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PATREON EXCLUSIVE: EMPOWERED vol.12's "saucy AF" cover and solicitation copy!
🕑 Added 2022-09-21 13:41:02 +0000 UTCEhh, I believe that the book-market solicitation info (which is usually three or four months ahead of direct-market solicitation) for Empowered vol. 12 should be coming out fairly soon, within the next month or so, as the book's long-pending release is currently slated for March 2023. (That will be almost a year after I finished work on the book, but who's counting? That's just how things can roll in publishing, especially if you took years and years to complete the g-d volume as I did.)
So, I figured now would prrrrobably be an okay time to reveal the volume's fairly provocative cover illo and solicitation copy to you kind Patrons. However, until the book-market info "goes live" online, howzabout keeping this our little secret for the time being?
Anyhoo, here's the book's solicitation copy:
Costumed crimefighter Empowered discovers that she’s trapped in a surreal nightmare scenario as her superhero universe begins spontaneously rebooting itself over and over again, with each variation more twisted and bizarre than the last! Can our befuddled heroine somehow undo this inexplicable Neverending Reboot—while simultaneously steering her love life in a boldly polyamorous new direction with Thugboy and Ninjette, no less—or is this The End for Emp and her chaotically convulsing cosmos?
Line art on the cover by me, coloring by my bud Ryan Kinnaird:
Note that, for the very first time, that "PARENTAL ADVISORY" label is actually part of the cover artwork proper, rather than being a sticker applied to the printed volume's cover. (Hilariously enough, due to a potential technicality, it is entirely possible that a separate sticker may wind up being applied over the ADVISORY on the artwork regardless.)
So, yeahp, finally decided to steer right the hell into the whole "threesome" dealie, after having a bit of an epiphany about the intra-character dynamics involved. Yay? (Emp's rationale for this choice within the story is more than a tad dubious, but undeniably very Emp-like and character-appropriate, IMHO.)
I'll set up a separate Work Stages post for this illo down the road, as a helluva lotta work went into this piece by Ryan and me; the image you're seeing is the seventh draft of the colors, for one thing. Yikes!
NEXT TIME ON THIS HERE PATREON: This Friday will very likely something in the Distressed Damsels vein for the $5+ Patron tiers, I'm thinking. Could we see rough pages for Rose & Lily imperiled by Hushed Half-Elf's potion-shop gnomes? Or more material with alternate superheroine Emerald, perhaps? Or something else entirely? Dunno!
Comments
Jim Schofield
Please, oh please, let it not be a hoax, or a dream, or an imaginary tale! As a polyamorous bisexual man, I have been looking for this plot development in this series for years now. There are so few good representations of either polyamory or bisexuality in media, and I really feel that you have the maturity as a writer to pull it off well. I've been so impressed by the depth you've put into writing the relationships in this series. If this turns out to be a counter-factual scenario or some kind of rebooting timeline queerbaiting that gets reset at the end of the book... please, please, please, just let it not be that. Please let this be a legitimate direction for these characters, and please let it be one that is a realistic take on polyamory that is grounded in real world research. Please let this be an example of a good writer who writes romance well taking polyamory seriously. We have so little of that. Please do this right, Adam Warren.
Strypgia
Ninjette's expression is somehow the most Jersey Girl look I've ever seen on her.
Carly Dingman
I raised my pledge JUST to see this cover AND IT WAS SO WORTH IT I'M SO HAPPY I'VE WANTED THIS FOR YEARS.
Burninator
I know, I was just riffing on the slightly out of nowhere mention of selfcest. No problem with your tastes, the heart doesn't want what the heart doesn't want.
The Silver Socialist
There seems to be a misunderstanding here. I'm against selfcest and polyamory. I'm not going to act like some kind of cultural authoritarian and say people can't put that in their stories but I'd prefer they didn't.
Burninator
Given the whole "alternate universe" thing, I suppose selfcest is a possibility
The Silver Socialist
It seems like the genre fiction in general is embracing selfcest and polyamory out of the blue. I’m not in favor of it but I’m not going to get particularly worked up about it.
KranberriJam
"boldly polyamorous new direction with Thugboy and Ninjette" YES YES YES. I've been pushing for that for years because I think it can actually work well for them. I'm excited to get this, will preorder on day 1!
Burninator
I think Emp is lobbying for the Thugboy/Maidman side of that quadrilateral.
JKurt
Haha maybe future volumes (finger's crossed!) Maidman will join the fold and they'll all have romantic, passionate four-ways together.
Lex of Excel
The amazing development of an official poly triad aside, I have to say that my most anticipated discovery is the fallout of Volume 11 and how it factors in here.
epyon_avenger
I am definitely glad for any exploration that isn't "awkward love triangle" or other such equally unfulfilling romcom nonsense. It's 2022, people can love more than one person romantically without it being a disaster. XD
Thos. Merchant
Why should it? If we're going this far, why wouldn't Ninjette still have a little Maidman on the side?
Stuart Little
Not upset about the polyamory either, though it maybe feels like there's a step or two missing between where they are currently and revealing this in a solicit? Like, Emp finding out about the Ninjette/Thugboy UST, and having some overt UST of her own with 'Jette (unless I'm woefully less media literate than I think and missed something)? I still look forward to it!
JKurt
Not upset at this development, but does this mean the end of the Ninjette-Maidman romance?
Burninator
Fair enough, but 2 seems at least kinda close.
A Patreon of the Ahts
Hey I just noticed, the chained demon wolf gets Ninjette's pants after all!
Sam Logan
Yes!!! So excited!
A Patreon of the Ahts
I did that too. This is the darkest he's been on a cover.
Burninator
I went back and checked other color covers with Thugboy, and his skin tone has varied every time. Ryan always has him a couple shades darker than GuruEfx, and this tone is a pretty close match to Volume 2 Thugboy. Canonically, Thugboy is, IIRC, half Japanese, 1/4 German, and 1/4 Italian, or "All Axis Powers" as he puts it. I'd place the inconsistent skin color as being due to a variable tan of some sort.
A Patreon of the Ahts
Umm - is that's supposed to be Thug Boy? Remember when he got fired as a minion by that racist villain when he found out that he was mixed race? I don't think that he would have got hired in the first place if he was that brown...
MisfitRogue
Wow. This cover’s pretty daring but I’m all for it!
James
MELLOW MR MONKEY SMAASHHH
Burninator
Methinks this might in fact be depicting a foursome, what with the Caged Demonwolf embracing the lot of them. Looking forward to this!
totallySafeUsername
Really looking forward to this!
Sabrina Pandora
Woooo polyamorous solution to the triangle! Wooo multiverse reboots! Woooo voluime 12! Clearly there's nothing about this that DOESN'T excite me!
Otaku Twenty-Four Seven
You and Ryan knockin' it outta the park as usual. Great stuff!
Will_K
It's ironic how the solicitation starts with "Costumed"... Interesting background color palette.
T.Geist
*snaps* scandalous lol
