SIGNAL Saga, Empaths, Hope, Spoonies and French vs. the Isolation Age

SIGNAL Saga #1 : Overture by Dominic Bercier & Craig S. Yeung [Mirror Comics Studios, 2020]

#YourNewNormalisMyOldNormal
 
Alright..! 
 
I’ve got news about SIGNAL Saga #1, and The Ballad of Jimmy and Rose, and a book about hope which might just be appropriate for our bleak new isolation-age, and news on my français initiative, plus a lot of hope if you’re feeling the bleakness of being isolated right now. 
 
For this post, let’s be hopeful, and try to absorb art more intuitively, because not only is our health is at stake here, so is our humanity… 
 
Stay informed. 
 
Make decisions based on morality, ethics, and being good. 

And SCIENCE! God gave you science - use science!!!
 
I am self-isolating like a pro, and have only gone out for the essentials, which I aim to limit even more. I hope you’re being good out there… But let’s talk comics for a minute too. 
 
I had guessed that people were first, and that comics were 623rd, in rank, at the beginning of the pandemic, but as people have been posting and reading free comics online to combat boredom or cabin fever, it’s possible that the ranking of comics has gone up since the isolation-age began. . . 

Comic Shops are closed. Distro through them no longer exists! Kickstarters for comics are down by half! And various indie companies from Image Comics all the way down to me have all reacted in one way or another, from rally cry to digital distro to special shipping to making things free.

I have made things as accessible as possible!

Check the www.mirrorcomics.com site to see the free Easter Eggs!!!

[On Easter weekend, huh!]
 
I have a really cool new 24 hours comic you might have heard about, The Ballad of Jimmy and Rose, which I nicknamed “AGAIN,” as an inside joke on the fact that my first [and I figured always only] 24-hour comic was called Like Never Before & Like Never Again, in 2006. 

LNBLNA was highlighted in the event anthology and also published through Industry Image Creative Studios, where I worked as a designer. It was a limited edition of 240 copies only, and one hell of a launch party. 
 
That got me started up again after 10 years of in-depth art history and training, mixed with doing backgrounds for major artists at Top Cow, Image, Dark Horse and more, followed by 10 years of mental health woes that really threw me for a loop. 
 
After 2010, I was back on my feet!  
 
I released a 24-hour book’s 5th-anniversary REDUX edition, in 2011, as one of the first comics from Mirror Comics, which I co-founded in 2010, but which only saw its first comic book, Ghost King #1, in April of 2011, so 9 years ago this month!!! 
 
I helped local and international writers and artists by publishing creators with burgeoning careers, and we did 30 projects together, and finally, in 2015, the whole party got dangerous for me, as I really wanted to get more serious about my own comics, and so I decided to focus solely on that, which you know about if you’ve kept up with my news in the last, say… oh… five years... 
 
Mirror became a personal passion project for me, more in line with its original purpose, hence the birth of Mirror Comics Studios, on 06.06.2015, and so, in June 2020, I’ll be celebrating 5 years of Mirror Comics Studios!… Ah!!!

How cool is that!!! 
 
I’ll see what I can do about a self-isolation party, of some kind… maybe something really cool to read – it’s kind of my thing. ;) 
 
Mirror’s mission was to develop SIGNAL Saga, which I balk-launched in 2018 with “SIGNAL Saga #1 [Ashcan],” as I was unsatisfied with the webcomic format I’d chosen. 
 
So!? 
 
I mothballed it for a couple of years, secretly bringing several issues to completion, and kept hinting at the future, until now! 

This is the future!
 
SIGNAL Saga #1 will come out this April, at last!!! 
 
It’s done.

It needed a minor typo-suction [my brother’s expression, not mine], and after that it couldn’t wait!!! Plans are to release it on Patreon, Gumroad, ComiXology, and free on my website – at least, that’s the main of it to start.

Print editions will be reserved to collections, with SIGNAL Saga Volume ONE to be released later this year, I hope, and if things keep going well energy-mind-spirit-wise, which they are…   
 
But back to that new 24-hour book, for a minute, because it’s available now!! 
 
I drew it in 8 hours and wrote it in full, later that evening. 
 
It was only finished to that point because I figured that I’d have a heart attack if I insisted on lettering it early AM the next day [trust me, I tried]. 
 
I later edited, translated, colored and lettered The Ballad of Jimmy and Rose, aka AGAIN, which was far more reasonable than forcing myself to do something unhealthy like a 24-hour comic book – sheesh!!! 
 
What is super exciting is that I went super far with this – as far as I could – to push this, to the point that I am now finishing a français edition that will be available this spring also.
 
La Ballade de Jimmy et Rose, ready a mere month or two after the English version was released on Patreon, makes for the twin English-français editions to be virtually simultaneous!!!
 
The drawing style is bold, simple, clear, fun. 
 
Childlike, but not childish. 

I tried a more scratchy approach at first, but it was a complete pain in the ass to ink. 
 
I went with thick outlines, and facial expressions that were just right even if I was using a brush pen, and closed shapes as much as possible because it’s easier to use the magic wand tool in Photoshop [and yes… it’s cheating to use the magic wand tool, but it’s a technique that I learned working on animated cartoons, and it saved the studio I worked for much money and aggravation, so it’s pretty handy]! 
 
The thicker lines meant a visual minimalism, so it’s weird to think of Ballad within the context that I’m really a crosshatch guy most of the time!!! 
 
When I posted some of the ink pieces online, more than one person saw my reference to The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and I really pushed that, even more, when I later colored these pages. It reminds me of anime, especially certain pages. 
 
It’s… Bright. Colorful. There are chromatic explosions, sure, but it’s simple, peaceful! 
 
Pure.
 
It’s one of the least chaotic comics I’ve ever made. It’s simple because it’s about a complex idea – the reality of the empath – as in, certain people who don’t need to think to analyze a situation. After all, their emotions are so in tune with reality, or the people in the room, that many folk know the reality of a situation just by feel. 
 
No, I’m not even kidding. 
 
No I did not make this up. 
 
Yes, some people can do this, and they care more about you and all of us than most people can imagine.
 
Ballad / Ballade is 28 pages, cover to cover, with 26 story pages, including two end pages, which contain the introduction, at the front, and the conclusion, at the end. I’m so proud of how colorful I made it, and how it evoked the emotions of the characters almost perfectly. It’s super fun!!! But before you go reading this to your toddlers, you must note that there is a scene with blood!!! Ah!!! It’s not realistic, but it’s there!!! 
 
Bloooooood!!!! Um. Spoiler Alert!? Sorry!!
 
You may be asking if there’s a story at all!!! Right! It had been rattling in my brain for weeks! I wanted an allusion to how I saw my parents, if they were characters in a story, so… my father, the programmer, and my mother, who is a natural healer and leader, but whom no one listened to [which has been a great loss to the world, but, hey… there is still time]! 
 
So! 
 
Rose is an empath, but Jimmy is a jerk!!! He’s a real piece of work, man, and, after forgiving Jimmy for messing with her head, she decides to protect herself, and leave him. 
 
After that, fate takes its turn, and Jimmy is sent on a sensory-overload trip through time and space, but, you know, he’s clueless as to the mystical, so without Rose, Jimmy is basically hopeless. 

Empaths for the win! 
 
[Oh come on, I know some empaths are reading this!!!]… 
 
So I can’t say it’s a portrait, nor is it a reflection of my reality, per se, and it’s not autobiographical either. But my parents were the inspiration, and maybe that is all, but this story is a magical realist and trippy as hell, and it remains an ode to my parents! 
 
[And it’s weird, but charming!]… 
 
My mother loved it – she even helped with editing in both languages. 

I doubt that it’s everyone’s cup of tea, and my father will probably think I’m [still] nuts. 

Haha!! 
 
If you’re into cold hard facts, and don’t respect the emotion-heart-spiritual aspect of life, I’m sure it’s a tough read and there will be scoffing… scoffing, I say! 
 
My aunt also helped with revisions, and her mastery of French was a cornerstone for Ballade en français, making me sound, in writing, much more intelligent than how I speak in French on the day-to-day. 
 
So it’s all those things. I’m playing catch up to put it everywhere, but it’s available somewhere [Patreon, Gumroad, ComiXology, soon], but seriously, if all else fails, just go to www.mirrorcomics.com, and you’re all set.

A proper page for each Ballad and Ballade books are in the works, just playing catch up on all my sites – ah!!
 
But something else happened, didn’t it?

And it changed everything for me, and for you…
 

BOOM! The Meeting of Adam and Ash - SIGNAL Saga by Dominic Bercier w/ inks by Craig S. Yeung [Mirror Comics Studios, 2020]

Boom!
 
Up until the pandemic, everything was on Patreon first, and I was looking forward to the first-ever Ottawa Comic Arts Festival, which was later canceled like the million-and-one other things in life, but was to occur in May, taking up a similar time slot to the void left behind by the now-fall edition Ottawa Comiccon, though it did not conflict with TCAF, which was really really nice. 
 
I felt strongly, once people felt the strain of being cooped up at home, that I had to alter my distro models, and quick, because folk around the world were suddenly going bonkers just by staying at home! 
 
Their workloads doubled or they got laid off, they suddenly had to home-school their kids, they still had deadlines, and they had to find new modes of communication and install the tech to make it happen! 
 
It was all extremely stressful, and it still is. 
 
These folk, not all, but most, are on edge, and it’s like a scary movie that never ends for them, ever, and the uncertainty is tearing away at their peace of mind, and at their souls!!! 
 
Personally, I love it. 
 
Staying at home and working from home is “home” for me, and it’s great when you get used to it, but some of you are losing their shit! 

So I went ahead and tore all barriers between me, my work, and what is accessible online. 
 
I made things 1$ or free on Gumroad, FREE on my website, and I promised to make it up to my patrons for circumventing the deal I had with them to have them see all books at Patreon first [and, honestly, so far I’ve seen nothing but support], but I basically completely altered the way and where my books are available.

What remains exclusive to patrons are all of the behind-the-scenes past and future, and of course the awesome upgrade options that I ship to people’s home, with a note that I’ll batch these rewards intermittently instead of each month, to limit exposure to other people as much as possible. 
 
My patrons are awesome, and many of them are awesome creators, and they get it. 
 
That’s why they’re my patrons!!! Everyone is on the same page, so…

I tore down all paywalls, slashed prices to free at all costs, and I did it fast. 
 
I did what I could to help by making most of my books absolutely free, and will continue to champion access, tearing down paywalls, clickbait measures, and email field entries, where possible. 
 
Access, access, access! 
 
My responsibility is to give people access, right now! 
 
I don’t need money, but my books, they need readers right now! 
 
And readers need them, I’m sure of it, because my tales were always so serious, and we are in a serious age now… people need depth, and a respite from the regular entertainment. 
 
They’re here to give hope, with characters doing the impossible to achieve miracles and to share other such lessons that I have found perfectly applicable to our new world of doubts and fears. My books and collaborations remind you that there is always hope!
 
The silver lining is the hope of a new world, after this is all over… 

My books talk to me like they’re my kids, and because people’s minds are so attentive right now, my books want to go out and play – but of course they can’t! They can’t wait to meet you via digital portals that can connect you to me and Mirror. 
 
My works are good wholesome kids, bright, chipper, and though some of them could use a haircut, they are good works, and are aptly suited to soothe your soul at this uncertain time. And if we suddenly have the entire world as an attentive audience, and thousands of cartoonists are giving access to their graphic novels for free, I won’t be left with an old model that may not best apply to our current reality. I want morality and ethics to be my guide.

So!? Well… my books are a hundred times more accessible, now! 
 
Access!!! 
 
Yes!!! 
 
I’m making the process as free and as fast lane as I can, because…
 
#YourNewNormalisMyOldNormal!
 
People are afraid for their health, their money, their loved ones, leading most to do the right thing and hunker down at home as a minority face heavy fines for not respecting official guidelines to protect the vulnerable and all of the front line health workers and essential service providers. 
 
As someone with asthma, this is scary! But as I am not tempting fate, and Canada is doing well to plank the curve, I figure being overly cautious is appropriate, and I’ll continue to be vigilant for myself and for all.

Remember that you can carry COVID-19 for weeks and not exhibit symptoms, some people not ever exhibiting symptoms but testing positive. 
 
Respect guidelines!! Respect SCIENCE!
 
But there is another health phenomenon at work, here, in our homes. 
I am doing well. Better than in a long time. 
 
Most people are pretty level, and have adapted rather admirably, given the circumstances. 
 
But I figured that maybe some people are going a little funny in the head, and, because I know firsthand what it takes to live in your bubble for extended periods, and combat anxiety and depression, I hope that I can offer solace in the form of free comics and graphic novels about just this type of dark and brooding mood, serious books about serious stories, with a human magic that was there the whole time shining bright at the end, and soundtracks and more that I’m making irrevocably available free at www.mirrorcomics.com, at least for the time being. 
 
But there is something else that I really want to try to do…

The Arrival - SIGNAL Saga by Dominic Bercier w/ inks by Craig S. Yeung [Mirror Comics Studios, 2020]

Though I haven’t stepped into this role in a major way just yet, it is my sincere desire to also offer people some – perhaps much needed – guidance on what one must contend with if you’re going to stay home like this, for the foreseeable future.
 
Here are some ideas, and I’m here if you need me! 
 
It’s quite difficult to stay at home, if you are not used to it.

You are alone with yourself for maybe the first time in your life!

We miss the water cooler talks, the drinks with friends, people we love deeply but cannot see in person – it’s eerie, it’s like we’ve been taken over by an ancient nightmare or something!!!  
 
This is where spoonies of all ilk, people who deal with chronic pain, are physically or mentally handicapped or have borne the brunt of mental health woes, can come in and really help during this crisis, I think!!! 
 
We are the natural leaders of this new world. 

This is not a joke : We are the natural leaders of this new world.

We are the backbone of the future because this is our home turf. 
 
Please understand something, fellow spoonies, all… 
 
The world isn’t used to the new era, but we are.

We’ve been in this era for years and decades.

And it is because we are COMFORTABLE with ourselves and with our houses and apartments, however cramped, that we are in a unique position to help and to lead people to better understand what they need to know about themselves, and FAST!!! 
 
This is a collateral emergency, and WE THE SPOONIES are on the front lines in this case, whether we choose to help or not, because we’ve been through self-isolation adaptations already, en masse, and now we rock our pajama-wearing crafting baking making journaling party each day. The truth is that it’s not like that for many others. 
 
Not even close! 
 
They’re freaking the eff out, and we need to help them because we can…
 
If I don’t get to that spot, let me say here that there is always hope [I’m working on a book about hope for soon, so hang on!!]. 
 
Let me add that the big questions linger whether you were aware of them before or not. 
 
These questions were there when you were busy, and they’re still there now, but now you have no choice but to look at them earnestly, so, ask yourself those questions!!! 
 
Who am I?
 
What are my talents and what skills have I mastered?
 
Is there anything that I desperately want to learn or master?
 
How can I help my family, my community, my world?
 
What the hell do people do at home!?
 
Hello!? Is anybody in there?
 
Do I still have imagination!? 
 
The only barrier to you and happiness is to answer these questions for yourselves, perhaps a few more. 
 
After that, your thoughts, emotions, and actions will define who you are – so ask yourself : 
 
where are you investing your energies!!!? I would say that. 

"Who you are" makes the world by virtue of where you invest your energies! 
 
Energy does not mean physical energies, only. Remember that your mind, your heart, your guts are all talking to you.

It’s time to learn who you really are because you’ll spend a lot of time with that person for the foreseeable future. And yes, it will be okay. 
 
I hope I can elaborate a little bit on those things in the book about hope! 
 
So in March I released The Ballad of Jimmy and Rose. 
 
This month, April, I’m releasing SIGNAL Saga #1.

Next month I release the French edition of the new 24-hour book – La Ballade de Jimmy et Rose – man, français is so beautiful!!! 

My next big project is tentatively called...

The Hope Book {an Antidote to Despair}.

It's a short inspirational non-fiction for people who are at the end of their ropes. 
 
So : eff depression, eff anxiety, eff being lost without a map. Eff suicide! 
 
My work is about intuition and hope, but that can take ten thousand forms. In that case, it’s prose. In most cases it’s comics. 
 
Sometimes though, it’s music, and my brother released an album that he and I made with a friend.

We’re called Scat, Lead and Best, and for the time being, our sketches [harmony based synth folk bluegrass of some kind], is available, here : 

www.soundcloud.com/scatleadandbest - check that out!!! 
 
It’s really far more beautiful than I’m describing. 
 
It’s perfect music for right now, I think. :)
 
Some of the songs are in SIGNAL Saga! 
 
I woke up from a twenty-year haze of mental health troubles and overmedicated states in November of 2019. The two-decades crucible finally saw its end with medications that counter the depression that comes with mood stabilizers. 
 
I started a monthly rapport with patrons again at www.patreon.com/mirrorcomics, and then I worried about exactly what to release on 01.01.2020, but I insisted on knowing the character of the year, first, and so I let the date pass. 
 
I had no idea what 2020 would really be like.
 
Then came the virus outbreak, the epidemic, pandemic, and ensuing lockdowns.
 
Suddenly people were attentive and alone – and connected at the same time – like never before in history! 
 
I saw a lot of promos on how to cash in on times of crisis and found it all despicable. To me, the only opportunity is to help, is to GIVE… not to get.

I’m not suggesting that every content publisher is in my shoes, but for me, FREE Access was the way to go. It was a big decision and I’m glad I did it because it gave people more access.

It’s as simple as I could make it, and I'm still perfecting the process!
 
My website is www.mirrorcomics.com, and my comics are free.  
 
If you want to find a book, check out the top-nav or footer site map, locate the book you want to read, and read it. If it could be made available without copyright issues, it’s there, man!!!
 
So there you have it. Basically everyone’s going through hell, and I’m just waking up and loving it!

And because I’m used to staying at home, it’s like everyone is coming onto my home turf, and I’m happy to be a guide to people who may feel a bit lost right now. 
 
And though we joked that extroverts and busy people are not doing so well right now, well, it’s not a joke, everybody. 
 
Some people are freaking right out, man!!

So for those of us who find comfort in solitude, and know how to craft and journal and write and occupy ourselves [hello 80’s kids!], we are the  leaders now. So let’s wake up and help people. 
 
If we are the Martians then everyone is on Mars now and they need immediate answers on what to do, what we should ask ourselves, and also answer for ourselves what is absolutely necessary at this time, from regulations to supplies to personal psychology. 
 
I want #spoonies to keep being a source of inspiration to those of us in our spoonie communities, but I cannot say emphatically enough how much our experiences, which we handled with grace and mastery, in the end, are now resources that regular folk need, desperately, and immediately. 
 
We know it’s not an easy – or even a pretty – process, but inner peace – or close – is feasible and we know it.
 
Good luck out there!
 
-Dominic, Mirror, Ottawa. :)

Landing of the Golden Men in SIGNAL Saga #1: Overture by Dominic Bercier w/ inks by Craig S. Yeung [Mirror Comics Studios, 2020]