Kilo-Monster

crossposted from tumblr

With the second chapter coming to an end, now would be a great time to read the 94 pages of Monster's Garden (www.monstersgarden.com) so far if you haven't already. Chapter 3 won't begin until 2014, so there's plenty of time to catch up.

If you are a fan of big, soft brute guys and cute little girl combos, there is plenty of that in Monster's Garden. This urban fantasy/sci-fi story set in a world filled with animal people, elves, and humans centers around the life of seasoned fighting champion and hobbyist gardener, Kilo Monster. One day by chance, he encounters an unusual, sentient, comic-loving robot girl named NIKA, along with her human family,Jaymi the sarcastic, sailor-mouthed engineer and Todd the nervous, battle-worn soldier. 

Much of the conflict in the story stems from a war that ravaged the neighboring country that continues to cause strife for its displaced citizens, as well as the brother who experienced the war firsthand in his childhood. The issue is nuanced and complex, with no distinct good or bad, but there is a darkness born from this conflict that threatens the world at large.

Monster's Garden is also a PoC, woman, and LGBTQ friendly comic. Admittedly, these topics do not come up in the main plot at depth currently, but the protagonist is gay, the sister is a woman of color, the brother is bisexual, and the military/police force has lady and non-binary folks in significant numbers. The world of Monster's Garden was made to be inclusive of all sorts of walks of life, something that fantasy/sci-fi genres could always use more of.

Monster's Garden is my first long-term comic adventure, with characters that have been close to my heart for years. It has been a grueling learning experience and a test of will at times, and the comic is not perfect by any stretch, but it's something that will always be worth it to me.

I would love for the story to get out there and gain a readership large enough to offer the comics in print. Since this is something I would like to do professionally one day, I greatly appreciate spreading the word around! Please enjoy the comic and thank you for reading!

START AT THE BEGINNING - READ CHAPTER TWO

I just noticed that I missed my 10 year mark about two weeks ago. I cannot believe it's been ten years, and the fact that I still visit this site unlike all the other websites I had signed up to at the time.

Here's to another ten years, I guess?

2012
- I tried to start a comic around Tumbleweed and failed.
- I joined the U.S. Navy and made it through boot camp intact.
- I paid off my credit card.
- I ran a mile and a half in less than 13 minutes, a personal best.
- I graduated my sonar "A" school as honor graduate with a 99% GPA.
- I started the Monster's Garden comic, at last.

2013
- Get an outstanding score on at least one area of my fitness assessment tests.
- Put away at least $2500 in savings.
- Cut back on caffeine consumption.
- Complete 100 pages for Monster's Garden over the year.
* Make at least one good, reliable friend.

* This one will most likely be optional as I am terrible at the whole friend-making game.

Read the first pages here: www.monstersgarden.com/comics/…

I'll eventually post pages here on DA, but they'll go up on the website first for those who can't wait.

I'm excited.

Probably more than everyone else to the point that I look awfully foolish, but the pages are all queued up and it just a matter of waiting for Friday.