Into the Smoke Chapter 1 is COMPLETE!
As with most webcomics, I’m taking a break between chapters to rebuild my buffer. That way, I can continue to put out long, fulfilling episodes through chapter 2. Want to know when Into the Smoke will return? Here’s my full schedule!
Get notified when chapter 2 launches
Full Hiatus Schedule
•October 30: I have several new Into the Smoke character portraits! It’ll post here on the ITS website in Episode Extras, Patreon, and social media (see the sidebar/footer for a full list of links – but my main platforms are Tumblr and Bluesky). In other words, see you next week!
•November 6 (week of): EARLY ACCESS – Into the Smoke: The Clybourn House starts posting for Secret Gallery Patrons. This is an adult short story about Blaze, Judd, and Blaze’s relationship with the ghosts in a notorious Chicago haunted house. It takes place one year before Into the Smoke. Details coming soon!
•November 13: We’ll have an Into the Smoke minicomic here on the ITS website, in Episode Extras. There will also be a Character Q&A with Blaze in the comments section! So, start thinking of what kinds of questions you want to ask our favorite disaster medium.
•November 20: We’ll have a special Into the Smoke illustration I’ll be sharing here on the ITS website, in Episode Extras!
•December 4: TBD
•December 18: ITS Chapter 2 COVER REVEAL
•January 8: ITS Chapter 2 Episodes Resume, with new episodes every other Wednesday.
•Ongoing throughout hiatus: Patrons pledging to the Bonus Tier and higher will get early access episode installments as they become available
•Ongoing throughout hiatus: My other webcomic, Demon of the Underground, will continue to update every other week for Bonus Tier patrons and higher, with all patrons getting scene compilations whenever a scene is completed. New pages can be read on Patreon, or on the Demon of the Underground website by linking your Patreon account.
[Edit: The character portraits and bonus illustration switched dates, because the portraits were finished first and the illustration needs more work!]
Subscribe to the Into the Smoke Newsletter to get episode alerts (and hiatus extra alerts) by email!
Fast Updates are Hard!
It was really important to me to share ITS chapter 1 quickly for the sake of pacing, but if you read webcomics, you know how crazy my update schedule was for chapter 1. A typical healthy webcomic release schedule is 1 page per week, maybe more for people with great funding. I posted the equivalent of 70 pages in 22 weeks. That’s more than 3 full-color pages per week—essentially a full-time work schedule.
Your Patreon pledge helps me make episodes faster!
Consider pledging on Patreon to support Into the Smoke. Into the Smoke is a high-detail, labor-intensive, full-color webcomic that updates at a quick schedule, and I can only keep this pace with help from patrons. If you enjoy the comic and can afford to support it, I greatly appreciate any and every pledge of all sizes! Your pledge helps me keep the comic free for people who couldn’t afford to pay for it—and I can even pay my bills too!
Can’t do a subscription?
Pick up Into the Smoke’s in-development PDF as a pay-what-you-want download on itch.io! It’s currently updated to episode 9. Once it’s updated to episode 12, a price will be set for the download, but until then you can pay whatever amount you want—and any number above $0 will also get you the full chapter download for free once it’s released!
Free Ways to Help Into the Smoke
Indie projects are kept alive by reader enthusiasm! Right now, while I’m crunching new pages but can’t post them yet, is when I really need a boost from all of you!
1. Tell people about the comic! Are you part of fandom communities that take webcomic recs? Discord, Reddit, just chatting at a con? Tell them about ITS! (Always abide by community rules and don’t spam, and don’t promote ITS in other creators’ spaces unless they invite recs or it’s part of natural conversation.)
2. Share and boost ITS-related posts on social media! Even if you don’t have a big following, likes and shares help the algorithm on most platforms, even Tumblr and Bluesky, my main platforms. Full site list in the sidebar/footer! And if you see other readers posting about ITS, support them too!
3. Make stuff and have fun! I’ve already been so moved by what y’all have shared. <3 And to reiterate, yes, you have permission to use my art for ITS-related memes, tiktoks, etc. as long as it’s credited.
4. Vote on Top Webcomics! It’s one of my best free sources of new readers, and you can vote every day. The more days the better! It’s especially helpful during hiatus. And join the Discord if you want vote reminders! Vote for Into the Smoke on Top webcomics!
Big thanks to everyone for an AWESOME chapter 1 run! I hope to see y’all for the hiatus extras!
