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Some more links and notes regarding today's comic:

During the B.Y.O.B. storyline, some people thought Gregory was exploiting his friends in order to write music, but the truth was that most everyone, especially Dex Garrit and Quilt, enjoyed being the subjects of Gregory's music.

Snowsong tried her hand at singing in her troubled past. Looks like she's getting a second chance to express herself... with Rachel's "help." The last time she and Snowsong met it was a violent affair, but it seems that Rachel is letting bygones be bygones. Or maybe it's costumed revenge.

Female vocalists in metal bands always stand out, and in the best possible ways. Whether they're singing haunting melodies in flowing gothic gowns like Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish), growling and howling in kickass street gear like Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy), or just old-fashioned yelling in key like Jill Janus (Huntress), female vocalists are awesome.

And finally, Spark gets to do one last "death from above!" with Bort's help. I couldn't let the comic end without at least one more leap, even a weirdly satisfying one like today's.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire is eleven years old today.

Over a decade ago I posted a doodle of a seer and his talking cat on a whim. Over these past years I've met some incredible people, been to unforgettable places, made invaluable friends, and married the love of my life. All because I kept telling stories about that grouchy seer and his talking cat. It's been an amazing eleven years. Thank you, all of you, for making these some of the best years of my life.

And thanks to my wife for surprising me with "birthday cupcakes."

Here are some more linky reminders of events mentioned in today's comic...

Szark and Stunt first met in Erossus.

Bronto, the butler for the Masters family, has quite a thing for Szark. It seems that the feeling is mutual.

Because she's a werewolf runt, Katya sometimes has "episodes." Whether they're being prevented by her visionary awakening or Nimmel's companionship is left up-in-the-air... but I think it's a combination of both.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

In case you don't remember all the events mentioned in today's comic, here are some reminders...

Quilt's epic fart at the conclusion of The War in Hell.

We never saw when Miranda almost turned him into a turnip, but Masutel held "the little mage" in high regard, as did her teacher, M'ur'i.

Mervin the Battlecaster was very proud of his moustache.

The Maestro was a great conductor.

Stunt and Bumper chased by Brok, the axe-wielding maniac. Back then, I used to show them cornered and/or running away, but never revealed how they would actually escape. Getting to tease that again, even if it was just Stunt not finishing his story, was fun.

I sincerely hope that when my time comes, my funeral is like this. Nobody crying. Just all of my friends and family remembering me fondly (I hope) over drinks and stories. And I'd designate a friend/relative to remind everyone that my ghost will haunt the crap out of anyone who isn't having a good time in my honor.

This weekend I'll be at ANIME BOSTON.
Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire is officially eleven years old tomorrow.
Friday, the first day of Anime Boston, is also the comic's final update.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

This is not the first time elven mourning has been mentioned, with the mention of a party following.

Gregory was not only present for Dominic and Luna's impromptu wedding, he announced it at the top of his lungs.

Next week is going to be sappy. You've been warned. It's the final week of the comic and I feel like going out on a sweet note. This year of comics has been full of battle, hardship, violence and loss. It's about time there was some romance, silliness, and hope.

And if nothing else, Luna certainly looks excited at the prospect of a proper wedding. Or at least the reception. Open bar!


That's all from me for now.
Rock on, and have a nice weekend!

Gregory knows what Dominic is going through because he's had to deal with the same "theft." And even though he's embraced being a (heavy metal) bard, the loss of his magic still continues to haunt him.

Gregory and Dominic have always gotten along, but their brotherly friendship hasn't been showcased as much over the last few months. Time for that to change.

Next weekend I'll be making my return to ANIME BOSTON! This show is always a pleasure, even if it is an insanely busy weekend. It's going to be extra emotional for me because the first day of the convention is also scheduled to be the comic's final update. So don't be surprised if you see me somewhat verklempt when you come by to say "hi."
(Be sure to say that in your best Linda Richman voice)


That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

The last time we saw Thuen Gor he had stepped down as Chief of the Shintula, and was busy being "progressive" alongside Loru Kal, former Chief of the Rhazgala. They seemed to be enjoying their retirement. He's considerably more mellow now.

Thuen Gor was one of my favorite characters to come out of The March Across Maltak. He's one of those characters that I just enjoyed writing and drawing the more and more time I spent with him. Even those of you who didn't care for that storyline seemed to like him.

I still play Skyrim, and when I was drawing the elf soldiers marching through Capitol City I briefly thought to myself, "freaking Thalmor." Perhaps I still play too much Skyrim.

I'm a recent fan of the Elder Scrolls, having been brought in to the world of Tamriel through Skyrim, but I probably won't be playing the Elder Scrolls MMO that's coming out. I enjoy single player games much more than multiplayer nowadays. I can play them as casually as I want and still achieve god-like glory, as opposed to "falling behind" in a multiplayer game because of real life obligations and watching all my friends (and enemies) surpass me.

Or maybe I'm just a curmudgeonly gamer who just wants to be left alone. Humbug.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

For those who may not remember who Sister Sarkhas is, or that compassionate branch of the Scapilan Church, just follow those links. There are probably going to be a few refreshers like this throughout the week as things continue to wrap up.

Today also continues one of the comic's running gags about the passage of time, where it can take months to get through what is only a day, or in some cases just a few hours. The medium of comics can be deceptive like that, and I like to poke fun at it when I can.

And here's my favorite use of Quilt's bubble pipe.



That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

I think it's about time we had a laugh around here. Things have been so grim and dramatic that it seemed to be the right time to smoosh the cat.

My wife and I have done this to our cats on many, many occasions. Never on purpose, of course. Usually either Rascal, Scamp or Mugsy have inserted themselves between us in the middle of the night. Alyssa and I are a very snuggly couple, so it's inevitable that an unwise feline is getting smooshed in our midnight cuddles.

You think they would have learned their lessons after, say, the third or fifth time this happened to them.

And that wraps up this week! No cliffhanger this time. With only two weeks of comics left, I think I'm finally done with cliffhangers. But who knows? Maybe one or two will slip in before the comic's final update on May 24th. Maybe.

Spoiler alert: I promise not to make the final comic a cliffhanger. That would be beyond cruel and you all have been so nice to me over the years.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on, and have a nice weekend!

In case you forgot, Maltak responded well to Luna whenever she asked nicely.

The last time we saw Kiya, she was determined to find Reinholdt and be with him no matter what. Looks like she got her way.

But as to whether it was her destiny to replace the Crone of Maltak, or if she chose to take on the mantle herself... that will remain a mystery for now.

In other news:

- I have been listening to Devin Townsend's "Ziltoid the Omniscient" almost constantly as of late. It's a release that's a few years old, but a really solid album... if you're into concept albums about fourth-dimensional alien conquerors obsessed with coffee, and a sixth-dimensional Planet Smasher who hates musicals.

- I've also been listening to "Ghost," another album of his that's a few years old but a great release. The normally metal Townsend finishes a four-album cycle (Ziltoid not included) with a collection of ethereal music that's a real delight.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on. Indeed.

I felt it was appropriate to personify Dominic's second sight as "a part of him," instead of an abstract entity or otherwise inhuman presence. It's been the driving force behind most of Dominic's adventures, and was as much a character in this comic as any other cast member.

And with its return to the Heart of Magic, the story of the Oracle for Hire is effectively over. Without his second sight or his visions (which he never had control over), he's simply Dominic Deegan.

But for how much longer?
He's still very, very badly hurt.




That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

Today's Elemeccan revelation is based very much on the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field. For those who don't know what that is, the Hubble telescope focused on a very small portion of the cosmos, where no light had been detected by previous telescopes. After a series of very long exposures, it revealed the light of ten thousand galaxies. Not individual stars. Ten thousand collections of billions of stars.

Existence is awesome, in the very grandest sense of the word.

There's going to be a slight change in the end date for the comic. I've been saying for awhile that I wanted to close the comic on or before May 21st of this year, which would be its eleventh anniversary. But, after some last minute counting, I determined that if I were to end the comic on May 24th instead, I would go over my self-imposed deadline but end on exactly three thousand comics produced.

So I'm going to do that, because I think that's awesome.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

My father-in-law is an engineer. I hope word gets around to him, one way or another, that the future of his son-in-law's fantasy human nation seems to rely heavily on his profession... as well as metalworkers, builders, and other jobs that go into creating "man-made wonders."

Let's just hope that in forty-thousand years Callanians haven't expanded across the galaxy and are besieged on all sides by alien threats from beyond the stars.

No foreshadowing there. Just a little Warhammer 40K reference.

If you ordered a scarf on Tuesday, or books from the SEER'S CATALOG, I'll have them shipped out by the weekend.



That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

Confused?
So is Dominic.

The final batch of hand-made Dominic Deegan scarves sold out in just a little over ten minutes yesterday. There were just over seventy available, much more than in previous online sales, so I didn't expect them to sell out so quickly! I guess the comic's finale had something to do with it.

It will be a little strange to not have them available at two of the biggest conventions I'll attend this year, which are both coming up, and within a week of each other. But I should have other, new goodies available at both Anime Boston and A-KON at the end of this month, including new artwork and further previews of my new webcomic. Be sure to stop by and say "hi!"

And finally, new comic books hit the shelves today, and this Saturday is the annual Free Comic Book Day! It's a great day to celebrate comics, get a peek at some new titles, and to otherwise have a good time at your local comic book shop.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on and geek out.

The final batch of home-made Dominic Deegan scarves goes on sale today at 3pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time, until the last one is sold. Keep an eye on the SEER'S CATALOG for your chance to buy one before they're gone forever!

- Also keep an eye on my Twitter feed for the fastest updates.

- If you purchase a scarf after they've run out, and before I've had the chance to take the option to buy off the site, you will receive a full refund.

- One scarf per person, please. I'd like as many people as possible to have the opportunity to buy one.

Over the years, people have generously offered to help produce scarves to make them more readily available, but since 2004 they've all been made by my mother, by hand. It's been "our thing" for such a long time that I didn't want to outsource the production, so to speak.

That's all from me for now.
Rock on.

Either Dominic's somehow gotten much smaller (whatever has happened to him), or the Elemeccan door to the Heart of Magic is a lot bigger than it initially seemed. But then again, from where we are on Earth, the Sun looks a lot smaller than it really is, too.

Don't forget that tomorrow, April 30th I will be selling the final batch of home-made Dominic Deegan scarves. The sale will begin at 3pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time and go on until the last scarf is sold. There's a very limited number of scarves, so be sure to keep an eye on the SEER'S CATALOG.
- If you purchase a scarf after the last one is sold and before I can take the option to buy off the site, you will receive a full refund.

Not much else to say besides that today.
Hooray for mellow Mondays!



That's all from me for now.
Rock on.