Secret of the Beaufort is a wrap!

It’s a fantastic feeling to be here at the final page of the first Deep Dive Daredevils adventure, and also a little bittersweet at the same time. This is a story that we began work on over two years ago, and a day hasn’t gone by since then when it hasn’t been worked on in some fashion. It’s been a labor of love for all of us!

But, better than JUST being here at the conclusion, I can objectively say that this story turned out better than any of us imagined at the beginning. Dan, Evin, and I have grown as writers over the telling. Danilo Guida has delivered award worthy artwork, and somehow continued to top himself at regular intervals. Steven Finch’s clear vision behind the lettering and design make the book read like a dream right out of the Golden Age of comics. And, all of it was done, on time, without cutting any corners. Pat yourselves on the back, fellas.

As we say goodbye to The Secret of the Beaufort Sea, remember that it is only the BEGINNING! Joe and Cup, Doc, Captain Custer, and the rest of the Daredevils aren’t going anywhere…

With that in mind, lets take a look at the upcoming schedule:

Tuesday December 18^th – We’ll be taking a break, the first since our launch on April 17^th.  No content.

Tuesday December 25^th – Originally, this was planned as a week with no content, as well, but because all of the Daredevilers out there have been such good boys and girls there will be a present waiting for you on the blotter Christmas morning! It’s the least we can do to say THANKS…

Tuesday January 1^st 2013 – The first day of a NEW YEAR calls for the first look at a NEW STORY! The cover for the Cajun Caper will hit the blotter!

Tuesday January 8^th 2013 – Guest artist Smilton Roa Klaassen joins us for the FIRST PAGE of a sensational Deep Dive Daredevils short we’re calling the Cajun Caper! It’ll run for 10 weeks, and is packed with as much adventure and heart as is allowed by law. Seriously, this little story packs a wallop! The last page has a reveal that will leave heads spinning. Mark my words.

On the Horizon – While the Cajun Caper is on center-stage, Danilo will be hard at work in the wings on the next full-length Deep Dive Daredevils story, PITCH BLACK DAY! Steel yourselves, Daredevilers, for the HORRORS that wait in the abyss will scare the daylights out of you!

Welp, that what’s coming…in the meantime, let us know your thoughts about Secret of the Beaufort Sea now that all is said and done. And, if you haven’t already, it’s more important than ever to RSS, Like, or Follow so you can keep up to date on all things Deep Dive Daredevils.

Many thanks to all our readers, everyone who’s supported us, and all those who’ve helped spread the word!

See you soon, guys. The best is yet to come!

-Matt-

As Kurt Cobain once sang: just because you’re paranoid, don’t mean they’re not after you.

Hmmmm…THEY. Such a simple, harmless word, and yet if used in the right context, somehow also so threatening. Who or what are the Daredevils hiding from, and what’s the deal with the mysterious room featured in panel three? The answers to those questions are the basis of a HUGE over-arching Deep Dive Daredevils story that will — and, I’ve probably already said too much. Good things come to those who wait, Daredevilers. All will be revealed eventually…

NEXT WEEK is the GRAND FINALE! The END is NIGH! After all that he has seen – a man change into a whale, the insides of the whale, and a mystical journey to the past – what sight could possibly leave Joe speechless? Find out NEXT WEEK, and don’t be surprised if you CHEER, involuntarily, upon viewing the page…don’t be surprised at all. Make sure to RSS, Like, or Follow, well, because you don’t want to, like, miss the ending, dude!

Not much left to say this week, other than, boy, am I excited to be here, so close to the end of Secret of the Beaufort Sea. Not to mention, just how excited I am for the future of Deep Dive Daredevils. We’re like a runaway train! There’s no stopping us now!

And, again, many thanks to all our dedicated readers! Some of you have been with us since the launch and others probably just stumbled in right this minute. Thank you all!

As always, a vote for the Daredevils at topwebcomics.com would be much appreciated, and make sure to stop by the blog for the latest Sunday Bonus Lunch. [Insert snarky comment about Evin here.]

Anyways, till next week!

-Matt-

Doc’s final report begins!

Man, I don’t know about you, Daredevilers, but I’m overjoyed to see Armstrong’s torment come to an end. With Armstrong’s final fate in the books, it’s time to move on to the last of the dangling story threads…

NEXT WEEK, while final questions are answered, a new development casts DARK SHADOWS on the horizon! In just 7 days, the first building block of a genuine Deep Dive Daredevils EPIC is hidden in the PENULTIMATE page of Secret of the Beaufort Sea.

Now that the finish line of Beaufort Sea is in sight, it’s time for a little housekeeping. The Final page of Beaufort Sea will hit on December 11th. With Christmas and the New Year hot on the heels of our big finish, we’ve decided to hold off until Tuesday January 8th for the launch of the next Deep Dive Daredevils story. Yep, you’ll have to wait an agonizing FOUR WEEKS for your next fix of Daredevils goodness once Beaufort Sea wraps!

Consequently, it’s more important then ever that you RSS, Follow, or Like, so you don’t miss out on the start of THE CAJUN CAPER, the next Daredevils adventure! It’s a 10-page romp through the streets of 1930s New Orleans drawn by our sensational fill-in artist, Smilton. And, the finale…well, it changes things FOREVER. Be there here on January 8th for the start of the next Deep Dive Daredevils classic!

Before I go, I want to thank Danilo for filling in for me last week. It certainly won’t be the last time you hear from our artist extraordinaire. Also, many thanks to all those who shared their thoughts with us last week, page 37 has one of the best comment threads to date.

As always, please vote early and often for the Daredevils at topwebcomics.com, and make sure to hit the blog for the latest installment of the Sunday Bonus Lunch. While you’re there make sure and tell Evin to get off his ass and make some more rad GIFs. He’s been slacking, yo.

Anyways, till next week!

-Matt-

Hi Daredevils!

Matt asked me to write some words about this page, and it seemed a good idea at first…but now I have the white page vertigo, so let´s see how it works out…

First of all, it´s a good chance to thank all the readers for following us so patiently. I´m very glad that you enjoy our comic, really.

This being the first time that I talk with you, I would like to say a few words about the DDD in general. To be honest, when Matt told me about the project I felt it wasn´t really for my style… adventures of a boy and his dog, with a scientist straight out of Star Trek… (Yes, I did it for the money anyway!).

But it happened that when I started to read the script, it was very well written indeed…first of all, the storytelling was so natural (you don´t find this all the time, believe me), and then the way they managed to make me get into the story as a reader made me believe more and more in the project. The ideas that these three crazy writers had, combined very good with the stuff I always wanted to draw: suspense, drama, action, MONSTERS!, and gave me the chance to put dramatic shadows, experiment with different styles, create amazing characters… All in all, it turned to be a great comic to do!

Now, talking about this page…When Matt described Sedna he showed me a representation of this goddess with long hair and long fingers. I liked the idea of the hair being part of the ocean, not easy to tell when the ocean finishes and the hair starts…
I worked many years doing Pin Ups for SQPInc., so I had a lot of experience drawing sexy women. The challenge this time was to show that majesty of a goddess, to show sensuality (for all ages), and to give her features of an Inuit woman.

I feel these three issues were solved, do you?

DANILO GUIDA

One final act of courage…and faith!

Welp, the Daredevils have made their play to defeat the werewhale and end the age-old grudge that’s been churning the once peaceful waters of the Beaufort Sea. All the cards are on the table. This is it. Win or lose? Live or die? It all comes down to this…

Can I just say, I am so freaking excited to finally be here – at this point in the story – and, not to mention, pretty dang proud too. We launched Deep Dive Daredevils 30-some-odd weeks ago, and now here we are, within spitting distance of the conclusion of the first story. When we started we were pretty sure we had a cool story, and we were darn sure that we had great collaborators. But, had no clue how to create and manage a weekly webcomic. All in all, I am happy with the ways things have turned out, so far, and that’s a fantastic feeling.

With that said, FORGET everything that has come before because NEXT WEEK’S page is the BIGGEST, most BEAUTIFUL, and AWE-INSPIRING page yet! No hyperbole here, Daredevilers, NEXT WEEK you will jump out your seat and CHEER! Make sure to RSS, Like, or Follow unless you love missing the best parts of stuff, and who does?

In addition to feasting your eyes on a fantastic page next week, you’ll also get a much welcome break from my weekly, tiresome blathering. Another reason to cheer! In my place you will get to hear from the man who’s spectacular art keeps you coming back week-after-week. That’s right, Danilo Guida stops by next week and takes over the blog! Should be fun…

As always, please vote early and often for the Daredevils at topwebcomics.com, and throw Evin a bone why don’tcha and make with the clicks on the blog for a taste of the Sunday Bonus Lunch.

Thanks again for reading, guys!

Anyways, till next week!

-Matt-

Science vs. Magic: Oh, it’s on now!

And let me just say this, I feel you, Doc! I have a hard enough time “quantifying the whims” of mortal women (my wife and daughter). A goddess…well, that’s got to be a whole other ball of wax.

Seriously though, Doc’s been out of the spotlight for a while, so it’s great to see him do his thing and finish up the perfume. And, as he points out, in science there are no absolutes only hypothesis and theories…

With that in mind, will Sedna dig Doc’s work? Or will she turn up her nose at the perfume? NEXT WEEK it all comes to a head! The Custer and the werewhale both make their final plays, and EVERYTHING THE DAREDEVILS HOLD DEAR HANGS IN THE BALANCE! This is it if folks…the FINAL BATTLE has begun, and it’s sprint from here to the finish. Make sure RSS, Like, or Follow so you aren’t left in the wake.

Man-oh-man, I cannot wait for you guys to see what’s in store in the coming weeks as we get closer and closer to the conclusion of Secret of the Beaufort Sea. Some truly mind-blowing stuff is on the horizon. And, beyond Beaufort Sea, pages are starting to come in from Smilton for his fill-in story, and they are looking mighty sharp. It’s a fun, little story with a HUGE reveal that we’re hoping will leave heads spinning. More info soon, loyal Daredevilers…

In lieu of voting for the Daredevils at topwebcomics.com today, if you’re in The United States, make sure to hit the polls. Do your civic duty, and VOTE for reals! When you’re done, pat yourself on the back, mosey on over to the blog, and treat yourself to some Sunday Bonus Lunch.

Anyways, till next week!

-Matt-

Thar she blows!

Man, I love panels 2 and 3 – Joe and Cup materializing out of the water spout from the whale’s blowhole is amazing! The script only called for Joe and Cup to be expelled from the blowhole, but Danilo added the Aurora Borealis light and made it a truly epic, eye-catching moment…

In fact, when I first saw this page’s finished colors it reminded me of a certain passage from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick*:

From Chapter 51, The Spirit-Spout – “It was while gliding through these latter waters that one serene and moonlight night, when all the waves rolled by like scrolls of silver; and, by their soft, suffusing seethings, made what seemed a silvery silence, not a solitude; on such a silent night a silvery jet was seen far in advance of the white bubbles at the bow. Lit up by the moon, it looked celestial; seemed some plumed and glittering god uprising from the sea.”

The moral? When making comics, it really helps if your artistic collaborator instinctively recognizes the potential of your gag and turns it into a mythic moment. Thanks again for your outstanding work, Danilo!

Speaking of outstanding, NEXT WEEK’S page will blow your socks off! It’s ALL-OUT WAR, as the final battle between the whale and the Custer begins. Meanwhile, Joe’s done his part, now it is up to SCIENCE to save the ship! Make sure to RSS, Like, or Follow because the survival of the Custer might well depend on YOU!

Before I go, I want to give a shout out to our regular commenters for a great conversation on last week’s page! I purposely stayed out of it to give you guys the floor. Thanks for sharing.

As always, please vote early and often for the Daredevils at topwebcomics.com, and make darn sure to stop by the blog to check out the latest installment of the Sunday Bonus Lunch. This week you’ll learn more about the most mysterious member of The ThreeOneFive, Dan Fifield, and just why COMICS > CANCER.

Oh, and by the way, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Anyways, till next week!

-Matt-

*And, yeah, it’s pretty obvious that Moby Dick is a big influence, right?

As Marty McFly would say, “This is heavy.”

The Secret of the Beaufort Sea, at its heart, is about the unintended consequences and misunderstandings that can happen when two cultures come into contact. All the adventure and zaniness up to this point (and after) is built on a foundation of tragedy. Joe has now witnessed the root of the conflict between Armstrong and the Shaman, and has made the choice to forgive, despite the tragedy.

However, some Daredevilers may still have questions…“Was it sickness that killed the Inuit people or was it angry gods? Who is the good guy and who is the bad guy? Or is this all just a horrible misunderstanding?” Well, I’m hoping that you guys will hash that out (and more) in the comments this week. By design, we’ve left a lot up to reader interpretation, so have at it!

And, yeah, this page is about as serious as the Deep Dive Daredevils is ever going to get, so wipe your eyes, blow your nose, and put away the hanky because NEXT WEEK we resume SHENANIGANS in that indelible Daredevils style! Now, Joe has experienced the challenge and made his decision, but WHAT COMES NEXT? Well, the action gets BIGGER, and the stakes get HIGHER as we sprint to the finish line! Make sure to RSS, Like, or Follow like your life depends on it!

Before I go, I’d like to point you guys to a fantastic, in-depth examination of the Deep Dive Daredevils by Seth Andrew Jacob. In his write-up, Seth coins the phrase “Digital Pulp” to describe the Daredevils’ genre and makes an extremely compelling case for why our little web-strip is worth a look. So, make sure to check it out and pass it along to any friends who wonder why you spend your precious time reading our freaky submarine comic. Thanks, Seth!

As always, please vote early and often for the Daredevils at topwebcomics.com, and make sure to visit the blog for your weekly dose of semi-insane ramblings, which Evin calls the Sunday Bonus Lunch.

Anyways, till next week!

-Matt-

It’s all coming in to focus now, am I right?

Loyal Daredevilers, the last six months (wow, that long!) of action, adventure, and tomfoolery have all been in service to this page – the crux of the story, or the crucible if you will. All the pieces are finally laid on the table, and those of you familiar with the history of the Inuit people in this time period might have a pretty good idea where we’re heading (if you do, don’t spoil it for your fellow Daredevilers, please).

It was important to us that underneath all the Sci-fi and suspense Secret of the Beaufort Sea was about SOMETHING, preferably something real/grounded, and now that we are in the thick of it I couldn’t be happier with the way it is all turning out. This week all the dominos are put in place…

And, NEXT WEEK we knock them all down! At this point, I usually launch into a hyperbolic tirade about how awesome next week’s page is going to be, but instead this week I’ll just say: make sure to have a hanky on hand when you stop by next week. Also, make sure to RSS, Like, or Follow unless you want to miss one of the most pivotal pages yet.

I don’t usually do this here, but I’m going to go ahead and recommend a book I read over the weekend and enjoyed immensely, MARVEL COMICS the UNTOLD STORY by Sean Howe. If you are into comics and history (which I’m guessing would apply to a good portion of the folks reading this) it will definitely hit the spot. It’s less about the characters and their storylines, and more about the creators and the company behind the comics. It’s well researched and written, paced like a novel, and even taught a Marvel Comics aficionado like myself quite a few things I never knew. So, yeah, maybe you’ll like it too…

As always, please vote early and often for the Daredevils at topwebcomics.com, and don’t forget to mosey on over to the blog for a heaping helping of the ever-delicious Sunday Bonus Lunch.

Anyways, till next week!

-Matt-

The Gardner returns!

When we last met The Gardner WAY back on page one it was her darkest hour, but NOW she appears again under sunny skies is in all her former glory. Wait, what? Some explanation is in order, you say? Well, fear not steadfast Daredevilers, the answers you seek are only a WEEK away! Oh yes, we’re about to get down to some serious business and deliver a heaping helping of PLOT! Over the last 30-or-so pages you’ve seen the devastating results of the Shaman’s curse on Captain Armstrong, but NEXT WEEK we reveal the root of the conflict and so much more! So, make sure RSS, Like or Follow or risk missing the boat…

RE: this page (speaking of boats) – Danilo Guida: THE MAN CAN DRAW BOATS. ‘Nuff said.

Before I clock out, I’d like to send some love out to all our readers out there! Whether you’ve been reading since the launch or just this minute found your way to Daredevils Central, give yourself one big old pat on the back because you Sir/Madam are AWESOME. I hope you guys enjoy our little adventure yarn as much as the team enjoys putting it together week in and week out. As long as you keep reading we’ll keep writing, drawing, and designing!

As always, please vote early and often at www.topwebcomics.com if you dig the Daredevils and want to share it with others. Also NEVER FORGET, the blog is chock full of behind-the-scenes material, biding it’s time, just waiting for your clicks…

Anyways, till next week!

-Matt-