Announcing Our NSFW Fairytale Shared Universe
If you enjoyed "The Beast & Snow", then you're going to love the EverAfterVerse!
Hello Lifeline Comics readers!
This just might be our biggest newsletter announcement to date!
Read on to learn about our NSFW Fairytale Shared Universe - including a new project in this universe that will launch next week!
You’ll also hear our thoughts on Night Swim, The Morning Show, and get an exclusive discount code for Indie Comic Con! Let’s get into it!
Welcome to the…
We’ve been keeping this secret for a few months, but we’re proud to finally announce the “EverAfterVerse”!
The Beast & Snow isn’t just going to be a one-off fairytale, but instead the beginning of a WHOLE UNIVERSE! We wanted to do something unique in the Kickstarter space, and blend some of our favorite elements from the comic books we grew up reading.
The EverAfterVerse is a NSFW imprint that will focus on character-driven, queer romances based on your favorite fairytales and public domains. We will be exploring an array of genres including: action, horror, and…maybe a few surprises.
We’re also excited to announce that the EverAfterVerse will be expanding sooner than you think…
Launching Next Week…
“An ASSASSIN ALICE and her childhood friend, SLEEPING BEAUTY, are trapped in a nightmare version of WONDERLAND in this steamy, 18+ adventure!”
Taking place in Briarwood, a kingdom that is at war with Hellebore (the setting of The Beast & Snow), this book is the newest entry in the EverAfterVerse!
We never want to tell the same story twice. So while we think you’ll love Nightmare in Wonderland if you enjoyed The Beast & Snow, rest assured that this is a very different kind of NSFW Fairytale.
A story of two childhood friends reconnecting and trying to find meaning in the senseless world around them - only to end up in an even more nonsensical Wonderland!
Features all the staples of the EverAfterVerse - action, horror, sex, queer romance, and more! You don’t want to miss out!
Why Now?
The EverAfterVerse isn’t our first foray into a crossover/shared universe. In fact, our first collaboration (and the birth of Lifeline Comics) was a crossover between our respective series: HAUNTING and Like Father, Like Daughter.
That crossover one-shot remains one of our favorite things we’ve ever written. And it was the first project to whet our appetites for more interconnectivity. There’s something magical about the merging of two fully-formed stories, with full-formed characters who are in the middle of their own arcs in their own series.
And following the amazing reception to The Beast & Snow, we knew that this was the perfect opportunity to expand - to build new self-contained stories set in the same world. Stories that can stand on their own, with their own fully-developed characters and themes. But stories that just might be building up to something bigger.
It’s been so much fun crafting this universe and putting our world-building hats on. The timing is perfect, and we think you’re really going to love it.
What Does This Mean for the Future?
Rest assured, Lifeline Comics will still be releasing new issues from our mainline of books - including Slice of Life, Like Father, Like Daughter, HAUNTING, and maybe even a few new titles outside of the EverAfterVerse 😉.
In addition, we plan to run four “EverAfterVerse” campaigns in 2024.
We’ll continue The Beast & Snow and Nightmare in Wonderland mini-series, AND we have plans to launch a TOP SECRET project in the end of spring/beginning of summer that we’ll reference as Code Green until its announcement.
Trust us, you’re not going to want to miss that one! So keep your eyes peeled for future newsletters.
In Other News
Let’s talk about some of the other things going on for Lifeline Comics!
Indie Comic Con - Get your Discount Code!
If you’re in the New Haven, CT area, we hope to see you in early March at Indie Comics Creator Con!
And we’re excited to share a Discount Code for tickets to the event!
If you frequently browse Kickstarter, you might have seen the Crowdfunding Campaign for this event last year.
We absolutely love the idea of an Indie-centric convention (especially one that crowdfunds on Kickstarter) and are so excited to attend the event as guests!
LFLD Vol. 1-2 Kickstarter Ends this Thursday!
Kat: I’ve been seriously blown away by the support for Like Father, Like Daughter. It’s my little baby. It was my first ever comic book, and really the reason I got into this business. Thank you to the loyal readers who wanted to get the full origin story collected, and the new readers who are willing to give this indie superhero tale a try. It really means the world!
Only a few days left, if you haven’t jumped onto the book. We have a few stretch goals left to unlock including more books to add to the indie comic book bundle, and an EXCLUSIVE Like Father, Like Daughter sneak peek for what’s to come in the saga’s next chapter.
Media
And let’s discuss some popular non-comics media!
The Morning Show (Season 1-3)
Kat: Not enough people talk about the Morning Show! Even when the series is completely off the rails throwing characters into space, it continues to deliver complex characters that tackle difficult, current events with grace.
The Morning Show could have easily been The Devil Wears Prada for streaming, but instead keeps Bradley and Alex’s friendship as its foundation. There are plenty of interpersonal dynamics I enjoy: Chip & Alex, Laura & Bradley, etc.
But I always go back to Alex and Bradley’s relationship. It’s so fascinating to see these imperfect journalists, who gravitate towards telling the truth, constantly tested by fame and power to continue telling that truth. And guess what, sometimes they fumble, but they never allow each other to fully fall.
Phil: The Morning Show has been on my “To Watch” list for a long time now. I finally sat down to watch the show earlier this month and binged all three seasons much quicker than expected. I was hooked.
If you haven’t watched Season One of The Morning Show, you should fix that right now. While I think all three seasons are strong - and that TMS is one of the most consistent shows currently on air - Season One is honestly on a whole other level. The characters, the drama, the cliffhangers, the twists. Every episode just begs you to watch the next.
Seasons Two and Three each have their own strengths but take a little longer to strike gold than Season One does. And both seasons have elements that I don’t love (we spend a little too much time in Italy in Season Two; and an intense romantic relationship involving John Hamm’s character feels very rushed to me in Season Three). But both seasons manage to find very strong fitting by their Season Finales, and never just retread ground from Season One. I can definitely respect that each season seeks to carve out its own path.
Alex (Jennifer Aniston) and Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) make for phenomenal leads. Each of them brings their A+++ game every season. And while I may not love every direction each character takes, their overall arcs are strong and they’re always played exceptionally well. Here’s hoping we see more of them together in Season Four! They’re great apart, but ELECTRIC together on screen.
P.S.: My money is that their “big topic” for the season will be AI.
Night Swim
Phil: Night Swim managed to disappoint me several different times in several different ways. When the trailer first premiered, I was pretty excited for the flick. I really liked the atmosphere and thought that the concept of a “killer pool” was bizarrely interesting. When the film was released and reactions started to flood the internet, my expectation shifted to now looking forward to a fun, bad horror movie.
Unfortunately, Night Swim was often bad but rarely fun. Very little happens throughout the runtime until a ridiculous exposition dump in the third act (during which, hilariously, my sister was on a bathroom break; so, she missed the entire plot of the movie). The film is effectively a collection of the same scene of characters floating in a pool with an ominous and poorly-defined dangerous atmosphere until they are spooked enough to leave the pool.
The protagonist family started off with potential to be interesting, but never really landed for me. And aside for a few laughs at just how often this family talks about their pool - and a HILAROUS line about how the pool is the “GREATEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO” Wyatt Russell’s character - there was just not enough fun (and not enough kills) to be had in this kitschy horror movie.
Kat: There’s a fine line between kitschy and elevated horror. Night Swim doesn’t land in either camp, which makes it a frustrating watch. There are very few times where I laughed and even fewer of inspiration. Night Swim is not quite sure what it wants to be tonally, and narratively it doesn’t have much to say either. I mean what is this movie even about? Baseball. Pools. Neither? One shall never know!
Comics
Let's discuss some comics we've enjoyed recently!
As usual, we'll spotlight a Direct Market Indie Book, a DC or Marvel book, a Kickstarter book, and a Webcomic!
Indie Comic: Ghost Machine #1
Kat: I’m usually not a fan of “preview” books. How can you sell me on a series in only a few pages? Do you take a new reader friendly route and overexplain your premise or just jump into the deep end? Ghost Machine does the impossible and creates a preview book that embraces both pitching you the story, all while feeling like an already lived in universe.
My personal favorites were Francis Manapul’s Rocketfellers and Peter J Tomasi, Peter Snejbjerg’s Hornsby & Halo! They both brought a nostalgic tone that still fits for a current audience. I’m genuinely interested to learn more about these characters with just a few pages to latch onto them.
Ghost Machine feels like classic DC with an indie spin! Support creator owned books, and don’t let this imprint slip under your radar.
Marvel Comic: Spider-Gwen: Smash
Kat: Melissa Flores has been KILLING IT on Power Rangers. So, I was pretty stoked to see her tackle my favorite franchise: Spider-Man, and in particular, Spider-Gwen. And let me tell you, Flores and Enid Balám hit it out of the ballpark.
Smash embraces the musical inspiration from the original series, all while expanding the Earth-65 universe by adding Dazzler, Wasp, and Rick Jones as major players. Compared to the character’s prior sequels, this is the most reminiscent to the original series!
Webcomic: Forever After
“Robin just wanted an easy life. Land a prince, live like a princess. When her wish to live out a real-life fairytale is misinterpreted by the Fates, she finds herself in the storybook realm of Forever After, only she’s not a princess at all - she’s the Prince!”
Phil: A fairytale comedy with a super fun premise. The idea of a girl obsessed with becoming a princess being forced into the role of the prince who needs to “fix” everybody’s story is a very strong hook. And I can really appreciate the growth that protagonist, Robin, goes through as the series progresses. Beginning as an (intentionally) insufferable character, she grows into a very likeable protagonist as she makes her way through her various adventures.
I was surprised to find the first few episodes are a lot more overtly comedic than the later episodes of the series. The comedy didn’t always land for me, but some jokes were definitely funny. But the series takes a more sincere tone as Robin settles into Forever After (the realm, not the comic) that I think suits it a little better. There’s still comedy and lightheartedness. But more of a balance is struck, which I appreciate.
Kickstarter: Blackthorne's Coven: Lily
“Lily, a frustrated art student, stumbles upon a magical tome that thrusts her into contact with the mysterious witch: Ms. Blackthorne.”
Phil: A spinoff of Joe Pekar’s “Brandi Bare”, “Blackthorne's Coven: Lily” immediately pulls you in as a sexy magical girl series with PHENOMENAL art. There’s a wonderful sense that this comic takes place in a larger world but is still a fresh and self-contained story. A sentiment that Kat introduced in her “Top 10 Kickstarters” video this month that I echo is that the book as a “sexy Webtoon” feel, which is very up our alley!
In Closing
Thanks, as always, for reading our newsletter! We hope you enjoyed this week’s big announcement! And we’re so excited to share Nightmare in Wonderland with you next week!
If you’re not already subscribed, what are you waiting for?! Don’t miss out on future posts!
Current Kickstarter: Like Father, Like Daughter Vol. 2 (Ending 2/01)
Next Kickstarter: Nightmare in Wonderland #1 (Launching 2/05)
Next Convention/Event: Emerald City Comic Con (2/29-3/03)
Love the idea of the EverAfterVerse!
And thanks for the rec of Forever After! (Already five episodes in). It's the same writer as The Mafia Nanny, which just started a few weeks ago.
It's Alice. How can I pass it up?