State of the SUPERverse
Hello! G. Scheaffer here, as usual.
I come with some...potentially disheartening news, depending on your investment in the universe I have been attempting to create here.
You've likely noticed over the years that my productivity with this project has drastically slowed down to practically nothing. Most recently, that has been because of some fundamental changes in my mindset the past year or so.
In January of 2022, I contracted COVID-19, and upon recovering, I had something change in me that redirected my motivations to a different interest I had been neglecting. I stuck with that particular interest for the entire year, and I'm somewhat proud of that, but it caused me to ignore some other things, particularly this project.
At the beginning of this year, I similarly got sick and recovered, and I experienced another fundamental change in my interests and/or motivations. This one, I fear, is even larger than the one before, as it involves pursuing a career path I've long desired to pursue...but that career path doesn't involve writing. At least, not this way.
Additionally, I cannot deny that my interest to borderline obsession with the Marvel Cinematic Universe played a big part in motivations with a superhero project like this. I was worried that that interest/motivation would start to decline or drop off entirely after "Avengers: Endgame", but for a while I was wrong. Unfortunately, as I'm sure you know, the quality of some MCU projects has been lacking after Endgame, and it's taking a toll on my desire to continue this project.
Those who know me likely know I have an unfortunate history of starting projects and eventually abandoning them. I don't want to straight up say this project will be abandoned, as who knows? Perhaps one year I will have a similar change that will bring me back. But I am writing this journal to announce that, for now, I am focusing on other things and may not be making progress here at all.
Is there hope in coming back? I would say so. If ANYTHING were to rekindle my interest in superhero universes and comics, it would be "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" coming in just a couple of months. The Guardians were the real big draw that started it all, so if the third film is good enough, it could potentially turn things around. I guess we'll all find out in the near future.
If not, though, I wanted to talk about what may still be done here instead.
I am VERY close to finishing the "Thunder Pup" story arc, and would very much like to, just so this project gets SOMETHING finished. I technically have one more database entry that could be worked on and posted as well.
For everything else, I was considering maybe writing and posting a synopsis of a few of the planned stories rather than full chapters. This way, my ideas can still get out there and readers could at least get to know how some stories turn out, just without being fully fleshed out. This may prevent some stories from being fully written if I ever fully return to the project, but the advantage would be that I get to work on some later, more interesting stories instead if/when that time comes.
I would love to know what everyone thinks about this idea.
Would you like to know where the stories go, even if they're just in synopsis form?
Should we wait and see if Guardians Vol. 3 does its job and brings me back?
Please let me know in the comments below.
Thank you for your time!
With the six new submissions added to our account this weekend, our FurAffinity account has FINALLY been brought up to date with deviantART! This means that, from now on, new submissions can be found on both sites at the same time!
Unfortunately, because deviantART still has a superior layout and features, there are some submissions we have chosen to not bring over and therefore keep exclusive to DA. For the most part, this includes less-important submissions such as hypothetical lists and teasers.
However, our important Chronology, which details all planned stories and how they fit together, will remain exclusive to our deviantART page. It is infinitely easier to edit and update the Chronology here.
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Now that both accounts are up-to-date and in sync, I am proud to announce the launch of the SUPERverse's dedicated Discord server!
Much like our Twitter account, the Discord server is a place where you can stay informed on any and all updates made to any of our accounts, whether it be deviantART, FurAffinity, Patreon, and Spotify! Yes, we have a Spotify account!
This will also be a place for SUPERverse fans to meet up and talk about the project, or about anything else really! And baby furs and fat furs are welcome!
If interested, you can join our new Discord server using the link below:
>>> discord.gg/eaYJkVk <<<
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We would also like to eventually set up a Q+A with our founder and lead writer, G. Scheaffer.
We'd like a list of questions from fans for him to answer in an exclusive video!
If you have any questions you'd like to be answered, you can leave them here or send a note for safe-keeping!
(Please not TOO many questions about how slow things have been or spoilers for some far-off arcs. Thank you.)
The 5th Corner [SEEKING HELP!]
This is your head writer and SUPERverse co-creator, G. Scheaffer, as usual.
I've mentioned many times that the SUPERverse is separated into different areas of focus I like to call "corners". These "corners" are multi-story arcs that are -- for the most part -- distinctly separate from the others to a point that they can't quite be categorized together. The plan of the SUPERverse so far has always had 4 corners:
- Corner 1: The "S.U.P.E.R." storyline, which will include its characters' origins as well as their future adventures
- Corner 2: The "IntraNet" storyline, which focuses on Fire Fox and all the other heroes involved in the cosmic organization
- Corner 3: The "Mighty O's" storyline, which will remain grounded until it connects to the "S.U.P.E.R." corner much farther ahead
- Corner 4: The "Tall Tails" storyline, a soon-to-be-revealed arc of cosmic scope focusing on very specific and isolated characters
These have been the "corners" of my universe for a long time now.
In the back of my mind, however, there has been an urge to create another.
I always assumed that there are so many comic superheroes from New York City because many of their writers were very familiar with that setting. They may have been from there or just visited, but they knew how to write a story involving it.
In this aspect, I am at a disadvantage. I am not from New York City, nor have I even visited. I have put quite a few heroes in that area of my universe as well, to be sure, but I actually have very little knowledge of that setting. Because of this, I've felt the great desire to put heroes in places I actually know. I feel this would benefit the stories, as it may help the settings feel a little more real and grounded.
In my life, I have lived in two major areas, both within the United States.
The later state is Colorado, and I have assigned this setting to Chrome Dome's upcoming origin story, "Iron Eagle".
The earlier state, where I spent my childhood and -- as of now -- the slightly-larger half of my life, is Louisiana. The New Orleans area in Louisiana specifically is a wonderful hub of art, music, history, and culture. I have a large amount of family there still; I know the area pretty well, and I would love to give it a hero. To my knowledge, not very many comic book heroes govern the state of Louisiana specifically, at least nowhere near as many as New York.
For a while now, I have been hard at work planning a hero for this portion of my universe. As I'm still in the beginning stages, it's tough to see exactly when and how he will interact with the other "corners". Because of this, I am giving him a "corner" all his own. I still have a ways to go with planning, but I have a pretty strong concept so far, and I have a pretty final name for this hero as well.
His name is Baron Boudreaux.
Given the culture of the Louisiana area, I have decided to give Boudreaux a strong connection to Voodoo. As such, he will be a far more mystical hero than what my universe is used to so far. My idea is for Boudreaux to be a unique Doctor Strange type for my universe. While my initial idea was to make him an incredibly dark character (partially to fix the lack of darkness in Gargoyle), I'm finding that the more and more I plan him, the more light-hearted he's becoming. I'm aware that a few other characters in DC and Marvel alike are also connected to Voodoo, but I have done some research and realized that I will still have a VERY different take on it and on him.
I have also been HEAVILY researching Voodoo itself, and I've found its mainstream representation is wildly inaccurate. I'll spare you too many details, but as an example, "Voodoo dolls" are NOT a part of Voodoo at all. Because of this, I've made it my goal to portray Voodoo far more accurately in my stories. There are a lot of variations of Voodoo, so I have prioritized the teachings of Haitian Voodou for this character. I have learned quite a lot and found a lot of great mythology/lore to use, but a few aspects are fairly ambiguous and confusing. Online articles can only take me so far and teach me so much.
Here's where YOU come in.
In order to make sense of some of my research, I feel I need a Voodoo specialist. I realize this is a long-shot, but I am looking for someone within the furry/art communities that boasts considerable knowledge of REAL Voodoo, preferably Haitian Voodou. Only through clarifying things with an expert can I solidify my impressions and plans for the story.
If you do not know of anyone with this kind of knowledge, PLEASE help spread the word to find someone with it.
I'd really like to continue planning and eventually write this character, and these frustrating ambiguous research elements are preventing me from doing so. I have searched and searched for what I need, and I keep coming up short. I need someone with legitimate knowledge of the religion and its spirits. Any and all assistance with this will be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you.
If all goes well, you can look forward to Baron Boudreaux's contribution to this universe in the future!
Art surge incoming!
Here's what you can expect:
TO BE UPLOADED TONIGHT:
- Fire Fox's hero Database entry
- Chrome Dome's hero Database entry
- IntraNet organization Database entry
OTHER UPLOADS COMING SOON:
- IntraNet X-86 Command Center map for the Database
- Mark Pyre's iPod key item Database entry
- Map of Cain S. Lupus's house/daycare for the Database
Look forward to these uploads filling our gallery in the near future!
SUPERverse Fanart Update!
FurAffinity:
>>> www.furaffinity.net/view/23549… <<<
Weasyl:
>>> www.weasyl.com/~7imothyc/submi… <<<
deviantART:
>>> fav.me/db3h45u <<<
Big thanks once again to DJcroc2016 for this wonderful piece!
And as a friendly reminder, keep checking here for the latest SUPERverse updates. Big things are happening here soon!