Hey guys!
As I have mentioned previously, I haven't been able to update on "Rose of Sharon" for almost a month on other platforms due to my phone issues. However, I'm going to go ahead and give you the run down of what is going on for the series so far and what the plan is for publishing in general.
The Story
So, as we know the prologue is done! I'm very happy with how it turned out, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
I've mentioned this dozens of time before, and I will say it again: The comic this time is more character and story driven rather than playing on emotions and biased viewpoints (for lack of a better description).
I'm going to come clean here and express honestly that growing up in a religious household (mainly Baptist Christianity) wasn't a very healthy thing for me creatively. It limited a lot of what I could talk about and express in an honest fashion. It was either "promote this" or "demonize that", "It's our way or the highway."
I understand it may not be same for other people, and I'm not saying this to condescend anyone or anything... but that's why the first few renditions of "Rose of Sharon" flopped.
For a bit of background, the project was first thought of as early as 2012 if my memory serves me right (putting me roughly at sixteen-years of age and a "baby Christian"). Then by 2013 or 2014, I started thinking of making comic pages. I had access to quality art supplies thanks to my parents and teachers, but comedically enough I went out my way as to using unused copy paper from my printer to make the comic and saving the pages into a folder where I can go back and read what I have so far.
Cut me some slack, I was a high school twerp then - still growing, still trying to understand the world around me and above all: naive as hell. But if you ask young me what was the key thing that motivated me to write a "bible-themed" comic book my answer would be:
We [the Christian Church] don't have adequate material that focuses on the cultural background of the Bible. We're lacking boots-on-the-ground feedback which is causing things to be lost in translation about the Creator as a person and what these accounts written down actually mean contextually.
The Bible was introduced to us by the Hebrews/Jews so why not listen to them? Why not take their feedback into consideration even if we may not like it?
And thus the whole thing began.
First rendition in 2016:
I - emphasis on "I"- tried a simple Bible retelling. At first I had a good feeling about this despite this version being my most predictable of all the renditions. I honestly thought people would be okay with it at least (maybe some constructive feed back on the art an layout), but no... it was totally different.
People started chewing me out for first version of "Rose of Sharon" because - believe it or not - I didn't deliver they wanted to be featured even though they were not the ones writing it. To put it short, I wanted to emphasis the importance of the spiritual affecting the physical and how that symbiotic that relationship is... but some folks wanted me to go full hulk to promote anti-darwinism and before I knew it people started arguing over evolution in the comments section despite my mutual standpoint at the time. To be frank, all of that wasn't even a thought that crossed my mind while writing. My expectations was to emphasize the symbiotic relationship between Creator and Creation, but it blew too out of proportion into a total different direction on that topic and other topics and I wasn't adequately prepared for it.
Bottom line: It got ridiculous and stressful to the point I threw that out the window and went back to the drawing board. Plus, my art style went through a renovation, so I had to take a break to get used to it.
Side note:
Sadly, at this point in time this is where my relationship between myself and the Christian church began to diminish significantly after being exposed to their raw expectations of not just myself but anyone who had talent in their network. It doesn't matter if you can draw or sing - they expected you to meet their standards. Despite my then zealotry and devotion, the demands laid out for me started to weigh down too much it didn't help personally nor professionally. To clarify, I'm not saying this to start fights or defamation, I just want you all to know from my point of view as to why the "Rose of Sharon" project evolved drastically the past few years and this feud we had (the church and I) was the key catalyst of that change. I will also state this: I will never, EVER blame the Nazarene (bless him for his hard work) nor the Creator for the pressure I experienced from the Christian church during those egg-shell-walking years. In contrast, I will always blame the need for perfection and self-righteousness coming from both parties - myself and the church - that caused the rift between us to form.However, on the plus side, this is when Judaism started taking me under their wing via my then boyfriend (now husband). These factors will come into play significantly later. Second rendition 2017-2020:
Trying something new here. After a hiatus (or a bit of "soul-searching" as the lightest way I could describe my absence in 2017), I wanted to focus more on the relationship aspect of the series due to going through some rough patches in my personal life that deserve their own story or blog one day. This aspect I learned was represented in the relationship between Joshua and Selma. Not to brag, but let's be honest that was a very good and daring decision to introduce a female lead to compliment Joshua. Plus, I was the first time honestly coming clean with things I have learned and sharing it in a way that everyone could enjoy. However, my self-critique is this: just using emotion and a one-sided point of view didn't do that plot for the book justice.
As a matter of fact, it made things way too sticky because adding Selma in (along with more characters) was such a last minute decision. On the side, not to point any fingers, but I was extremely debatable to continue the series when I noticed people in the audience were taking the series the wrong way either self-damning or puffing themselves up too much. But a few got the message regardless and they still read the comic today, so that's a plus.
The reason why this one flopped was a number of factors I will admit, but the main one was - like I said - too emotion driven on my case and lacking a constructive arc for the characters. I'm not against people putting emotion int their work and through their characters, but when you over-saturate it, it does cause issues in your audience. If you teach your audience it's okay to let emotions be the sole engine to conduct analysis and problem solving, that will put them in a dangerous place. That I repent of, despite me using a euphoric feel-good vibe for the book, I wish never to repeat that mistake. I realize now that was not a healthy decision of me to make for myself and everyone reading, so I do humbly apologize. I suppose I wanted to feel good to cope with going through some tough times, but ... I digress.
Going back to the comic: True, everyone in the character line up was accounted for, but again they lacked an arc to go through and the audience didn't have the luxury of asking: what are they going to accomplish when this whole thing is over? Or other questions like:
Joshua is an amnesiac, how did he get like that? And does he go through struggles and learn anything from this set back?
Michael has trust issues with some of the characters, where did that come from and does that ever get resolved?
Ezrael is too mysterious and doesn't fit the expectancies of being an "angel", what's his story?
Who are the Shinayim? Why is the group formed?
How did Josh and Selma originally meet and why are they this close or going through struggles?
Are there other people they're going to meet?
Is Cristal going to remain this one-dimensional or does she have a backstory too?
That's just to name a few. Unfortunately, those questions were tossed aside originally for the sake of "Oh! Let's get lovey-dovey feel good with Josh and Selma while forgetting everyone else in the story."
And that's where I slapped myself for being so jaded towards the supporting characters.
To be frank, I've worked on some of these characters for almost twelve years as of right now. TWELVE YEARS! And my euphoric "wanna-feel-good-with-Jesus" high back then was going to make me have all that hard work (which was ten years then) put to waste. That is a big "NOPE". No deal. Hate to crush hopes and dreams, but if the Big Guy allowed me to work this hard on something, there is no way in hell it was a waste.
Too much potential, too much time, too much thought and development went into a lot of these characters for me to just toss them out like wasted dinner. Sure enough, I don't regret keeping them one bit.
Also on a side note (this wasn't the catalyst, but it gave the extra degree to the pressure):
With a harsh departure in the family in January 2020, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, and drama going on hypocritical levels that are too damning to ignore... To put it simply: None of that was helping my writing at all. In short, I was not even invested on an emotional level as I used to when this project first started. That, accompanied with the fore-mentioned fanaticism (which exploded into an unnecessary cyber-stalking incident), just boiled to the point I considered ending the project all together. Even though I expressed my limits and frustrations a little more harshly than intended, it was clear I needed a break as we all did at one point. I understand at that point I was still recovering from the turn of unfortunate events (as everyone else probably was) and I shouldn't stress myself out like that again. Thankfully, by the grace of Someone taking the time to watch out for me, I have healed or on the path of healing still.
Which brings us to now.
January 2021- Present time:
Did I ever mention it's important to take a break when needed? Well, I did - WE did. This time however, I actually did my homework. I hit the books and the teachings harder than ever while at the same time I put down what I had so far and we - my husband and I - have came up with recently. The elements and characters that my husband introduced and designed actually fit in well with what I have constructed so far, which was a pleasant surprised to me. From there it was a lot smoother than expected writing wise despite a few bumps here and there. A majority of the character arcs were established, a hefty chunk of the "Rose of Sharon" universe timeline was installed and the story this time is a lot stronger than before.
I was even more surprised to see that the characters have been through an evolution of some sorts - walking away from their religious iconic counterparts of the New World and being moulded by the teachings and philosophies shared by Judaic culture in the Old World.
Here's some fun examples I've noticed:
Joshua
As the main male lead of the series and designed after the infamous Nazarene himself, Joshua (Yehoshua/Yeshua) is expected by most of the audience to be this all-knowing individual with no flaw, no foul what so ever granted by either his age or his assigned status by those living in the Western Hemisphere. However, over the years of developing his character (from 2013 to now), being an omnipotent "god-king" person as everyone wants him to be doesn't quite concord well with who he is as a person. This also severe conflicts with Joshua's cultural background of being raised and cooperating in a world where experiential learning is essential to growth and community. Hell, if he had the attitude most in the audience would like him to have, the end result would have made him a full-blown narcissist with a charming way of luring people. We're talking about someone who is benevolent, compassionate and empathetic, not someone who just only cares about himself and what his image sells.
Basic Character Development 101: if a character is omnipotent, that therefore disqualifies them of building genuine relationships intimately via getting to know someone. Therefore, if Joshua was omnipotent as originally planned in 2013, what would nullify him to have an arc to begin with. On top of that, the audience will have a terribly hard time relating to him on a personal level. This would result in Joshua flopping as male lead role and quite possibly being unlikeable.
Now in 2021, after researching heavily of what the Nazarene's life in Judea was like, Joshua's character has evolved from this "Heaven is for real! Bow to me, child and trust me I know everything" attitude to, "I've been through the hell I hope you don't experience; however that's not going to stop me from helping you out of the hole you're in."
Joshua is reflective of veteran-like characteristics rather than portraying a "prince charming" facade to the disappointment of some of the female audience members. Instead of being omnipotent, he is of the most extreme empaths of the series (aside from a few others), almost acting like a mirror in a way and learning from other characters in the series. That is what makes Joshua a stronger lead this time in my honest opinion. The fact that he actually goes through struggles and the fact he's open to learning from different people may not be what is expected or demanded, but it is helpful.
Michael
One of the longest running characters I've had, Michael has been around in my sketches before "Rose of Sharon" was a thing. Like Joshua, he too deals with high expectations from some members of the audience, but it's not as highly demanded as Joshua to my surprise. So in a way, Michael has more chances of getting away with being unorthodox. Personality-wise he hasn't changed much from when I first conceived the idea back in 2009, however expectations-wise he has walked away from the demands of most religious sects found mainly in the Catholic church. Basically, he became the opposite of what the doctrines tell you.
According to Judaic beliefs (and theory in general), Michael is - to put it lightly - one of the slowest angels in creation who often sticks himself into unnecessary situations. By "slow" I mean he has a hard time learning something new while having the characteristics of someone who is "by-the-book", but not controlling. So in other words and for lack of better: stubborn in his own way. Now, that's Michael's flaw in the "Rose of Sharon" universe and that flaw alone conflicts with the religious expectations of Michael. However, that's where his arc is. Like Joshua, let's say Michael met some of those expectations and was more controlled or "serene" to everyone's liking. The typical angel. He too would be incapable of learning and therefore nullify a proper character arc for the audience to learn from his experiences despite him not being human. Personally, I like the aspect he can be stubborn, I see that can be relatable and we can have fun with that - which we are!
Selma
As the female lead, Selma was designed to compliment Joshua however again, keep in mind adding her in (along with Cristal and others) was a very last minute decision and I didn't give me enough time to flesh her out. I understand she's not in the scene just yet (or talking as of right now), but she has changed drastically in the past months.
At first, she was more emotionally unstable and vulnerable to a lot of challenges compared to her husband who is more grounded and level-headed. Selma as a character was in a way relatable, however not the best motivation to the audience in my standpoint. We had to go back to the drawing board and flesh her out while keeping in mind a few factors:
She's Israeli, so she's going to be dealing with issues according to her cultural dynamics.
She's married to a 2000+ year old man who has the worst case of amnesia and can either be a benefit or a setback depending on how she takes the relationship.
Those two factors alone demand a female character who is equal parts tough and intelligent with what she is doing in her situation. However, that obviously means she is not going to be a "Mary Sue". Selma will be dealing with challenges as well and that I will conveniently leave for you to read about in the series.
Another big plus I want to share that I am excited about is the evolution of Selma's relationship with Josh. Remember the "lovey-dovey" thing I mentioned? Yeah, gone!
As I said, this is a grown woman who is living in one of the toughest places in the world - The Middle East. The last thing anyone needs is for her to have a "first world problems meltdown". So, instead of smothering/overburdening Joshua with affection, issues and or running from her feelings like I had previously, Selma's relationship with Joshua has reached a new dynamic featuring their brand of "tough love".
Without giving too much away, they may come off treating each other like assholes via teasing with some colorful insults and rebukes, but behind the closed doors its obvious how close they are. They developed that dynamic from knowing and having to deal with each other for ages before the events the comic takes place in. In short, Selma doesn't care who Joshua thinks he is, she's more concerned of his character and wether he's a man of his word. Entitlements be damned... And trust me, this dynamic plays a major role in the series.
Which brings us to the next topic that changed.
Lore and Backstories
I'm just going so say that this was my favorite part of writing the novel, and my husband was a huge help to flesh this out. So, big shout out to him guys!
The lore and backstory for "Rose of Sharon" has expanded exponentially the past months. With a growing cast comes an ever-being-written lore and backstories for everyone. The timeline of the novel was the most intriguing to put together, and again without giving too much away, has a lot of twists that I know will get the audience intrigued while also explaining thoroughly each character.
This also includes a big chunk of the world building that sets apart this comic from others. I mean, true, this is being taken place in modern times, however there is an element to the "Rose of Sharon" universe that makes it less predictable. Aside from the unorthodox setting, I'll leave that special surprise for later.
Again, not giving out too much I understand this portion is a bit shorter than the rest, but it's hopefully enough for you all to know things are shaping up for the better.
What Will Be Coming Soon?
Now, this is what I am planning for the future:
Once the Prologue and the First Chapter are polished and ready for print along with the character models, THEN we can launch the website. Pardon me for being slow with this, but quality comes before quantity. I want you guys to go to the website, be sure you're navigating through it okay, you can read the comic with no issues, and more importantly it serves the project justice for how long and hard we worked on it.
As for printing alone, that's in the long run. We'll have to see how long we want the first volume to be and if the arc of the volume is good enough for the audience to read through.
Other than that, I'm simply looking forward to the future.
In Conclusion
"Rose of Sharon" have EVOLVED from a simple bible-retelling to a hybrid genre of satirical elements that delivers not just interesting topics to discuss over, but also serves as another means of entertainment.
Did I have any inclination that "Rose of Sharon" would deviate away from it's intended design?
Well, I didn't want to think that could happen, but I'm not surprised it did in the end. Clearly, the intentions of the comic never lined up with the demands of solely religious audience it originally wanted to pander to. So, the drift was inevitable from the start despite my childish denials.
I just find it a tad ironic I was expecting those outside the audience to find the series inadequate, but never expected the exact opposite to happen with THEM finding "Rose of Sharon" entertaining while the intended audience became spiteful or just ignored it.
Am I happy to see "Rose of Sharon" expand this far as it did?
Yes! I am happy. I mean had we not taken the time to mould it more and make it as it is now, I wouldn't be tying about it. I wholeheartedly have my husband to thank for the encouragement and the insight to help make the comic better and unique.
And finally: If I were given the chance to actually do a rendition of the Bible in my style would I do it?
If I were an evil mastermind that wanted to watch the world burn, I would do that.
But in all seriousness, my answer would be "No." My reason being due to the knowledge I have obtained and have access to, I'd rather not make another "Manga Messiah" or "The Action Bible"-like project that gives the whole story from start to finish. These days people are just clawing and grasping for anything - even small things - that will give them validation and excuse to act or speak the way they do. That raw volition is a dangerous weapon lusting to have ammo, and I will refrain from helping zealots load that said volition with what I know. I mean, it almost happened with the first rendition of "Rose of Sharon" - People including myself just went at each other over the tiniest detail. Bottom line, the Truth is not meant to be used as a weapon to have your way in life and make you comfortable. It's impartial.
So long as there is comfort seeking culture in this world rather than a genuinely motivated zeitgeist of rediscovery, doing anything on a biblical level is going to have more cons than pros. And it's not going to be the Big Guy's fault, it'll be our fault in the end.
That's why "Rose of Sharon" has a unique design of showing what's going on rather than just telling you, while also giving an element of comedy to keep the audience entertained. You can learn something new while having fun, and in my honest opinion that's the best way to learn. Not by sitting in pews and repeating things you were told.
With all that being said, I hope you guys are looking forward to this as much as I am! I do apologize for the lengthy post, however I'm just making up for lost time due to being so busy on other things.
"Rose of Sharon" is available to read on Tapastic and WEBTOONS! And if you want to read ahead and see more special features of the comic's development with behind the scenes looks, feel free to check out the Patreon page!
Once, again sorry for the long post. I'm just freaking excited!
You all be blessed, be smart, be wise. And please take some time to try something fun and new today!
- Haleviyah
Comments