Tag Archives: survivors

Hopeless

See inside the survivors

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It’s not quite as horrific a post as the title may suggest! I now have hard copies of Survivors (people who support me as Glass Herons over on Patreon now have books on their way in the post).

This video involves me waving pages at the camera, talking a little bit about what’s in the books and my involvement. I wrote the scripts for the graphic novels, and as the series progressed I became involved with the colouring side of things, as well as coming up with concepts for some of the images. The cover for this one was my idea, and it says a lot about Salamandra’s relationship with the island.

You can get or order Survivors from many paces that do books. Here it is on the WH Smith website https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/hopeless-maine-5-survivors/tom-brown/nimue-brown/paperback/9781908830227.html

Blackwells – https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Hopeless-Maine-Volume-5-Survivors-by-Tom-Brown-author-Nimue-Brown-artist/9781908830227

Waterstones – https://www.waterstones.com/book/hopeless-maine-5/tom-brown/nimue-brown/9781908830227

Hopeless

There are Survivors

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The final book in the graphic novel series is now out, and available from online retailers. In theory you can order it from places that do books and comics as well. You also have a short at getting copies directly from Sloth Comics at events, and anywhere else you see people doing Hopeless things.

If you are the sort of person who doesn’t like to commit to a series until it’s complete, this is your moment! There are books set after the series (as yet unpublished) and a couple set before (published by Outland Entertainment) but the series stands alone.

The story told through the graphic novels follows young experimental occultist Salamandra, as she gets to grips with the implications of having power. The story is about friendship and community, what we might do for each other, and what happens when power over others, and fear of others dominates. I have a lot of things to say about why certain ways of trying to do things just don’t work, and this is pretty explicit in the last book where I go deeper into those power and control themes. 

The graphic novel series was how the Hopeless, Maine project began. It’s been the core of it for many years, and the reason for the other projects. However, my impression at this point is that there are a lot of people who enjoy Hopeless things, including getting to play with the setting. For as long as that continues to be true (and I should clarify that it is Nimue writing this blog) I will keep holding spaces and creating opportunities to do Hopeless things. I’m open to exploring any direction anyone wants to go on. 

If people want more stories, I will write more stories. If anyone else wants to write stories, that would be great. Any and all creative expressions are very welcome, so get in touch if you have something you’d like to share.

Island News

News of the survivors

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Survivors is the final graphic novel in the Hopeless Maine series. I can now confirm that it has all been handed in to Sloth Comics, the lettering is all done and the process towards getting it on paper is now well under way. As soon as I’m confident about a release date, I’ll post about it here.

The graphic novel series is a complete story arc, which ends at the end. There are survivors, it’s not such an absolute ending that nothing can happen after it. Coming to the end of the graphic novel series doesn’t mean we have to stop writing Hopeless, Maine things. Once this book is out, we’re going to have some shifts in how things are on the island, but it seems likely some of you will want to get in and play with the changes.

There are two novellas set after the graphic novels, and there will be conversations ahead about how best to proceed with those. News when I have any!

Hopeless

There were no Survivors

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Many bookselling sites had Hopeless, Maine vol 5 – Survivors – listed as coming out on the 12th July. It didn’t. I (Nimue) wish to apologise for this and for promoting a book that wasn’t actually available. 

The short explanation for how I came to be promoting a book that could not possibly come out on this date, is lack of communication. 

Our lovely publisher – Sloth Comics – is a small house. As a house they’ve done absolutely everything they could for the Hopeless, Maine project including spotting that there was a problem and that I hadn’t been kept up to date. They’ve had their own struggles this year, and with rather a lot of their own stuff to deal with, they assumed that I would be in the loop for what was, and wasn’t happening with the book. This was unfortunate, but understandable. They have my profound gratitude. I thank Nic at Sloth for his patience, kindness and support, and for his promise to get Survivors out in October.

If you have already pre-ordered the book, my thanks for your support and faith, and for your patience and understanding. 

Island News

Survivors

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Survivors is the final graphic novel in the Hopeless, Maine graphic novel series. These books are a complete story arc. So, if you’re the sort of person who doesn’t like committing to an unfinished series, now is a good time to jump in. Also, I know how you feel, I get very frustrated by things that go on long after they should have stopped, and by things that stop long before they’ve actually finished.

This isn’t the last story about life in Hopeless, Maine. There are other things written and we need to figure out how best to get those out into the world. There will also be a steady supply of community sourced nonsense and whimsy here on the blog for as long as there’s anyone finding it entertaining to do that. Feel free to dive in if you want to be part of it, and if you don’t have any other way to get in touch, leave a comment and I’ll email you.

We’re seeing pre-order pages on various book selling sites for Survivors with a release date of the 12th July. How this is going to play out in practice is anyone’s guess, Optimists suffered a few delays, but the theory is good.

Given that two of the three novellas currently on the back burner are set after the graphic novels, it’s going to make more sense to get those moving now. Watch this space! 

Hopeless inhabitants

The boffin

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The boffin has shown up in a few places of late – he’s on the wrap around cover of the Outland role play game, and he’s part of the wheel of fortune tarot card. This image is going to be a chapter cover for Survivors, where we have devices as a theme. And yes, this is shameless steampunk bait, and no, we have no regrets.

The boffin is a machine made by a young islander called Necessity Jones. Necessity made the boffin while still living with her parents, out at Hermit Cottage – a rather lonely spot on the coast, a modest walk from town. Necessity’s device making is very much influenced by having seen Lilly May’s walking chair.

At the moment, Necessity’s adventures are coming out in installments over on Patreon, but we do have plans to make this, and other prose fiction more available next year. Watch this space!

Art of the island

Survivors in progress

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We’re currently working on Hopeless, Maine – Survivors, which will be the last graphic novel in the series, wrapping up this story line.

It’s probably also the last graphic novel we (specifically Tom and Nimue) do, unless someone other than Tom is overwhelmed by the desire to draw comics pages. It’s such time consuming work.

It isn’t the last Hopeless Maine story, it’s just that we’re moving into other ways of sharing island life. There will be more books and more art.

Here are some pencils in progress. As Tom keeps saying on social media ‘I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about here.’