Back To Writing My Favourite Character
Frantic Scribbles & Senseless Ramblings February 2025
It’s the end of February and the sun is just barely peeking through and you’re reading Frantic Scribbles and Senseless Ramblings, the monthly newsletter of Asa Wheatley.
Making progress
The start of February was consumed by the last few packages for the Shield Maiden Kickstarter being sent out and I can happily say that everything is now done. It always hits a point where it’s a real slog to get through all that packing and posting but it’s all worth it when they arrive with backers. A wholehearted and massive thank you to everyone that backed the book and I hope you’ll join us for the next one.
With the kickstarter fulfillment for Shield Maiden Book Four now well and truly complete it felt only right that the rest of February be dedicated to getting a good start on Book Five. I’d been slowly developing the stories for the past few months but I finally set some time to work on the scripts and really refine them. I’m really happy with them so far, one of them gave me a bit more of a challenge than the other but I managed to push past the empty pages and get some decent scripting done. That being said, they'll be off for editing very shortly and so I’m expecting to see all those things I missed or subconsciously ignored pop back up for improving/correcting.
Even when it’s more difficult I always love writing Shield Maiden, she has truly become my favourite character and I love discovering what her adventures are going to be when I sit down to plan out the next volume. I think ultimately I want to keep writing about this character until I physically can’t anymore.
I don’t want to show off anything too spoiler-y yet but here’s a look at the kind of vague notes I leave myself for pages when I’m doing my initial breakdown.
You’ll never guess what Page 8 said!
More pages went up on Patreon for Of Ichor & Bone, our Medieval Fantasy Horror comic. Here’s a few of my favourite SFX in this batch by letterer Chris Mole.
Sagas of the Shield Maiden Book Four - Fulfillment complete.
Sagas of the Shield Maiden Book Five - 1st draft of scripts written
Of Ichor & Bone - Currently releasing pages monthly on Patreon.
Project Queen - Thumbnails for 1st issue are in.
Project Slasher - 1st issue 1st draft complete.
Project Murder - Artist has begun layouts/character designs.
All consuming, consuming all
Companion - I really enjoyed this. I went in knowing a little about the plot but it’s a film that really benefits from knowing absolutely nothing and I’m glad I didn’t go in with much. It’s super fun and funnier than I expected. I wrote up a much longer piece on Patreon but want to avoid spoilers here.
Crimson Fall by Derek Laufman - I had backed this comic on kickstarter last year after seeing Shield Maiden cover artist Matt Smith did a pin up and it’s great. I picked up the two volumes and it’s great to see there is a remarkable difference in the upgrade between the first and the second volume in its printing. Both are fun little tales of a Knight Errant and his Priest companion. They are excellent one and done adventures with interesting growing characters.
Final Girl - I’ve been wanting to try this board game for a few years now but just never committed. We’ve only played one game so far (and lost!) but it’s really fun and tense. For those unaware of it, Final Girl is a horror board game where you pick up a core box and then there are a plethora of movie boxes you can choose from, all referencing classic slasher/horror films. Each one comes with a final girl (your character), a killer (your enemy) and a location. You can swap each of these out between the boxes or just continue to play the box as it’s presented. The replayability seems pretty good and it even includes a harder mode for those who want the challenge.
Terrifier 2 - After enjoying the first film but seeing its flaws I was excited to see what they did with a bit more clout and budget. Art the Clown has quickly become a staple in the horror space and even when the films aren’t the most perfectly executed it’s easy to see why. He brings a kooky goofiness that isn’t really seen in slasher killers much anymore while the rest of the cast treat every scene in full seriousness. I’m really enjoying this series and it’s a breath of fresh air when compared to what the more hollywood slashers are doing and just making everything a comedy. There’s a more thought out piece I’d like to write about that shift but that’s for another time.
If You Like It, Link It
Oriana: The Forgotten Deities #1 - A cool looking new fantasy series that’s a modern retelling of slavic mythology. The art looks lovely and I think for fans of Shield Maiden this is definitely worth a look.
From Parts Unknown #2 (of 5) | Wrestling with the Undead! - This looks really fun and the art is so full of character. It’s wrestling with a pinch of horror, what’s not to love! Shield Maiden colourist JP Jordan is doing some more great work on this book too!
Broken Frontier Shield Maiden Review - Over on ever brilliant Broken Frontier, Andy Oliver wrote up a wonderful review for Shield Maiden Book Four. It was an unexpected notification to see pop up but a very lovely read.