crowdfunding campaign launches – sign up for my email newsletter.
Your email is secret with me. I don’t sell it anywhere. Plus I only post once a week unless it’s a special occasion. Like if you’re Subscribed to any Clubs I run.
I hope you’re excited about Vanita and the Demon King! I know I am.
