Yeahp, I’m once again breaking y’all off my very favorite storytelling approach for beginning a new scene—namely, starting out with a series of slightly cryptic panoramic panels featuring tight close-ups before pulling the camera back for the next page’s big, bold “splash” image. STAND BY FOR SPLASH

Panel 1: Before too long, I eventually switched over to rendering the “base level” of the Infernal Service Provider’s skull in Sharpie to give my oft-ailing drawing hand a break. Looking closely at this image, though, seems like I was still using pencil to depict the shadow areas amid the flames, a graphite- and pressure-intensive approach which beat the hell outta my poor hand.

I should note that, of the dozen or so chronically recurring but (so far) transient drawing-hand issues that plague, a fairly unique pain variation showed up in the second half of Empowered vol. 8, which was when I figured out why said issue was occurring. More on this matter later, needless to say.

Today’s Patreon Update: As I did last month, I'm taking off most of the third week of May from putting up new Patreon content, as I just can't keep up an every-weekday posting schedule while struggling to make progress on Empowered vol.12. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.