I’ve slowed down on the updates here. I figure the website is pretty much up and running, and since I have an Up-Coming Events page, I don’t see a need to post as often here. That said, I do want to make a couple announcements!
~I’ve opened a Square Shop! The shop widget I had downloaded broke and I had no idea for how long. So I’ve opted to go with a more professional site in hopes this won’t happen again. I was able to brand it, and have my comics up for sale there now. The zines and comics in my shop were all printed in the USA (with possibly Aradia Beat being an exception, but I believe it was US printed) ; some at NJC Printing in St. Louis, Mo; Minuteman Press in St. Louis, MO; ColorHaus, Portland, OR; my home printer (The Whimper in the Dark).
~Aradia Beat, Volume 1: TGIF the 1990s and Dark Horse Fashion Zine: Kanna (all of Kanna’s outfits, world building, interviews, and more) are complete and available in my Square Shop.
~Summer in Aradia, a FREE zine from Aradia Collective for Magical Girl Comics is ready for you to read and enjoy! Released in 2023, it’s still a fun little art (and one comic) zine for you to check out! Dark Horse has a comic to this zine, “On the Beach.”
~Mostly finished updating Le Galerie. I still have one page to complete (the crossovers page). I will update fan art as I receive pieces and have time. Right now I’m sitting on two pieces I need to upload, but I forgot how to do that with the coding on that page D: The struggle is real!
~Cleaned up/fixed a few small issues. Patreon Logo in side bar was updated by their platform and was a poor choice of colors, so I uploaded the older one. Paypal button often wasn’t visible, so I just deleted it and added information on my Patreon page for how to Paypal me donations. Naan, Aradia’s Head Witch, updated our collective buttons, so I uploaded that one for Aradia Collective for Magical Girl Comics.
~YouTube (BlueTube?) gets updated every now and then. I add and remove videos as I remember/want.
~Up-Coming Events has been updated! Blue Dragon Art will be at The Spot Market in December 2024! I’m also on the wait-list for 2024 Portland Zine Symposium in September, 2024. Keep an eye on the Up-Coming Events page for more markets and appearances!
~My partner and I released a FREE .pdf imposition tool, Imposify. To learn more about it, or to use this open source code FOR FREE (no strings attached, and no tracking of your personal business), visit https://imposify.com/
~Comic Fury Zine is still publishing! This is our 5 Year Anniversary! I advertise this project here, since I’m the team lead. We have Safe for Work and Not Safe for Work issues. In 2023 we had “Pschedelica.” Due to personal reasons, I had to post-pone the “A Walk in the Woods,” which released Spring of 2024. We’re currently working on “Creepy Cryptids,” slated to release July 2024. Our other 2024 zine will be “Fall with the Fae,” scheduled to release in late Autumn 2024.
~Kool Whirled: In Kingdom Blanc has begun updating! This is an “animated” gif comic inspired by Caza’s Kris Kool. It is its own story, and I’m excited to be sharing this comic! It is VERY NSFW with foul language, nudity, sex, and a smattering of violence. Once completed, I will be submitting it to Silver Sprocket Publishers to see if I can get it published π If not, I’ll look into self publishing.
~Per usual, Dark Horse participated in Valentine’s Day Sex Drive 2024. This year it was Oisin. You can check out all VDSD on my Extras Page at the bottom (I keep the NSFW stuff there). VDSD no longer has a website (that I can tell), so this is a word of mouth/networking event. If you’d like to participate, let me know and I’ll get you in touch with the current coordinator, Shan W.
Not directly related to my art or work:
~I try to keep this website mostly non-political. I am, however, disgusted at the genocide that’s been ongoing against the Palestinians, and my own nation’s refusal to stop supporting a country that’s gone astray (well, they are modeled after the US after all). I haven’t been too vocal on my social medias. I’m not very active on them, but also I question how much that helps a cause, when I’m either preaching to the choir or not reaching anyone? I digress. My first boss was from that area, and his wife from Jordan. They are kinds soul who moved to the US and worked his way up to owning his own restaurant. He and his family did so much for me, and the community. In my college years, I met others who at that time were refugees (in the 2000s). When a nation who should feel the pain of murder for one’s belief’s and race forgets their own past, they are wrong. It’s hard to know what to do when you’re overseas, so the best I can do is boycott name brands that support Israel’s war effort. This country’s actions does not fall in line with the nation’s main religion: most of my Jewish US friends and associates are HORRIFIED by this wanton display of murder and destruction. If you also demand justice for Palestine, please consider writing your government officials (if only to have a record, but perhaps if enough people protest, something will be done? I’m a bit cynical here), or support humanitarian groups: Heal Palestine; Palestine Children’s Relief Fund; BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions). I’ve also been boycotting companies like Burger King (I mean, the only thing I can eat there is the Impossible, and Burgerville is better anyway, so this is a lazy boycott), Chevron, Sabra (making your hummus tastes better anyway), Puma, HP, and others. You can learn more at BDS’ website. It’s pretty easy to just not shop things we don’t need, but the fuel is a bit trickier. While all gas companies (Shell, BP, etc) are crap, I suppose sending a message this way is still important. Please also don’t forget there’s a war going on in Ukraine (still). Just had to mention that, since we’re still aware of that on-going travesty. Pray for peace, but take action to make it so.
I think that’s about all I have to update. I may add more later this year, but as I mentioned, I think things are fairly steady now on the website, so I will probably only need to do maybe one update a year. Thank you all the new and returning readers! You all rock! And thank you to anyone who has supported me! I really can’t tell how much that means to me and how it helps me keep the free stuff flowing.
Peace and love,
~Blue Dragon/Ashleen
6-26-24
________________
Welcome to New Year 2023 folks! Thank you for your readership and support! Last year was quite an emotional one for me (well, the last two years have been. Vascular dementia is different from regular dementia, and I wish that curse upon no one). I am still working through the grieving process, however, I have been seeing a grief therapist regularly for a while now and will continue to do so. That is all to say; I am okay. We carry on. Through it all, I am proud to say there were little to no disruptions to Dark Horse‘s posting schedule (aside from the occasional WordPress issue. It’s a thing. I try to keep abreast of when scheduled pages don’t post. All the same, I apologize for those. I have tried to fix it, but it’s something to do with WordPress).
I have so many plans for 2023! Whereas I could not complete the edits for Dark Horse, Act 4: Transition, I have a plan-like a legit plan, not nebulous “do it sometime”-to complete this project in 2023. My buffer is building for regular updates. I am catching up and even getting ahead. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some updates from the end of 2022, as well as turn to the future for what’s on the horizon for the up-coming months!
~Aradia Beat: TGIF the ’90s zine is nearly ready to launch its Kickstarter! I beseech any and all magical girl (person) fans to check out this diverse project which highlights artwork and stories from members within and without the Aradia Magical Girls Collective. Keep up to date at their Kickstarter page here!
~Comic Fury Zine, NSFW “Travels in Space” blasted off into cyberspace successfully! Check out all the stellar indie comickers and their extra-ordinary one-shots, as well as community art here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ofC7FYpXCMDPglqh5NezeOYanYYF6yUa/view?usp=sharing
~2022 Secret Santas and fan art gifting was a lot of fun this year! Check out our gallery/collaborations to see some of the art. The rest will be uploaded to an improved Le Galerie once I finally get to fix the coding and make it easier to load.
~Dark Horse will be participating in the Valentine’s Day Sex Drive 2023! The artwork will post to the main page and stay up for about a week or to, then will be moved to the Le Galerie.
~CFZ will continue to publish and promote indie artists, free of discrimination (first come/first served), in the year 2023! We hope you’ll help support independent art by visiting our website and the comics of our contributors.
~I am planning to create a free Dark Horse fashion zine to delve into the fashions of the characters and a give a bit more depth through our expression of our inner selves and identities with our outer garb. That’s just to say, I want to make a free fashion .pdf for people to enjoy to explore the clothing choices of Dark Horse characters. Inspired by the Glitter and Gold Aradia Fashion Zine.
~Starting to script out and plan a “prelude” to better introduce readers to the story of Dark Horse. Details to come later. Much later. This is gonna be a short story that will actually contain stuff that I plan to delve into when we complete Dark Horse and begin Seishin.
~Dark Horse, Act Four: Transition edits will be completed for sure in 2023, and it will be added to our shop in .pdf form, and ideally print as well. No it won’t, as 2023 went a bit sideways (6/26/24)
I think that’s all I need to reveal right now. That’s all pretty ambitious, but I have a lot more in store for 2023! I hope you are enjoying yourselves! Keep safe, and take care!
~Blue Dragon/Ashleen
1-13-23
________________
July is coming to a close, and I’m compelled to add a few updates. Before I do, I want to pay homage to my father who passed away last week. It was a long, hard journey, but he is finally resting. While not perfect (as none of us are), I have a lot of fond memories with him. We spent a lot of time together when I was in my pre-teens and teens, and helping him do land surveys and just wander around in nature was a pure joy. Between he and my mother, they both instilled a deep love for nature in their own ways. My first walking stick was an ash tree (we in part picked it because my nickname was “Ash”) that he took me out to pick, he cut, and used linseed oil to cure. He showed me surveying stones set in place by Abraham Lincoln when we surveyed a cemetery in my home town (the town closest to us, I grew up in the country). We visited nature preserves locally, and surveyed for the Jim Edgar State Wildlife Park, a reserve known in the Central Illinois and enjoyed by many animals and people alike. We shared a love of 60s and 70s music (and a good deal of alternative grunge rock), and sarcastic silly comedy like Monty Python and Cheech and Chong. Helping my family care for him in his last days has been very difficult. It’s compounded by watching your loved one slowly fade before your eyes, with nothing you can do but keep them comfortable. Death Cab for Cutie have a beautiful, yet melancholic lyric that helped during this time of emotional hardship (and still helps. We are, very certainly, still in mourning): “Love is watching someone die.” I can’t think of any lyric that’s more appropriate.
To my father: We had many difficult times, and times we didn’t see eye to eye. But through it all, we understand you rose above a difficult childhood. You did your best. And you gave us many fond memories. You are loved and will be missed.
For obvious reasons, I wish to keep these updates brief. My primary concern at the moment was to write some sort of words to try to…articulate the love I had for my father. I have been blessed with parents that loved me in their own ways. Very differently, not always perfectly, but in ways that left everlasting love within me. I am thankful for what they have given me.
~Glitter and Gold, Aradia Magical Girl Fashion Zine was released earlier this year. You can find more info on it on my Collaborations page.
~Dark Horse is participating in a ’90s Magical Girl zine put on by Aradia Magical Girl Collective. This promises to be a large publication. I’ll share more info when the Kickstarter begins.
~Comic Fury Zine, “In Dreams” is available for free to read. You’ll find a one-shot short story from Dark Horse within its pages! Share link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iejXlQlFNh-zv5yfGL4LhNQDdldYqibd/view?usp=sharing
~August 1, 2022, Comic Fury Zine will be opening applications for our NSFW “Travels in Space” zine! Check out our main website for information on the application process.
~Le Galerie is finally ready for updating. I plan to work on this once I return home.
~I am starting to edit Dark Horse, Act Four: Transition for print. I plan to have this project completed before the end of 2022.
I may have more updates, but that is all for now. Take care, love each other, and keep safe.
~Blue Dragon/Ashleen
7-27-22
________________
Time for a website update!
I hope you are all doing well, and having a good year thus far. I am disgusted by the awful events taking place in the Ukraine, and my heart goes out to the people suffering (and yes, that includes the Russians who are against this utterly stupid bloodshed. I hope and pray they are able to overthrow and put a stop to the murder and nonsense, though I have little faith that will happen). As I assume many of you out there are caring and empathic, but like me have no clue how to help the effort, I am linking this NPR (one of the few news sources I trust) Article to offer ways of assisting from afar. Many of us feel useless in this situation. Everyone is hurting because of one useless man’s hubris, and the tangle of bullshit keeping those closest from ousting him. It is despicable, and sad.
Without trying to be tone-deaf, I also need to place some updates regarding The Crystal Lotus Chronicles: Dark Horse and this website’s concerns. I hope that my shift in tone isn’t too jarring, and doesn’t come off as callus. With that in mind, the following are the most up to date plans.
~Since the beginning of April, Dark Horse is updating TWO pages a week! Mondays and Fridays! I am currently working on Act 9: Battle Royal, so I wanted to share Act Eight: Opposition here at a much faster pace! This means double the comics weekly! Duh! I can count! Thank you Sesame Street XD XD
~In other news, I am slowly working on updating Le Galerie. It is a very slow process, mainly because I have been traveling to my parents every month and a half. So my time has been compromised as I try to keep up with my comic schedule, videos, and other work. I hope to complete this task by the end of 2022!
~I updated my Patrons/SubscribeStar page to include my newest Patrons(respecting their privacy), as well as my SubscribeStar member! Their support has been integral in helping me keep motivated, but also to replace my scanner which just went kaput. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! You truly are making a difference, and you should know how much I value your help! Thank you!
~Just added new videos to my YouTube page to keep things updated. Feel free to sub to my channel for a variety of videos. I try to pick nice music so you can work while I babble, if you just like background noise :3 I also try to add value and talk about my own improvements, as a means to inspire others. If I can improve, anyone can improve!
~Because of my messed up travel schedule, I’m not sure at this moment whether I’m going to have any in person outdoor events. I would like to, for sure, but I haven’t had any plans at this point. Gotta take care of one’s mental health, as well as their physical health, yo!
~I also intend to begin edits for Act 4: Transition. I want to prepare it for printing and digital .pdf, as well as to send off the copyright office. I received my copyright for Act Three: Days of Futures Passed! I was stoked to get that paper in my hot little hands >:D Thank you again to my supporters for helping me fund these projects!
~I added Karin Blu and Ozias to the Cast page! I am working on Character Biographies for Rensha, Rowena, and Rowan, as well as a character we meet in Act 8: Opposition π Once they are complete, they will be added to my Cast page. Characters are listed in the order in which they appear in the comic :3
~I am aware my website is a flaming hot dumpster fire when viewing it on a mobile phone. My partner and I are going to try to work on the layout and coding to see how I can make it more user friendly on phones. You can read the comic okay, but everything else is a jumbled mess. For that: I apologize! I know a lot of people rely on their phones for Internet, and believe you me I want this to be as accessible as possible for everyone! If I had a team of knowledgeable people to help, it’d be fixed. Alas! Everything relies on me, who can’t code her way out of a paper bag, and my partner, who’s busy with his own stuff and mostly used Python. But! I am aware of the issue, and while it will take time, we will get to fixing it. In the meanwhile, please accept my apologies. Really, I am embarrassed by the mess D:
~I’ll be working on a few tweaks to streamline and clean up the Shop. I don’t think I need to list the same Act 2 for digital and hard copy, so I’ll be combing those, using only one image, and just having the digital and hard copy options under the one description. I am also trying to figure out how to use the Environa Gallery to link to a description page for original/traditional art that’s for sale.
~Aradia Magical Girl Collective is working on the completion of their fashion magazine, of which Dark Horse is a participant. I am excited to share this FREE zine once it’s been released. Stay tuned for updates!
~There is a new tab under Le Galerie titled Collaborations. This is where collaborative pieces with other artists/collectives/group will be shared.
~And finally, Comic Fury Zine is currently accepting applications through April 22! So in July, I will have a new FREE zine to share with everyone, highlighting amazing art by members of the ComicFury community! The theme for the summer edition is “In Dreams.” It promises to be an awesome piece of art! I’ll keep you all informed.
I think that’s about it for updates! If you have any questions, polite suggestions, or just want to drop me a line, feel free to e-mail me at: cerulean.graphics@gmail.com.
Take care of yourselves out there, be safe, and love one another!
~Blue Dragon/Ashleen
4-15-22
________________
Extra! Extra!
It’s nearly the end of the year, and it’s about time I did some upkeep here on The Crystal Lotus Chronicles! I’ve been on break from drawing new pages, but while I’m planning and thumb-nailing the next acts, I’m also working on updating several tabs here. So without further ado, let’s get into what’s been done, started, and planned.
~Cast Page updated! Reordered characters in the order in which they appear in the comic. In 2022, this page will be updated again to add The Siblings, Karin Blu, and a few other characters.
~Working on adding traditional art pieces to the Shop. I have installed a gallery widget, and am working on creating a nice, well laid out gallery within the shop. I am still working on how to list prices and how to add images to cart.
~Finally divested this website of the invasive, annoying Google Ads that got in my way, and I’m sure were vexing to readers. I now use Comic Ad Network. They were created by comickers, for comickers, and are ads specifically for comics/games/etc. I much prefer these ads as they support other comic artists, as well as myself, and connect readers to other comics…not whatever the hell Google was putting up here (seriously, I saw fashion ads before I blocked ads on my own website).
~Updating Le Galerie. Trying to make it more visually pleasing, and hopefully upload quicker. Please excuse the dust.
~Debating on having “recaps” or “timelines” or something special as a quick reference for anyone needing it. This planned recap will also have a character key, similar to what’s found in ongoing manga.
~Updating the About page. We will be adding an image or two, and updating the synopsis.
And that’s all I can think of for now, but as always, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to send me an e-mail: cerulean.graphics@gmail.com. If it’s something I don’t mind implementing, I may take suggestions! Otherwise, I hope you are all enjoying the comic, and have a fantastic Winter Season! If you celebrate a holiday, I hope you have a good one! And Happy Christmas to those who celebrate.
Take care of each other! Keep on truckin’
~Blue Dragon/Ashleen
12-19-21
________________
It’s time for another update!
October was quite the busy month for me, and I desperately need to update Le Galerie with the exchanges that took place this year. However, there will be an announcement for that once the time comes! For now, let’s talk about some stuff that’s ready for you to enjoy right now!
~Back in August, Blue Dragon Art participated in the Web Comics Library (WCL) online convention. WCL has now released most of the convention on their official YouTube Channel. You may watch the Magical Girls in Web Comics panel here. Since many members of the Aradia Collective also participated in other panels, I encourage you to check out the rest of the WCL channel, as well!
~Natural Wonders Zine is now available to purchase! While not Dark Horse related, Blue Dragon Art (Ashleen Woods) participated by submitting four pages to this Pride Month Zine! Please check it out and support Indie Artists! (Disclaimer: Artists have already been paid for their contribution. Purchasing this zine helps compensate the organizer for the costs of printing the zine, as the Kickstarter was all or nothing and was a bit short of its goal.)
~Comic Fury Zine, Volume 2, Number 2 is now available for you to read, share, and enjoy! This time, the theme was Spooky Campfire Stories! Please help spread the word about the zine and the artists of Comic Fury by sharing this zine! Sharing link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OUFFl_4pmFTlmqrPQiZG5_Rw_xkflJtv/view?usp=sharing
~Dark Horse Act 3 is now available to purchase both in hard copy form and digital form! It includes edited/updated art (though, I will admit, two pages in the hard copy have screentone mistakes due to my rushing to have prints ready for the Summer Artists’ Market). While Dark Horse will remain free to read, any purchases from the Shop helps support the comic and of course, Blue Dragon Art. Thank you for your consideration!
~Dark Horse participated in the 2021 Halloween Crossover Exchange on ComicFury! You may read the exchange from the beginning, see my submission here, and/or also read the submission gifted to Dark Horse!
~Dark Horse, Volume 2, Act 8 is underway! It is currently posting on Webtoons, but will be available to read here in April of 2022! I am very, very close to being caught up with the revamp! Which, I’ll talk about in the closing paragraph(s) of this update!
~In 2022, The Shop will be updated with original, traditional art pieces up for purchase. Most of these will be Copics/Colored Inks on Bristol. Stay tuned for this addition to the shop! There are also new RedBubble items available as of September 2021.
As you can see, a lot has been happening since we last updated! And I want to talk about some of my future goals for this website! As I mentioned, I have almost caught up with the revamp of Dark Horse. By the end of Act 9, I will have replaced all the original pages that read right to left. They will, even on ComicFury, read from left to right (the way my native tongue reads). At that point, goal one of the revamp will have been achieved!
So what is goal two? Well, at that point, I’ll be focusing on fixing/editing pages/panels I am not happy with. I will continue updating the “revamp” on Webtoons (here, and my other mirror sites), at a speed that is faster than where I am at on ComicFury. The goal is catch up and finish first time edits as fast as I can (which is why I post a page a day on Webtoons, with a month or two break in between acts), so that I catch up to where the story is at on ComicFury. Once this goal is achieved, I will be going full force here on my main site to catch it up to that point.
What I mean by that is I will switch to posting a page a day, until it has caught up to the most up-to-date page of Dark Horse. Once this goal is reached, I will then start shifting gears to make sure that THIS website posts its page even before ComicFury. The goal here is to make this truly my main Dark Horse website. At that point, I will be able to apply for the Spider Forest Collective, which has been a goal of mine for at least three or four years. Being part of this collective would allow Dark Horse more attention, but will also have me (the artist/writer) interacting with other creators and helping other comickers in the online web comics community! Being a part of this collective will mean I will have responsibilities of helping with future applications to the collective, as well as other parts of the forums and collective. As it’s important to me to help foster the success of other artists (in whatever small way I can), this has been a big picture goal of mine for a while! At this point, I anticipate Dark Horse will be caught up with the revamp by the end of 2022, or at the latest, by the end of 2023 (though, I have high hopes to attain this sometime in 2022: that is the year I am at least aiming to complete this task).
Another goal regarding this website, is to divest myself of the Google Ads. I know how absolutely obnoxious they are, but I made the poor decision of adding them to this site before realizing you could not “cash out” until you reached $100 in ad revenue. As a result, this site is riddled with a ton of ads, which makes reading undesirable. They also prevent me from ADVERTISING this website on Top 100 Web Comics, because Google is clueless and considers these advertisements to be “buying views,” further keeping me from getting to the $100 threshold. So I am trying to make time to ready this site for advertising with Comic Ad Network. This is the advertising group that grew out of the wake of Project Wonderful closing down. The creators of this site are members from the comic community, have comics of their own, and are people who care and are invested in independent artists. I currently use them on my ComicFury site, and have been very happy with the ease of which their coding was installed, and how hands off I can be with the whole thing. Another great part of Comic Ad Network, is that the ads are RELEVANT to comics and art! There are some games and other art/animation related members of the site, but the majority of advertisers are other comic artists. Which means that the ads shown are usually comics! And the site helps create income for other artists: which is a win/win in my book!
That’s a little update on where things are going here on The Crystal Lotus Chronicles website. I’m excited to catch up with the revamp, so I can start working full force on pushing our story forward! I have a lot of ground to cover in Dark Horse, before we can transition into Seishin (Spirit), which is the next installment of the The Crystal Lotus Chronicles. I thank you all for joining me on this trip, and I hope you are enjoying the story thus far! I have so much to share! If you have any questions, please direct them to cerulean.graphics@gmail.com.
Take care, be safe, and I’ll see ya next update!
~Blue Dragon/Ashleen
11-7-21
________________
Here we are, and 2021 is already over halfway over! I hope you all have been keeping safe, being responsible, and looking out for not only yourselves, but also your friends and neighbors! Okay, no more being cryptic: get your vaccine, please. You don’t want what happens in Dark Horse to become a reality!
In the aforementioned update entry, I mentioned I had a lot of exciting projects I’ve been working on: and as of last week, I just got some of them finished up! So check out all these cool projects, and set the date for some up-coming events!!
~Comic Fury Zine, Not Safe for Work Edition is complete! There are some graphic entries from the independent artists, so be forewarned. Everyone brought their A-Game to this zine, and myself and CFZ team are so proud to present this to you all! You can also watch my video advertising the zine right here on this site under the YouTube tab.
~Natural Wonders Kickstarter is underway now! There are 11 independent artists and writers who participated in this Pride Month zine celebrating not only the diversity of humanity, but also the wonderful beings of the natural world! But check this out soon, because in 24 days, this Kickstarter ends. So please help support these artists (self included XD).
~August 21 and 22, 2021, I’ll be participating as a panelist in an online Magical Girls Panel hosted by the Web Comic Library and Aradia Magical Girl Collective (there are magical everyone within many comics, including Dark Horse, but this panel is focusing on Magical Girls :3) The event will be hosted on Saturday 2pm EST to 5pm EST, and Sunday 2pm EST to 5pm EST. Please stop by! The event is free π
~Dark Horse Act 7, The Crystal Lotus is now complete! It is already uploaded and ready to post here beginning in November of 2021! We’re still enjoying Act 6, however, I wanted to share with you the progress that’s been completed.
There will undoubtedly be more events and projects Blue Dragon Art (my pseudonym) participates in, so if you’re interested, please check back here every couple months!
Be safe, look out for each other, be kind, and keep on truckin’!
~Blue Dragon/Ashleen
8-15-21
_________________
Since I’ve gotten this web site up and running (finally), I haven’t really had a lot of time to update the updates. There’s just so many projects I work on, that I’ve found it hard to commit to updating this section of the website. That said, if you’re a returning reader, you’ll notice I don’t miss updating the actual comic, which is the primary focus of The Crystal Lotus Chronicles.
But just because I haven’t been posting updates here, doesn’t mean I haven’t been doing anything special! So I’m going to just list out projects I’ve been working on over the past year, as well as current projects.
~2020 was filled with crossover exchanges
~Comic Fury Zine, Issue 2 was completed! Read it here!
~2020 fan art for indie comics I like! You can see that art in Le Galerie.
~2021, more crossover exchanges (I’ll be updating it later in Le Galerie).
~2021 VDSD. You can see it also in Le Galerie (or while reading).
~Act 3 of Dark Horse is ready for print, but I need to reorganize pages for the .pdf in the Shop. By the way, my partner reorganized the Shop to make it look presentable.
~I am participating in a Pride Month Nature Zine, titled Natural Wonders. When the Kickstarter is live, I’ll update my social medias!
~Comic Fury Zine, Issue 3 is underway! Scheduled for release some time in July, 2021.
~Created Bitchute account, but need to find time to create an intro video. I’m still uploading to Youtube.
I think that’s about the majority of projects I’ve been working on. We’re over halfway through Act Five of Dark Horse, and I’ve already got a good chunk of Act Six started π Enjoy the comic, and if you ever have questions, please e-mail me at cerulean.graphics@gmail.com
Be safe, look out for each other, be kind, and keep on truckin’!
~Blue Dragon/Ashleen
4-16-21
_________________
It’s been a couple of months…and uh…yeah it’s been a very tumultuous couple of months. I think it should be obvious why things have been a bit crazy, but as an update, we do live in the Portland area, and I’ve been very displeased with how our illustrious government has been handling the protests (but I’m also curious what we were all being distracted from, because yes: I think much of what our current president does is to distract from policies being pushed through, or crap the cabinet is doing). And I really shouldn’t have to say this, the people who know me understand this, but I feel it necessary to just state it: I do support Black Lives Matters, and the NAACP (particularly), especially since my former partner has conducted so much research with primary sources and interviews regarding the Great Migration, the Chicago Race Riots, predatory lenders–primarily regarding minorities, but also to a degree the white working class–and having both worked at the Lincoln Home and done much personal research for my own employment: yeah–I support reform. It’s been a long time coming. Maybe something will get done. I hope so.
So take this as “clout” or whatever you want to label it. Call me an “SJW” or someone pandering. Those who know me know my feelings towards this issue. I just want people to be free to live as comfortable and satisfying of lives as possible, without anyone impeding upon each other’s right to enjoy what short time we have on Earth.
Okay…I need to post an update about the site. I try to keep this primarily Dark Horse, Crystal Lotus Chronicles, comic project, and art related, but I felt that needed to be said. Now, let me bring you up to date on what I’ve been doing regarding comics and this website.
Not much on the site has been updated since we last spoke. But, I have been working on A LOT of projects so! Let’s begin (that’s like the second time I’ve predicated that I’m beginning the updates. Uh…yeah, I’m gonna leave it in there, too).
~It’s here! It’s completed! The first issue of Comic Fury Zine! And boy howdy, is it AWESOME (if I do say so myself. Which I just did). The artists who made this possible are just so frickin’ awesome! And the team who helped put this together are also amazing! What a great experience, with great artists and passionate creators! Please, please read it, and please also share it with everyone you know who likes comics! It’s under an non-commercial, no derivatives, attribution creative commons license, so share all you like, but keep it whole so the attribution is there, and don’t sell (please and thank you! Look at all this free entertainment). Here’s the link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rn5lZIVZ6MMVtSGE8gy6Icatr1z981wC/view?usp=sharing
~Dark Horse has gotten a couple new fan art pieces, so please check out Le Gallerie! I update it as I get new fan art, and I like to link to the artists’ websites π
~I am finally getting caught up enough to start focusing on the Shop, and I’m going to be adding some new products and solicit the assistance of my fiancee to help me better organize it and make it look better…because I know, it’s a hot mess right now. But the shop works!
~And on that note, I’m currently working on getting Act 3 of Dark Horse into print! I’ve only got a couple more pages to redraw, and then I’ve gotta find a local printer, or one near me. So I’ll make an announcement when it’s done!
~Regarding any purchases made from the Shop, I will be taking sanitation precautions when handling merch, such as wearing a mask and gloves when handling and packaging. We’ve also been “social distancing,” but yeah, still, better to be careful.
~Starting to educate myself a *tiny* bit on video editing…uh…yeah, we’ll see how that goes. The experimentation won’t really been seen until mid-August, so…I hope I can improve!
~Regarding my YouTube channel, it’s now on my “To-Do” in a reasonable time list to finally create a closing card that uh…acts as a closing card. It’s not done, but I’m seriously thinking about it now. So that means expect it next year XD (or sooner. Ideally sooner.)
~And finally, I’m going to try to start buying advertisements for Dark Horse, sooooo in that vein I created my very first .gif! Hurray! And this one that I linked I’m going to put on Top Web Comics. And I hope to expand to other sites, too. At least, a little bit.
Aaaaaand that’s it. I hope to have more to update in a month or two. We’re getting ready to start planning the next Comic Fury Zine for a holiday issue. So stay tuned for that!
I hope you are all keeping safe, taking important precautions when out and about, and doing something meaningful for yourselves and our fellow citizens and people. Lots of love, and hoping you are well.
Hang in there, peace and love, and keep on truckin’!
~Blue Dragon aka Ashleen
8-7-20
_______________________________________
Oh, it’s been a few months since I’ve had the time to post an update. Between moving over 2,000 miles, and the obvious pandemic, I have been very preoccupied with just keeping up with Dark Horse and other projects I’ve prioritized.
But, of course, if you’re a reader, you will know I was able to begin updating again in April, which makes me pleased as punch. And I’ve had it on my “To-Do” list to get my bum back here and post a status update and just give some general information. So without further ado, let’s get into the updates!
~”About Cookies” page has been created to inform visitors about cookies, and try to explain (the best as a layman can) what they’re for, and how and why they’re used. I don’t *think* I have to come up with a policy, but at the same time, I wanted people to know this is what’s going on with “cookies.”
~Veterans of Indie Comics Competition Update. Holy cow! I ended up reading over 3,000 episodes of comics (which was really more so over 4,000 pages, since some were scrolls or multiple pages.) It was well worth it! I met some amazing people on the judging team, picked up some new readers on Tapas, and discovered some amazing comics! The winner was decided by the Tapas community at the poll found here. First place was The Cat, The Vine, and The Victory (a very enjoyable and professionally illustrated comic.) Second place was my personal favorite, DreamDB, which is so creative, complex, and surreal! It is very unique and intriguing! Check it out! And a big thanks to TireProgrammer for planning and coordinating such a massive undertaking! She really is a star! You should check out her sci-fi comic Cyber Scrapyard. My teammates helping judge were also amazing! Check out their comics: Blue Life, Looking for Oasis, Oddly Vanilla, Probably Not Canon, Terra Prima, Treasure Hunt!
~Tested the Shop. I just got done testing the Shop! And it works! I got an e-mail letting me know what was purchased, who to send it to, and received payment. The next step is to update the “Thank You” page and let people know to check their spam box. I want an image there, too, and a little message. I am able to send .pdfs, however, the file is massive, and so I am looking into how to share a link to the .pdf of comics where the buyer can just download directly, rather than having their inbox filled with massive file X’D The struggle is real, but I’m working on it!
~The Comic Fury Zine is coming along nicely! We already held a logo contest and announced a winner (voted on by the community.) All participants for this first zine have submitted drafts and we’re now in the editing process. Hurray! We’re on schedule for releasing the Zine in mid-June/early July.
~My YouTube Channel got a new opening back in January, thanks to codename Dante Jenkins! He did a great job, and when I finally get around to creating an intro video, I want him to do it for me. He’s not taking any commissions from others right now, but if he does and wants me to share his business, I will share it!
So I’m sure there’s something I’m neglecting. I’ve been incredibly busy, in addition to the added stresses of not being able to take time to relax in public. I mean, I still go outside for walks, but you know, it’s mostly like a paranoia mind-f*ck. Still, I feel things are okay on my end, thankfully, and I wish the best to those of you struggling. I’m doing what is in my power to help. I hope it makes a difference.
Take care, be safe, wash your hands properly, and as my Tae Kwon Do teacher used to say, the best way to keep safe is to not intentionally put yourself in a possibly dangerous situation. So stay the f*ck home if you’re able to do so (obvious exceptions apply.)
But seriously, help each other, out, too, where you can.
Peace and love!
~Blue Dragon aka Ashleen
5-9-2020
_______________________________________
Here we are, foot deep in 2020! And I feel like I’ve gotten a ton started already! I hope the new year has been kind to all of you out there! I figured, since we just passed the second holiday of the year (MLK Day,) it might be time to post a little update!
So what all has the Crystal Lotus Chronicles (CLC)/Dark Horse gang been up to?
~You can now “Save” and “Load” your spot in the comic! Each save lasts for 2 years (I think.) It does use a “cookie” when you save, and I believe the save is local to whatever computer you accessed the comic on when you saved it. I don’t computer, I just have my fiancee help me add coding XD Each time you update your save, the previous cookie is erased, and the new save replaces it.
~Dark Horse was submitted into a Veteran Indie Comic Competition on Tapas.
~I am also a judge on it, reading around 34 comics (35 total.) I can’t rate my own comic, and trust me folks, I’m not going to win this XD I just wanted to participate and spread the comic around :3
~Dark Horse was also submitted for the 2020 ComicFury Blind Date Crossover.
~A Dark Horse character will also be participating in the Valentine’s Day Sex Drive! I think I know who I am submitting, but you’ll have to wait for Valentine’s Day to see the image π
~Forming a committee to create a ComicFury E-Zine/.pdf to help spread the word about our awesome community of ComicFury and the comics hosted there.
With so much going on, I’m trying to keep organized and make sure my comics and special events are on schedule for updates and completion. If you ever have questions about site updates, or Dark Horse/CLC, please feel free to contact me at cerulean.graphics@gmail.com.
We still have a long list of things to do, but I think the year has gotten off to a good start! I wish you all the best, please make sure to check back here for more updates!
~Blue Dragon/Ashleen
1-21-20
______________________________________________
Oh wow! It’s almost New Year’s! Can you believe we’re getting ready to start yet another new decade!? It’s crazy! I guess it does happen every ten years, but it still feels…interesting every time.
While I haven’t been posting updates, I have been getting so much work done! Some of which was on my list here, much of which was in preparation for Con+Alt+Delete, which I feel was a success! I learned so much, met so many cool people and cosplayers, and even sold a few items! I hope everyone who attended had a great time!
So as an update, I can cross the following off my list of things to do:
Dark Horse, Act 2 flip and printing is now complete!
In preparation for 2020, I’ve prepared a new list of New Year’s Art Resolutions. I have…quite a few, as was the case last year. I actually accomplished all but four of my resolutions for 2019! So those will be tacked onto my resolutions for 2020!
Here we go, 2020 Goals:
~Finish Scripting the end of Dark Horse (least realistic XD)
~Edit and make Act 3 or Dark Horse Revamp ready for print and .pdf
~Complete Acts 4, 5, and 6 of Revamp!
~Update shop and make it look nicer
~Participate in 2-3 ComicFury Crossovers (I did the ALL last year-Wow!)
~Finish the “Cast” page
~Attend at least 1 convention (maybe 2)
If any other goals for this site, and myself come up, I’ll be sure to add them later. There are a few goals I’m not adding here, as they haven’t much to do with this website π
I wish you all have an amazing New Year’s celebration, and please make sure to stay safe, too! Take care, and see you all in 2020!
~Blue Dragon/Ashleen
12-28-19
_______________________________________________________________
Well…September sure did go by fast! And I didn’t have time to update here…but not to worry, because I did not get much done!
Well, I got lots done, but nothing pertaining to this website. At least the comic has been updating per usual! Speaking of updates, let’s get into it!
I will not be attending Anime Senpai in October, which is a mixed blessing. I’ve been pretty busy, and I’m glad I don’t have to insanely print images. Although for my prep for Con+Alt+Delete, I’ve got quite a few stickers, prints, and other things started and planned! Hurray! Look for the Blue Dragon Art booth in the artists’ alley December 20-22, 2019!
I got some new fan art from an awesome comic creator over on ComicFury! Check out the gallery to see that piece, and some others I’ve just added!
Inktober is underway, and I will be sharing those with people over on my babble art blog, Cerulean Dreams Graphics. Check it out, if you like. I haven’t updated yet, but I will be posting something there in October.
I’m participating in ComicFury’s Halloween Crossover Exchange, so if you’re interested in seeing Dark Horse characters interact with other comics, please check it out! I’ll be linking this page once it’s ready π
A while back I joined Comic Ad Network, which has taken the place of Project Wonderful for Ads. Right now I have it only on my ComicFury site, but I may have a little side add here at some point. I want to get the Google Ad thing under control, since it posts in between paragraphs now, and I though I opted for it to only be top and bottom. I’m not the most tech savvy, unfortunately.
I was able to create an “Events” page, so feel free to check it out if you’re interested!
List of things I still need to do for this site/things to come
~Finish flipping last 4 pages of Act 2 (which require redraws/edits)
~Finish transcribing YouTube Videos (I got busy, but I will complete this task!
~Test the “Shop” out
Thanks for checking in! And hopefully I’ll have more for you next month!
Take care!
~Blue Dragon
10-3-19
_________________________________________________________
All you groovie people, I’ve got some great news to share with you this month!
July was intense, with a few…near breakdowns, and some serious re-organization and planning on my part! I started creating a schedule I think in June, but as with any plans and self employment, one needs to be flexible and willing to tweak things as issues arise. With the help of my dudefriend, I feel I was able to create a realistic daily schedule (kinda…I still try to do too much!)
So what’s new?
Well, thanks to my fantastic patrons, I was able to get an actual drafting desk! The one I had was a “hobo-rigged” cannibalized desk from Brad’s former DnD gaming table and a press-board desk that had fallen apart. He salvaged the desk drawers and sawed the game table in half to create a wonderful Frankenstein Monster of a desk that I really loved. But…it was extremely uncomfortable due to lack of open leg room. So from the savings I’d garnered from my beautiful patrons, I finally broke down and bought a new drafting desk XD Don’t worry, we didn’t just discard the other desk! It’s returned to being Brad’s project table. Now we both have work desks!
Other good news? The Shop is open for business! I worked on some coding and added some pages, and voilΓ ! The Shop should be fully functional! I have yet to test it, as it wouldn’t let me buy since my PayPal is the same as the seller. I have to run a test with my dudefriend’s account, or maybe have a friend make a purchase and re-reimburse them. But there’s a cart, there’s items to buy, there are buttons to press. Hurray! I did it!
I’ve registered for Con+Alt+Delete in Rosemont, right outside of Chicago! It’s a HUGE convention, usually seeing about 5,000 people attending! I’ve got a booth registered as an artist, and will have more details the closer we get to the event. Con+Alt+Delete takes place December 20-22, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. Look for Blue Dragon Art! I’ll be there with comics, stickers, prints, and more! Free Dark Horse bookmarks, a different one each day (one per person per day) and a different free paper sticker each day of the convention (one per person per day, please!) I am soooo stoked! But also, a bit nervous. It’ll be okay. It’ll be fun XD Man, I got a lot of prepping and planning to do!
I’m not finished flipping Act 2, but I’ve gotten about ten pages in! So, it’s coming along. I’ll update this site and report on the update once I get it all done. I’m also fixing issues as I see them, and editing text and other mistakes. So it’s not as simple as just “flipping” it horizontally…especially with Odysseus’ burnt out eye.
I’ve joined Amazon Affiliates! Well, I’ve rejoined it. This shouldn’t effect this comic page, but if you’re interested in anime and manga, I do reviews on my art blog: Cerulean Dreams Graphics. This month I’m starting with a review of the first arc of Sailor Moon, which posts this Friday! I’ll be doing Revolutionary Girl Utena also in August.
List of things I still need to do for this site/things to come:
~Finish flipping Act 2
~Create an “Events/Conventions Page”
~Find out if I’ve been accepted to Anime Senpai in Collinsville, IL (I should know by the end of August…hopefully!)
~Finish transcribing YouTube Videos (I got busy, but I will complete this task!
~Test the “Shop” out
I am receptive to constructive criticism, so if there’s anything you want to see, or mistakes I’ve made, or anything you think might improve my website, please let me know in the comments, or send me an e-mail at cerulean.graphics@gmail.com.
Thank you, and take care!
~Blue Dragon
8-1-19
_________________________________________________________
July sure came fast!
Time for some more updates on what’s going on here at The Crystal Lotus Chronicles website! I had a long laundry list of things to get done…and I got some of it marked off!
You can now progress the comic pages several ways! You can click the main image, and that’ll take you forward, you can just hit the “arrow” keys on your keyboard, and that’ll go either way, or you can use the navigation buttons at either the top or the bottom of the comic! Hurray for getting something figured out!
Le Galerie is fixed up and complete! But check back now and again for new additions! I participate in a lot of community projects and contests, so I add those when I get time. Please check it out!
YouTube has been updated! I have my thumb nails and banner are now matchy-matchy, so please check it out! I do a variety of videos, but I primarily focus on Dark Horse.
And now: Dark Horse Act One is here! I’m so excited! You can buy a hard copy or digital copy by e-mailing me at cerulean.graphics@gmail.com. The hard copy is $7.50 + Shipping. The digital .pdf is $3.00 and e-mailed to you! I take PayPal, so hit me up if you’d like to support the comic and have your very own copy! Let me tell you, NJC Printing did an AMAZING job! The pages are slick, 80#, full color (except the black and white pages-it looks just like the web comic, folks,) and the size is 5 x 7. Pages bleed where they’re meant to bleed, it’s saddle stitched…it’s beautiful, simply beautiful! I can’t wait to flip Act 2 and get it ready to go for print, also *o*
I’ve been accepted into a Magic Girl/Guy collective: Aradia! I have it listed along with the other buttons in the side bar. There’s a lot of cool comics, so please check them out!
Still on my list:
~I’ve applied for a small con in Collinsville, IL, but won’t hear back if I’m accepted until late August. I don’t want to submit for too many in the Midwest, cause we’re hoping to be out West before the end of the year (ideally.)
~Shop needs to be figured out and functional
~Flipping Act 2
~Setting up Events/Conventions page
If anyone out there has any suggestions, please feel free to comment, or send me an e-mail! I hope you all have a lovely rest of your July, and keep on truckin’!
~Blue Dragon
7-9-19
___________________________________________________________
Hey there visitors!
Well, time to stall drawing my next page! Just kidding (kind of.) It’s mostly done at this point, I’m just trying to multitask and complete a couple projects at one time. Ack! I also have editing to do for a client this week! Can I get it all done?
Yes I can!
But you’re not hear to read a pep talk to myself. You might have come hear to see what updates I managed during the month of May! And let me tell you…it wasn’t much. Gomen! The good news, though, is that while not much has changed on the site yet, I have been accomplishing a ton!
In “Le Galerie,” I finally added some Dark Horse Art for you all to view! I also added two new sections at the bottom of the page, which I plan to fill with images when I get time. I have a handful of things I want to share, but I haven’t had time to get it uploaded.
The shop. I have uploaded the plugin and began watching instructions on how it functions. I want to create some images for the webpage (for the shopping cart and little messages.) Maybe this possible, maybe it’s not. But I finally took the step to install it! I’m learning a lot about WordPress/Comicpress.
OMG! The MOST exciting part for me, and I hope you, too! I finished flipping Act One, and have edited, and edited, and then I did a little more editing and finally uploaded everything into InDesign. I have created a .pdf of Act One, with additional special art page that’s only available for people buying the comic either in digital form or hard copy. I’ve been gathering estimates from local printers and working on getting the first printing of the fixed Dark Horse Act One. Once the shop is up, I will have both hard copy and digital copies available for purchase. This is for people who want to support me–I am not taking Act One down. I intend to ALWAYS keep this comic free online, because I LIKE FREE STUFF, and I feel it’d be hypocritical to expect free things and not provide the service myself π Also, I want to share my story ^_^ Oh, and I have totally (and still am) been in positions to not afford comics and media entertainment. Yet it’s such an important part of our culture: part of being human! And there are so many under-privileged peeps who have every right to enjoy art and culture (this isn’t the same as demanding free art from a creator: I guess my thoughts are complex on the matter…)
So, yeah! I think that’s a pretty good place to leave the updates. Still to come:
~Finished Shop & Galerie
~Still need to look up how to progress pages by clicking current one
~Maybe updating the Youtube Page
~Flipping Act 2
~Possibly adding a “conventions” page, or “events” page
Thanks so much for stopping by, and please enjoy the site!
~Blue Dragon
6-5-19
Hey there!
We’ve entered May, and I thought I’d post a quick update. I still have some construction to do on the site here, including making it so that CLICKING the page progresses the story. So sorry it’s taking me so long to get to that! There’s a lot going on, and I’m trying to stay on top of Comic Fury updates, this site/Tapas/Smack Jeeves, and my Youtube Channel. I haven’t forgotten it, I just need to build up my buffer again.
I also will be *hopefully* finishing up Le Galerie (The Gallery, but fancy, cause it’s in French!) I believe, once those two changes are made, then this website will be pretty much complete aside from regular updates! HURRAY!!!
I mention it on the Act Three Title page of Dark Horse, but I am working on flipping to read left to right, rather than right to left. I chose to do this for many reasons, but the main one being most of my readers are either native English Speakers, or speak a language reading left to right. It’s also my own native way of reading, and I think I could improve my visual story telling by following what comes natural to me (although, I feel I’ve gotten rather used to the right to left format.) I have been working first on flipping Act One, but will wait until I have both Act One and Act Two completed before I update this site to reflect this change. That said, going into Act Three, please read left to right.
Oh! One last update! I won third place in a contest. Authorloremipsum held a fun contest for their webcomic, Signs of Three, which is a fun re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes! I have really been enjoying it, and definitely suggest it!
I think that’s all for now! Take care, friends! And keep on truckin’!
~Blue Dragon
5-7-19
One more Update!
Dark Horse is participating in the Spider Forest Charity raising money for food for the children of Yemen. You can donate any amount, and it will all go towards helping to feed kids in need! Also, you get a free e-zine! No matter the amount you donate!
Click the image below to see their donor page! I created a color image for the zine, so you gotta donate before April 15 to see it* ^-^
*I will be sharing the image with patrons at the Sapphire Tier and higher on Patreon AFTER the drive is over.
Thanks for your consideration!!!
~Blue
4-1-2019
Update!
Good day!
Just a quick construction update! I’ve managed to add the ads to this site, and I have tried to manage them to show only at the top of the page, so as to be as least intrusive as possible, but still noticeable in case something pops up that interests anyone. But! If it turns out ads are popping up in weird places (like the middle of text) on your phones or anything, please let me know right away (I tried to turn that off, but like I mention below, I don’t really know how to code well, and this is all relatively new to me as of 2019.)
In other news, I have almost got the Gallery (Le Galerie) completely updated! I just need to add my extra Dark Horse/Crystal Lotus Chronicles images to their place holders (which is Shimiko’s Bio right now.) I hope to have that updated before the end of April.
Other updates? The Blue Dragon Youtube page is updated, as is the Patreon page. I will have an option for individual donations as soon as I figure out how to add a button. For now, if anyone is interested in making a single donation, you can contact me at cerulean.graphics@gmail.com. This is also the e-mail attached to my Paypal, so you can send it there. If you have a moment, please attach some kind of message explaining what the transfer is for–just so I know it wasn’t a mistake and the transaction wasn’t meant for a similar e-mail to mine.
In other news, Dark Horse is going to start reading LEFT to RIGHT. I will have a warning page regarding this before Act 3 begins posting, and I am diligently working on flipping the Act 1 pages, so they can reflect this update. Once everything is flipped, I will update the “About” page to say the comic reads “Left to Right.” I apologize for any confusion this causes. It was a decision I made years after I started this comic.
I am still working on updating the “Cast” page, but have most of the protagonists’ biographies up and ready to go! And I’ve started adding side bar/side frame buttons! If you like the comic, please vote for it on Top 100 Webcomics! I’ve got a nifty little button all ready to go for it π
Phew! Lots of updates. I think I got a lot done in just a month or two. I plan to get more done, too! I’ll probably post another update soon, once I get another slew of work completed.
Once the construction on this site is complete, the name of this page will change from “Under Construction,” to “Updates,” so you can remain privy to things going on regarding Dark Horse and the Crystal Lotus Chronicles.
Thanks for reading! Keep on Truckin’!
~Blue Dragon
3-31-19
____________________________________________________________
Hey anyone who’s stumbled upon The Crystal Lotus Chronicles: Dark Horse!
This page is just a temporary one to let weary and wary visitors know this site is under some major construction.
The creators of this site, myself being the chief constructionist, both have a a ton of projects going on, so this site is going to take some time to update.
Please have patience with the wonky temporary set up as we fumble our way through the “user friendly” / “Programmer unfriendly” coding of WordPress/ComicPress. I’m woefully ignorant how to program, but the person helping me with the coding, along with all their computer nerd friends/professionals agree that WordPress can be a bit…fussy when altering the code they used to make it easier for laymen like me to work it.
That said, I am personally working on updating this. I set tasks for myself and am getting pieces done each week. For instance, this week I’ve been working on the Cast page, and soon I will be designing side bar buttons to replace that strange “archive” that links back to nothing.
Since I am also making sure the comic updates here weekly, I added my own “Archives” page to make navigation possible for when people click onto a page that’s not a comic page. For some reason, once you go to one of those pages, there’s no return…which is odd to say the least. Rest assured, I am working on solving this issue, and it will get better!
There’s a lot to look forward to, and I plan to have it set up similar to my Comic Fury page, only with the addition of a nifty sidebar. My little chibi navigation images will *ideally* be added, as well! So yay!
In the meanwhile, thank you immensely for your patience! If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line at Cerulean.Graphics@gmail.com, or stop by any of my social media pages (I’m most active on DeviantArt (checking messages, that is,) and my e-mail. I try to update the other sites weekly, or bi-weekly (Twitter is my LEAST active site. I’m an odd duck, and I just don’t tweet.)
Thanks again for your patience! Keep on truckin’, my friends!
~Blue Dragon
2-19-19