Comic Series

 

Latest Posts

Bottom of the Deck – 2025/07/03

Posted on 03/07/2025 by Fifth Ace

I think I missed a post last week; hard to say, I’ve been in semi-hibernation lately…

After putting the final touches on Exemplar #1, my brain entered safe mode and put me on autopilot for a couple of weeks to recover. Art has been slow, but the upside of having a full comic issue completed is that scheduled updates keep flowing even when I’m not actively monitoring them. We’re almost halfway through the issue here on the main site, while there’s only three pages left to go over on Patreon and Ko-Fi; don’t let that turn you off potentially signing up, because the full issue has been available since the beginning, and there’s that 4-page backup story that isn’t going to be posted anywhere else!

My recovery period is winding down now, and I’ve begun production on the next issue of Fifth Ace Comics in earnest; the script was completed a while back, the lettering needed only the barest of polishing, and now the actual artwork has begun. If everything goes according to plan, Isis #1 will be released sometime before the end of August! No exact date on that, some of the artwork for this is very ambitious by my standards, and it may take a few passes to get right; I was fighting with a splash page all of yesterday and I’m still not 100% pleased with it.

I also haven’t been getting to the library much lately either; the intense cold snap that has been sweeping my town for a fortnight has discouraged me from leaving the house as much as possible. At least my car is in a functional condition so if I need to get there in the rain, I could; perhaps starting next week I’ll force myself out the door. With school holidays happening right now, my fiancee will be home a lot more, so I won’t feel bad about the cats being home alone with the cold. Logically, they really don’t need me to be here, but I like being assured that they are safe and sound, so it really is more for me than them. The world being what it is these days, it’s nice to know that something is consistent and comforting.

That’s all for this update, basically boiling down to “work is tough, but I’m making it work” as usual; perhaps next time I’ll have more to talk about.

Oh, and if you haven’t watched K-Pop Demon Hunters on Netflix yet, you’re missing out; that was the most incredible film I’ve seen in ages!

Ciao for now.

Bottom of the Deck – 2025/06/19

Posted on 19/06/2025 by Fifth Ace

The updates are flowing! The train is rolling! Now we just need some passengers…

Exemplar #1 is available for purchase! It’s up on my Patreon and my Ko-Fi store, $10 gets the full issue, with variant cover and 4-page backup story. I have been plugging this all week over on Bluesky, and because it’s marketing, I’m just going to have to keep doing it until people take notice (I’m even considering expanding back to less-preferred sites for maximum coverage, but haven’t taken the plunge yet). I’m okay with this, especially as I have scheduled the uploads for all the remaining page updates across the paid sites and here on this one, so that’s one less thing I need to worry about for the next couple of months. True, it took me the better part of an entire day to queue them up, but that’s neither here nor there…

With that issue out of the way, I’m already diving into the next Fifth Ace Comics issue that will (hopefully) be ready for launch by the end of August, provided I can keep my momentum up. I’ve already thumbnailed the entire layout, and I’m currently getting the lettering done; I’ve mentioned before how I’m doing it this way so that I can make quick changes to the layout if the script and thumbnails aren’t aligning the way I want before doing any intensive art. Show respect to professional letterers, people; this is every bit as important as any other part of the comic creation process and it is not as simple as just slapping some words onto a page. It’s an intensive process that is likely going to take all of my time and concentration tomorrow, and likely the rest of the weekend too.

Speaking of the weekend, I’m going to be attending SAE Intstitute’s Open Day on Saturday; while I have no desire to pursue any further higher education even if I could afford it, it’s a great networking opportunity as a bunch of artistically-minded organizations are going to be there. On top of that, I’m also in the top 10 finalists for a doodling competition they ran at ComicCon Cape Town, and there’s a chance I could be walking away with a swanky new screen tablet; I’m keeping my expectations low, but my hopes high, since I’ve wanted one for ages and I think it could really help my productivity that much more, so fingers crossed.

Additionally, on Sunday I’m going to be running my first game of Daggerheart, something I’ve been wanting to do ever since it was announced. I had fluctuating feelings about the game during its development cycle, but the final product looks really slick, and the example games I’ve seen make it look really fun to play. I don’t know how it will appeal to my regular group, but our resident power gamer has had to duck out for a bit, so hopefully the remaining players won’t mind a more narrative experience. If they like it, fantastic; if they don’t, then I can at least say I gave the game a try, instead of bashing it without even looking at the book like most of the internet.

So yes, a lot of things are going on, keeping super busy with both play and work, which is keeping my procrastination-inclined brain stimulated enough that I’m not coming to a complete stop yet. Keep the ball rolling, I’ll check in with you again next week.

Ciao for now.

Bottom of the Deck – 2025/06/12

Posted on 12/06/2025 by Fifth Ace

Phew, good thing today is a blogging day, I’ve got some thoughts to pour out of my very buzzy head.

First and foremost: Exemplar #1 is in the final stages of production! The art is complete, the pages are lettered, the privacy captions are in place; the only thing left to do now is format the pages into the ideal size and resolution for web and pdf formats, and then the uploading can begin. This will happen on Monday 16th June; that’s right, next week is when it all kicks off proper!

Also to be launching on Monday, will be the Fifth Ace Comics Patreon! While I was initially drawn to Ko-Fi because it takes less of a cut, Patreon does come with the benefit of being a lot more integrated and customizable, meaning easier access for more people, and the point of making art is to have people see it, so… yeah. I’m still getting the page properly in order, so that when it launches, there will be stuff to see.

Said stuff will also be going live here on this site at the same time; the cover and first four pages of Exemplar #1 will be available for all to see on Ko-Fi, Patreon, and the main site on Monday. Thereafter, Ko-Fi and Patreon will update with new pages daily, while this site will follow a Mon/Wed/Fri update schedule, so if you want to see the other pages early, options are available. Of course, if you want to see this first issue in its entirety at once, the $10 tiers (as well as the stores) will have the full issue available for download, including the exclusive backup pages!

With all that said, I am really excited to finally be officially launching my comic universe; the Fifth Ace Showcase was always intended to be a testing ground for this setting and the characters within it, and now the real storyline can begin; I’ve mentioned before how I have an extensive timeline plotted out for a few dozen issues down the line. I had figured that this level of planning would help prevent me from having to resort to any retcons (retroactive continuity changes, for the layman out there) that comics are so prone to. Unfortunately, there is one big change that I’m going to have to make before it all goes down.

The main setting of my continuity is the sprawling settlement of Apex City, my equivalent to Gotham or Metropolis, a fictional playground that I can build out to my heart’s content without having to worry about any real-world inaccuracies. However, it came to my attention a while back that there is already another published continuity with an Apex City in it, one which has only grown in popularity since. Apex City is the home turf of Inferno Girl Red, part of what is known as the Massive-Verse; given that this universe is one I hold in high regard, I do not dare risk any comparisons being made to my own work (because I know I’ll lose), or any potential copyright infringement. As such, I will be retconning my version of Apex City, and it will now be known as “Capstone City” going forward. This doesn’t invalidate any previous stories that have taken place in it; we’ll all just have to mentally, retroactively (see how that works?) replace the word “Apex” with “Capstone” whenever we look back on those older works.

Think that’s all for this week; I’m going to go and finish up the last bit of formatting on those pages, and then probably crash out for a bit. I’ve been watching a few Let’s Plays of Blue Prince lately; it doesn’t count as looking up a guide for my own playthrough if I happen to see how other people solved the puzzles, right?

Ciao for now.

Bottom of the Deck – 2025/06/05

Posted on 05/06/2025 by Fifth Ace

Two weeks in a row with blog posts? Is this an indication of things returning to a proper status quo? I should hope so, there’s going to be a lot of regular posting happening soon, because the Fifth Ace Comics Ko-Fi tiers are now live!

Yes, it’s happening, and you can see it for yourself by clicking that brand spanking new link that says “Ko-Fi” right up there in the header bar! The Ko-Fi account is the place where you can see early and exclusive uploads of upcoming Fifth Ace Comics stories by throwing a few bucks my way every month. As I said last week, this means WIPs, first looks at new pages, and full issues available on the Ko-Fi store, even if you aren’t subscribed!

It’s a little bare bones at the moment, as there’s only so much up there right now, but once Exemplar #1 is completed, there’s going to be a veritable deluge of stuff being uploaded. Pages will begin uploading on this site at the old schedule of Mon/Wed/Fri, while uploads to the Ko-Fi will be happening every single day until the issue is completed, so if you’re subscribed, you’ll see the full thing before anyone else. Unless of course, you’re a fourth tier aka Spades aka $10 subscriber, in which case you’ll be able to read the full issue in pdf form; that tier will go live when said issue is done. PLUS, that full issue will contain an exclusive 4-page backup story that will not be readable anywhere else, so if you want to see every nook and cranny of this superhero universe, be ready to sign up when that tier becomes available.

So, when will that issue be complete and all this stuff will be kicking off? Official answer is… soon. Yes, I know that’s vague, it all depends how quickly I can get the artwork done, but I will say this: barring any mishaps or unforeseen pitfalls, I will have the artwork finished within the next two weeks. Exemplar #1 WILL drop this month, come hell or high water. I’ve been going all out on getting the final colour rendering finished, which is why you may have noticed a lack of Magic Beans this past week. Such may be the case next week too, but I am determined to get this comic done so that I finally have some more stuff to show you all again.

However, I should probably clean up the house a bit too… Let me get that sorted and I’ll be right back to the grindstone. Keep your eyes open, it’s all coming together!

Ciao for now.

Bottom of the Deck – 2025/05/29

Posted on 29/05/2025 by Fifth Ace

Life update! As it’s been a couple of months, I think it’s about time.

On the surface, not a whole lot has changed; I’m still unemployed, my car is still having troubles, and everything in general is still in doubt. Given the state of the world at large, I’m lucky that things are still relatively holding together, so I’m counting my blessings where I can take them.

Below the surface, on the other hand, I’ve been extra busy. I’ll admit, the past months have been slow; I let myself get too complacent, but I finally pulled finger and made the effort to head down to my local library to get my work done. The increase in productivity was such a sharp ascent, the graph would look almost like a 90 degree angle; I don’t know why I put this off for so long, but it’s amazing how much more I’m getting done in an office-like space with little to no distractions around. Combined with the Pomodoro method of time management, which has worked wonders for me in the past, I’m getting work done on multiple fronts of both art and writing. Not to mention I’m getting some exercise in with it, as the library is within walking distance from home.

The first issue of the extended Fifth Ace Comics universe is trucking along; I’m in the colour flatting stage right now, which I’m on track to finish soon. I’ve been hammering out the scripts for the next two issues, and I have a few dozen others in the pipeline behind those, so I’ve got a very clear roadmap as to where I’m going with this. In light of this productive explosion, and in the interest of keeping it booming, I’m putting forth a proper deadline that I’m now sure that I can reach, so here it is:

The official Fifth Ace Comics Ko-Fi subscription service will open on June 1st, and Exemplar #1 will be available to purchase by the end of June.

The Ko-Fi will have three tiers of memberships, with a fourth tier launching once Exemplar #1 is complete. The lowest tier will be a simple tip jar, while the second and third tiers will provide additional material such as early access to comic pages, exclusive WIP images and concept art, and monthly wallpapers. The future fourth tier will allow members to download full comic issues for free as they become available. If you’re not in a position to subscribe, the issues will be available through the Ko-Fi shop, and the pages will eventually be uploaded to this site at a more staggered rate.

It’s been a long time coming, with a lot of tinkering behind the scenes, but now that I’ve got my workflow figured out, future updates to this model will hopefully have quicker turnaround times. I didn’t expect this first issue to take five months, but considering how much quicker I’m pushing through the back part of production, I feel confident that the next ones will come much faster. I’m not going to put a definite timeframe on them just yet; I’ll just say that my techniques are constantly being refined and improved, and so in turn should everything else.

All that being said, I’d better get back to it; I’ll aim to get more blog posts out on Thursdays moving forward, and keep you all updated on my progress.

Ciao for now.

Bottom of the Deck – 2025/03/24

Posted on 24/03/2025 by Fifth Ace

Happy Birthday to me; 36 revolutions around the Sun and counting.

I’ve stated in the past how I feel about my birthday; it’s often a mixed bag of emotions, not a lot of them really that positive, and I was very much not in the best headspace as this one approached. The events of the last couple of months, my perceived slowness on my personal projects, the general lack of direction; not the greatest combination when approaching a milestone that a lot of other people have reached while achieving something substantial with their lives.

Fortunately, I was lucky enough to attend a lunch with friends and family yesterday in recognition of the event, and on top of having a substantial home-cooked meal for a change, I was able to talk with the people that I feel safest with outside of my home and fiancee. I spilled my guts a bit and they were all very understanding; they offered positive words, outside perspectives and an overall positivity that I’d been having trouble finding within myself. My fiancee has been telling me the same things for months, but hearing it come from more than one source made it seem all the more real.

A creative is their own worst critic, and taking a look from the outside throws my harshest self-criticisms into sharp relief against the achievements that others can perceive. I bemoan my lack of consistency; others can see that I’m drawing and uploading stuff on the daily. I talk down the amount of progress I’ve made; others point out that I’m still doing something, speed be damned. I feel dissatisfied with my art; others all praise my improvement and ever-increasing portfolio. It felt so good and so uplifting to hear someone else tell me that I’m wrong, that my self-deprecation is a skewed perspective because I can only see myself from the inside.

I can only remind myself so much about the marathon that is life, that sprinting to the end is neither logical nor healthy; to hear it from the people closest to me is a gift that I will treasure more than any other birthday present. There is no greater present than a future, and it means the world to me to be reminded that I still have a chance to build one.

Ciao for now.

Bottom of the Deck – 2025/03/01

Posted on 01/03/2025 by Fifth Ace

Wait, it’s been how long since I did a proper blog post?

Unlike some previous instances, my lack of full-length blog posts has been something that just sort of evolved organically out of doing the #gentlecomicshabit posts; with me posting something almost daily, I kind of didn’t have much to talk about in one extensive post like this. It’s also why you may not have seen a #gentlecomicshabit post in a few days: I’m running out of stuff to talk about.

Aside from me losing my job, and indeed because of it, I don’t have a lot of stuff that goes on in my life. I don’t have the financial security to take exciting vacations, most media I consume is easily streamed directly to my computer or phone so I don’t need to leave the house for entertainment, and there haven’t been a lot of major conventions happening yet this year. As such, I’m at home keeping myself busy while casting out my line into the endless sea of the job market, and the fish aren’t exactly biting.

That said, as an introverted, undiagnosed-but-highly-likely neurodivergent individual, keeping myself busy/entertained has never been difficult. The #gentlecomicshabit, while having slowed down somewhat, has nonetheless gotten me back into the swing of drawing, which was always the intent behind it. Magic Beans has made a return with weekly updates, and the pages of the Fifth Ace superhero universe (I should come up with an easier name for that…) are chugging along; the first issue is fully scripted, thumbnailed and lettered, with nearly half the pages penciled and counting. I don’t know if I’ll have it finished before my birthday, but that is a goal to work towards.

In terms of other art, I’ve been keeping an eye on several accounts that I follow with regards to art challenges and throwing my hat in the ring on as many as I can handle, whether it’s for original characters, fan art, pose references, anything; a lot of people check out these things, so it’s good for exposure. For example, there’s a new March Amalgam challenge making the rounds on socials; I had a lot of fun with last year’s challenge and I’m already several pieces ahead on this one. By the end of the month, it’ll be one more box off my Art Bingo card for 2025.

On top of all that, combining my art with my income issues, I’m in the process of refining my Ko-Fi page; soon I’ll be doing a proper relaunch with subscription tiers, where I intend to have exclusive rewards for anyone willing to sign up. I should have everything in order closer to when the first issue of the Fifth Ace superhero ‘verse (seriously, it needs a better name…) is complete; I’m planning for WIP previews, bonus artwork and pinups, as well as discounts on the full issues when purchased through the Ko-Fi store. It’s going to be a lot of work, but again, it’s not like I’m going anywhere right now.

That about sums everything up so far, I’m going to get some food.

Ciao for now.

#gentlecomicshabit – 18 minute comic

Posted on 18/02/2025 by Fifth Ace

There’s only so many hours in the day that I can devote to scouring the job market before I get up in my own head; how fortunate that my habit building is paying off:

I’ve been able to spend several hours a day on my upcoming comics, but I want to keep this habit going at least every other day, especially if a day comes when I’m too worn out to work on the other comics. It may get to the point where I use this habit slot to specifically work on smaller stuff like Magic Beans; I’d likely use it as my cut-off point for the day.