I always knew that advertising and money would ruin the internet. A place that was built on free speech is now limited based on what is friendly to companies advertising their bullshit products.

If there was ever a mascot needed today, it would certainly be Sketchy!

Keep in mind that I had zero permission to do this, so abandoning this project was a no brainer once I realized that I would never secure the rights.

The male character was an obvious combination of myself and Prof. Xavier from the X-Men. If there was ever a hero I could identify with, it was him. There’s an allure to being able to read people’s minds, but in the story, I wanted to demystify it when the character is confronted by people’s actual thoughts. It must be a chaotic and disappointing mess for most humans, and I can’t imagine anyone not being cynical and reserved as a result.

I had never really settled on his name, though the working one was “Doctor Omega” (I’ve found some more of his concept artwork, which I’ll be publishing soon). He had the standard fare of mental abilities. The key was that as a result of how his powers worked, no one could recognize his contributions (since they were always behind the scenes).

The comic idea was actually a relationship story disguised as an action one (which is a surprisingly popular genre). The couple was to be a representation of this idea: how do you deal with your partner being more famous than you? Fire-Bug is a flashy hero with obvious powers. Dr. Omega’s powers were not. The tension was in the struggle that comes in people’s professional lives, which often interferes with a couple’s happiness.

Alas, I was never to know the in and out of such dynamics. We split up before it was ever fully flushed out. My ex-partner Carisa Hendrix continued on her path to fame, and I’m happy to say that she seems to be doing extremely well for herself. Had we stayed together, no doubt this comic might have had a chance of life!

The mascot was going to be a foul mouthed pencil called Sketchy, along with his partner Aser, who is an eraser (who’s been used up, and ripped up, hence his name) always trying to correct his friends mistakes.

The nature of the comic was always very political, which is something that I’ve slowly stepped away from when punditry became a full time career, and having a nuanced stand just seemed impossible at the time (with both isle of the political spectrum usually accusing you of the same thing: not picking their side).

Now, with me releasing a short story novella rather than a magazine (which doesn’t require monthly deadlines), I thought of resurrecting the little guy, and posting a few amusing cartoons in there for good measure.

Behind the scenes, there has been a lot of activity. It dawned on me recently that perhaps it would be best if I was actually communicating these changes rather than hope for some fantastic and dramatic reveal. Considering how often the “plan” seems to change, knowing my thought process behind this would be useful to my audience.

I want to stress that the reason why I have been hesitant to share anything is because of how I see society in general as having an “oversharing” problem. People’s desire for fame is spreading like a virus, and it always makes what I try to do all the more awkward. The more others want it, the less I do.

What has changed recently is the reminder that I am not compelled to act by the desire for personal recognition. I now understand that there is a force that compels me to write, and that I am at my happiest when I listen to these forces rather than fight them. Instead of worrying about growing an audience, I want my focus to be on my work, which I hope to share more in the coming months.

I’ve already spoken to one of my members to join me in a podcast that I will be making speaking exclusively about the art that I am producing (both written and illustrated). This show will focus on what inspired me to write my short stories, as well as my thoughts on writing after all these years trying to hone the craft.

At first you will notice a small trickle, but it will grow over time. Thanks you to all of those that continue to check up on me. Soon, you will be rewarded.

The point of my patreon now is more about exploring the different projects I have always wanted to do. It gives me a chance to talk about all the stuff I discover, and can’t really do anything “productive” with. The Alexander project is essentially part of my research on Greek history, combined with my love of storytelling.

If any project fails to get the proper attention, I’ll simply move on. The point is to give these ideas a real shot, see if there is interest, and continue until I find something that sticks. So, I hope you “stick” with me through this. I promise it won’t be boring!

What you’re seeing here is the concept for the cover art. It will most likely be drawn again someday, but for now it will make a fine poster. This is the black and white. Stay tuned for the the color version.

For those of you that supported my previous project, I can understand if this isn’t you’re cup of tea. I hope you’ll stay on as free member and stay updated with the project. I’ll be recording fun history podcasts all about ancient Greece and many factoids I discover that can’t really be part of the game. I promise it’ll be entertaining!

For all newcomers, welcome! The goal is to reach 1000 free members by this time next year. I hope that by providing art, podcasts, and other fun surprises, I’ll attract an audience that would like to see the project come to fruition!