:: FOR NEW VISITORS
What is Idol Archer?
It's an amateur comic/manga drawn by myself, Kaifaire. Although it is still near the beginning of the story, I assure you that it does have a quite lengthy and involved plot - I'm just not there yet. The basic synopsis of the story is a very simple one: a boy falls into an underground cave and drowns, then wakes up in a fantasy world where humans have not existed for a very long time. Is he dead? Is this a parallel universe? Will he ever find indoor plumbing? You'll have to read to find out.
What's a talasith?
Talasiths are the central species of this story, aside of course from our dear human Sevrin. A concise definition would be as follows:
talasith (noun), ta-la-SITH, plural talasiths or talasid (ta-la-shE)
[Middle English sith, sidhe, from Old Gaelic tala, talamh, earth, of the earth, sith, sidhe, fairy. First appeared 21th Century.]
1 : a mythical being usu. having mostly human form and exceptionally long elven ears, which has the ability to become some type of animal; ie half fae and half fox, etc.
2 : any creature bearing close resemblance to such; any member of the family Tiordvasia, such as: Clann Faol, "wolf clan."
-- talasith (adjective)
-- talasith*ean (adjective), ta-la-shE-an (archaic)
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Talasiths do not exist in mythology, although there is a heavy precedent in almost every culture in the world for shape-changers and faeries. They are easily recognizable by their animal features (most often tails and markings), long, pointed ears, and dialect - they speak a very rustic tongue which sounds quite coarse to the more delicate fae.
The concept of the talasith is mine, and I would thank you not to use it.
Is there any reason I shouldn't read this manga?
Yes. If you're offended by homosexuality, nudity, (fairly tame) sexual content, profanity, blood, violence, angst, bad art, or cliched scenarios, this probably isn't a good thing for you to read. Idol Archer carries an "M" (mature) rating, meaning it is really intended for people above the age of 17. (If it were a movie, it would be rated R.) Obviously naughty things don't happen constantly, but there will be some "adult" subject matter later (no, not porn.. you freaks), so it's best to be prepared, hm?
:: ABOUT THE COMIC
When do you update?
Usually, IA is updated once weekly. This may change to twice weekly at the end of the summer. However, as of April 1st, 2005, I will be spending a semester in Nagoya, Japan, and the comic will be on hiatus until the beginning of August. However, the page will still be updated with guest comics and something from myself (see the poll if you want to have a say in what that something is) every week, so do check back. (The day of the week will be determined after I arrive and get my schedule for the term.) For current update status, please see the update journal.
What do you use to make the comic?
Mechanical pencils, card stock, Rapidograph inking pens, Prismacolor Art Markers (cool greys set), Paint Shop Pro, a little Photoshop, and very occassionally Painter Classic.
How do you do it? How long does each page take?
About 10-12 hours, but I don't generally time myself. Some have taken much longer. I'm slow, what can I say? Please see this page which breaks down how each page is made. (I don't know why this is interesting, but maybe it is in some way I'm missing.)
Who are your favourite artists? Who are you influenced by?
Kazuya Minekura is my idol. I wish I could draw like that. I also like and am influenced by Sanami Matoh, CLAMP, Hayao Mayazaki (storytelling more than art), and lots of random anime like Slayers and Escaflowne. Sigh.
How long have you been working on this? What's the back story?
Once upon a time, a little starry-eyed highschool freshman was introduced to anime through some girl in her English class. So she started trying to draw it and eventually decided to try her hand at her own "manga." It was called Dramane Groves and was very poorly drawn. In 2001 the girl got her own domain so she could show off her webcomic. She even joined the Yaoi Top 69 (which is probably when the majority of her current readers tuned in). The girl was a little dumb, but she persevered.. just slowly. At some point she decided to change the name to the cooler-sounding "Idol Archer." In July of 2004 she was invited to participate in a panel on yaoi webcomics at Anime Reactor (which she sadly had to turn down, since Chicago is Far Away), which made her realise that, omg! This comic has readers! (As though the "guest art gallery" didn't offer a clue.) So she resolved to actually work on the silly thing and try to see it through to its conclusion a million years from now. She is still struggling with updates because life often gets in the way and this comic is still just a hobby, but she has every intent of sticking with it to its sordid conclusion. In February of 2005, she realised domains are dirt cheap right now and she is a Working College Girl and Idol Archer finally got its own little corner of the web.
Why don't you use screentones?
I hadn't ever seen any places that offered them when I started, and to be honest I think they're too much effort/money to invest in when I can't draw all that well anyway. They're wonderful for patient, talented people (like Eve of Tei & Riki or Silver Dragon of Mission Trance and heaps of others), but they'd just be a waste on Idol Archer. Besides, I feel like using markers lends the comic a small air of originality.
:: ABOUT THE CHARACTERS
Is there any reason why you chose the animals you did?
Yes and no. However, I feel like each character matches his clan/species quite well.
How can Ghost be a boy? All calicos are girls!!
Lame answer: This is a fantasy setting, doof. They have dragons, and you're worried about a male calico? Lamer answer: Ghost's gender will come into play later. His being male is significant, though we won't find out why for a while.
Where be the womenz?
Good question. I will never know why IA has an almost entirely male cast. Sigh. Rest assured, more girls will come in later, but I'm afraid our main cast is stuck being male. Sorry about that.
:: ABOUT ART STUFFS
Do you accept gift art?
I not only accept it, I adore it. Honestly, there's no better way to be my eternal best friend. (It's scary, I have become friends with a lot of the people who sent me fanart out of the blue.) But yes, I love and worship fanart. Just hit up kai@dokuja.com.
Do you do commissions?
Yes.
Do you do art exchanges?
The short answer is: Sometimes. E-mail me. If my schedule isn't too cramped, I'd be more than happy to oblige you.
Do you do requests?
Sorry, no. I don't have time to draw for anyone who asks. The best way to get a piece of gift art from me is to either have your own kickass comic, in which case I will more than likely draw for you if I like it, or be one of my friends. (Sorry, that is not an invitation. Ack.)
Store? Commissions?! Tip jar?!? Why is Kai such a sellout?
Because she is a poor college student, and everyone knows they will do anything for money. :D (Seriously, folks - every little bit helps. And if I can actually make a little money with this, it gives me more time to devote to IA since I have less need to up my hours at my Real Job. And art supplies and web hosting are NOT cheap.)
:: ABOUT THE ARTIST
Name: Kaifaire (Kai)
Known Aliases: Kai Wulf, kaiwolf, Cashew (Cash), cashewschu
Pronunciation: Kaifaire is pronounced like kay+fair. Kai is also pronounced like kay, not like lie.
Age: Twenty
Occupation: College Student
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Bloodtype: O+
House Affiliation: Slytherin
Do you have something you want to know about me? Ask. If I'm feeling generous, I might answer!
