All posts by Ed Jowett

A Weapon of Hell. A Demon in her Head. A Forbidden Quest… Demon Sword #2 is on Kickstarter now! – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/demon-sword-2?ref=ysaax2

In a world shattered by divine war, Athena touched a weapon of Hell.
It made her stronger… and bound her to a demon who wants her dead.

Demon Sword #2 continues the post-apocalyptic fantasy saga of survival, power, and sarcasm in a ruined world where angels and demons fought their war. Humanity… just got caught in the middle. You can back the new issue now on Kickstarter.

And if you missed the start, you can grab the critically-acclaimed Demon Sword #1 too and begin your journey now – it’s never too late!

You don’t want to miss out on this awesome journey with us!

– Ed

Chapters in Comics (and NYNS – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/new-year-new-stories-2027?ref=ezspi9)

Hi everyone!

I would be remiss not to briefly mention that New Year, New Stories 2026 is still live on Kickstarter, with around two weeks to go. If you want to support indie creators, there is still time to do so. That said, this post is not really about that.

I want to talk about chapters in comics.

I’d like to talk about the end of chapters in comics. It’s not something that’s thought about quite so often as in other media. In my experience, you do get people who do a 14 issue run or something along those lines… but stories are often not broken up in the same way.

When I started the Empowered universe, I mapped out a broad scaffold of what the story would look like. I had to, because it was also tied to a roleplaying game. What I did not decide at the time was exactly how many issues each event would contain.

Even once I started making the comics, I ended up creating more stories than I originally planned. That is hardly a surprise – making comics is fun, especially when you get to work with incredible artists like Rahmad and others I have been honoured to collaborate with.

That said, we are now approaching the end of the first major chapter. With Cascade 3 and Fauna 2, my “Event Zero” is complete.

There will undoubtedly be more to do in this universe, but for now I am focusing on bringing Event Zero to a proper close. I have now finished lettering on both Cascade 3 and Fauna 2, and I expect to bring them to Kickstarter later this year.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I look forward to delivering a worthy conclusion to this chapter of the story, and giving you a glimpse of what comes next.

– Ed

Being an Editor for a Comic Anthology – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/new-year-new-stories-2027?ref=ezspi9

Hi everyone!

Today I want to talk about comics, and specifically about being an editor for a comic anthology, as New Year, New Stories 2026 is now live on Kickstarter (link above).

When I put together the first “New Year, New Stories”, I had no experience editing an anthology. It worked – there were no major problems, at least! – but it was done without a real understanding of what mattered and what did not. At the time, I was focused almost entirely on whether individual stories were good enough on their own and trusting my instincts on the rest.

Now, at the fifth anniversary of the project, my approach has changed significantly.

I think carefully about every submission, why it belongs in the anthology, I consider pacing at the collection level (not just within individual stories) and about how each piece contributes to the overall reading experience.

Readers of an anthology should get ups and downs, but that variety must come without it being jarring, which stems from a strong editorial approach.

New Year, New Stories 2026 represents five years of learning what that actually means.

From my perspective, I have improved a great deal as an editor, and I am extremely proud of the anthology we have assembled. It is full of wonderful indie stories from creators who simply want to give you something you have not seen before. From mythology to science fiction, from fantasy to post-apocalypse, it is all here.

If that is your kind of thing, come and take a look at New Year, New Stories 2026 on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/new-year-new-stories-2027?ref=ezspi9

Thank you for continuing to support indie comics!

– Ed

New Year, New Stories 2026! – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/new-year-new-stories-2027?ref=djz3pg

Hi everyone!

I’m pleased to announce that the latest issue of New Year, New Stories is now on Kickstarter!

This is always an exciting time of year, because these amazing comics deserve to be brought to life. I work with a number of talented individuals (13 others, on this occasion!) to bring their stories to you.

So please take a look – all profits go to people who contributed to the anthology!

And I know you’ll love these stories – moving, amusing and action-packed… it’s got loads for everyone.

See you there!

– Ed

P.S. By the way… we have signed versions and back issues available, so if you’re new to the project, you can still get involved now!

SoV Comics in 2025… and whispers of 2026!

Hi everyone!

This year has marked the start of a new era for me in comics. Pun very much intended.

Working on Demon Sword with Thinh has been unlike any comics project I have done before. With one issue complete and the second very nearly there, I find myself looking back not just on that project, but on everything SoV Comics has achieved this year, and I have every reason to be proud.

New Year, New Stories 2025 was record-breaking for us in several ways. It contained more stories than ever before and was our longest edition to date in terms of page count. It also received an amazing level of backing. I remain incredibly proud of this project and what it offers creators who might otherwise struggle to reach their target audience, or indeed any audience at all.

As the year progressed, I completed and delivered Cascade #2. Behind the scenes I have also completed Cascade #3, which is currently going through its final stages of lettering as I write this. This is particularly significant for me because I have been building toward Cascade for many years. Alongside Fauna 2: Rampage, it represents the conclusion of the empowered comics side of Event Zero. In total, that is over 400 pages of superhero comics delivered since we began. With that chapter complete, I am ready to draw a line under this part of the story and move on to what fans of the roleplaying game will know is a very different set of circumstances in Event One. In this area, as with others, I am genuinely excited to see what 2026 brings.

Looking ahead, the New Year, New Stories 2026 campaign has already been created and will launch on January 1st. Once again, I am working with an amazing team of artists and creators who have brought so many stories to life. In fact, this will be the first edition ever to fill completely before the submission deadline.

I have even already begun filling New Year, New Stories 2027, which is currently around 50 percent complete. Much of this is thanks to creators who narrowly missed the 2026 deadline, as well as new applications that are still coming in even now, at the end of the year. I firmly believe in helping bring indie comics to life, and I am proud to be able to continue doing that year after year.

I hope you will join us on January 1st as part of the Kickstarter Make 100 initiative to bring these stories to life.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support, and I wish you a very happy new year.

– Ed

Lettering… and why you might not want to do it yourself!

Hi everyone!

Shortly after I started writing comics, I saw a comic strip that perfectly summed up a common indie mistake.

A character says, “Don’t worry, anyone can do lettering!” and over the next few panels we see different types of terrible lettering: far too tight against the balloon, poor spacing, awkward balloon placement, different sized text. Throughout, the dialogue insists that lettering is easy and that letterers overcharge.

The truth is that almost anyone can learn to letter with enough time, effort and a little deliberate learning. I do letter some of my own comics, and I can do it to a high standard.

The problem is not quality. The problem is time.

Lettering takes me a long time, and there are other things I can do that are far more valuable uses of my attention: I can look ahead across my universes, plan stories, make decisions that only the creator can make.

That is why I choose to work with Jahch, who has been a fantastic letterer for me for years.

Just because you can do a task does not mean you should. Think carefully about whether doing the thing directly in front of you is actually the best choice for your project as a whole.

– Ed

Paying in Stages

Hi everyone!

Today I want to talk about something practical and important: paying in stages.

There is no universal rule for this, but over the years I have lost a significant amount of money to people who did not have my project’s best interests in mind. They were more focused on enriching themselves than on delivering good work.

My solution has been simple: I pay in stages.

In comics, this usually means paying per page. The number of pages I commit to depends entirely on how well I know the creator. With long term collaborators I trust, such as the amazing Gideon John who recently coloured Cascade 2, Fauna, and Cascade 3, I am willing to commit to larger batches.

With someone new, I start small, even as small as page by page.

When I was young, I was taught an important lesson: whenever you take a risk, be willing to lose everything you’re risking.

Hiring creative contractors follows the same rule. Through miscommunication, delays, or even deliberate action by the contractor, you can lose everything you pay someone. It is shockingly easy for that to happen.

Be deliberate. Decide what you can afford to risk. Never pay more than that amount without seeing delivered work that you like.

Good luck out there.

– Ed

What I look for in sketches!

Hi everyone!

I’m currently sitting in front of the next four exciting pages for Demon Sword #2.

Thinh and I work with fast, low-detail sketches that show movement, layout, and the relative position of everything. We even add lettering at this stage.

What I’m looking for is simple:

Is there too much text in a panel?
Is anything confusing?
Is any element the wrong size?
Do any sound effects feel wrong?

In this batch, there were two size issues, which means my script wasn’t specific enough! Easy fix – a quick comment to Thinh with an apology and the missed information.

The main question you need to answer is: Does this feel right?

If yes, don’t stress every detail.

But if something feels off, say so! That’s exactly what sketches are for.

“Hey, this object should be four meters in diameter.”
“Okay, cool”.

We adjust it now, and everything moves forward smoothly.

Good luck, and I hope your comic is coming along nicely!

– Ed

New Year, New Stories 2026-7

Hi everyone!

I’ve now filled up New Year News Stories 2026: we’re at 14 stories and 108 pages.
I was aiming to stay under 100 pages, but it just didn’t work out that way this year.

I’m already taking applicants for the 2027 edition. As long as your story is not already published and not being published before the 1st of December (that’s my cut-off), you can apply for 2027.

I’ve already got five people signed up, though I don’t yet know if I’ll be able to accept all of them, as I’m still waiting on some specific submissions.

This is an amazing project because it enables creators. One of the biggest challenges is stopping the book from becoming too big: too thick, too heavy, too expensive to send abroad.

I’d love to include 50 stories in this anthology, but it just isn’t practical, so I have to limit myself.

If you’re a creator and you’re reading this, reach out and tell me about your story! I’d love to consider it for New Year, New Stories 2027, as long as it isn’t coming out before the 1st of December.

– Ed

Telling the Story Your Own Way

Most of the stories we love are someone else’s version of a story that inspired them.

Sometimes it’s nearly an exact remake – Thanos and Darkseid, for example.

Sometimes it’s a reinterpretation – The Lion King is Hamlet.

Sometimes it’s a fusion of many stories told in a your way.

Creativity isn’t about originality. That’s a myth that stops people from starting.

True creativity is taking the stories that shaped you and telling them through your own lens: with your life, your style, your way of seeing the world.

People may like it or not, but it’ll be yours.

And that’s what makes it worth telling.

– Ed

When Writing – How I “Show, Don’t Tell” for Comics

Hi everyone!

Today I want to talk about “Show, don’t tell” in comics. I was prompted to write about this because I’m in the process of putting together the majority of the New Year, New Stories 2026 comic anthology.

I have a different way of writing comics compared to many people, because I did not go through formal training – I learned by doing. I did have a mentor of sorts, who gave me feedback and showed me techniques to handle issues I encountered.

One of his most common pieces of feedback was “Show, don’t tell.”

Putting together New Year, New Stories, I have had some submissions (which I’m not going to reject just because I would do it a different way!) that rely heavily on writing. anywhere between one third and two thirds of the page are writing.

I think that if you’re writing and drawing a comic, you should be trying to tell more of the story through drawing than through writing, as much as possible. As a result, I do my best to ensure that the panels contain the story.

How do I “Show, don’t tell”?

My aim is always that you could “understand” this comic without reading any of the words. I’m fortunate in this area: I have a four-year-old son, who can’t read many of the words in my comics yet. If I can show him the comic and he can understand what’s happening, I know that I’ve succeeded.

That’s got me into the habit of writing the comic in a script, giving it to the artist and then the letterer, and then doing an edit on the writing that I originally expected to be there.

I’m not always perfect, but I work very hard to minimise and reduce the dialogue, because I tend to overwrite the comic even now, even though I’m thinking about reducing the “tell” all the time.

And that’s my point, really: it’s okay to do it wrong and then edit it to be better. Don’t be afraid of writing what you need to write in order to get the job done, and fixing it to be even better than when you wrote it.

New Year, New Stories 2026 will be on Kickstarter in January 2026, and will contain 14 new and unique comic stories that you have probably never seen before. It will include parts of Cascade 2 and Demon Sword as well!

Don’t forget to check it out, and keep an eye here. I’ll let you know when it’s time.

– Ed

Expect Cascade #3 soon! For now… Cascade #2: https://era-games.com

Herkese merhaba!

Cascade #3’ün son rötuşlarını yapıyorum. Bu çizgi romanı da #1 ve #2’de yaptığım gibi sizinle paylaşmak için sabırsızlanıyorum. #3, bu muhteşem destanı sonlandıracak!

Bu özel projeyi tamamlamak gerçek bir yolculuktu, çünkü bu ölçekte, istediğim zaman dilimlerinde bir çizgi roman seti yapmak gerçekten zordu. Bu yolculuğa birkaç yıl önce, COVID’den önce başladığımda beklediğimden çok daha uzun sürdü ve bu kadar uzun sürdüğü için kendimi suçlamamak elde değil.

Cascade’i tamamlamak, diğer projelere kıyasla her zaman en önemli önceliğim olmadı. Cascade #2 tamamlanmaya yaklaştığında bunu değiştirmeye karar verdim ve doğrudan Cascade #3’e geçtim. Amy, Jennifer ve John gibi arkadaşlarımın yazıp tamamlamasını ve Cascade’e kadar uzanan Lacuna, Blue Shift, Violete ve Penumbra çizgi romanlarının yazımına yardımcı olan arkadaşlarım tarafından incelenmesini sağladım.

Sonuç olarak, şu an bulunduğum noktaya gelebildiğim için çok gururluyum. Dokuz çizgi romanın (ve bundan birkaç tane daha fazlasının – The Outsiders da katkıda bulundu; Fauna gibi karakterler de yer alıyor ve bu da tüm evrenimi bir araya getirmeme yardımcı oluyor!) bir araya gelmesiyle oluşan bir sonuç.

Cascade #3 tamamlandığında, Birinci Aşama adını vereceğim bir çizgi romanım daha olacak. Bu, süper kahraman çizgi roman evrenimdeki bir sonraki adımlara geçmeden önce aşamayı bir araya getirecek bir koda görevi görecek.

Şimdilik, bu çeşitli çizgi romanları hayata geçirirken yanımızda olduğunuz için çok teşekkür ederiz. Başlıktaki bağlantıdan Cascade #2’ye göz atmayı unutmayın; çok geçmeden Cascade #3’ün haberlerini göreceksiniz. Gözünüzü dört açın, çünkü geliyor.

– Ed

Should you go on Podcasts to promote your comic?

Hi everyone!

A rare occasion today! I’m going to talk about podcasts and why I think it’s worth appearing on them to tell more people about your book. I’ve said many times before that I’m not a marketing expert, and I stand by that, so you can take all this with however much faith you like!

I am actually quite good at explaining why my book is worth a look when I’m asked on a one-to-one basis (even a one-to-one basis in front of an audience). It can be nerve-wracking, that’s just the way it is. Unless you can find someone else to sell your work, you’re going to be recorded and, unfortunately, you just have to accept that and get used to it.

However, having a platform in front of people who wouldn’t normally have heard about your book is a tremendous opportunity. I’d strongly recommend that, if you’re looking to sell your book to new readers, you consider appearing on a podcast and think carefully about what you want to say to make people excited about it.

I recently did one for Demon Sword, and Laurie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NTGyWLLIsQ) was great fun to talk to. It was definitely quite intense at nearly two hours, but well worth it!

Look around, find a show whose audience you may not already be reaching, and get yourself on that podcast. Then talk enthusiastically about your book! that’s all you really need to do.

– Ed

New Year, New Stories 2026 – Last Call for Submissions! – https://sovcomics.com/new-year-new-stories-2026

Hi everyone!

Today I’d like to talk about “New Year, New Stories 2026”!

Another year is coming, and as always, we’re approaching the point where “Make 100” goes live on Kickstarter. For the last several years, I’ve used this time as an opportunity to create a project called New Year, New Stories. Its goal is to help comic creators bring their stories to audiences that might otherwise never see them.

It’s a small anthology – well, quite a big one, actually – featuring up to 17 stories! We only have a few slots left this year, so pull up a chair and we’ll talk some specifics…

It includes only comics that have either not yet been published or were released in the last year: the things you might have missed if you couldn’t make it to a convention or didn’t get all the way down artists’ alley.

I also submit my own work to New Year, New Stories, but my primary role is as the editor. I spread the word, take submissions, review them to make sure everything’s ready, and handle one of the more complicated aspects, a “links page” to each creator’s other work. This is a showcase anthology, intended to help readers discover new artists and help artists reach new audiences.

It’s not for-profit – all proceeds are distributed to the creators!

I think of this as my way of giving back to the community, something I believe is super important.

So if you’re a reader, keep an eye on our SoV Comics Kickstarter.

And if you’re a comic creator, email me to submit your work! We accept up to 10 pages plus a cover and a links page.

See you in the New Year!

– Ed

Violete Will Return… Soon!

Hi everyone!

Today I want to talk about my plans for Violete’s return to solo comics. It’s been a while since Violete #2: Backlash, which I still think is one of the best comics I’ve ever written. Although she has appeared as a major part of the Cascade 3-part series, she’s not had as much time to shine as in her two solo comics.

Recently, I’ve written a short new comic that I consider an “experiment”. If people like it, I will be strongly considering bringing Violete back for more solo adventures in the near future.

This story, Violete: Unwanted Reasoning, explores what happens when Violete follows her instincts and sticks her nose in where it maybe doesn’t belong, even if she’s helping.

I identify with her a lot in this one! I tend towards getting involved in things in the name of trying to help when maybe it would be better to let people get on with it themselves – occupational hazard of being a Project Manager, I guess?

Violete: Unwanted Reasoning will be available in New Year, New Stories 2026, which launches on Kickstarter in January. Until then, you can enjoy the preview page in this post!

Don’t forget to check out Violete’s previous comics at https://sovcomics.com/store, and if you’d like to see her in a team-up, have a look at Cascade too!

– Ed

It’s Important for Heroes to Fail! (and Demon Sword – https://sovcomics.com/product/demon-sword-issue-1/)

Hi everyone!

It’s probably obvious when you think about it, but I believe that, far too often, we write infallible heroes. Whatever happens, they suffer a “setback” and then immediately overcome it.

I think this was popularised to some degree by Star Wars.* A New Hope essentially lets everything fall into place for our heroes.

* Yes, it’s fair to say that The Empire Strikes Back breaks that pattern – there’s a genuine, lasting setback, and in real time that lasted for years while the third film was being made!

Whether it’s Star Wars directly or just its huge influence on modern storytelling, that approach has become common. Ask people what film stands out, and they’ll often pick the one that breaks that mould.

Heroes have to be human and fail. If they don’t, they’re not relatable—and an unrelatable hero won’t capture anyone’s imagination. I’ve seen this a few times recently. Captain Marvel is one example where the hero is so powerful that any threat doesn’t matter. I’ve heard similar criticisms of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

For me, the compelling hero is the one who’s put through it—even when they succeed, they carry guilt, difficulty, and consequence. That’s universal. We all have burdens we carry.

I’ve tried to reflect that in Demon Sword, my latest comic. If you enjoy indie storytelling that lets heroes be fallible, I think you’ll like it: https://sovcomics.com/product/demon-sword-issue-1/

– Ed

Just Launched: Demon Sword! – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/demon-sword-a-post-apocalyptic-fantasy-comic?ref=3il8o4

The world ended. Then it got worse. Then Athena picked up a demon’s sword… and ended up with the demon in her head.

Hi everyone! I’m excited to announce my new comic, Demon Sword, is now live on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/demon-sword-a-post-apocalyptic-fantasy-comic?ref=3il8o4

Set in a post-apocalyptic world torn apart by angels and demons, Demon Sword follows Athena: a survivor who becomes a “Forbidden” when she bonds with a cursed weapon. Now she’s stronger, faster… and constantly being insulted by the soul trapped inside her sword.

That soul? A demon called Krel’noth. He’s sarcastic, powerful, and really hopes she dies.

This is a 50-page, full-colour comic packed with action, humour, emotional fallout, and incredible art. If you like Darksiders, Hellboy, or Diablo, this is your kind of story.

We’ve got:

Digital and physical editions
Signed copies
A hardcover art book full of sketches and secrets
A chance to become a Forbidden character in the RPG world

Back Demon Sword on Kickstarter now!

Thanks for supporting indie comics, and thanks again for helping me bring this demon-infested apocalypse to life!

– Ed

The World of the Forbidden (Demon Sword)

Hi, everyone!

I promised last week I was going to talk about the world of Era: Forbidden, so here we are!

Imagine the modern world.

Now imagine that angels and demons appeared out of nowhere, attacking each other, fighting and not really caring about humans. Aside from demons choosing to feed off humans, that is – Angels simply crush people under foot.

This is the world of Forbidden: civilization has been destroyed, there’s not really a lot left. It’s all ruined, broken.

Humanity is broken too, but not in the same sense. They run, they hide, they cower, they pray that they will not be found. They have no means of fighting back.

But Angels and Demons are pretty careless. They leave their weapons strewn around the battlefield, along with armour and items that do amazing things.

If a human touches one of these, there is a 75% chance that they burst into flames, turn into ash in moments. However, the ones that survive become bigger, stronger, faster, cleverer… enhanced in every way. Their soul is ripped in half to power this “Remnant”.

That’s exactly what happened to our main character in Demon Sword.

The thing is that she had a passenger in the sword that she touched: Krel’noth. She didn’t expect it. She’d never heard of anything like it, and nor had he.

So now Athena is roaming the world, trying to escape, trying to find out how to survive in this place as a Forbidden, shunned by Humans (because if Angels discover a Forbidden with Humans, they’ll slaughter them!) hunted by angels, hated by demons.

A threat. Not a large threat, but able to kill Angels and Demons, at least the weakest ones.

Athena has to live on wits and Guile, just like the other Forbidden. So far, she’s managed to survive, but we’ll see how long that lasts…

– Ed

Demon Sword – Coming soon to Kickstarter!

Hi everyone!

I’m pleased to announce that our latest comic, Demon Sword, will be going on to Kickstarter before long! So I thought I would take a moment to explain what Demon Sword is, why we’re doing it, and why I’m particularly excited about this project.

I’ve always done comics in a certain way: I’m very precise on what I want, and I work with the artist to deliver my vision. With Demon Sword, I decided to work a little differently.

I wrote everything that I thought needed to be there, and then I handed it over to the artist, and unless there’s something where he’s misunderstood – my English, my description, etc – I don’t ask him to change anything.

That’s my rule.

I might change the dialog slightly, but the actual artwork is entirely up to him. It’s a wonderful, talented and positive guy called Thinh who I really enjoy working with.

We’ve produced 45 of our 50 pages for issue 1 of Demon Sword, which is set in our Era: Forbidden universe from the Tabletop RPG.

I’ll give you a briefing on the world next week, and what Athena has to do to survive within it, in case you’re not familiar with it yet!

Until then, keep an eye out and visit this URL if you would like to check out the page and be informed when the Kickstarter is going to launch: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/demon-sword-a-post-apocalyptic-fantasy-comic

See you soon!

– Ed

Why has Cascade #2 taken Two and a Half Years?

Hi everyone!

This is an interesting situation. Honestly, I fell into a trap I usually try hard to avoid.

Cascade has its roots all the way back in Lacuna, our very first comic, almost ten years ago now. Even then, I knew I was building towards a superhero universe, and the Cascade Event was always part of that plan.

But after about 20 comics, I found that I didn’t feel the same way about Cascade #2 anymore. Not that story, not in that form. I wasn’t as excited about it as I had been in the past… and when you’re not enthusiastic about a project, it shows. At the same time, real-life events got in the way for my co-writer, Johnathan Lewis, which added more delays.

The good news? I’m back to it with a drive to finish it and deliver another inspiring and outstanding comic.

Also, while working on Cascade #2, I also am also making progress on Cascade #3. It’s already in production, and I expect it to come out a lot faster than #2 did.

The core of the why is simple: I wanted to make a story I was proud of, not one I pushed out just because I felt like I had to. If creativity is going to be a big part of your life, it should be something you want to do.

Don’t let your creative work become a burden.

– Ed

How do I make a superhero real and compelling?

Hi everyone.

The feedback about my comics has always been extremely positive, especially around characterisation. I’d like to believe it’s deserved, when people say that the superheroes that I create are written in a really compelling, real-feeling way.

They’re not just a paragon of virtue or a monster that’s unsaveable; they have depth to them. They’re real people and I therefore often get asked how it is or what process I go through in order to do it.

I thought I’d share some part of that today!

I’ve always felt that a superhero is more important behind the mask, that the character is not the superhero. The character is the person who put the mask on and became the superhero.

There are some obvious characters who bend that slightly: Bruce Wayne and Batman is probably the most extreme case that I can think of, where really he’s Batman, and Bruce Wayne is a is the costume. For Superman, I’m not so convinced – I think he’s still that good-hearted farm boy that grew up in Kansas. But I digress.

When you want to write a character who is going to be a superhero, think about where they started and why they became a superhero, and therefore what kind of person they are that makes them that superhero.

Are they someone who saw a wrong and needs to do a right, like Lacuna? Are they someone who found they had powers and thinks it’s morally wrong to not do anything with them, like Drift or Violete.

And then when things happen to that hero, how do they react? Not “how do they react” as a hero, because they’re putting on a front as a hero, they’re wearing the costume, they’re being that Paragon as best they can be, whether it’s of virtue or of evil.

Instead, think about how the person changes as a result, and how does that change their approach to being the Paragon?

That’s where the key to realism lies, remembering that the centre of the superhero is what’s behind the mask, not what they show to the outside world.

If you’re someone who’s writing a superhero story, creating a universe, playing a role playing game, or any other endeavour, always remember this, your character will be more real!

– Ed

What’s next for Empowered comics after Cascade Parts 2 and 3? The end of Phase 1, the start of Phase 2 and what sorts of stories we’re moving onto… And don’t forget Cascade, Part 2 on Kickstarter now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/cascade-part-2?ref=cm03si

Hi everyone!

I suspect that it might have crossed the mind of you wonderful, clever people that the Cascade Event is a confluence of the stories that we have been building for the last 10 years. Since Lacuna: Revelation, I have had a plan for where things are going to go… I’m a plan kind of guy.

Cascade (all three parts) will mark the end of what I’m calling “Phase 1” in an approach inspired by the Marvel movies – something I think they got right was to draw a line under the past and move along supported by it, rather than haunted by any mistakes.

After Cascade, a “Phase 2” will begin. In fact, I have already written and illustrated one of the comics in that phase, a return for everyone’s favourite shape-changer, Fauna.

I don’t want to say too much about everything I have planned just yet, but I can say that if Phase 1 was about “uncertainty”, Phase 2 is about “being manipulated”. I’m excited for the stories we have already decided to tell, and I know you’ll love them when you see them!

In the meantime, don’t forget to check out Cascade, Part 2 on Kickstarter now (where you can also catch up with all of our stories to date!): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/cascade-part-2?ref=cm03si

Thank you again for your interest and support in SoV Comics!

– Ed

Can I just read Cascade #2 and understand what’s happening? https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/cascade-part-2?ref=1e10wr

Hi everyone!

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I’m still talking about Cascade #2, which is about halfway through its Kickstarter run now. We’re a small distance off “Funded”, so if you didn’t check it out yet, please do so! I’m confident you won’t regret it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/cascade-part-2?ref=1e10wr

When you do, you might think “This is one of a long line of comics! Will I know what’s going on? I don’t want to grab just one comic and not understand it…”

I understand. I’ve had the same thoughts, believe me!

Stan Lee once said that every comic is someone’s first comic. I try to keep that in mind when writing, especially now that I’ve started a lot of characters and I’m doing a lot of second or third comics!

So I make them all potentially standalone – something I’ve perfected from running Tabletop RPG sessions. Each one either has a recap of the important points or doesn’t rely on information from the previous comics. I’ve been able to find a fun way of doing that in the Cascade comics, each of which is a different approach:

In the first, it was a literal summary page.
In the second, it is told through the news and you can watch the reactions of the characters’ loved ones.
In the third… well, you’ll have to wait and see for now!

In summary, it’s not going to be a problem if you have not read Cascade #1 and you want to pick up Cascade #2. It was written with that problem in mind!

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day!

– Ed

Cascade, Part Two on Kickstarter now — Everything is falling apart for our heroes! (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/cascade-part-2?ref=ept5e8)

Hi everyone! I’m incredibly pleased to tell you that I’ve launched Cascade, Part 2 on Kickstarter after 3 and a half years of perfecting it.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/cascade-part-2?ref=ept5e8

A lot has happened in that time, so I’m willing to forgive myself for being that amount of lazy!

When I started working on Cascade with my good friend Johnathan Lewis, we didn’t want to tell a story where the answer was just “hit it harder”. We wanted something that speaks to us as creators (and hopefully you as readers!).

I believe that the best superhero stories are about people. Not paragons and monsters, but about the messy bits: how we fail, grow, and face things we don’t understand.

I work as a project manager in my day job, and the idea of showing a team that doesn’t work due to every piece being dysfunctional appealed to me! The characters, like real people, don’t always say the right thing, don’t trust each other, and definitely don’t have life figured out.

That’s what Cascade is.

And with Cascade #2, we’ve hit the heart of the trilogy—our “everything falls apart” chapter.

What’s the story?

A mysterious artefact. A mistake. And a towering robot that only grows stronger when it’s attacked.

Penumbra thought she’d scored big when she stole the device. But when it merged with her friend, it became something new. Something terrifying.

Now, this giant robot is draining energy from the city, adapting, evolving, and building an army. And anything the heroes or the military do just makes Cascade more powerful.

But the bigger threat?

The heroes don’t know how to work together. They’re powerful, skilled, experienced alone… but they have to figure out how to stop Cascade or watch the world become encased in metal…

Why now?

This issue means a lot to me. It’s the downturn.

In the characters, that is, not the quality of story!

The cracks are showing. The mistakes are piling up. And while the robot may be terrifying, what really threatens them is what they’re hiding from themselves.

If you’re into superhero stories with emotional depth, complicated people, and real stakes, you’re going to love this.

Want to catch up?

If you’re new to Cascade, we’ve made it easy to jump in: you can grab all the issues so far – 8 for the main story or 15 if you want everything – as a discounted bundle on Kickstarter.

Whether you’re here for the action, the heart, or the disaster-team energy, we’d love to have you with us for this next chapter.

Back Cascade #2 on Kickstarter now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/cascade-part-2?ref=ept5e8

Thanks so much for reading, and for supporting stories that try to dig a little deeper.

– Ed

SoV Comics “OFFCUTS” Project

Hi everyone!

I’ve just launched a new anthology of comics called “Offcuts”!

Over the last 10 years, while we’ve been publishing comics, not everything has been completed. I mean, obviously!

These are the comics that were good ideas but, for various reasons, didn’t quite make it.

They all have at least one arc (or are just short entries!), but will never be published overall. That makes this a fun collection of short comics that you might never see otherwise, as I don’t have any plans to publish these.

It’s also a chance to tell me I’m wrong and you’d love to see the story go further!

So whether you’re interested in the creative process, characters in SoV Comics or just awesome comic stories, there’s something special here for you.

Join us on the Kickstarter to bring this project to life!

– Ed

New Year, New Stories 2024 – on Kickstarter now!

Hi everyone!

We believe that less-known creators across the world should be supported in their attempts to bring new stories to the world.

New Year, New Stories is back for another edition, bringing you some of the best stories from indie creators on four continents! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/new-year-new-stories-2024?ref=c81u3d

Here are some quick facts about it:

– An anthology of 16 stories, by different creators across four continents!
– Over 150 pages of content!
– It’s celebration of indie creators: all profits from this project go to the creators who submitted (and they did not pay to submit!).
– Each story is new for 2024 – it was either released in the last 12 months or has not yet been released!
– It’s the fourth New Year, New Stories Anthology (and you can get the first three as well if you want them! – Check the Rewards and the Add-Ons!).
– Physical UK and European copies will ship from the UK!

I hope that you’ll join us in bringing these stories to life, and who knows? You may find your new favourite writer!

– Ed

Penumbra’s Latest Adventure – Available now https://tinyurl.com/pen-adv-3

Think Galaxy Quest meets Mission Impossible with a superhero twist – I guarantee you’ll be trying to figure out whether the code to the door really was 1, 2, 3, 4 by the end!

Written by Johnathan Lewis and Ed Jowett, with art by Chucks Jo Seph II and lettering by Jahch, the third issue of Penumbra Adventures brings the story of everyone’s favourite shadow-controlling thief to a close for now… as told by Penumbra.

This campaign is to raise funds to print and ship Penumbra Adventures #3 (and offer you a chance to get the other books as well, if you want!).

If you want to get caught up with our other series like Empowered, Empowered Outsiders, The Bug War and DISARMed, we have tiers for that too!

– Ed

Our latest comic, Vigilance: Escape is on Kickstarter now! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/vigilance-escape?ref=5gdgv7

Hi everyone!

Claudette is the daughter of an extremely wealthy father, who has lived in privilege all her life… if slightly lonely.

However, when her abilities manifested, she quickly found herself overwhelmed.

Deciding to leave the rest of the world behind for some peace and quiet, she leaves on a long trip…

However, she runs into an unexpected (and perhaps familiar) face, which changes her life for ever.

Her free will removed, she is turned into a weapon by Jan.

This story is my twist on the “Hulk story”

When a person has an amount of power that makes it hard to be around others, they often find themselves wanting to retreat from the world.

While Vigilance’s power is not physical strength, her access to almost infinite knowledge is just as dangerous to the people targeted by her or her controller…

But it’s not possible to keep anyone under control for ever…

I hope you’ll join us on Kickstarter to make this comic a reality! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/vigilance-escape?ref=5gdgv7

– Ed

Our first short film – OCCUPIED – is on Kickstarter now!

Hi everyone!

I’m pleased and proud to be able to tell you about our latest Kickstarter, which is a major new direction for Shades of Vengeance, Era: The Empowered and me personally!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadesofvengeance/occupied-movie?ref=7mloby

OCCUPIED has been brought to life by an amazing team, which includes old favourites such as Jennifer Martin’s writing (Era: The Empowered, Era: Survival) and Leo Cosh as Production Assistant (EraScapes)… as well as brand new people who I am thrilled to add to the team!

This short movie takes place in the Empowered universe, during the time when the Old Gods have risen, claiming the world (“Event Four”).

Drift (featured in our recent comic: https://sovcomics.com/product/drift-heroism-digital/ ) teams up with Snake, another hero native to her city, in order to defeat this threat.

You can find out loads more and watch the trailers on the Kickstarter!

– Ed

New Year, New Stories Kickstarter – FUNDED and growing!

Hi everyone!

We’re very grateful for everyone’s support of New Year, New Stories 2023, but we’re still hoping to grow further and give all of these amazing creators more money.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/new-year-new-stories-2023?ref=8caxf0

I wanted to take a moment today to talk about the back issues, and remind you that they are obtainable, both in Digital and Physical formats.

These anthologies are an attempt to help indie creators bring their comics to life and they have more or less succeeded in doing that! We’ve been able to give just under $1500 to creators across these two projects, helping them to create more stories for you to enjoy, or even just paying that bill.

At SoV Comics, we believe in good stories, and New Year, New Stories is a great way to help creators who we know well or have never met before bring them to you!

Thanks again for your support, and I’ll be back soon with another update!

– Ed