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Okay guys, we're really here. The end of the first adventure of SSSS. But we will move on with adventure 2 in just a few weeks, 4 to be exact! I'll say a few words about that and how I feel about reaching this point in the story at the end of this post, but at first lets make sure I don't lose any of you during the break, so here's the important dates and the places to keep an eye on updates.
First, to keep up with SSSS content that I'm working on during the break (because I'll be working on a lot of cool stuff), here's where to find me:
Twitter -Link to my Twitter here- This is where I post most things: page updates, any illustrations I do, announcements when I do livestreams, notifications if I'm late on something etc. You don't need a twitter account to view it, so if you ever wonder what's going on I've probably posted there.
Instagram -Link to my Instagram here- This is what you'll whant to follow if you want to have access to new illustrations that I make in one convenient place, because that's what I use my Instagram for: posting art. (I made the account just a few weeks ago so I don't have a ton of posts yet.)
Twitch -Link to my Twitch here- Art lvestream during the break will be on as normal! Fridays are for comic art (pages, covers etc) and Saturdays is illustration day when I paint stuff. Everyone's always welcome!
Then the dates! No update next week, but check in Monday the 8th! That's the official launch date of the physical book 2, the kitty plush and keychain charm set, and I'm working on the first ever SSSS-themed t-shirt design! So there's something new even for people who already got the book and other stuff. After that I will post something every week like I usually do during chapter breaks: the cover for the next adventure, cover of first chapter/prologue, maybe even the first page early. I'll give specific dates for those on the 8th, so see you then.
Another important date: the French translation of SSSS book 1 is coming out (in bookstores and online) on the 16th of October! So if you're a French speaker definitely keep an eye out for that, it's being published by Akileos publishing
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Okay, that should be it, all the important info. So... end of the first adventure, huh? The first page of SSSS was posted the 1st of November 2013, meaning it's taken just a couple months short of 5 years to get here. The page count here online isn't quite at 1000 since every double- or multi-page update I've done only counts as one, but the physical page of this ending spread is actually pages 1025-1026.
In retrospect it feels like it's been almost no time to get here, when in the beginning it almost felt like getting this far in the story would take a lifetime. Now it feels like... no big deal at all almost. Maybe it's because my mind is already on the next part of the story that I'm not going "WAAAH I can't believe we made it here".
By the way, SSSS could have ended here. From the beginning I always had more than one story arc in mind for the comic, which is why I've lightly foreshadowed things to come and left parts of the characters unexplored, but I also had to be realistic about the fact that just the first arc would be the longest running project I've ever worked on, and I could have very well arrived here completely burnt out on the story and characters.
If that had been the case... well, SSSS would have ended here, with a few more pages where the characters maybe exchange impactful words with each other so signify an actual end rather than the "to be continued" sort of vibe that this page is meant to evoke. But I knew well over a year ago that I was not about to burn out on the story, and the next adventure was definitely going to happen.
So here we are, about to tread right on with a new beginning, with the same cast but with a new mission, new place to go, new dangers to face. I'm so excited for the next story arc and I'm so grateful for all of you who read the comic, and for the fact that I'm able to do this for a living.
That's all I had to say for now. See you all on the 8th for the book 2 launch and interim update post, or on Friday and Saturday on the livestreams.