Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9

Page 10

Page 11

Page 12

Page 13

Page 14

Page 15

Page 16

Page 17

Page 18

Page 19

Page 20

Page 21

Page 22

Page 24

Page 24

Page 25

Page 26

Page 27

Page 28

Page 29

Page 30

Page 31

Page 32

Page 33

Page 34

Page 35

Page 36

Page 37

Page 38

Page 39

Page 40

Page 41

Page 42

Page 43

Page 44

Page 45

Page 46

Page 47

Page 48

Page 49

Page 50

Page 51

Taking a Break

Posted on:

It’s with a heavy heart that I’ve decided to put Hominids on hold for the time being. As most of you have probably noticed, my updates have been inconsistent, I’ve been less engaged, and perhaps the quality of the comic overall has gone down.
For the last two years, I’ve been trying to balance full-time freelance work with Hominids. My love and passion for this comic has kept me going, but the two things are in conflict with one another, and my need to make a living must win out.
Because of this, I haven’t been able to give the love and attention that I feel Hominids deserves. It’s not fair to the comic and it’s not fair to my readers. With that in mind, I’d rather take the break and come back to it fresh. I will still be posting work on my Patreon and social media if you want to follow what I will be up to in the coming months.
If you want to see any of my freelance work, check out my new website, where I will be posting all my projects.
https://jordankotzebue.myportfolio.com/
I don’t know when Hominids will come back, but I promise it will. I won’t let the story go unfinished.

Thanks for being true fans, Hominerds.

376 Responses

  1. Hee Fone says:

    So,if Gosh & Sno aren’t twins then what sort of siblings are they? Full siblings or half-siblings like Keyli & Zona’s unborn hybrid child?

    • jordan says:

      It’s likely they share the same parents, although it’d be too hard for them to know who.

    • So, why is the mother of Gosh & Sno unknown? says:

      So, why is the mother of Gosh & Sno unknown?

    • Hee Fone says:

      Sorry, I mistype by accident.

    • Hee Fone says:

      What Imeant to say is I mistype my name wrongly & wished to ask is why is the mother of Gosh & Sno unknown?

    • jordan says:

      I should probably clarify too. They know who their mother is, she just isn’t an integral part of the story so we haven’t met her. I may introduce her in the future.

  2. Hee Fone says:

    So Jordan, will Gosh have a love interest in future chapters to come?

  3. Hee Fone says:

    You mentioned that Gosh & Sno are siblings so are they twins?

  4. Hee Fone says:

    So, who’s Keyli’s biological father as well as Gosh’s & Sno’s biological parents? I understand if you say its too much spoilers but I hope to find out about it & I’m sure most of the other fans do as well.

    • jordan says:

      Good question. To be honest, I don’t know if it’s one I was planning on addressing further then the conversation that Keyli and Icari had back in chapter 3. It suggested that none of these characters really know who their true biological parents are.
      Back when I originally created them (when I was 12), Keyli did have a father that played prominently. I called him Slash-unk, and yes, he looked just like Slash from Guns and Roses. It was a much simpler, silly story back then.
      So honestly, maybe you’ll see someone in passing that looks a bit like Keyli but they probably won’t play much prominence in the story. There will be father figures though. Mostly played by Zurumba, who will eventually come back.

  5. Hee Fone says:

    Zona’s pregnancy bump from this chapter onwards is more pronounced. In a way that makes her more gorgeous looking.

  6. John says:

    So when will the comment box for chapter 7 be up?

    Also the gang as kids is super cute.

    • jordan says:

      As soon as I possibly can. Unfortunately, I’m not all that tech savvy so progress is slow. I’m probably going to have to find some help. Sorry about that. I imagine it’s quite annoying…it’s annoying to me….

      I’m glad you like seeing them younger. It was fun doing a more light-hearted story.

  7. Moiraibane says:

    First time poster, recently discovered the comic.

    Excited for the return but I really had to comment on the animation. I thought the art style and story would translate to animation very well and this little clip proves it.

    It’s a great story with fantastic characters, I look forward to Book 2 and perhaps someday more of animated action.

    Thanks for sharing such a great creation!

    • jordan says:

      Thanks Moiraibane! I’m glad you reached out! I definitely plan to do more animations in the future, as long as it doesn’t impede on the comic itself. I may do various degrees of polish on them and make them shorter, just so it doesn’t get in the way.
      At any rate, I’m glad you like it! See you in January.

  8. John says:

    Hey Mr. Kotzebue; just wondering if there will be a progress update anytime soon for the next book. (asked very nicely)

    • jordan says:

      Hey John,
      Thanks for the comment. I’ll make a post very soon on the state of book 2. In short, after making book 1, I think I needed more of a break than even I realized. I’ve been working on it all summer but progress has been slow. Anyways, now that it’s fall, I’m trying to find my bearings again and get this thing going for you guys. More news to come. Thanks for being patient.

  9. Chris says:

    Can we get an update on when the story will resume?

    • jordan says:

      Hey Chris,
      I haven’t announced any dates as of yet. There are some things I want to shore up before deciding when to come back. After 6 chapters I felt I needed a small break before getting heads deep back into it. Right now, I’m about 4 pages into it and would like to be at least 8 in before posting so I can have a good buffer. Thanks for waiting and I’ll have a big announcement as soon as I know.

  10. Ian Callow says:

    This may be off tangent, but I’ve been playing a lot of D&D lately, and one of the areas I have done for our campaign… was set around this area. and one of the random encounters when near the mountain… two bodies fall from the sky, the only survivor is a strange looking female humanoid who is albino.

  11. LaughingTarget says:

    Oh man, that fan art. They’re looking right at me!

  12. DigitalRoar says:

    I just spent an hour reading through chapters 1-6. And I have to say, it’s pretty great. I want more.

    • jordan says:

      Thanks so much Digital Roar! I’m glad you found it. Check back periodically for updates on when Hominids will be back.

  13. Greg White says:

    How about doing a Hominids story about being careful what you wish for.

  14. MyHatIsMadeFromOranges says:

    Aw shiet!

    [cue predator theme]
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRpu-7qzaIY

  15. John says:

    Well hello genetically altered abomination, we’ve not seen you on this for many a moon. I dare say we thought the maker has forgotten about you. Nice to see you keeping active and staying healthy. 🙂

    This thing (what ever he, she, it, is?) is more bad-ass then ever!

  16. Therese says:

    “What else could there possibly be to fear down here?”

    Why, your friendly neighborhood Spiderman! 8D

    Sorry, couldn’t help myself. And obviously, this is more like Spiderman, Venom and Doc-Oct all combined and none too happy about guests just waltzing in.

    • jordan says:

      It would be pretty funny to randomly throw a super hero in there. Marvel might take issue but whatever.

  17. noako says:

    Omg I actually saw Hominids-related dream last night.
    Sno had landed on a giant bird’s nest, somehow staying alive (Seriously, only scratch on her was from the arrow). The Priest was also alive, bailing out asap. The dream (and the page) ended with the giant mom bird coming back to the nest, I guess implying Sno needs to get out before shes devoured.
    And the authors comments below were only something like “This is the REAL ACTUAL last page of Sno, her fate is unknown after this point.”

  18. LaughingTarget says:

    Damn, the Mountain Dwellers were busy. That’s a lot of archers to scrounge up, let alone bows and arrows. I smell an invasion coming.

    Too bad King Leonidas isn’t there, he would have his shade.

  19. AGW says:

    I started reading hominids a month or so ago, and have been continually impressed with your story and your world building. I look forward to this every week

    • jordan says:

      Thanks AGW! I’m so glad you are enjoying it. Fortunately there is one more page before I go on break. Hopefully it won’t be too long.

  20. MyHatIsMadeFromOranges says:

    Oh.

  21. MyHatIsMadeFromOranges says:

    Wait, are there even dinosaurs in this, or am I just remembering the huge horrible fish or whatever they were dealing with?
    There isnt, is there?

  22. MyHatIsMadeFromOranges says:

    Well, I mean, It’s kind of already been established that theres aliens in universe, and its not like its the first time they ever see the mountain, right?

    Dont suppose the mountain people found a way to saddle pterodactyls?

    • jordan says:

      No spoilers, but it’s safe to say it’s not the Mountain itself they’re looking at.
      I might have to illustrate them riding saddled pterodactyls just because that would be awesome!

  23. MyHatIsMadeFromOranges says:

    Spaceship?
    Is it spaceship time?

  24. John says:

    Glad to see that the out-burst didn’t last long. Can’t wait to see how you plan on ending book one! Hopefully I’ll make enough spare money to buy book one when it’s done. 🙂

    • jordan says:

      You’ll find out very soon. Now I just have to work on the page!
      Hopefully I’ll have a nice big run of the book. We’ll see and I’ll definitely keep you guys posted.

  25. Chris says:

    I really, really hope they make it out okay 🙁

  26. Lazy J says:

    oh man cant they ever catch a break this does not bode well

  27. Lazy J says:

    this is defanitly one of those i am angry and i want to take it out on the first person i see which happens to be icari, why? Well not only is he the easiest person to blame but hey he also happens to be from the mountian, Still not a very cool thing to say especially when she is carrying his baby inside her, i mean when the baby is born how is she going to feel every time she sees the child. Not that i cant understand her anger and fustration but wasnt it just before this all happened that they were planning something to happen at the mountian, anywho i can understand why she would say that emotions on a ramapage and all but i would have liked to hope that she isnt totally blind to you know his injurys and stuff and lets not forget the hella bad rope burn he suffered lol

    • jordan says:

      It’s purely an emotional reaction. I really wanted her to feel human in this moment and just handle it all wrong. I think later, Zona will be surprised by her reaction.

  28. Chris says:

    “This is his fault!” Oh, boy… I have a feeling something bad is about happen… 🙁

  29. Greg White says:

    What happens in Hominids when someone has a baby?

    • jordan says:

      They generally raise babies as a community, making sure all the children are well looked after.

  30. John says:

    I don’t think were ever going to see Sno’s body. And I’m not going to ask that you show us just to give us a definitive answer to something we already know. It would be to painful for you to draw and us to see. I don’t want to see a character I like dead on the ground; I get enough of that from Game of Thrones.

    • jordan says:

      It’d be a hard thing to show and I don’t think I would like to draw it. I’ve been hard enough as it is on you guys.

  31. LaughingTarget says:

    Hmmm…down by that outcrop with the small cave at the base.

    I fear this will lead to a split in the tree dwellers.

  32. Crestlinger says:

    ‘No capes!’ They cried. WHO’S LAUGHING NOW?!

  33. Lee M says:

    Never has the phrase “just hang in there” seemed so appropriate.

  34. Lazy J says:

    Wow Man talk about really an intense page i wanna hop on the band wagon that everyone else is on saying snow is dead but part of me hasd this nagging feeling she isnt =D

    • jordan says:

      It’s true that in comics, if you don’t see the body then there are go guarantees. Of course, I like to go against the grain.

  35. Thenardyr says:

    After binge reading your intelligent, beautiful comic, I’ve caught up.

    Just in time to see Sno die. Major bummer.

    But I still love your comic.

    • jordan says:

      Thanks so much Thenardyr! I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I definitely feel like binge reading it is the best way to go. I’m glad you like even with the loss of Sno.

  36. MyHatIsMadeFromOranges says:

    Oh wait, I get it!
    APRIL FOOLS! NO ONE ACTUALLY DIED!

  37. Kristel says:

    Wow. I just can’t…..I’m definitely still in denial. I keep hoping with each page as they approach the ground that she’ll have landed in the water and survived somehow or something.

    Sno was my favorite character, but like many here I can see why this happened and I appreciate that her death had meaning. I really can’t wait to see how this affects the story now.

    So sad, so many tears though. 🙁

    • jordan says:

      Even if she is gone, there are a lot of stories and adventures she went on that haven’t yet been told. We’ll see her again no matter what.

  38. Kate says:

    I’m absolutely gutted by Sno’s death. She deserved to die least of anyone, perhaps.

    But thank you for making it meaningful, and not just a vehicle for some other character’s growth, or something to be cheapened by a magic reversal later on.

    At least she died doing something more meaningful than most of us (or the characters) ever get to do: helping an entire oppressed people become free of their evil dictator, in a single moment of passion and strength.

    She died. But they live on the very edge of nature, so they’re risking death every day. She understood that, as do all the neanderthals, I’d think, and was used to it after a lifetime of nothing else. It’s realistic. But oh, it hurts.

    • jordan says:

      I’m glad you appreciate the meaning and reasons behind it. It was an emotional thing for me too. For context, I created this character when I was 11, so to do anything like this was with a heavy heart.

  39. UppityDragon says:

    I’m pretty sure I’m still in denial, I don’t think I’ll really believe it unless they go down there and find her body.
    This turn of events makes me sad but I can appreciate its value to the story.

    • jordan says:

      It saddens me that it’s hitting people so hard but I also am thankful that people are so invested.

  40. Chris says:

    Wow… This is pretty sad…. 🙁 But, I’m proud that you went through it. Because, this could change a lot of things in this story, for better or for worse (for our characters, that is). All I wonder now is how the rest of the Tree People (including the Queen (?)) are gonna react to Sno’s death…

    • jordan says:

      Without giving spoilers, I will say there will be reverberations from this throughout the rest of the series. It was a tough choice no doubt, but it serves the series.

  41. LaughingTarget says:

    I commend you for the decision. Too often, characters, especially well fleshed out and popular ones, are given plot armor. There is just no real tension because, in the end, the reader knows that they will always be OK. By doing this, you took your story to a whole new level. You avoided the lousy plot mechanics that plague bad writers and instead of protecting a character with a contrivance, followed a logical flow.

    You went beyond an interesting story and just solidified that the tension is now real and no one is truly safe. Well done and bravo.

  42. John says:

    Why does Icari’s blood match his skin tone?

  43. LaughingTarget says:

    Looking at the layout of the mountain, it’s amazing Sno even got that close to the outcropping. Barring grabbing a vine underneath, she is screwed as there isn’t anything else below but the forest floor WAAAAAY below. No one can survive that fall.

  44. Bernie says:

    I just have to say, this is my new favorite comic. I adored the art and style, and I’m all about the topics you’ve been exploring in the narrative. I’m working on a story myself, and your work, to me, feels closest in spirit. It’s been an inspiring read and I can’t wait for more!

    • jordan says:

      Wow! Thanks Bernie. That’s a great honor. I’d love to see your story when you’re ready. I’m glad you’re enjoying it so much.

  45. vingfel says:

    Some of the tree-dwellers are climbing the mointain…
    .
    If one of them can catch Sno…
    .
    I still can’t belive that the autor would kill Sno now.
    .

    • jordan says:

      Anything can happen in comics…but if you’re being an honest storyteller, you have to be willing to let go of characters, otherwise where are the stakes?

  46. Ian Callow says:

    I want to lighten the mood lightly… hopefully.

    “They landed into a nice pool of water, because Deus ex machine!”

    im not crying right now… snoooooo

    • jordan says:

      Even if there was a pool of water, they’re too high up for that to save them. This was definitely the moment in the series I was most nervous to tell. I kept thinking of ways to tell it differently but none of it rang true. I am a servant to the story.

  47. TK says:

    what… the… ffffuururrrraaaaa

  48. John says:

    Whelp, time to go cry in a corner.

  49. UppityDragon says:

    Well that happened. One of those situations where you read it and you always have hope that something crazy happened and somehow it didn’t go the way it looks. I love reading webcomics but man is playing the waiting game hard sometimes!

  50. MyHatIsDrenchedInOranges says:

    aww.

  51. Greg White says:

    I’m happy that Hominids is back.I read it often.

  52. John says:

    Going to the site and finding it gone was scary. I thought that one of my favorite web-comics was lost and that would have been tragic! I love the characters, story, art style, and the universe you’ve made. Thankfully it’s back and we don’t have to panic.

    Curious, you ever thought about joining “Hiveworks”? One of the things they do is help maintain the site so that things like this don’t happen. Not saying you have to just something that may help.

    • jordan says:

      I was a little worried myself. Things should be good from here on out though.

      I’ve applied to Hiveworks a couple times now. Unfortunately I’ve yet to be accepted. Oh well, I’ll keep trying.

  53. Greg White says:

    Not unlike Satan’s fall when he was cast out after he lost the war in Heaven.

  54. Lee M says:

    Whoa. Those guys have phenomenal reflexes. And even assuming Sno can manage to hang onto the rope, she could end up with one seriously sprained wrist, at best!

    On balance, I guess that would be preferable to the alternative.

  55. XMinusOne says:

    Drop the extra weight, Sno. I see a crack in that rock outcrop for Icari to wedge that stone on the end of the rope into. Let’s see if anyone else in there has an equally quick reaction time.

  56. Lazy J says:

    Gosh Darn it fish sticksfiddle dee dumb! two words Rope Burn

  57. Ian Callow says:

    http://tapastic.com/sdarn218
    oh, I made a mistake with my last comment; disregard the text here, except the link…

    • jordan says:

      Awesome! Glad you are enjoying Hominids. I checked out his book. Did he just start it? All I could see was the cover.

  58. Ian Callow says:

    hey, Jordan; looking through my friend, Samuel Darnell’s taptastic, I noticed hominids was on it; well could you check out his comic Planetfall? also

    I LOVE HOMINIDS, first started readin back in chapter 1

  59. LaughingTarget says:

    Icari: “Trust me now, Sno?”

  60. MyHatIsMadeFromOranges says:

    What do you suppose mountain dweller swear words are?

    Do they have racial slurs for the jungle people?
    Like “oh those fucking vine swingers”?

    • jordan says:

      It’s not quite that bad but they do call each other things. Most notable, the Mountain Dwellers call Tree dwellers, “heathens”. The Tree Dwellers usually note how skinny all the Mountain people are. That’s about it.
      I did consider making them say things a little worse but it mainly felt that it was in poor taste so I scrapped it.
      Good question though.

  61. Lee M says:

    Whoa. Talk about going over the top.

  62. Lazy J says:

    Well now Certinly didn’t see that coming nice touch on visually showing just how strong human resolve can be Jordan Well Done man really didn’t see this one coming, I do kinda feel sad for the priest tho, he sort of is a victim of circumstance given his past at any rate, man Really well done awsome page alot of emotions well portrayed dude. Kudos

    • jordan says:

      Thanks Lazy J. I’m glad you still feel sympathy for the priest. His past was harsh. It doesn’t excuse his actions but it’s always worth noting.

  63. anglo says:

    “Not trying to torture you ”

    It’s just innate……..
    ;P

    and it’ll happen for a long time to come

  64. Max says:

    I think in a way silence is the best response to this. A strong move.

    But I have to take notion of the color scene: the way the sky had turned more and more gray on each panel and how it affects the other colors in the “comic world”. Really subtle and absolutely fantastic approach.

  65. Silly Zealot says:

    “She may have died, but she has shown us the truth. We cannot continue to live like this, being kept content among dust and rocks by our priest, who keep a facade of glory in our decaying city. We must break the shackles of complacency and look for a better way of life, a WORTHY way of life!

    …………

    …………

    Let’s conquer the jungle, there is a lot of food and water in there!”

    “Yeah, and if the jungle heathens oppose us, we set their trees on fire! See how they like it!”

    “Then it is decided, we go to take a better home for us tonight!”

  66. John says:

    Well now, this makes me sad. But I have hope that she’ll live. For the arrow hit her shoulder. Just no one else predict any thing bad. I’m look at you Lander.

  67. Lazy J says:

    Hey Jordan i just wanted to give you a shout out really fantastic comic been following it for awhile but never got around to commenting one of my top favorite comics and i gotta tell you the story and art work are fantastic that being said, I was curious if you read webcomics yourself and if you do you should really give a check out to Prophecy of The Circle, Its another fantastic comic and story i dont normally give shout outs like this but your comic and Prophecy of The Circle are my two top favorite comics. That being said Keep on Drawing and Writing my man you have mad skills, One last thing tho

    SNOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! why for the love of all thats holy! WHHHYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀

    http://www.prophecyofthecircle.com

    • jordan says:

      hahaha. I know, I know…but hey, I’m guessing it got you to leave a comment. That’s not why I did it though. Hopefully you’ll see why it all plays out this way. Also, she’s not necessarily down in out yet. Some of her colleagues have been through worse.
      Thanks for leaving the comment Lazy J. I’ll definitely be sure to check out Prophecy of the Circle.

  68. Powil says:

    I didn’t see this coming! Someone save Sno!

  69. Kate says:

    :'(

    I feel like the “Nooooo!” guy in the audience is everyone reading this.

    Hopefully she’ll at least get to live long enough to see the jungle again. Sno doesn’t deserve to die in a place like that, alone and without hope.

    • jordan says:

      I figured somebody had to speak for the audience. I agree with you, Sno doesn’t deserve to die up there…no promises though.

  70. Lander says:

    I kinda feel there’s going to be an arrow piercing her in the next panel..

  71. Greg White says:

    What did you think of my survival contest suggestion on the Hominids facebook page?

    • jordan says:

      Not a bad idea. I did reply to you on Facebook though. I’ll be sure to always answers questions and comments there so you don’t have to ask me if I got your comment on Facebook.

  72. John says:

    Motivational and pretty to look at. How can you make it better? The answer is you can’t; this is perfect.

  73. Keeva says:

    I love how Sno looks on this page! She just exudes strength and empowerment in spite of, or rather regardless / because of, her relative nudity. I could wax lengthy on how much I enjoy seeing nudity (especially female nudity) removed from a sexual context, and how normalizes, and empowers, etc., etc., and all that good stuff. We need more comics like this, not least for its quality of story and art. Just… crowning glory here. Much applause.

  74. UppityDragon says:

    I just found Hominids and blazed through the archives. I really enjoy it so far and I’ll definitely be sticking around =)

  75. LaughingTarget says:

    Real bright, Sno. Insult their entire way of life. That’ll win them over.

  76. Chris says:

    Awesome! 😀 Here’s hoping it won’t go really, really bad, though…

  77. Greg White says:

    How long does it take to draw and write a Hominids strip?

    • jordan says:

      I write the story beforehand. So the story is done before I even start drawing. Then once I’m ready to do the art, I give myself a week per page.

  78. Mary says:

    Sno is such a badass! Love it. I’m really enjoying the new pages. The story is so creative and the art work is amazing! Great work Jordan!

  79. Greg White says:

    I made a suggestion on the Hominids facebook page. Did you read it yet?

  80. Greg White says:

    Ever find In The Undeveloped Hinterland and Riko’s Big Adventure? Reading them as research might help you make Hominids the best it can be.

    • jordan says:

      Greg, You need to understand I’m doing everything I can to make Hominids the best it can be. I’m sure you don’t mean it to come across as insulting, but it does.
      If you want to send me book or story recommendations do it at the Hominids Facebook page. The link is above. I’m happy to talk about whatever books you want to there. We’ve had this conversation before. This is the last warning I’m gonna give. I don’t want to block you but I will if I have to.

  81. Ian Callow says:

    im curious, I wonder if they will come across a nomadic fishing tribe, also; damn Sno, you OP as shizzle (sorry, but damn)

  82. Greg White says:

    I admire the simple lives the Hominids lead.How about spending some time with tribal societies as research to make Hominids the best it can be.

  83. John says:

    OK I’ve picked a song! “Carolus Rex” by Sabaton! One of my favorites.

  84. Chris says:

    You mean… will there be a war between the peaceful Hominids and the Mountain People? Oh, boy… this is gonna be interesting, to say the least… (I wonder if this will mean the Hominids themselves will be divided over this…?)

    (If you didn’t know, it’s a response to the last comment I made 🙂 )

    • jordan says:

      When tensions escalate, groups undoubtedly break off into factions. It’s safe to say this would probably happen on both sides. Which means peace is probably possible with some and not others.

  85. Chris says:

    All right! Now, things are getting good…. but, what would happen to the whole “make peace with the Mountain Dwellers” now when all of the other Hominids arrive? I have a feeling Sno’s really doesn’t want to have anything to do with the Mountain People after the way crazy priest guy and his goons treated her and her friends.

    • jordan says:

      It’s going to be much much harder. I don’t know if any of them will want to make peace after this….well, I do know, but I’m not gonna say…;)

    • LaughingTarget says:

      Dunno, he may have lost a huge chunk of that crowd with his antics. I’d wager peace is possible if there’s an uprising.

  86. John says:

    A head-butt that was long awaited and awesome! The only problem is which metal song to pick when listen to when read this.

    • jordan says:

      You should let me know when you figure it out. For me, it’s Death Rides a Horse by Russian Circles!

  87. ktrabbit says:

    YEEEEEAAAAHHHH!!! It’s about damn time!!! Get ‘im, Sno!!!!!

  88. LaughingTarget says:

    Shyoruuken!

    That one priest’s beard looks like tentacles are growing out of his chin.

  89. Max says:

    Go Sno go!<3 8D

    ….

    Oh god don't let Icari's pa kill you with an arrow! Azfhksfhjk I can't take this much tension!

  90. Greg White says:

    Thanks for sharing with everybody the photos of your mother and stepfather’s visit.The’re lucky to have you as their son and stepson.

  91. The Old Scribe says:

    I like the way the Neanderthals are portrayed in this strip. New research has proven they were not shambling, grunting savages, but intelligent and tool using, They had a fully functioning society, families, buried their dead in ritual fashion and were articulate and inventive.

    I look forward to each new page. Keep up the good work.

    • jordan says:

      I couldn’t agree more Scribe. It’s one of the biggest reasons I wanted to do this story is to squash the outdated notion that these was a lesser species. There’s still so much we don’t know about them but I’m really amazed at what we do know.

  92. (the other) Jordan says:

    Hey, I’m sorry if this question has been asked already, but what is the tree dweller’s relationship with homosexuality? Is there a chance that we’d see a character who openly preferred same-sex encounters?

    I’m a little curios about the mountain dwellers as well. I figured in such a repressed and controlled society the laws around sex wouldn’t allow homosexual behavior, am I right in making that assumption?

    I love this comic, by the way. Thank you so much for all the effort you put into it 🙂

    • jordan says:

      Hey other Jordan, The Tree Dwellers are very open sexually. Keyli talks a bit about it to Icari at the end of chapter 3. He doesn’t expressly bring up Homosexual relationship because they consider all relations to be equal. They’ve never categorized it because they never felt they needed to. Having said that, I haven’t shown it much. There are some hints at it, like at the beginning of Chapter 4 when the party is dying down. It is safe to say that there are plenty of gay relationships and should be explored further in the story.
      You’re right about the Mountain Dwellers too. They would have a big problem with it. So much so that it’s probably worthy of death in their eyes. At every turn, the Mountain Dwellers are the exact opposite of the Tree Dwellers.
      Thanks a bunch Jordan! I’m glad you’re digging it.

  93. Greg White says:

    Hominids gets better with every new page.I give the writing and art 2 thumbs up and a 10 out of 10.

    • jordan says:

      Thanks Greg and thanks hearing peoples feedback and allowing this to be a place to talk about the comic.

  94. John says:

    The new colored pages for chapter one are looking great! Love the shadows and lighting. Can’t wait to see the rest!

  95. Lee M says:

    Just stumbled across the site and binged on the entire archive in a few hours. The art is superb and the stories have the same excitement and emotional impact that I discovered in the original Elfquest series in the 1980s. Yeah, I know that’s dating me horribly. What can you do?

    Just a couple of questions: 1) Will Chapter 1 ever be fully coloured, and 2) Will there be a print edition?

    TTFN.

    • jordan says:

      I’m glad you found it Lee. It’s been compared to Elfquest a lot, so you’re not dating yourself too bad.
      To answer your questions, I’m working aggressively to finish coloring Chapter 1 and I’m close. In fact, I post a new colored version every Friday, so the next one is up tomorrow.
      To the second question, I’m taking steps to figure out the best way to print. I do small runs for comic cons but nothing too huge. I’ll definitely keep everyone posted to any news when I do.

  96. LaughingTarget says:

    Sno finally clues in that I car is on her side. Shame she didn’t figure that out during the stealth rescue attempt.

  97. Kate says:

    Great page, but poor Icari! All his careful plans are falling apart because he didn’t realise how crazy priest was going to be. At least he has a rope. I hope the group down below in the cliff can catch him, although they’ll probably struggle to work out what they should do next, being so unaware of the unplanned-for events up above them.

    The priest already kind of lost the blind following of the people when he disrobed Sno. Hopefully that, as well as the fact that he (appears) to have murdered Icari and thrown the poor boy off a cliff, will push Icari’s father into taking a shot at Mr high priest. I’d rather he were, I don’t know, “healed” of all that’s gone wrong with him, but things are kind of tight right now and maybe him being shot is a better outcome for everyone.

    If he does hit the priest, or at least distracts people, Sno can show her awesomeness. I don’t know what she’s about to do, but I’m sure it will be fantastic. If the high priest is out of the picture, the people will flee in fear and chaos, she may be able to take care of the two guards he has, and then… climb down the cliff? Okay, it’s not that easy. But she’ll have a good chance of surviving, at any rate.

    (And I’m sure Icari’s fine. The cut wasn’t too deep–he’s probably fainted or is in shock. But from his far-off father’s perspective, he was attacked with a knife, fell limp, and thrown off a cliff. I doubt his father can even see his bungee rope. So to him, after just being reunited with his son, it looked just like a murder. He’s sure to be exploding with emotion right now.)

    • jordan says:

      Thanks Kate and I feel bad for Icari too. He did say from the beginning that it was an imperfect plan. The fact that one of them got rescued is a miracle in and of itself.
      Icari’s father definitely showed hesitation when it came to his some but he is heavily indoctrinated. I’d say he’s one of the biggest wild cards. Who knows which way he’ll go.
      I promise the next few pages will not disappoint.

  98. John says:

    Greg you need to stop the spamming OK! No one cares about these books or movies or whatever! We only talk about Hominids on this site; so stop.

  99. John says:

    Cliff jumping time! I love web-comics and their creativity. Although the only bad thing about web comics is that the mood is hard to keep when you have to wait a week for the next page. Such a bummer. :l

  100. Greg White says:

    My mother Doreen and I sponsor 3 needy children through World Vision a boy in Mauritania as well as a girl in Chad and a girl in Sri Lanka.We’re going to send them seeds so they can grow food.

  101. Greg White says:

    I suggested that Jordan read In The Undeveloped Hinterland and Riko’s Big Adventure as research because the simple lives that characters in both these stories lead just like the Hominids do.

  102. Greg White says:

    I suggested that Jordan read In The Undeveloped Hinterland and Riko’s Big Adventure as research because characters in both these stories lead simple lives living off the land getting what they need from nature like the Hominids do.

  103. Leo says:

    Greg White, this is Jordan’s own creation with the same name hominids. There’s nothing wrong with constructive criticism, and you could have given some but now you’re just trying to ridicule him by attempting to prove him wrong on something that he made as a work of fiction.

    Please try and be a little more reasonable.

  104. Max says:

    Every Tuesday I come here (thanks to you and only you) and today I get to strat my day with a “No NO NO NO NO NO!” that woke up all my neighbours. Thank you for a thrilling ride with your talented comic! You are a gem!

    • jordan says:

      Thanks Max! I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I’m not going to lie, the thrills will not be slowing down 🙂 I hope the neighbors weren’t too pissed.

  105. Greg White says:

    Ever read Riko’s Big Adventure? It’s about a college co-ed named Riko whose friend Elena comes from a village where the people live a simple life off the land getting their needs met by nature.

  106. Greg White says:

    What kind of research do you do for Hominids? Ever read In The Undeveloped Hinterland? It’s about a female only tribe called the Lalu who live in the Amazon rainforest.

    • jordan says:

      I try my best to keep up on all the latest finding in scientific journals, I talk with scientific minded people with an interest in human evolution, and I watch basically every documentary/special I can. I haven’t heard of that book though.

  107. Greg White says:

    Why not do research in order to really get the characters down in Hominids.To really get my David Jones character down I do research with DVD’s books videos on Youtube and so on.You might want to do the same.

  108. Greg White says:

    I greatly admire the simple lives the hominids live.Living off the land getting what they need from nature.The native brothers and sisters of my David Jones character live that way.He’s from India making him their native brother to the east.He’s been living in the United States for the past 24 years.He came by ship.

  109. Greg White says:

    How far back in time do the Hominids live?

  110. Johnn says:

    Bungee jumping is forbidden! Having a lot of fun reading theses; keep them up!

  111. RocketBoy says:

    Just love it. I can’t wait for next week 🙂

    Also, 1st panel, I *think* there’s a typo in the word “existence”.

    Cheers!

  112. Greg White says:

    Ever seen Guardians of the Galaxy? My mom got it for me last Christmas.I admire the the Guardians of the Galaxy because they stand up for themselves.

  113. LaughingTarget says:

    Just noticed this tiny detail. It’s not Icari’s empathy showing that’s the problem, it’s the rope coming from under his robe and going over the edge that is.

  114. John says:

    The Priest has lost his mind! And Icari just had to be the only compassionate one there. Now he is going off the cliff with Sno! On a side note love that Sno still bares the scars from the fish on her thigh. Love to see creators remember small details like that in their work.

    • jordan says:

      I’m glad you noticed the scars. It helps that I’m coloring chapter 1 right now. You’re also right, The High Priest is totally nuts!

  115. LaughingTarget says:

    Almost looks like Sno is getting indoctrinated herself. Amazing how a human spirit can be crushed by a despot.

    • jordan says:

      You might be right. It’s hard to be that degraded and not somehow believe what they say is true.

  116. Greg White says:

    I greatly admire San in Princess Mononoke because of the life she lives in want of nothing everything straight from nature more people should live this way.

  117. Greg White says:

    Jordan you should see Princess Mononoke I think you would really enjoy it.

  118. MyHatSomethingsomething says:

    Wasnt there something with an alien in a space ship at one point?

    Is it going to be terribly long before thats referenced again?

    • jordan says:

      Indeed there is and that will play a bigger role in the overall story. They just got a little side tracked. It’ll be revisited largely next chapter.

  119. MyHatIsMadeFromOranges says:

    “Dave, what did you do to my knife?”
    “Sorry, the hamburgers in the fridge were stuck together.”

  120. TK says:

    GAAAHHH!!! What’s going to HAPPEN TO SNO!!

  121. John says:

    Ok I get your point Kate; just wanted to put some ideas out there. I did forget about the concept art with the giant sloth (which looks amazing by the way!) and it is what I imagine how they would look in the story. Although Jordan has the finale say on what things will look like and how the story will unfold. I look forward to what ever comes out of that brain of his.

  122. Greg White says:

    Do the hominids belong to tribes like natives do?

  123. John says:

    When I looked back at the pages you said you redid, that only means you’re coloring them right? Because When I saw the redone page with the giants they were still the same. You still planing to give them a new look or keep them the same? If I can be kindly honest here; I think they look boring as they are now. It mentions that they live near the water right? How about giving them webbed hands or another aquatic attribute. That will give them a cool look that will help people think when they see it “that’s not just any Giant; that’s a Hominid Giant”! 😀

    • Kate says:

      So far, just about all the hominid species so far have been pretty accurate portrayals of actual hominids which existed, considering the fictional setting. Many, if not all, of the species portrayed are intended to resemble their real-life counterparts.

      Some of these are very straight-forward:
      The root dwellers are common chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes.
      The tree people are Neanderthals.
      The mountain people are H. sapiens.

      Some are more ambiguous:
      The flesh eaters are tricky. I am not aware of any hominid which was purely carnivorous, so I’m assuming they’re a slightly adapted version of an existing omnivorous hominid. I suspect they might be H. ergaster, due to their litheness and height, but will wait and see what else is revealed about them.

      Finally, the giants are Gigantopithecus. These fall into the straight-forward category. The resemblance is not accidental and I look forward to seeing more of them.

      After taking care to represent so many real species accurately, it would be kind of silly to randomly add an attribute to one just for fun or aesthetics, don’t you think? Plus, many animals live near water and even swim/fish for their food but lack webbed digits (e.g. the leopard). Webbed digits are usually only viable as an adaptation to animals which are just about entirely aquatic, because they get in the way for most other things. And the (now coloured!) picture of them from chapter 1 shows at least one in a tree. Webbed fingers would make tree-climbing somewhat difficult, so as an adaptation it wouldn’t make sense.

      So far, the attention to biological accuracy is one of my favourite things about this comic. I’m sure others feel the same way–and the author has obviously put a lot of effort into it. It would be a pity to spoil that, don’t you agree?

    • jordan says:

      To address Johns question first, I am only coloring Chapter 1. I don’t want to update and start changing everything I don’t like ala. George Lucas. Even if I have learned a lot since then, my main focus is on the new stuff.
      Kate is right that I do my best to portray my Hominids with some basis of reality, at least what we can know. The stuff we don’t know is where I have fun in taking artistic liberties. Whether it’s in the design or the cultures. In this case with the Giants (Gigantopithecus, right again Kate) I did give them an upgrade for the next chapter. It might not be webbed hands but I think it’s still pretty cool. I posted a preview with them about a month ago. It’s in the concept art sections.
      Yes, that’s a giant sloth! I’ve wanted to put them in there for a long time.

      PS. Kate, the Flesh-eaters are based on Denisova Hominin. At the time I created chapter 3, all scientist had found was a pinky bone. With such little information, I thought it a perfect place to take some liberties. If there are new findings I’d love to hear about them.

  124. Kate says:

    Well done Keyli! Good to know he still managed to keep Clumsy safe, even in these ridiculously extreme circumstances.

    But… that lady with the red dress with black, radiating triangles on it? She’s the same as in the cave he jumped from. I mean, the women don’t seem to have a lot of fashion choices, but her hair is the same (i.e. uncovered) as well. I’m pretty sure that’s the same woman. So Keyli is back in the same cave, which means he can jump again.

    Sno hasn’t fallen past yet, so surely he should be going for another jump? If nothing else, as a backup in case Icari fails? Sure, due to the timing, it’s much less likely he’ll manage a good jump like he did for Clumsy, but it’s better than nothing, right?

    Or maybe it wasn’t just a matter of tying a rope around his waist and leaping out. Maybe they had to hoist him up with all kinds of tricky pulleys and stuff just for him to jump in the first place, so it would take too long to get set up for another jump.

    Either way, I hope Icari manages to catch Sno. I’m worried about what his father is up to with that bow and arrow. Instead of having Sno cast off the cliff, he might instead sacrifice her by shooting her. It would be more fitting for what is increasingly revealed to be their very bloody religion.

    Very exciting chapter. Thanks tremendously for taking the time to update despite your issues at home. I hope they aren’t too serious, and that they are resolved in the best way possible.

    • jordan says:

      Thanks for the kind words Kate.
      You’re right that he’s back in the same cave. It would be smart to get back up there as quickly as possible as back up. The only problem is, he was hanging upside down on rocks for a very long time. Even as tough as he is, Keyli’s muscles have to be wiped out. It will be much harder to get up there the second time.
      I’m glad you’re enjoying the chapter. All I’ll say about what’s coming is, it hasn’t even begun to get tense yet….

  125. Greg White says:

    How is puppy love dealt with in Hominids?

    • jordan says:

      I’m not even sure that’s really a thing for them. They’re a much more open culture. I think they don’t have any problems expressing their feelings at any age.

  126. Silly Zealot says:

    I do wonder, why do the people of the mountain and the jungle-dwellers speak the same language?

    • jordan says:

      It’s a good question. Honestly, I think speaking different languages doesn’t really lend itself the the medium. So I decided to go the way of Avatar: The Last Airbender or Star Wars where everyone just instinctively speak the same language. It does stand to reason that they’ve been fighting long enough they at least can understand each other.

  127. Greg White says:

    I admire how the people in Hominids live a simple life without being surrounded by wealth and having so much while others have so little.If more people lived a simple life this world might actually be a better place to live in.

  128. MyHatIsMade FromOstriches says:

    And no one saw that?
    They’re like right there.

    • jordan says:

      A little difficult to see, but they’re arms are raised to the sky so it might be safe to assume they are looking towards the sky.

  129. Ian Callow says:

    my only question… did Icari account for there hands to be tied?

    • jordan says:

      He’s witnessed past sacrifices, so he would take that into account. Like he admitted at the beginning of the chapter though, he didn’t have a lot of prep time and he admitted it was an imperfect plan. He’s definitely sweating it.

  130. John says:

    Whelp, I’m depressed. I know he’s going to be saved but still. 🙁

  131. LaughingTarget says:

    Gotta avoid those crazy death cults.

  132. Ian Callow says:

    I feel the priest is hiding something very dark; and whats with the hypocrisy?
    since when does he follow the sky god, Icari “found”

    • jordan says:

      The Mountain God and the Sky God are the gods the humans worship. So they view Sno and Clumsy as the equivalent to say, angels are to the Christian God. Only when the Sky God sends them, it’s as gifts to sacrifice to the Mountain. It’s a way for the gods to keep peace with each other….at least that’s what the Mountain Dwellers believe.
      Icari’s “god”, the one in the cave, isn’t associated with either.

  133. Greg White says:

    on Youtube there’s a video entitled Stockholm syndrome The Movie. It’s about a kidnapping of a young woman named Allie by a young man named Jace.She’s rescued a year later and she calls her captor a nice guy.You might want to get it a look see.

  134. John says:

    We’re half way though the chapter now. I feel like the rest is going to be mostly action. It feels like a storm over the horizon. Can’t wait to see who lives and who dies.

  135. anglophony says:

    Can’t week , you say ?
    Lets see how long it takes ’til you respond…..

  136. Dale says:

    Hello stranger!
    We are wondering if you might be so kind as to donate some comics or related items!
    Your donation is 100% tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law!

    Our EIN is 20-2882260 for easy reference on Guidestar or IRS.gov !

    We will be at the Jet City Comic Show November 8th in Tacoma, Washington with a table!

    We give comics to the kids for free to improve literacy and encourage imagination!

    We can link you on our website!! http://www.comics-4-kids.org

    Thank You so much for your time and consideration!

    Take Care!

    Comics4Kids
    INC 5009 50th Ave SW
    Seattle, WA 98136

  137. Ian Callow says:

    just a hunch, I feel like there will be a giant misunderstanding between the humans and Neanderthals, and there will be a conflict. truthfully, it could have been avoided if Icari, once safe; sent a message to zona (by some means), saying
    “hey, were okay; im totally gonna escape with everybody. just wait”
    anyway, im just worried on how this misunderstanding will happen
    (also im using my real name now. not my penn name)

    • jordan says:

      I think it’s a bit more then a misunderstanding at this point. There is some genuine, albeit unjustified, hatred there. I’m also not sure who Icari could send out without going unnoticed. Interesting perspective though. Hopefully they’ll all be able to communicate their messages in the future.

  138. MyHatIsAlsoRadishes says:

    Oh, the front of the mountain resembles a robed figure with its hands folded wearing a little pointy hat.

    Was that intentional, or am I having a stroke right now?

    • jordan says:

      Repeating shapes in a page is often a trick artists use to help keep a unified composition, so that was definitely intentional. The shape of the mountain though, was actually supposed to mirror a certain tattoo on someone’s forehead.

  139. Greg White says:

    I recently read a book entitled Held.It’s about a teenage girl named Chloe Mills who gets kidnapped and becomes emotionally attached to her kidnapper.It’s great reading.I highly recommend it.

  140. LaughingTarget says:

    Yay, gonna be some Tarzan swinging after all!

  141. John says:

    I still get the feeling that someone is not going to make it out of this alive, or at least whole, at the end. Makes me uneasy.

  142. Chris says:

    Oh, my God! This is a shocking development 😀 Good mountain priests?! There might be hope for our heroes after all…. right? (Again, great job <3 Plus, don't worry; I didn't mind the long wait.)

    • jordan says:

      Always have leave a little room for hope. Plus, there are always going to be good people wherever you go. Just some places are harder to find it than others.

  143. Chris says:

    Yeah, buddy. Trust in your friend, who has most likely already switched sides after hearing a story from the crazy High Priest that sounds very, very similar to how your friend met you guys. I’m sure nothing will go wrong… XD

    (Seriously, though. I love this comic <3)

  144. Armi says:

    Oh wow, can’t wait to see what happens!! So exciting! Keep up with the good job.

    • jordan says:

      Thanks Armi! Now that I’m back from vacation, I can get to work on the big things happening next. Glad you’re still enjoying it.

  145. MyHatIsAlsoRadishes says:

    Here I was thinking he had been ploting and scheming this whole time to overthrow the priesthood so he could go “you guys know what? Its all fine. Jungle people time.”

    I guess if you wear a mask for long enough you kind of become the mask.

    • jordan says:

      The High Priest is definitely a complex character and he’s definitely drank his own kool-aid. I really enjoy writing him.

  146. Greg White says:

    This month on the 14th I turn 42.

  147. LaughingTarget says:

    We definitely appreciate the time you took to get three pages out in short order so we don’t miss an update. With the quality of artwork you perform, it’s an amazing feat.

    • jordan says:

      Thanks LT. It was a choir but I’m glad I didn’t have to worry while I was away. Now back to building my buffer!

  148. LaughingTarget says:

    Seen through her “lies”. Rich coming from a guy bearing the biggest lie in the room right on his forehead. He even framed it for good measure.

  149. John says:

    I know that it was never going to work or we’d never have a story. But it’s still sad to see everything go down hill so fast. 🙁

  150. MyHatIsMadeOfOranges says:

    “Is this a break-up?”

  151. Greg White says:

    How is someone who misbehaves punished?

    • jordan says:

      I’m not even sure punishment would be in they’re vocabulary. I think misbehaving is probably worked out as a group together.

  152. McAllister says:

    well I know how the humans got the slave they killed off a few panels ago

  153. GroundPetrel says:

    Popping up from lurking to say: Wow, this is going downhill fast. Hope Icari and the guys can get out, and soon.

    Still reading, still sharing with my friends, still loving every minute.

    Best,
    GP

    • jordan says:

      Their situation is definitely deteriorating. Thanks for continually reading and sharing. Glad you left a comment

  154. LaughingTarget says:

    I figured smiling while watching one of the tree dwellers get arrowed to the face put him in the irredeemable category.

  155. MyHatIsMadeOfOranges says:

    I’m guessing that was ol Suntan Mc.Eyeless?

  156. McAllister says:

    hmm, im just gonna go out on a limb, that the hate is just a ruse put on by Otari. I sense he will be more helpful than he lets on to be. still following this comic!

  157. LaughingTarget says:

    Guess Otari and Zona aren’t friends anymore.

  158. MyHatGotChangedToCabbages says:

    Not sure if I expected them to have that many warriors.
    Or are most of those just villagers?

  159. Greg White says:

    You should see the 1971 and 2008 film versions of the Andromeda Strain.They’re quite enjoyable.

  160. Greg White says:

    What happens if someone commits a crime?

    • jordan says:

      That’s suggesting there is crime, which is something I think comes from societies and nations that have laws. I don’t think the Tree Dwellers work that way. The Mountain Dwellers, well I’m guessing you can figure out what they do with their criminals.

  161. Greg White says:

    I look forward to each new Hominids strip.

  162. LaughingTarget says:

    Hmm. Keyli marginalized by the other tree people. Mother was involved with the current High Priest. Keyli’s Dad is the High Priest would be a huge mind fuck up there.

  163. Greg White says:

    Jordan ever seen the 1971 and 2008 film versions of the Andromeda strain?

  164. Greg White says:

    How about having a plague strike and kill most of the people.

    • jordan says:

      A plague would be pretty harsh and unpleasant to draw. I don’t know if I want to kill off that many people.

  165. LaughingTarget says:

    They had to have done something more than cut off his nuts for him to be afraid to change things after he became the top boss. Kinda like those elephants that were chained their whole lives and can be tethered to a plastic lawn chair by some flimsy rope.

    • jordan says:

      I think it was more the indoctrination more then anything. They convinced him that he was a sexual deviant before castrating him. They made him believe he deserved it.

  166. Greg White says:

    In Hominids what happens to orphans?

    • jordan says:

      Well the Tree Dwellers raise their young as a community so there isn’t really any such thing as an orphan.

  167. MyHatGotChangedToCabbages says:

    Suppose its not wrong to suggest they also want to put themselves as far apart from the tree dwellers as they can, cause of how much they hate them?

    Like they observe what they do, and then theyre like “okay, everybody do the exact opposite of that”.

    • jordan says:

      It’s not wrong to consider that at all, even if it’s subconscious. Story wise, that’s exactly how I wanted to build the culture between the two. For the Mountain Dwellers it was easy because I just had to look at how closed off, suppressed cultures act today. It was much harder actually building the Tree Dwellers as kind of this peaceful, hippie dippie love fest without making it feel like that.

  168. MyHatGotChangedToCabbages says:

    So its just playing games with their power?
    Like decreeing that every tuesday at 10:11am sharp, everyone must punch themselves in nose or burn eternally?
    “because I can”, basically?

    (also, sorry if multible posts like this from the same guy is a bit annoying. I dont know how to reply to replies.)

    • jordan says:

      I love getting comment so please feel free.
      You have the right idea. Arbitrary rules for the sake of control.

  169. MyHatGotChangedToCabbages says:

    I never got why sex is evil.

    Though I guess overpopulation would be pretty crippling to the mountain dwellers.

    • jordan says:

      It has less to do with overpopulation and more to do with control.
      The High Priest mentioned that they used to be hunter/gatherers before coming to the Mountain. It’s once they settled down they learned about agriculture.
      With agriculture resources become limited and ownership becomes a thing. Everybody owns something, including people and the way they behave.

    • LaughingTarget says:

      Agriculture became a thing because the population grew too large for hunter-gatherer societies to continue living. The wild land was insufficient to handle human population, so people were forced into corralling food and increasing yields or they would ultimately starve.

  170. Greg White says:

    In Hominids if someone feels remorse for having done something wrong how do they make amends?

    • jordan says:

      In a nutshell, sex. I liken the Tree Dwellers to Bonobos and the Mountain Dwellers to they’re more violent cousins, the Chimpanzee. Bonobos deal with things through sex causing a more peaceful, cohesive group.

  171. Rich Wallace says:

    Great textures and flashback style!

  172. TK says:

    Damn, the priesthood are harsh! Very cool page especially in regards to shading and lighting.

    PS, typo in panel 3- should be “difficult to believe”.

  173. LaughingTarget says:

    OK, gonna believe this part is accurate and honest. Either the flashback is warped or he’s not powerful enough to change the culture and is being an ass to protect the city from mass riots.

    • jordan says:

      Yeah, he’s definitely telling the truth here. Why he’s telling Icari all this will be explained in later pages.

  174. Kate says:

    Ooh, that’s harsh… He returns with a glowing holy symbol on his head, so they string him up and torture him. “How dare you say that the gods don’t want us to he horrible and cruel!” Charming.

    Also, and I’m sure you’d have picked these up eventually anyway, but I just want to draw your attention to some minor typos: 1st panel should read, “The people praise *you* and so shall we.” 3rd should read, “Have the gods changed *their* minds?”

  175. Silly Zealot says:

    “So you have a glowing symbol on your forhead?”- One of the council asked, -“Big deal, I have a birth mark that looks like Jennifer Aniston!”
    It should be noted that, in this setting, the surviving records and pictures of Jennifer Aniston were idolized to an statusquite similar to Aphrodite.

  176. MyHatIsMadeOfOranges says:

    Oh man, look at that mustache. I didnt think dwarfs could be mages.

  177. LaughingTarget says:

    Ah, here comes the unreliable narrator telling us of the past.

  178. John says:

    So are they praising his return because he supposedly survived alone in an environment that they have trouble living in even in groups? Or because his forehead is now really shiny? ….I’m going for the latter; much more amusing that way. 🙂

    • jordan says:

      Both. They thing his shining tattoo is what gave him the power to survive the jungle. They’re a superstitious lot.

  179. Greg White says:

    How about having someone kidnapped and end up with Stockholm syndrome.

    • jordan says:

      The story is pretty much set in stone at this point. However, it could be argued that’s what happened to Icari.

  180. Greg White says:

    You really have talent. Keep up the good work.

  181. MyHatIsMadeOfOranges says:

    Hey, you never know.
    Maybe he’ll get lucky and he’ll just randomly redring.

  182. MyHatIsMadeOfOranges says:

    Oh dear, I just noticed priestguy mc redrobes has got an xbox power button on his forehead.
    Now I cant unsee it.

    • jordan says:

      If only Icari knew that all he had to do was touch his forehead and he’d turn him off!

  183. LaughingTarget says:

    If a city is built or settled prior to any kind of written record system, its founding usually ends up with some kind of fantastic legend story. Rome has Romulus and Remus, Athens has a conflict between Poseidon and Athena, etc. Verbal history tends to get distorted by inter-generational games of “telephone”. For a heavily religious people such as the Mountain Dwellers, developing a fantastic founding myth is plausible and possibly expected if the area was inhabited for enough generations so even people with second hand knowledge are long dead.

    Also, am I the only one that wants to pull a Tarzan under the city on those vines?

    • jordan says:

      Spot on again!
      And yes, I want to see some Tarzan swinging on those vines too 😉

  184. FlyingGekko says:

    Aha! Found the spot on the map 🙂 Right in the pig’s mouth below the ear! Or is it a rat?

    • jordan says:

      Holy crap! Now I can’t unsee that! I think that’s the best pig drawing I’ve ever done unintentionally.

  185. MyHatIsMadeOfOranges says:

    Wait, the city was already there when the homo sapiens showed up?

    • jordan says:

      If he’s telling the truth, or the truth wasn’t somehow diluted over the ages…you’ll have to wait and see.

  186. LaughingTarget says:

    The bow dramatically changed the face of warfare and was the dominant weapon for around thirty thousand years. The oldest known bow, a Holmegaard design dating back to 9,000 BCE, is so effective that modern competition and hunting bows are based on its design. Archery was a huge game changer in human civilization. I would wager a guess that archery was the key determinant as to why H. Sapiens became the dominant species and other branches died out or, potentially, were integrated into the species.

    This is basically bad news for anyone that isn’t a devout Mountain Dweller, especially if the bow is refined beyond a simple bent stick.

    I love the insinuation from the High Priest that this is, somehow, his idea via divine inspiration.

    • jordan says:

      Spot on! In my research I’ve also read that if civilization were ever lost, if we had to start all over, certain things would always come back. One of which is the bow and arrow. This is one of the possible reasons we see it in every cultures history.
      If anything, this will certainly change things for the worst.

  187. McAllister says:

    so, (so far) we have the mountain people , the tree people, the bone eaters(?), and “icari’s god” hmm… could there (it could potentially be a good story ark) be a tribe on the river, full of nomadic fishermen.

    • jordan says:

      You may. In fact, it might be worth going back to the first five pages of chapter 1 to see if you’re right. 😉

  188. LaughingTarget says:

    *spear plunges into the abused one’s chest”

    Uh…

    *jazz hands*

    Tada!

  189. Silly Zealot says:

    I should have posted this over a week ago, but, man! Did you just make fanart of your own comic and send it to yourself! I can’t tell it was a different author!

    • jordan says:

      Haha! I’ll take that as a compliment because Leila Del Duca’s work is awesome. Next time you’re at a comic shop, do yourself a favor and pick up her comic, Shutter.

  190. LaughingTarget says:

    It’s a shame Sno is so hot-headed. Now it’s going to be harder to get the other two out of prison.

  191. John says:

    I see visiting hours are in effect.

  192. Silly Zealot says:

    Such small creatures, eaten my slightly less small creatures, who in turn are eaten by other slightly less creatures…

  193. Vachement captivant : je crois que ce post intéresserait une meuf

  194. LaughingTarget says:

    Just a little erosion and the city can say goodbye.

  195. Kate says:

    Aw man, I’m anticipating chapter 6 so much!! Although “Sacrifice” is a pretty massively ominous title.

    Beautiful artwork here. I hope that little cave down under the city turns out to be a secret escape route or hideyhole of some sort. Because, honestly, things can’t get much worse for our heroes.

  196. McAllister says:

    first time we get to see the mountain kingdom
    wow… I’d rather be with the tree people

  197. John says:

    YAY! I can’t wait to find out the priest’s true motives! I will admit you have at lest me stumped on that. Tuse can’t come any faster.

    • jordan says:

      I’m glad you didn’t see it coming. I think the rest of his story should be pretty interesting.

  198. OMG! I cannot wait for chapter 6! Your work is amazing. I’m dying to see the cover next week. Keep on working Jordan your awesome!

Leave a Reply to Chris