A "masterwork" comic about an STD that gives you superpowers but kills you in six months.
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This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Death Sentence is a comic about a pandemic viral crisis leading to an oppressive national lockdown. As citizens' rights to gather, live freely, and have sex are prohibited fights erupt between protesters and an overly militarized police force. An unarmed black protester is tragically killed in the crack-down. provoking riots and curfews, The army gets involved, as does as an anonymous group of activist hackers. As the world burns Verity's trying to help as the clock ticks down on her own existence.
You could call me Nostradamus but the truth is this had all happened already. I just researched it and wrote the scripts reflecting the world around me. At the time I thought I was exaggerating the craven incompetence and self-interest of our leaders for dramatic effect, but the truth has been far more disturbing. I was too optimistic.
Given the coronavirus delays (see last update) I elected to modify the #4 pages a little. I wrote the script for Liberty 1 to 6 three years ago so I felt a few things needed updating to reflect our new reality. Nothing complicated, just an acknowledgment that we all know what a viral lockdown now feels like and how bad things can get, very quickly. I didn't want to undersell what is now a very tragic global catastrophe, given the sensitivities of millions of bereaved relatives, our families and friends.
One aspect that surprised me in the initial few months of the Covid lockdown was how far most people wanted to help, how many people followed all the lockdown guidelines eagerly, volunteering their time, often in very dangerous situations. That was inspiring, and something I hadn't included in my scripts. That needs reflecting too.
It's a few pages of art and a few more lettering tweaks. The story remains the same. I'm not changing any key scenes or events or the ending (in issue 6). It's just the contextual scenes - details reflecting the wider world in which the story is set.
Little Deaths is at the print stage. (that's the small project I was able to crack on with in lockdown). So we're waiting on proofs, then the full print run will arrive, and then the fulfillment company will send them out. Once that's done these creative tweaks to DS #4 will be done and we can proceed as planned.
A businesses continue to repopen things are certainly happening slower, and I apologise for that. Two boxes of goodies have arrived at the warehouse so far. One of my regular printers was shut so I tried another place for simple prints and comics. Unfortunately, they weren't up to the job and after a few weeks of wading-through-treacle I scratched that. Like so many others, they were understaffed due to coronavirus, and we parted on good terms. But the bottom line is I need your rewards printed correctly. There's only one printer I regularly use that's yet to re-open, but it's underway and I feel they're worth waiting for. By which I mean they'll get the job done faster and better in the end. It's better to stick with what works where you can.
I've also been completing the list of art commissions. Witness Batman and Robin here, and Hellboy and Deadman below, all rendered with acrylic paint and copics. The way of these things is sometimes one commission sparks another from someone else(you can get me at "itsmontynero at gmail dot com") in a similar style. Whether it's a £60 bust or a £200 painting I'm extra grateful to everyone who orders original art for their walls. It all helps create more Death Sentence comics, and that's my main focus every day.
More news as it happens.
Best wishes
Monty
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