2008-04-13T10:15:00.003+03:00

No update this week - I know I suck but again there was a time problem. Next week I'll be off on a school trip so there have been some things to take care before I go. Also because of the trip I won't be here - in front of my computer - to update next Saturday/ Sunday.
Bottom line:

Updates postponed for two weeks.

2008-04-06T01:20:00.002+03:00

3 pages because of upcoming doubles that could spoil the fun. I'm trying my best to finish inking them but somehow a 11+ A3 pages to be inked stack looks intimidating. Not to mention the huge doubles I had to ink recently. Overall here's this week's release.

Bookchasers's on hold / on holiday until further notice so we'll have to do with InBetween. Sketch section coming up pretty soon.

2008-03-29T14:24:00.004+02:00

Managed to update this week 4 pages, no color since...I had to draw the rest.
Up until now it's 7 out of 26 for this chapter.

Also new layout which will enable me to comment on the updates without influencing the release page

2008-02-15T14:28:00.002+02:00

CLICK ON IMAGE TO READ;
READ PANNELS FROM RIGHT TO LEFT

2007-09-21T14:33:00.003+03:00

Notes

Names: Characters refer to each other quite formally, though that is not so straightforward.
Emi-Asai actually is a shortened and approved way of addressing " His Eminence Lord Alisander Asai ". Not only Enya-Ta uses it but also other people - though that is not shown.

Enya-Ta is also a shortned version of name+title way to address. Her real name is Eni Ea but since she became Emi-Asai's page she's fused it to Enya. The "-Ta" is showing her status as a page tied to the lord. " -Ta " literally means " yours "

Mai-Trei: she never mentions it and since Emi-Asai, the only one who can see her and speak to her, addresses her quite informally, she never gets properly introduced - not in this chapter anyhow. "Mai " is her taken name and "Trei " is her given name (by God). The last one can be translated as "three " or by extension "the Third" since she is the third of the four spirits of the elements. One other reason why her name is not mentioned so frequently is that, for most people she's just " The Spirit of the Wind " and not Mai-Trei.

Architecture and Costume:Might have noticed a strong resemblance in costume design to Russian outfits (hats mostly), however my intention was to create a unique fusion of oriental (Turkish/ Balcanic) and occidental clothings. Something similar to 18th -19th century Valahia under the Ottoman influence. There are a series of Romanian novelists and poets who do a fairly good description of the whole atmosphere and customs of the period. However if you overlay it on the traditional 15th-16th century Romanian architecture you'll get my idea of InBetween.The buildings( the Asai residence and the inn) are both modelled on 16th century real buildings. That doesn't mean they're exact reproductions. There are also a lot of elements which I mixed in just for the fun of it - decoration is one of them. Besides, the architecture and costume, though they have existed for real, are mismatched historically. On top of everything, InBetween, as it looks so far is a poorly developed country ( no cities, just villages), something similar to middle ages, whereas Valachia in the 16th century had cities ( though the looked just like huge villages - they were cities).

Wishers' Children: Ex- bookchasers took up the name and it was then associated with all the ones that come from Wishing World regardless of their status (bookchasers, collectors, editors). InBetween doesn't deal with wishing books that's why Wishers' Children are seen as outsiders, a social group which is discriminated just because they are who they are, different from the rest. Wishers' Children as well as all those from Wishing World carry a mark on the body as a proof they have crossed dimensions at least once. It is something similar to the medieval witch hunt and the belief they carried the Satan's mark on them. Just that people of InBetween are just too busy making ends meet to start a Inquisiton movement. Emi-Asai went through a lot as a child growing up in InBetween because he was one of them. Mai-Trei helped him to enter the Asai family. His origin is not common knowledge that is why the character tries to hide the mark on his forehead by sporting a fringe.

Inbetween worlds: An very dark and lonely space where people sometimes get lost. Emi-Asai's story will be reveal in a next chapter and there's no need for spoilers here.

Blooms Day: A celebration in the honor of the spring returning. Based on an authentic old tradition/celebration called martisor, taking place on the 1st of March. In the case of InBetween having just two seasons alternating (one equivalent of spring and summer one for autumn and a really harsh winter) in could very well be the return of life, the rebirth of the nature. Open air feast is custom to be held by the region's lord for it's subjects. Also afterwards it is considered to be a good/extremely good omen if it rains (rich crops, all blessings for the rest of the year). There are two more traditions mixed in. Christmas decorating the tree the equivalent of hanging the windchimes in the tree and the afterwards rain which is supposed to take place on the 20th of July - Sf. Ilie - riding the charriots of fire etc. in the orthodox calendar.
Yeah, I know I did a jumble of all sort of things but I think it worked out...in a way.

Hope these end chapter notes clear some of the things up. There's actually a short story behind the manga (over 100 pages handwritten) which, of course, cannot be all storyboarded

InBetween-Wishgranter and windchimes