Surprise, it's not the end!
So, now that Volume 6 has wrapped up, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share a little update on how things are going behind the scenes at Afterlife Inc. and what you can expect going forward.
Firstly, here's the cover to the upcoming trade paperback of Volume 6, which will be coming out later this year. Kudos to Raffaele Ricciardi (pencils) and Vee Glass (colours) for their amazing work on this. We were aiming for a Seven Nation Army tribute, which, given the dimensions and number of characters we had to squeeze in, proved something of a challenge. Raffa is nothing if not resilient, however, and after a couple of drafts was able to craft something that's busy (in the best possible way) while also having a strange sense of energy.
Starting in a few weeks, you'll be able to enjoy a very special epilogue to Volume 6, featuring art by Vee. Our last epilogue (to Volume 5) was only available in print, but frankly I'm so excited about this one that we've decided to share it online anyway. If you'd like to check out that last epilogue, which bridges the gap between Volumes 5 and 6, and help support Afterlife Inc., you can buy physical copies of each volume on the Big Punch Studios store.
I'm well aware that our publishing schedule has been a bit experimental this past year. Long-form stories such as Afterlife Inc. don't work as well as they could when you're only uploading a page at a time, but until I discover some magic formula for producing vast amounts of pages in a short space of time I think this is the method we're stuck with. If the alternative is a year or two of silence in between books, I'd rather err on the side of getting content out semi-regularly - even if the larger plotlines only make sense when you step back and view them from afar.
For the epilogue at least, we'll probably switch back to a more regular publishing schedule - maybe a few pages a week, spaced out? However we get it to you, this marks a significant moment for Afterlife Inc. Just as Volumes 1, 2 and 3 formed a loose trilogy (the Book of Life), Volumes 4, 5 and 6 mark the end of our middle trilogy (the Book of Death). Yes, it's some George Lucas-style nonsense - a trilogy of planned trilogies. As some of you have noted, these last few arcs have been considerably darker... with Jack's optimism and ideals being challenged and tarnished with each passing adventure. This is the low point - intentionally so. If act 1 was the thesis, act 2 is the antithesis... the opposite of everything our hero believes in. So what comes next?
Well, that's the question, isn't it?
Thanks for sticking with us this past year. Having recently undergone some big life changes, I've finally stepped down from my day job into a part-time role, allowing me more time (albeit less petty cash) to focus on Afterlife Inc. and all things Big Punch. Now I've finally bitten the bullet, the time has come to finally throw myself behind the things I believe in.
I'm also going to try and be more communicative, just to show you that I'm alive - and how much I appreciate you checking back here regularly. I might be a bit of a coward when it comes to reading the comments, but the very fact you do comment (and care) means the world.
Nearly 10 years into Afterlife Inc. and it would be nothing without you all. Thank you.
p.s.
Also, in case she feels left out, can I just take this moment to thank Kariss ENORMOUSLY for her work on Volume 6 over the last year. Stepping into a story mid-plot is challenging at the best of times, but factor in the number of characters and ongoing plotlines and it only gets harder. I'm immensely grateful for Kariss' help in bringing this story to life, and I hope you'll take the time to follow her on Twitter and send some love her way.
