Transcript: Chapter 2, Episode 17
A line of prayer appears in Latin in front of a decorative pattern backdrop. An English translation reads, “Place upon me, Lord, the helmet of salvation, that I may overcome the assaults of the devil.”
Judd’s face is shown, his eyes closed as he prays. He wears his black shirt with Roman collar, and he touches his amice, a piece of rectangular white cloth, to the back of his head.
Across three panels, Judd wraps the amice around his shoulders, wraps the end ribbons around his back, then ties it in a bow in front of his chest.
As Judd dons his alb, a long, loose white tunic, he continues praying in Latin. Text in English reads, “Purify me, Lord, and cleanse my heart… so that, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, I may enjoy eternal bliss.”
As Judd holds up a long golden cord with tassels on each end, he prays, “Lord, fasten the cincture of purity around me…”
Judd wraps the cincture around his waist, praying, “…and extinguish in my loins the desire of lust…” Pulling the belt tight, he continues praying, “so that the virtue of continence and chastity—“
Suddenly, a flashback appears of Blaze during their walk together, biting his lower lip. Judd’s eyes widen with shock, and he blushes.
Judd grits his teeth and squeezes his eyes shut, a look of strain on his face.
Yanking the cincture taut around his waist, Judd prays, “So that the virtue of continence and chastity… may ever abide within me.”
Judd exhales a heavy breath, a bead of sweat on his cheek.
A logo appears: Into the Smoke. Intothesmokecomic.com
An image shows nine ghost hands converging to pet Otto, a content fat black cat. Each hand has several names written on it. Text reads: Special Thanks to my Patrons. Pledge on Patreon at patreon.com/bob_artist. The words “Pledge on Patreon” are crossed out and replaced with the words, “Pet Otto.” An additional URL reads intothesmokecomic.com.
Big thanks to everyone who supported Into the Smoke on Patreon during hiatus! You can see some new names on the credits sheet too! Also, another big thanks to our guest episode artists during the break.
I’ve been looking forward to this scene for SO long. I need all the Judd angst (and vestments). And we have a few more episodes of this coming!
If you read the episode and saw the notice, here’s what’s going on, and why there’s a chance I might not be able to continue making Into the Smoke without some extra help.
The short version:
I need to drastically increase my Patreon pledges to continue making webcomics as I have been. This is because a delayed graphic novel project is back on my plate and will take up most of my work hours, but I won’t get paid for it again until 2028. Whatever I do outside the graphic novel is the only income I’ll have for the next 2 years. My webcomics and Patreon would take up all my remaining time, so unless it covers all my bills, I’d have to turn to other work instead.
You can read the long version with all the details about what’s going on here.
My Patreon has been a lifeline, and I owe so much to my readers who have made it possible for me to make webcomics, novels, and other creative work for the past ten years. But after inflation and other changes, my Patreon earnings aren’t currently high enough to carry me through 2 years as my sole income.
On the other hand, if I had to pause my webcomics to take on other work, I’d lose a good chunk of the Patreon support I do have, and that means I might not be able to come back to them after these two years are over. That’s why I’m trying my best to bridge that gap in funding so I can get through without having to discontinue anything.
I brought this up first to my existing patrons and free members about a week ago (in the link above). The ask: “I need to increase Patreon pledges by about $750/month to continue making webcomics as I have been.”
And man, that gang is awesome because they brought in about $280 in new and increased pledges. That is HUGE. I didn’t expect anywhere near that level of instant response, and it makes me so much more hopeful that we actually can reach a level I can sustain for these two years.
So that leaves $470/month that we still need to raise. Here’s my most recent update post.
It’s not an all-or-nothing goal. If I can even get close, I can bridge the gap through savings and shop sales and occasional small freelance jobs. But we do need to get closer before I can bridge the gap reliably. Also, a lot of my existing patrons who increased their pledges won’t be able to maintain it long term, so new pledges are especially essential.
Even $2/month adds up if enough people join in. And of course, there’s tons of bonus stuff you get when pledging, including:
So there’s a lot. But I especially hope you’ll pledge to keep Into the Smoke itself running! I want more than anything to keep working on this story, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading it for the next two years too.
And thank you for reading! I’m glad to be back from hiatus!!
