We're almost there!
about 3 years ago – Wed, Feb 01, 2023 at 10:04:50 AM

Hey Everyone!

Just a heads up to let you know Aimée is on track to finish up the art within the week! OMG, I'm so excited! 

All of Aimée's work is just gorgeous! I truly can't wait for you all to see the finished comic. 

Once the art is finalized, I'll get the digital comic put together I'll send it out ASAP. And physical copies should be on their way to you later in the month.

As we get close to wrapping up the first issue, I want to thank you all again for your support and interest in the comic. Making comics has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I couldn't have done it without you!

Well, that’s it for now! As always, you can find me on Instagram, @sarahcookewriter and @nospellcomic, and Twitter, @sarahcookewrite.

Have a great day!

Best,
Sarah

Meet the Cast Part 2!
about 3 years ago – Fri, Jan 27, 2023 at 12:59:39 PM

Hey Everyone!

I hope you’re all having a good week! Aimée is on track to finish up the art next week, and OMG I can't believe we're this close! As soon as the final art is complete, I'll get the digital comic put together and sent out. And physical copies should be on their way later in February.

As we get close to finishing up the first issue, I wanted to give you  a little more of an introduction to the cast. Last week, I gave you some additional info about  Rosette, Bash, and Elspeth. This week, I wanted to tell you a little more about Cutler and Vic.

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Cutler Gray

Cutler Gray is the character previously known as Sordi, as you might have seen on the campaign page. He's had a bit of a list-minute name change due to a number of factors, including some ideas I have for a possible prequel (I'm really excited about this, but it would be down the line. After you read the first issue, if you want to know more about Gray's sordid family history, let me know!). 

Gray is the most notorious organized crime boss in New York. His grandparents fled their hometown of London shortly after WWII to shake the police who were tailing them. They found themselves in NYC, where they started the "family business". So Gray sees himself as upholding the family legacy, and he takes his work seriously. Plus, he happens to be Rosette's employer.

Victoria "Vic" Gray

Vic is Gray's ex-wife and a savvy criminal in her own right. Their marriage ended on a bitter note, and her main goal at this point is to prove she can beat Gray at his own game. To that end, she has started a crime racket of her own. She's tough, smart, ruthless, and definitely has a chip on her shoulder. Since Rosette uses her magic to do Cutler's bidding, Vic is no fan of Rosette's and sets out to stop our main character in her tracks. So between Rosette, Cutler, and the NYPD, Vic finds herself in a three-way battle.

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Well, that’s it for me this week! As always, you can find me on Instagram, @sarahcookewriter and @nospellcomic, and Twitter, @sarahcookewrite.

Have a great day!

Best,
Sarah

Meet the Cast!
about 3 years ago – Wed, Jan 18, 2023 at 11:48:59 AM

Hey Everyone!

I hope you’re all having a good week! Aimée is continuing to wrap up the final art for No Spell Lasts Forever #1, and as always, it’s all looking just incredible! 

As we get close to finishing up the first issue, I wanted to give you a little more of an introduction to the cast. So this week and next, I’ll be sharing a little bit about each character’s backstory. Also, be sure to scroll to the end of the update for some info about another exciting, forthcoming comic!

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Rosette 

Rosette is our protagonist. She’s a magic user (the term is conjurer) who takes jobs from the mob to pay the bills. At a young age, her parents sent her away to live with a Guild of other conjurers who could help her learn to use her magic. They believed it was the best thing for her, but it left emotional scars that have still not fully healed. As a teenager, Rosette fled to New York and never looked back. She struggles with the feeling that there’s something inherently wrong about her, though she never shows that to others, who usually only see her bravado.

Bash

Bash is the Chief of Department of the NYPD and a widower. He has a ten-year-old daughter, and he genuinely wants to do good in the world. But he’s faced with rampant corruption among the officers who report to him. He’s a skilled detective who tries to teach his officers that people don’t commit crimes just because they’re one-dimensional “bad guys.” When we first meet him, he’s tracking down leads trying to get to Rosette. 

Elspeth

Elspeth is Rosette’s adoptive sister. While she doesn’t show up until Issue #2, she’s integral to the drama Rosette goes through. It’s Elspeth’s family who took Rosette in when her parents handed her over to the Guild. Elspeth has always resented Rosette, and was especially jealous of the relationship Rosette had with Elspeth’s grandmother, Dorothea, when the two were growing up. Rosette and Elspeth are essentially evenly matched in terms of magical ability. Elspeth’s priority is making sure that Rosette has no chance of taking over as the next Magister, the leader of the Guild.

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Ok, and now for some info about the next, new comic I’m excited about! It’s called The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend #1 and 2. It’s by M. Sorcier, who you might know from her awesome fantasy comic, Sacrimony, which I talked a little about during the No Spell campaign.

Buddy is a  fantasy comedy that subverts the typical fantasy tropes and includes plenty of medieval tomfoolery. Think Monty Python meets Happy Tree Friends. If you've been a fan of the web comic, you'll definitely want to follow the campaign and check out its print incarnation!

Follow the comic to be notified when it launches on Kickstarter.

We're getting close, kiddos!
about 3 years ago – Wed, Jan 11, 2023 at 07:28:16 AM

Hey Everyone!

I hope you're all having a good week. I wanted to give you a quick update about when you can expect to see the digital copies of the comic.

Due to the busyness of the holidays, we ended up needing to push back Aimée's final deadline -- but not by much! We're still on track to send out the physical copies of the comic next month, with the digital copies coming your way during the first week of February. 

Aimée also had some fantastic ideas about how to finesse some of the earlier pages. She's made some updates to the colors, and the first panel of page 3 has been altered somewhat and it looks amazing! Those edits added a some extra work to her plate during probably the busiest time of the year, but I think they really went a long way toward making the comic look even more excellent. I'll show you what I'm talking about. Here's the original version of page 3, followed by Aimée's recently updated version.

I mean, I loved the original version. But when you compare them, you can see how much more dynamic that first panel is now. And I love how, in the new version, she still gives us that shadowy, noir feel but the shading is a little more subtle. And the purple light effect for Rosette's magic in panel 5 looks more dramatic now.

So anyway, that's what's up with the comic! I'm so excited for you all to see it!

Well, that’s it for me this week! As always, you can find me on Instagram, @sarahcookewriter and @nospellcomic, and Twitter, @sarahcookewrite.

Have a great day!

Best,
Sarah

Final colors are looking awesome!
about 3 years ago – Fri, Jan 06, 2023 at 01:00:38 AM

Hey Everyone!

Happy New Year! Just a quick check-in to let you know what's up with the comic. Aimée is continuing on with the final colors and they look amazing! She's really brilliant at using the colors to set the mood, and to give visual depth to the scene. I'm just loving what she's doing.

Here's a peek at the final art for page 5.

This week, I'll be testing out my fancy, new label printer to make sure I'm all ready to make those shipping labels when the time comes. And I'm also wrapping up a few other loose ends like finalizing the back cover and the Thank You page. So things are moving along! :)

Well, that’s it for me this week! As always, you can find me on Instagram, @sarahcookewriter and @nospellcomic, and Twitter, @sarahcookewrite.

Have a great day!

Best,
Sarah