Welcome to the Trading Post
We deal in the trade of stories
Hello Substack.
Who: I’m Abrian Curington, Visual Storyteller and Cartographer. I’m a major nerd, serious tea drinker and I’ve been telling tales of wonder for over ten years. Now I’m here to share a new tale:
What: It’s a full-color YA comic, slated to be approximately 350 pages. Technically a Modern Fantasy tale, it is both literary and comedic, fusing ancient Roman history with the modern lives of multifaceted characters (some more literally multifaceted than others), presented with a clean, clear look; something between Tintin and Revolutionary Girl Utena.
In the twilight of the Era of Gods in Ancient Rome, Juppiter reigned supreme over the Pantheon... until Janus slew him. It was an accident, of course, but the gods faded away soon after, leaving bits of their powers to pass down through humans over time. Now, in the Digital Age, receiving the burden of an old god’s power isn’t considered a pleasant gift, especially Janus' powers, and their tendency to split the owner's personality into a million pieces. Marjam has just taken on Janus' powers with no trouble at all. At least that's the lie she's been telling. But when she gets trapped in Tartarus – The Prison of Wicked Souls, on an admittedly sketchy rescue mission, her broken powers are not enough to get her back out.She does have one trick left up her sleeve, but it would require confronting the truth about herself... She'd rather stay trapped in the Infernal Pit.
It’s a tale of letting go of who you were, in order to accept the person that you have become, and will grow to be.
For fans of intersections. Like:
Deep research influencing light humor (no thank you, worldbuilding dumps)
Magic and cellphones co-existing (impossible!)
Girls who can be tomboys and do ballet (what a crazy notion)
Lavender Towne meets The Underworld (I suppose that’s gloom x gloom, actually)
The Latin language and… actually speaking it sometimes (GASP!)
When: It will update with a new scene on the first of every month, mirroring the website. As we are behind the site a few months, I will be posting a multi-scene first post, to catch up.
Disclaimer: This comic has been running full steam on Patreon for paid members, as well as for free on my website, Blue Cat Co.. I just thought Substack would enjoy the read as well. This platform will only be for sharing this and future comics, so if you’d like to hear me talk comics, process, progress, creative life, etc., I suggest joining me on Patreon.
Please enjoy your read!
Until next time,
Abrian Curington