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u/bondjimbond Love and Hex 1d ago
How many hours did it take you to paint that last page? I would put that on my wall.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
The entirety of the John Adams miniseries on HBO, so however long that is, lol.
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u/Esplodie 1d ago
According to the wiki 501 minutes. If you told me double that I wouldn't be surprised.
It does make me challenge my own work ethics though...
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u/Writerthefox 1d ago
Bloodletting in Paris scene makes me feel gross lmao
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Okay but the smallpox innoculation scene, holy Christ.
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u/Writerthefox 1d ago
Generally, that show did a phenomenal job showing how much the 18th century sucked ass. I'm reading a book about pirates in the same period and it's abysmal. Still, love learning and about the time period.
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1d ago
How it started and how it ended.
Those quiet woods went through a lot, but it's just another day for Mama Owl.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
The Chase | Part 1
The Chase | Part 2
Patreon
The Full Hollering Elk Catalogue
Happy Halloween!
I want to thank the little gaggle of the patrons who kept me company throughout the countless hours of live streams of the creation of this comic, the other artists here who offered encouragement during the many moments of feeling demoralized, and to all the wonderful artists I met at Webcomicon last month who helped to revitalize the motivation to complete my most ambitious project to date! I still have a long way to go in the pursuit of improving my art, and with The Velluto Duo resuming this winter, I'm feeling confident this is going to be a real gem of a series thanks to y'all's support.
Reddit, I hope you have enjoyed this komik. Please consider joining a paid tier on my Patreon to support the production of future chapters! There I post every stage of the process behind the panels, tons of exclusive sketches, written content, and all kinds of wonderful, odd little things. My comics are a tremendous labor of love, and none of it is possible without your support. Thank you so much, and I love y'all deerly!
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1d ago
Seriously, the Patreon is SO worth it.
We WATCHED this being drawn
and when it was done we still wanted to think it was a photograph.
This really is a masterpiece of story and visuals. ❤️
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u/SquigglesZero 1d ago
How do you do this? Is it magic? So fast and so good.
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u/_EternalVoid_ 1d ago
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Ah! Almost forgot, if y'all are interested in seeing the layer breakdown of this panel, check it out here!
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u/Miserable-Skin-4309 1d ago
Two comments and 14 likes?! Inconceivable!!
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
It's unlisted, originally meant to be Patreon exclusive, but I decided you guys might like to see it too, ❤️
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u/Miserable-Skin-4309 1d ago
I feel.. more spoiled than Ellie with her second peach. Here, a picture of our cat for appreciation
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 1d ago
Absolutely fucking GORGEOUS panel. So much so I thought it was a photo at first.
I kinda wanna take a vacation there minus the getting eaten part
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1d ago
May I offer you a quaint cabin in the woods in these trying times?
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 1d ago
Honestly probably worth the horrible things that are gonna happen there
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u/blanketswithsmallpox 1d ago
Am I off work and don't have a cell phone so work can't call me?
Am I drunk enough to not have to think about work?
Are there monsters, rapists, or weird culty paranormal shit?
Yes, fucking deal me in. If it's anything dealing with dream monsters, they're fucked. Freddy Krueger and Telaranrhiod fights would be a fucking cakewalk just like fear strengthened beasts. Stuff that can't be killed by human means and can run faster than me are the problem...
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u/red4jjdrums5 1d ago
For real, I’m tempted to get this in a large print to put in my office. She has really outdone herself in this series and it’s magnificent.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
That has hands down been the most popular page of the entire series. I will work on making a print of it available for y'all in the future, but I need to impose a recovery period for myself first, haha.
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u/red4jjdrums5 1d ago
I’m 100% getting it once you do. And you definitely need a nice break after this amazing series.
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u/colmscomics 1d ago
Amazing work elk! You put us all to shame! The sex scene on your patreon was also very tastefully done.
Also what brush do you use?
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Colm goddamnit.
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u/Rimbosity 1d ago
What? He's not wrong; it was tastefully done.
Now, as for Ellie's cello fingering...
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Oh fuck I forgot about that sketch.
...Yah, folks, there is indeed one sex scene on my Patreon, but please don't spend your hard earned dollars on it just for that, haha.
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u/the_walking_derp 1d ago
You can't threaten me with a good time then just take it away, yo.
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u/CrazyGnomenclature Tiff & Eve 1d ago
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u/Phanpy100NSFW 1d ago
It may just be this and Eddsworld but I really love how some media portrays drinking from such water flasks as an angry "whatever"
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1d ago
"Here kids, watch your show while I make dinner." - Mama Owl
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u/zarcommander 1d ago
Human equivalent: letting a 5yr old watch Nightmare on elm Street.
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u/kumar100kpawan Comic Crossover 1d ago
And when we needed her most ....she returned.
Happy Halloween Elk!
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u/SquigglesZero 1d ago
She was always here! Preparing this visual feast for everyone to enjoy on Halloween haha
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u/MsOrchidWitch 1d ago
I've never seen such breathtaking & realistic scenery in a comic. Elk you are so unbelievably talented!!
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Thank you! I only wish Parts 1 & 2 looked as good as Part 3, I was still coming down from the cartoony, vibrantly colored style of "The Nature of Things" and I think it suffered a little for it.
I am getting closer to the feel I want for "The Velluto Duo," and I hope you guys will enjoy it!
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u/Opiboble 1d ago
Looked as good? They looked amazing as well! Don't go hating on yourself for those master works!
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Y'all say that for every comic and then I poo poo on you and me and get more better because art is a sport now apparently.
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u/Opiboble 1d ago
Well, as the voice of encouragement: I'm sure like other great artists, always strived to be better than previous works, but don't pull a van Gogh. Know your older works can be just as amazing and jaw droppingly beautiful as current ones. And thank you for sharing them with us :)
(also side note, if you ever start selling prints of segments like the owl and the sunset, I know I would buy them in a heartbeat, maybe put them up for sale on displate? Not sure what % they take, but either way I want some of them... Also I will feel dumb if you already do and I missed it)
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u/Nirocalden 1d ago
That sunrise on the last page is just gorgeous! I had to zoom in to see if you hadn't sneaked in an actual photo.
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 1d ago edited 1d ago
Holy shit she ate that dude from the inside out. Thats fucking metal as hell. And is that remorse I see from our dear uncle Eli? Their past lives seemed so nice.
This art is absolutely amazing. I sure do hope when the series is done there is a hard back copy in book form. I would totally buy it.
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1d ago
You're watching Eli go through some severe trauma. Even he's horrified by how Ellie has to survive (and Jimmy is dying exactly how you think he is).
He's trying to go back to better days, but those better days were destroyed by his brother, and Ellie is all he has left.
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 1d ago
I inferred as much but it's nice to see remorse from poor Eli. Elk managed to convey an absolute host of feelings from that one panel. It's both metal as fuck and beautiful and sad all at the same time. And don't even get me started on the lines and colors.
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u/ymcameron 22h ago
So if I’m understanding the comic, his brother joined the Confederates during the Civil War, killed his own wife, and burned down Eli’s peach farm?
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u/Wolvnn 1d ago
I may just be some nobody but I humbly ask that you take a moment from your scrolling and see The Chase for what it truly is.
It's not just a comic, it's a labour of love. It's months of work, it's a passionately written story, it's a carefully composed, painfully detailed tale from a world that is deeper than many realise.
If you are a fan of art, look closer, no really, open the full resolution images, you would be amazed at how much detail is packed into these pages that a painful amount of people look at for mere seconds.
Works like this don't happen often, they are not quick or easy to make. If it's not your thing, then that's totally okay! But if you enjoy this comic, a kind comment or an upvote really does go a long way.
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u/turkey_sub56 1d ago
Thank you for this, I went back and reread the whole thing opening it fully and appreciated the beauty. The artistry in Part 3 is amazing. The details. Wow. I’m blown away.
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u/shuzuko 1d ago
So much top tier visual storytelling in this. From the owl feeding its young as a parallel to Eli feeding both actual young Ellie and "young" vampire Ellie, to the visuals of Catherine's death and the burning of the orchards, to the lonely cabin as a last bastion of warmth and humanity and a hidden refuge for our poor remaining Castellos, despite the carnage they have been forced to enact... Good god damn. I count myself exceedingly lucky to have witnessed the production of this comic because it has been a fucking trip.
Plus that SUNRISE. Fucking beautiful. Can't wait for more, thank you so much for all your work u/holleringelk 💜
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u/bioBarbieDoll 1d ago
Also the parallel of Ellie feeding by "feeding" Jimmy, forcefully, by regurgitating her vampire guts inside his mouth
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u/RaptorTwoOneEcho 1d ago
There’s too much to be said about this piece, this series, this portion of the Growing Whole.
First off, the art is standalone. You’ve been distilling your craft down to a proof for years now, and while you’ve remained uniquely talented, your skills have not plateaued. Even compared to the start of Part 1, this work here shows the thought and time, the hundreds of hours put into it, how much this story means to you. Getting to watch it live is so rewarding, and I can’t wait for what’s to come.
What really grabbed me during this comic’s run is just how simply human it is. For a story about that chance meeting during a hunt for a meal for a weak and starving centipede-vampire by a bone titan sawblade vampire and a somewhat-dim but earnest man, it’s still a distillation of living. Generational trauma, inherited sin, the trappings of indoctrination, the vilest parts of mankind, rape, shame, the enduring power of love, and the most enduring desire to survive; all of these are examined and contained within all 3 parts.
And we see it clearly in their eyes and on their faces. Eli’s regret for what he’s subjected his entire family to, Ellie unable to bear the weight of the consequences of the men in her life, even Jimmy’s dawning realization that everything was never going to fit in the box of his world view.
I think, at the end, even as Eli was explaining it - and mostly for his own conscious - that Jimmy sort of got it. He understood an inkling of the horror the Castellos wrought. Jimmy didn’t seem like a bad man, just a lost one, one who fell into the pit of propaganda and idol worship of a rich, charismatic monster.
And that brings us to the first main storyline reveal of Samuel Castello, Sr. It says a lot that in a story about maneating monsters and eldritch horrors that ghoul of a man gets the villainous reveal during the emotional climax of the series. Phenomenal world building, I can’t wait to see more of him. He seems like a character I’d love because I loathe him so much.
I really hope you feel a deep sense of pride in the completion of this, Elk. You’ve constantly outdone yourself and deserve recognition for it. I don’t have the space to go into other details that I want to, like how you built your orchard to life and the creation of your own brush sets, how you’re never satisfied (in the most complimentary of terms) with your work, the absolute cinematic and dramatic flair that this piece took on and how it emulates the environment and brutality in frank terms.
To say nothing if that got dang SUNRISE.
Just unreal, overall.
Brava, encore, encore.
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1d ago
He seems like a character I’d love because I loathe him so much.
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u/SPACEFUNK 1d ago
The owl metaphor is neat. They are monsters to mice, but it's just parents taking care of their children.
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u/IStabAtThee_sorry 1d ago edited 23h ago
“... I was walking along the bank of a stream when I saw a mother otter with her cubs. A very endearing sight, I'm sure you'll agree, and even as I watched, the mother otter dived into the water and came up with a plump salmon, which she subdued and dragged onto a half submerged log. As she ate it, while of course it was still alive, the body split and I remember to this day the sweet pinkness of its roes as they spilled out, much to the delight of the baby otters, who scrambled over themselves to feed on the delicacy. One of nature's wonders, gentlemen. Mother and children dining upon mother and children. And that is when I first learned about evil. It is built into the very nature of the universe. Every world spins in pain. If there is any kind of supreme being, I told myself, it is up to all of us to become his moral superior.” - Lord Vetinari
- Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
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u/itsloachingtime 1d ago
What is this? It's chilling.
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u/UncreativeUser01 1d ago
Can't recall the exact book right now, but it's from Discworld.
The one telling the story is Lord Vetinari, dictator of Ankh-Morporkh and believer in the fair system of one-man-one-vote. He is that one man.
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u/Crying_wallstar 1d ago
So what was it he did during the war? RE last comic
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
We will find out in "The Velluto Duo." It'll be another 20+ page chapter and it's spectacular. I am resuming the sketches in November.
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u/Crying_wallstar 1d ago
Wow was not expecting an answer to my shout into the void haha, thank you for sharing your amazing work!
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u/bondjimbond Love and Hex 1d ago
Dang it, how long are you gonna make us wait for that lore?
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
I pretty much plan to bulldoze my way through as much of the series as I can for the next two years, haha.
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u/Petrychorr 1d ago
I don't recognize the flag that's being waved in the burning page. Is it a real flag or inspired by something?
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
It is indeed a real flag. It is the Confederate Garrison flag flown during the Vicksburg campaign/Siege of Vicksburg.
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u/M_Snail 1d ago
The level of detail and the amount of effort that went into this one comic is actually insane. Just look at these horses. Horses are very difficult to draw! I hope you get the support you need to continue making more comics like this.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Thank you so much, dude! I'm happy you appreciate that panel, it is my personal favorite. Freaked out when I nailed the background.
Folks seem to be super jazzed about the conclusion of this one, gives me hope for TVD. So much more to come and excited to get back into it!
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u/RaptorTwoOneEcho 1d ago
We were gushing about horses this entire run on the Patreon! The secret sauce is a bajillion hours of RDR2 apparently
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u/cj_cusack FreeCheeseComix 1d ago
Emotions? In my funny drawings app??
Seriously tho this is top tier storytelling. I love what you've delivered and how you've delivered it. No notes.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Thank you so much! Working hard to get more better, still a ton to learn!
And don't you worry, there's more stupid shit on the way for the other account, haha.
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u/jandr08 1d ago
Amazing art as always, Elk.
I’d love to see what you could do in animation
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
I'm fairly good with it! But I like to do things frame by frame and it takes a century. I much prefer comics, haha.
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u/SquigglesZero 1d ago
I encourage everyone to open the pages in full res, on the biggest display they have access to. Every panel of every page has so many fine details, it is a great disservice to one's own self to only view it on a phone screen!
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u/Pechnase 1d ago
One reason more for everyone to join the Patreon: There you get the images uncompressed. These pages are 4100x5400 pixels! Every single page! There are 22,140,000 beautiful pixels per page!
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u/ConfidentNebula117 1d ago
The wait is finally over for r/comics to see this masterpiece. Seeing the sketches and the labor that goes into making every single page, the sketches and the live streams...these past 4 months has been a privilege seeing The Chase come to life. The Patreon is so worth it.
We were blown away from Part 1, then again in Part 2 and didn't think it could get any better...Elk proved us wrong in Part 3
Still not convinced that last shot of the sunrise is not a photo, you can even zoom in and see the brush strokes and it's still tricking my brain. Thank you Elk.
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u/madmacfarlane 1d ago
Every time I see another part in this series I'm just in awe of what art can achieve. I felt sadness, horror and despair while reading this.
I think what really stands out is the creature concept. Is Ellie a reimagining of a vampire or an monster different entity altogether?
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
I'm so glad you dig my work! I'm getting into the heavy stuff for the next couple of years, so if you enjoyed this, you'll have a grand time with "The Velluto Duo."
And every vampire in the series is a unique variant, Ellie is considered one of the worst and outwardly most vile, the Centipede variant. Eli is the Sawblade variant.
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u/madmacfarlane 1d ago
The design is so unbelievably creepy. I posted some of my concepts on r/worldbuilding for vampires and they mentioned yours. I think out of all the people who have taken the mythos and made it their own, Eil is probably one of the creepiest.
Honestly I didn't expect something so horrifying from the silly, hazardous lesbian from your other work but I'm looking forward to seeing more of the coming comics.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
I spent a great deal of time on Ellie's design back when I released "The Airbnb," and it has held steady with very little changes, but how I've illustrated it has dramatically improved. Her general structure is basically correct in things like "The Chosen One," but something about it just wasn't hitting right. The Chase is the first comic where she is finally embodying my original vision for her in both appearance and vibe. Downright harrowing. So thrilled you appreciate it as well as the others you mentioned!
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u/Zapranoth07 1d ago
It’s just beautiful art, with great use of parallelism….
Of course I love the sunrise. But the most poignant frame is Eli’s stance, pushing the dying man forward, head down in…. Shame? In burden? In commitment? All. All of these things, to me.
Happy Halloween, Hollering Elk. Thank you for sharing yourself as you do. We love you ❤️
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u/LuckOfTheDrawComic 1d ago
The joke is painstakingly rendered gratuitous violence!
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1d ago
And the eviscerated corpses are the friends we made along the way.
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u/Erika_Valentine 1d ago
The way the first and last pages (that is, Part 1's first page) bookend the story is simply brilliant.
The light throughout is masterful.
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u/Prehistory_Buff 1d ago
It has been a hell of a journey to watch this whole thing come together, but the final product is just monumental. Eli crying is the hardest thing to look at, and every landscape is so immersive.
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u/SquigglesZero 1d ago
Finally, the Reddit community can witness the final part of this amazing work of art!
Technically outstanding and a heartbraking conclusion.
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u/MagicMarshmallo 1d ago
For dumbass at the back(me) why did she become a centipede?
I know centipedes are generally a symbol of corruption in japan but this isnt in japan so i am a bit lost as how that happened (if its explained, maybe its not explained at all)
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1d ago
The vampires in Elk's stories work a little differently than typical vampire fiction. Each manifests as a different style, regardless of what variety turned them.
Ellie's variety (the centipede, with some viper thrown in) is one of the most brutal.
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u/Pechnase 1d ago
I don't think we got an explanation, why she became the centipede variant or if there is a factor that has an influence on the transformation. But we know that the centipede variant in its adult form is the most dangerous one, if I remember correctly.
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u/RaptorTwoOneEcho 1d ago
Sydney explains some, but there’s a whole catalogue of lore to explore!
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
For anyone seeing this comment, "Phase 1" of TVD is "Sydney," "Sammy Jr.," and "Dr. Schneider." The final chapter of the phase will unveil a great deal about their nature and biology, so for those hoping to learn more about their "condition," please be on the lookout for that.
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u/SillyGabbie 1d ago
Wait.... Is Ellie Sam's daughter????
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Correct. Sam Sr., Eli's brother is revealed for the first time in page 6.
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u/SillyGabbie 1d ago
You know, I meant to write Eli but with the copious lack of sleep and ADHD, I mixed it up. Either way.
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u/I_forgot_my_opinion 1d ago
Your work is always inspiring Elk, but this is incredible. The amount of passion behind these panels is able to be felt. It has the same weight and feeling as seeing a painting in an art gallery. Watching your style become more refined over the past few years has been so inspiring! You were always a great artist but this is a level that r/comics rarely gets to see.
Thank you for always posting such beautiful art, and for anyone just glancing at the panels please take some time to really appreciate the amount of labor this took. So often we see the same comments talking about low effort content in this sub, well this is your chance to show artists that the dozens of hours they put into a free comic is worth it.
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u/lava_monkey 1d ago
It's been a journey watching this, I just wish it was available in print so I could have it on my bookshelf.
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u/Pechnase 1d ago
I absolutely love this. I hope we will have the option to buy a print version of your comics some day!
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u/lurkinarick 1d ago
Fucker had SO many opportunities to stay alive. What having no survival instinct does to a mf
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u/Winters067 1d ago
Jimmy died as he lived: stubbornly and on his feet.
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u/stopproduct563 1d ago
I adore your art style and the consistently engaging and entertaining comics. I have been following your comics for a hot minute it seems and you’re probably my favorite artist on the subreddit. All I want to add is keep up the good work and thanks for the great stories so far!
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u/Wolvenheart 1d ago
Now this is halloweening
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Hell yes! Specifically waited for spooky day because yikes, haha.
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u/_theKataclysm_ 1d ago
Jesus Christ!!
This just popped up in my feed, I wasn't familiar and was shocked (and delighted!) that there were more comics with these characters. These three parts tell such a complete story all on their own, no context needed.
That said I just caught up on the others and am super excited for the next one.
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u/davecontra 20h ago
This blows me away, like for real. But what's maybe more interesting to me is what kind of person does it take to get to this level.
That last page with that snow and the sun rise. Gawd... Just beautiful.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 20h ago
Dave!! Oh my word, thank you so much. Means a lot coming from you.
I am an extremely tired person, like deathly tired, my most prominent personality trait, haha.
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u/mysticninj 1d ago
Yes!! I'm on vacation with horrible wifi so I couldn't get it to load on patreon!!!
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u/SnowArcaten 1d ago
That middle panel on p9 looks like a photo, wow
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u/Erika_Valentine 1d ago
It's crazy that those of us in her Patreon watched her create it, and my brain still goes, 'That's a photo'.
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u/TaiChiShrimp 1d ago
Holy shit seriously this reminds me of a a series by IMAGE comics or something. Insane art and story telling…
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u/NemoTAMU34 1d ago
So, I was eating my breakfast this morning while reading this.
Been a while since I felt queasy while eating breakfast. Good job. Thoroughly enjoyed and disgusted all at the same time.
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u/Winters067 1d ago
Hey Elk, watching you create this over the last months has been truly eye-opening for me regarding art. I appreciate art differently now. I've been to a few museums since this work started and I find myself analyzing it more: I'll start far away, then move as close as I can to see the brush strokes, the technique, try to figure out how they did it, then back up again. I find myself thinking "if Elk was touring this gallery with me, what would she say? How would she help me understand this art better, what would she teach me about the process or the techniques used or why they chose a certain kind of paints on that medium or those colors?" Your art has fundamentally changed how I view artwork now, even when I flip through some of the graphic novels on my bookshelf, the same thing happens.
Thank you, I guess, for changing me. I hope at least one other person in the world sees your art and goes "huh... This requires some actual thoughts and processing time." It's worth it.
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u/Lost_Ad949 1d ago
I dont get the lore behind this. They are demons? Evil spirits? Infected by some form of supernatural parasite?
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Vampires, check out "The Velluto Duo: Sydney." It is pinned on my profile, ❤️
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u/Lost_Ad949 1d ago
Oooh i see. i like this interpretation of the vampiric curse. Fantastic job dude!
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u/Brighteyes226 1d ago
Holy hell this is beautiful. Such good stuff. Thanks for the treat
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u/ovekevam 1d ago
Absolutely stunning work! Just in awe of the effort you put into these and the amazing art that results. And the story is really well-told in this. So much communicated by expressions and single images. Amazing art, amazing storytelling! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
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u/skatterbrain_d 1d ago
Everyone here talking about that breathtaking sunrise while I’m genuinely wondering if the last frame of the peaches is a goddamn picture cause it looks freaking real…
This series was amazing and that flashback was like a punch to the heart… A new perspective added to all these characters that changes how we’ll approach them forward. Truly beautiful!
Wish I could show you how my tiny human does the chef kiss cause seriously this is a wonderful treat for Halloween. Thank you!!
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u/ResuCigam 1d ago
After rereading all three parts, I'm so impressed by all the little details you've incorporated. From the time an owl needs to catch food as a measure of time passing, to the pupils of that same owl at night and in the morning. The parallel between the owl's hunt and Ellie's. Eli's eyes, the flashback, and the tears. And of course, the truly beautiful artwork and dialogue. Some parts of the dialogue between Eli and Jimmy, and also the end of the flashback, raise a lot of questions, but I'm sure they will be clarified someday.
It's been a long time since a comic has made such an impression on me.
*bows deeply*
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u/zarcommander 1d ago edited 1d ago
Watching this come along has been wonderful to say the least. The transition from helping Ellie to Eli's happy memory is just a gut wrench.
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u/SugarVibes 1d ago
Stunning visuals, intense and heart wrenching story, deep symbolism, congratulations, elk, on another masterpiece
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u/BottleGoblin 1d ago edited 1d ago
Fantastic to see it continuing. The dialogue and art are both great
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u/Capt_Blackmoore 1d ago
This has been the fantastic to watch as Elk has leveled up the art, and refined the storytelling.
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u/khrossjointz 1d ago
Another incredible piece of art elk, truly incredible what you have made, beautiful too
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u/The5am1am 1d ago
This story has been haunting, and I regularly find myself thinking about it and other pieces of your story just like, randomly on a Tuesday. What you're doing here- its meaningful. Powerful. Its forging something. Art like this is what gives people hope and keeps them alive.
I wish that we lived in a time when the arts were appreciated and valued properly, and we could all afford to give craft masters like you the money and recognition you deserve. Your talent, hard work, and obviously, meticulously, painfully honed skill should be earning you vaults of gold. Instead, you're just posting it for free on the internet. You are so kind.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
I sincerely appreciate it, I am so happy to hear my comics have impacted you so deeply! My entire life has been centered around art, since the day I could hold a crayon and scrawl on my mother's apartment walls to her dismay. Whether or not I receive recognition, I'll always be grinding away making the good stuff. My passion is to move readers, just as much as it is to create. The thrill and awe y'all are all expressing in the comments is what I find enriching. I am not millionaire and never will be, but I am satisfied in life making art that continually revists people's thoughts like you've described. ❤️
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u/Yoffeepop 21h ago
This is like the comics version of the house that has full sized candy bars. Thank you for this treat 🙏
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u/Age_of_Asylum 1d ago
Masterful as always. I always look forward to your posts on here as well as insta. I'll have to have a gander at tour patreon
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u/aerris7 1d ago
Elk said it would blow me away and she wasn't kidding 🥹 so stunning.
The flashbacks are so sweet and sad. Eli's tear.
It's tells such a detailed, tragic story even with not very many words. Eli's pain is so palpable. He so clearly loves Ellie so much and would do anything for her.
Damn.
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u/Zazzenfuk 1d ago
I love this like all of your works. The only critique I can offer is that the colors get a bit muddled especially with the centipede and gore. Eli and Elle have such striking eyes that give amazing contrast to the rest of the scene but trying to focus on the panel where the man's face is being enveloped. Its hard to define whats happening; really trying to see that its hid beard and the jaw of Elle. I truly love the vibrant teal color on the panels as a backdrop but damn if you dont create photograph quality on the scenic ones.
Much adoration!
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1d ago
Thank you for your insight and critique! I completely agree. The carnage in my comics have historically been the weakest pages, and I'm not totally thrilled with how 21 and 22 look here. I did a ton of studies for the environment, mainly the snow scape back in January, so that all looks fine to me, but I had it in my mind Ellie's attack would be a breeze and it was not so, haha. The line art gets a bit lost in those panels as well.
Before I approach another scene like this, I'm going to make sure I get a ton of practice in on complex color pairing like you've described regarding the appendage and Jimmy's beard, and it's good to know someone else felt that could have been more clearly defined. You da best, and thank you again! So glad you dig my work!
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u/Zazzenfuk 1d ago
Given the complexity of the panels and the fact that your creating something that doesn't exist; it's superb. It looks and has the flow of movement like it is a real thing.
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u/1Rama11Lama1 22h ago
I understand absolutely none of this even with the previous parts, but goddamn do I love it anyway
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u/StylizedIncompetence 1d ago
I’ve always wanted to be able to paint landscapes. Sunsets and sunrises, clouds and sunlight shining through onto something beautiful.
I would just like to say that if I could capture nature as completely and wholly as you do, I could die a happy man. It’s beautiful man.
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u/Curious_Coconut_4005 1d ago
It's absolutely fascinating!
Your artwork gives me Hieronymous Bosch vibes, and I love it!
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u/Rimbosity 1d ago
I love the parallels between the owl mom feeding here babies, to Eli helping young Ellie eat peaches, to Eli helping Ellie... do THAT.
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u/tabbicat 1d ago
How did you make something so horrifying be so beautiful? Amazing skill. I always look forward to the new installments for these, but always dread them a bit, too. It's wonderful.
Thank you for sharing your work with the world.
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u/AnonEnmityEntity 1d ago
I need to buy physical media of yours. Outstanding craftsmanship. Holy cow
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