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Jennie Gyllblad's Skal, Courtesy Of Her Patreon

Published Sat, 14 Jun 2014 15:00:07 -0500

Last updated Sun, 15 Jun 2014 17:44:54 -0500

An ongoing online graphic novel written and painted by Jennie Gyllblad, supported by Patreon! It is being created right now and each page is published online as it is completed.

'The Monastery feared Mushirah. They feared her so much that they threw her in a prison cell, stitched her mouth shut and set her execution date.

Bundled into a caravan by an unknown ally, we follow her journey to the big city that could become her sanctuary, chased by Monastic mercenaries who will stop at nothing to carry out her death sentence.'

Jennie Gyllblad writes,

Hi, I'm Jennie Gyllblad. I'm a Swedish artist and designer now living and working in Bath in the UK. I've illustrated a number of independent comic books such as Clockwork Watch and TickTockIPA, contributed to anthologies like Bayou Arcana and Professor Elemental's Comic, and I regularly publish my own autobiographical webcomic called Jenspiration.

SKAL is the name of my online graphic novel, which until a couple of months ago was languishing on the backburner while I focused on paid work. It is only thanks to Patreon that I can finally write and paint my own violent, bloody, erotic fantasy story! As is probably obvious, this is a personal project that is a complete labour of love. Skal is set in an Arabian-inspired desert fantasy world and unashamedly contains all the things I personally enjoy to write and paint! It is a dark erotic drama, with splashes of humour, all lovingly and obsessively created by me using traditional mediums like watercolours, inks and pencil. Skal also allows me to experiment with other techniques and practices, like collage!

The story itself is ongoing, with the (12 page) Prologue completed and (~50 page) Chapter 1 currently in progress. Due to the upcoming content including depictions of nudity, sex, blood and violence, it is obviously not suitable for children.

The reader is introduced to Mushirah, a diviner on the receiving end of uncontrolled visions who has spent most of her life behind the high walls of a monastery. Believing that a person's fate is decided the moment they are born, and that her uncaring and indifferent world runs exactly to prophecy, it is only when she is forced to flee – thrust into an unknown environment – that her own rigid perceptions of the world begin to be challenged.

On her journey, Mushirah crosses paths with, and unwittingly involves, several other characters. One such unfortunate soul is Voresh, a petty thief who lives on the edge with mounting debts looming over her like a sharpened guillotine. Another one is Omran, a mercenary and craftsman, part of a small 'weapon for hire' group in the dingier parts of the city.

Skal is a slightly darker erotic, character-focused story, set in an exotic world that gradually reveals the mystery surrounding Mushirah's identity.

PATREON – Our Saviour!

With Skal essentially being a webcomic that is destined for print, I have and always will stick with the standard webcomic tradition of keeping the story free to read online. This, however, sadly meant that Skal was put aside and not touched for months when paid work had to take priority.

This was until I discovered Patreon.com, a site that works as a supporting platform for creators such as myself. It is different from kickstarter/indiegogo in that it does not involve one huge sum of money for one big project, but instead focuses on long term support for a creator with little 'tips' (starting at just 59p!) each time they upload content (in my case, a new Skal page). Patrons of your work also get access to behind the scenes doodles and other rewards as a show of gratitude from the creator (in my case, it includes nude sketches, yum!). All in all, it's a very supportive and friendly atmosphere! It is only thanks to my patrons that I have been able to complete 10 pages of Chapter 1, to date. The 'milestone goals' also add an extra little layer to the project! As an example: If I reach $100 per page, I am going to take an evening to drunkenly draw and paint for my patrons, and then post the originals to randomly selected supporters! See? Not only do you get drawn nudity! But drunken sketches too! Bless Patreon!

On a slightly more serious note: The more people like it and support it, the more I am able to produce. It is a simple, but very effective system that I wish I had discovered earlier.

Let the costumes flutter and the blood flow!

Skal on Patreon: www.patreon.com/Skal

Skal's own site: www.skalsaga.com

Jennie's day-job: www.jenniegyllblad.com

Twitter: @JennieGyllblad

Email: jennie.gyllblad@gmail.com