Overview
Welcome to the world of Deus Ex Machina, a celestial gaslamp fantasy comic. If demigod assassins, bloodthirsty gangs, and a cataclysmic event brought on by the murder of a god sounds cool to you, you’ll probably like it here!
To learn more about the plot, see here. Otherwise, here’s an overview of the project itself:
The Project
Currently, DEM is still a work in progress. I plan for it to be a trilogy of graphic novels, with each book being comprised of several parts. Since I’m writing and illustrating DEM all on my own, you can probably imagine that its creation is a lengthy process. That said, I’m happy to say that the full script of Book 1 is completed and is currently undergoing edits.
About Publication
Because it’s my dream to hold a copy of DEM in my hands, it’s going to be a physical comic, not a web comic. Of course, physical publishing is a challenging and expensive route, fraught with problems. My solution? Kickstarter.
For context, Book 1 is broken down into six parts, or volumes. It’s my hope to self-publish each volume individually through Kickstarter as I complete the art for each one. This means there will be a total of 6 Kickstarter projects for the entirety of Book 1, stretched out over a few years.
To see where I am in the process, keep an eye on my updates, found here.
Plot
The story centers around 5 main characters: Luna (Goddess of the Moon), Lucian & Aaron (a pair of demigod assassins known as "Luna's Blades"), Mors (God of Death), and Roan (the second-in-command of a gang called "The Blue Devils").
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Luna commissions her Blades (Lucian & Aaron) to take down certain targets of her choosing in the city of Auroris. This is against the explicit orders of her husband, Sol (God of the Sun and king of the gods), who implemented a ban on godly interference with human affairs. Luna currently has her sights set on Nelson Zicari, longtime leader of the Blue Devils, the most powerful and influential gang in Auroris. Zicari is viciously ambitious, no longer content with practically owning half the city. He wants the whole thing. While Lucian & Aaron are well-trained, they are young and ill-equipped to take down Zicari alone. They have not yet lived up to the names of their predecessors.
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Meanwhile, Roan works for Zicari, and she's grown increasingly uncomfortable with his bloodthirsty methods. She wants to put a stop to him and take his place as leader of the Blue Devils. But she has secrets of her own she wants kept.
As this is happening in the mortal realm, there's also a plot to overthrow Sol in the godly realm. Mors finds himself unwillingly caught in the middle of this plot, and he has to untangle where his allegiances truly lie. The fate of the godly and mortal realms are intertwined when a god is murdered, a supposedly impossible feat.
Release Date
December 2024
Book 1 - Part 1
Frequently Asked Questions
What's your inspiration?
This is probably my most common question. It's difficult to pinpoint where all Deus Ex Machina came from, but at the end of the day, I think it's just a veritable soup of my life and my interests. When people ask this, I'm never sure what part of DEM they're curious about in this respect, so I'll answer for both.
The aesthetic/world building/genre
I've always had trouble picking a single genre for my work, and my solution is usually to throw all my ideas into a melting pot and see what comes out. The first concept of DEM was always "steampunk demigods." Over time, it's evolved to include my other favorite things: mystery, thriller, intrigue, androids, gothic vibes, and of course, intricate magic systems. If I had to point to media that's inspired the project over the years, it'd be these things (in no particular order):​
The Dishonored game series
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
Detroit: Become Human
Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Sherlock Holmes (all variations)
The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Steal the Sky by Megan E. O'Keefe
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Murdoch Mysteries
Arcane
His Dark Materials
V for Vendetta
And more...
The story/characters
Writing is often how I process things, both things that happen to me and things that happen around me. To that end, the story of Deus Ex Machina is the story of me and the people I've met. Of course, in a fantastical set dressing. If you know me in person and you're asking "wait, does that mean I'm in this story?" I would say yes, it's very possible.
There is no one-to-one ratio of character to real-life counterpart, but aspects of myself, my family, and my friends are interwoven into these characters in a way that sometimes even I find it difficult to parse out who begot whom. If you do happen to recognize yourself in a character though, I would be slow to assume that that is "your character," or how I as the writer view you. These things aren't so simple as that. As they say: "These characters are purely fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental." Take pride in the fact that you inspired me in some way. I hope to inspire you in turn with my work.
What are the over-arching themes?
In the larger sense, Deus Ex Machina is an examination of human relationships, the ebb and flow of them, and how they evolve over time. There are also strong themes of loss, grief, and moving forward. It's actually because of this that I strongly recommend that the comic not be read by a young audience (in addition to the language and violence), as I don't shy away from the darker side of these themes. Please proceed with caution if it's difficult for you to consume this kind of content.
How long have you been working on this?
I came up with the very first concept for Deus Ex Machina around 2016, so technically 8 years now. However, I didn't have the idea to make it a comic book until about 2018, and I didn't start taking its creation terribly seriously until about 2022. So... 8 years from first concept, 2 years of dedicated work.
How has the project changed over time?
Some aspects of Deus Ex Machina are barely recognizable from their initial concept, and some haven't changed at all. The interesting thing about a project this size over so many years means that parts of it have grown up with me. Over time, some characters have been removed completely, some have been better fleshed out, and new characters have been added. I would also say that I plumb greater emotional depths with my more recent writing than with the early concepts.
Who's your favorite character?
I like to say that my favorite character is whoever I most recently wrote something for. I think they all have things that make them interesting! Though, my favorite character to draw seems to be Lucian. He was the first character I designed, so he’s the one I’m most comfortable with drawing.