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.
I understand why the Tree-Dwellers have popeye-like forearms & shins even for the ladies but they still look sexy with them.
I totally agree with you, Hee.
When Icari became Zona’s mate, indirectly he also became Keyli’s stepfather who also happens to be his best friend.
mmm…not really. They don’t really think of it in those terms, I don’t think. I think Keyli welcomed him to the family already though, and thus share most things.
Zona provided Icari knowledge in return to be impregnated by the latter. And it turns out one of the skills Zona gave Icari is a hands-on lesson in foreplay during intercourse.
True enough.
I see that the Tree-Dwellers are topless even for the ladies as they wear leaves only to cover their genitals as well as to be used as accessories which is quite similar to some indigenous people from tropical regions. So, which type of indigenous people are their clothes mostly modeled after?
A great end to a great chapter. Well done sir on Chapter 5, I’m looking forward to seeing it compiled. The first 4 volumes look great.
Wishful thinking – news post telling us of the usual 1 month hiatus between chapters is on April 1. The wishful thinking part is this is just an April Fool’s joke and chapter six starts tomorrow instead. But I know better. See ya in a month, looking forward to Chapter 6.
There is a new page this week. I just accidentally posted the article before posting the page. So, uh…..April fools!
I knew the priest would be the original guy… but, it does seem that something happened that will be explained in chapter 6; that will teach us about why the humans hate the hominids
I’m excited to expose that info in Chapter 6.
New outlandish theory (my last one was way off to give you an idea of predictive track record) – there’s a saying, “Where you sit is where you stand.” Positions and institutions have a strong impact on how an individual reacts. This is a major reason why campaign promises rarely, if ever, are followed through. While our high priest may have gone to the position with expectations of changing things for the better, the position itself instead altered his thinking, conforming him to the expectation of what a high priest should be as opposed to changing it.
In essence, he may have had to play the part to convince everyone that he was the real deal but eventually playing that part changed him instead. No one would believe he was God’s chosen if he immediately jumped in and contradicted, well, everything, leading him to eventually believe his own act. A self-fulfilling prophecy.
I like hearing your theories. This one seems like a very realistic play of events.
Yes, that is what I thought as well.
Let us hope he is only talking about sacrificing that rad tatoo of his!
I don’t know. I really like drawing that on his head.
… Weeeeeell, sod.
Also, in what way are the poor slave neanderthals “livestock,” I wonder? Something is only livestock if you can get a resource from it, like food, leather, etc. Is the resource they use them for their own body parts, their extremities? As blood sacrifices? Or did they just do that to torture/subdue them, and do they use them for something else? Since they captured only “a small pack,” it’s unlikely whatever they’re used for kills them, because they’d have run out of neanderthals to use by now, one generation later. I’m thinking they use them as pack-horses and general muscle.
…I hope so, anyway. The notion that they will continue to remove bits of their bodies for their bloodthirsty religion is awful. These poor people have been mentally reduced to animals after their time in chains on the mountain–I’d hate for them to have to be going through even more than that.
And whyyy is the priest guy evil? What happened there!? O.o I hope chapter 6 answers it, because that’s a pretty huge part of the story right there.
They’re used primarily for forced labor. Calling them livestock is largely a way to rationalize what they’re doing to them. I don’t think I could handle writing a scenario where they’re constantly harvesting body parts.
A lot has definitely happened to Otari since he became the High Priest. You’ll be learning all about it in Chapter 6 for sure.
(because I cant reply to my original post)
I forgot to put: I sense foreshadowing here
You’ll definitely learn a lot in Chapter 6. Pretty much everything will come to light…and it’s going to be even longer then Chapter 5. I couldn’t edit it down!!!!
hmmm… look at page 37, and page 1… the symbols look extremely close
You would be correct in your assessment.
Just wanted to say that on pages like these I find myself not wanting to close this tab. Just go about my business, but can’t bring myself to close it.
Aaaw, thanks Flesh-Pocket
For I will destroy you. Destroy, the act of dismembering, which is nothing but the separation of atomic bonds from one another through the application of static forces from the molecules in my own hands. Molecules of pure evil. For I, Mojo High Priest, will defeat you this day, Power Puff Hominids!
That’s what I meant to say.
“Man, I just LOVE the fabric on this cloak. …sorry, where was I?”
The evil ones always dress the best.
Did you ever get around yet to reading Strikeforce Morituri and Electric Undertow? If so did you enjoy them?
Honestly I don’t get around to reading much comics these days. Too busy making them.
Page 37 looks like it explains why the priest in page 18 had a paintbrush in his hand.
Interesting theory and good memory.
I did suspect that the high priest did not believe what Icari said, but he pretended to because he’s secretly on Icari’s side.
Another interesting theory although I don’t think the High Priests motives are clear yet. After all, you have to take into account the Tree Dweller slaves they hold in the city. Why would he do that to them if he’s on their side. Many questions!
Another fun theory – the symbol on his forehead is backwards. The page 17 (or 16 depending if you don’t count the title page) symbol has the large crescent on the right side, but the tattoo symbol in the latest page has it on the left. Maybe the real priest saw through that error, thought it a good idea, killed off the imposter, and used it to take control himself.
woh! Mind = blown.
Did anyone else have trouble getting on the site as well. For the pass 4 days any link here would show as an error or lead to a different hominid site. Just want to see if I was not the only one.
Hey John, it wasn’t just you. I had some issues with the site and it took me a while to figure out the problem. There’s no reason it should happen again. Sorry for the issue though.
Yaaay! Go Sno!
Aw man, I really hope she makes it. Go go go!
Even though I know what’s going to happen, I hope so too.
Been a fan for a while, just wanted to chime in and say I really loving comic! Keep up the good work.
-Jeff
Thanks for the comment Jeff. I’m glad you are enjoying the comic.
Wow, its been a long time since I commented here. I will say loving whats going on in the story just loving it; and I’m curious as to how the giants will turn out. Did you finish their final look?
Thanks John! Glad to have you back. I haven’t quite gotten to the designs of the giants yet. We probably won’t see them until book 2. However, I think I’ll start designing them once this chapter is done.
Jordan there’s a online site called list 25.I visit it often.It’s quite interesting.you should give it a look see.
I’ve always wondered this. Why is the trope always, “If I’m being chased, run up some stairs to an area where I can’t get out”?
It’s a good question. In this case, I’d imagine having no idea where she’s going, she’d need to find a vantage point to know which direction to run.
Being a tree dweller, it makes sense for her to go up. It’s always been the default instinct when escaping danger. This just reminded me of those horror movies where people don’t do the sensible thing – like run outside – but go to where there’s no way out.
Man, what a jerk. The claws are the best part.
They can’t be too picky about what they eat, starving and all. Plus, insects are full of protein!
I listened to the podcast with Kurt today– A really good talk, you represent Hominids and your perspective of the work and the industry very well! Also thanks for the shout out, brother!
You mentioned a couple outside sites that Hominids can be read, in which you post by chapters. I’d like to browse these as well- remind again where these are?
Thanks for giving the podcast a listen. I’m hopeful to do more in the future.
The other sites Hominids are on is http://www.mangamagazine.net/manga-and-comics/Hominids/detail-page/4370?lang=en
And:
http://m.tapastic.com/series/Hominids
Tapastic is the one that you can read scene by scene. It’s worth checking it out on your mobile devise. It looks really good.
Couldn’t leave this up above, so I’ll just put this here:
If you are going to include prehistoric megafauna as well as archaic humans, may I just suggest the Drop-Bear (Thylacoleo carnifex), a lethal arboreal predator.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacoleo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacoleo_carnifex
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/news/marsupial-lion-was-fast-killer/story-e6frg8gf-1111115343423
Tips for accurate illustration: Heavily muscled, built like a jaguar, with a thick, semiprehensile tail and vicious thumb-claws capable of disemboweling a kangaroo. There is a very good skeleton photo and restoration attached to the Wikipedia article.
Drop-bears are a personal favorite of mine, as well as of many other paleontologists, because of their distinctive appearance and sheer, devastating predatory power. And the cool skull features, but I won’t bore you with stuff that only specialists care about.
Keep up the awesome work! I can’t wait for the next page! Your art is awesome and really very good about showing the differences between modern and premodern humans. I’ve been recommending this to all of my friends, and I will continue to do so.
Thanks GP! I’m a big fan of the Thylacoleo Carnifex too. I need more animals in the comic. Especially predators. There is a deleted scene that I’m going to put back in the graphic novel edition that would be perfect for the Drop-Bear. Consider it added!
Thanks for recommending it to family and friends. That’s how these things spread.
Damn, this is a good webcomic. Definitely needs a bookmark.
I like the setting teasers (the fractured moon, the archaic humans out-of-habitat, the Pandora-esque landscape, the strange, mutated-looking animals, and the cave), the realistic portrayal of the characters, and the amount of thought you put into the various cultures. The last time I saw nonhuman and unusual human cultural complexity like this, it was in a Brandon Sanderson book. Before that, it was in Diane Duane’s “Rihannsu” books.
So yes, I am extremely impressed, and I love this comic.
Also, if you need paleontology advice for any reason, feel free to email me. Keep up the good work!
Thanks GP! I’m glad you like it so much. It always makes me feel especially good when people well versed in paleontology like the story. I’ll definitely reach out if I have questions.
I’ve never read those books so I’ll have to check them out. Thanks for the suggestions.
Ever read My life with Fel it’s a great read you might enjoy it.
Gotta say, you have a knack of stringing together the mini-cliffhangers. I always get to the last panel, something happens, and I absolutely have to come back the next week to find out how it ends up.
Thanks LT! It’s something I try and do for every page if possible. Largely because I know it’s going to be a full week until the new page so I want there to be a reason for people to return.
Ah, so it seems that poor tortured prisoner has befriended, so to speak, Gosh and Keyli. The poor man. I wonder how he’s outside the prison? It’s doubtful that he’s given more freedom of movement out of trust or pity–to the mountain dwellers, he’s nothing more than a walking bunch of flesh to cut off whenever a religious blood sacrifice is needed, or whatever reason they have for torturing him. I’d reckon that he has he figured out small ways of moving about more, either by finding hidden “doors” of a sort, or by creating his own through tunneling and the like.
At least he’s not a mental zombie, I guess. I wonder if he can speak? I hope they didn’t cut out his tongue.
Interesting theories. Whether that’s the way the story goes or not, I like that direction.
Seems there is a lot of domestic violence coming from mountain dweller husbands.
Jordan keep up the good work on Hominids.I give it 2 thumbs up and a 10 out of 10.
Thanks Greg
Say what you will, but at least they didn’t tie together a bunch of bedsheets to get her out.
I’d be throwing in the towel if I did that.
I love the panel of Sno looking up into the shaft of light. I’m hoping for a successful escape, but rarely do things go so easy in the Mountain Dwellers realm…
Thanks! I like that shot too. Hard to tell what will happen next 😉
Yay, comic’s back after the holiday break! Looks like someone just needs to figure out to put feathers on the shaft and the mountain people just became very dangerous.
Some tribes don’t use feathers at all and it’s surprising how accurate they are. I imagine for long distance shooting they might need those feathers.
Other hominids should be concerned.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2014.
Kinda concerned guy with the Smurf hat may end up getting tortured for info.
haha. It is kind of a smurf hat….
…no comment on what happens to him…
Awesome, looks like Icari is not without resources of his own… nice to see he’s got a trick or two up his sleeve…
Absolutely, and I wanted to show that there are people in the city he can depend on. Not everyone can be a huge jerk.
I have an idea for the giant’s look if you want some ideas. You could give them a face like a male orangutan. You don’t have to, just trying to give some help with the brainstorming.
Orangutans are some of my favorite primates! That would be very fun. I’ll see how it looks in the concepts.
I can’t wait to see the giants and I really hope it’s not going to be like “Game of Thrones” where their only in for two minuets. Your reply to Kate mentions a resigned, are they going to look like the apes their based on or something between that and a human? No matter what they look like I am now more pumped then ever!
I’m excited to reveal them. If might a awhile though, so best to put them in the back of your memory. I’m not %100 sure how they’ll look. I’ll make sure to post pictures of my designs as I work through it. I think I might go a little more ape like…however I don’t want them to look like Bigfoot or something like that so we’ll have to wait and see.
The only real way we can tell if this comic is going Game of Thrones is if we get nothing but shots of floppy penis in every panel.
(thanks for that, South Park, now I can’t enjoy the series anymore)
I think you guys are safe.
Fortunately with comics you’re not really restricted by production budget. So I could draw giants until the sun don’t shine if I wanted. Advantage, comic books!
Strikeforce Morituri is in graphic novel form in 3 volumes vol.1 contains issues 1-13 vol.2 contains issues 14-26 vol.3 contains issues 27-31 as well as all 5 issues of Electric Undertow.
Oh, my! I can’t wait to see what manner of hominid the giants are! My money’s on the famous Gigantopithecus, although I’d love it if it turned out to be something more like Homo ergaster. I guess they weren’t quite tall enough to be called ‘giants’, but still. Of course, they might be another type of creature, or even golems/constructs. But given the title of the comic and all…
This page is visually gorgeous. Man, they live in a beautiful place. Dangerous, but beautiful.
I’m glad you like the page Kate. It was a tough one this week, thus being a day late.
The giants will definitely be a hominid that existed. I tease them at the very beginning of the book. Their design might change quite a bit from that though. We’ll see. It might be a while until we see them.
During what time period does Hominids take place?
You’ll have to wait and see.
“In the grim darkness of the 41st millenium, theresis only…. a lot of giant, overgrown gardens and a half-sunken, á la Titanic, patch of land with a whole city on top.”
I am constantly checking your site for new updates. Can’t wait to see your updates. Don’t keep us waiting any longer…
I’m doing my best. This weeks page is a bit more difficult then anticipated. I promise I’m hard at work on it but it probably won’t be up until later today.
I found your webcomic because we both participated in the CCF. Let’s network! Here is my webcomic: http://www.onebodyperlifetime.com
I can’t wait to read more of your comic!
Hey Lara, I’m glad you found me. We should definitely talk.
Wow! Very cool page layout. Lighting, color, story and mood… all working very nicely. Though my heart breaks for our Tree Dwellers.
Thanks man! It was a difficult page to do but one of my favorites!
Ze plot, she thickens. I’m seeing where this story is going, and I’m liking it.
So, the high priest DID see through Icari’s side, but he is secretly on his side, trying to make the people want peace.
I wonder what the message this story is trying to transmit is: Even the leaders have to take it easy when trying to change their people’s point of view? People has a natural, even unconcious distrust for all things new and different? In order to create a better society on must set perjudice aside?
However, maybe someone might interpret it the wrong way and think this story is trying to say that old customs and religions are outdated and harmful (Unless that the idea all along…….. What? I did say I don’t know what the story is trying to teach!)
Glad you’re liking the direction things are going. Hopefully there will be a few more surprises in there.
Keep up the good work on Hominids.
You should take a look at List 25 and All Time 10’s they’re quite interesting.
Wow, its been a long time scene I left a comment here. I have to say I am loving whats happening in the story, with the team being captured, the father inventing the bow, the introduction of that priest from the cover and last but not least that prisoner with no face (that gave me chills)! This comic just keeps getting better with each update, no joke this is in my top three webcomics! 🙂 looking forward for more.
Thanks John! I’m so glad to hear it, especially since this is the part of the story I’ve been most excited to tell.
It’s an honor to be in your top three!
Please give me feedback on Strikeforce Morituri and Electric Undertow after you’ve read it.
I wonder how long someone could really live with their nose like that…he looks like a burn victim, poor poor man…
Unfortunately this is a tactic some cultures use to incite fear in others. Columbus even did this to the native Tainos people to get them to divulge where gold was.
You can live a long time but you’re disfigured for life.
Great work. I enjoyed going through the pages and looking forward for new updates.
Oh, that’s awful. They took out his eyes? That poor guy. What despicable things these people do. I’m not sure if their religion tells them to do horrible things or if they just use it as an excuse by selectively interpreting it like so many people today. Probably both.
I wonder how long the poor sod’s been there for. Apparently long enough to effectively lobotomise him through the isolation or mistreatment, at any rate. Although they must be feeding him to have kept him alive this long. I’m assuming biological wastes go down some hole in the cave floor or something–there’s no way a person visits him everyday to clean up, since it’s unlikely that after so many years there wasn’t a single day where he’d have had the chance to overpower them or something. So I suppose they just drop food through an open ceiling, maybe, and rain water keeps him hydrated (just barely–*look* at him).
I wonder why they’ve kept him alive, though, when the others of his group clearly met some horrible fate and ended up with their skulls on display in the priest’s chamber. I hope it’s not some awful religious festival where they take him out once a year and torture him or something. Maybe there are more people trapped like him, and they sacrifice one every so often? It doesn’t bear thinking about. That poor man.
I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t an easy page to draw. You’re asking all the right questions. I like the possible answers you’ve come up with. I won’t spoil anything but you’ll find out soon enough why they’re kept alive and so poorly treated.
Aaaaaaand thats the sound of finger bones turning into flour in
3…
2…
1…
Hahaha
oohh i feel like clumsy’s getting himself in a world of trouble with this guy… just like with the butterfly…
You will definitely find out next week.
Ever thought of sponsoring a needy child?
Did he just invent a “cross” bow?
Sorry 🙂
Whatever it may be, he’s making progress.
How about putting Stockholm syndrome and Lima syndrome in which captives and captors connect with each other in Hominids.
Great new page! I particularly like how you can only see some of the High Priests features through the hood, the more menacing ones. I think I have an idea as to who the High Priest is, but I’m not quite sure just yet. He obviously has a pretty intense grudge against the jungle dwellers, most likely meaning he has experience with, so I’m thinking he has a past with them? You can kinda see who I’m swerving towards haha
Thanks for not spoiling it too much. I’m glad you’re liking the direction it’s going in.
Hominids gets better with each new page.Keep up the good work.
I am enjoying this comic thoroughly. Recently I had been on a holiday to an island, where we did not have internet connectivity. I missed reading this comic then. I couldn’t wait to come back home and read this comic.
Thanks for the comment. Is guess its a small price to pay not having internet when you’re on a beautiful island. Hopefully you had a few new pages to come back to.
Woo-hoo, a new page! And a very nice one, at that! The artwork and attention to detail here is wonderful, especially in the last picture.
I love that Icari, despite having lived in the jungle long enough to realise that his gods either aren’t real or don’t work the way his people believe, is still nervous that the priest will know he’s lying. Very realistic. The silhouette expression captures this perfectly, while looking particularly nice at the same time.
I love the detail of the priest’s chamber, too. The skulls are really nicely done. That’s pretty hardcore, and you don’t want to mess with a religion that uses skulls as ornaments this freely. I worry they might be a bit Aztec-y. It’s hard to tell without close-ups, of course, but those human-looking skulls might belong to other hominids, so perhaps they only kill/use the remains of ‘heathens’? That’s still not good for Icari, since all they have to do is declare that he’s now partly a heathen himself (due to having been in the jungle so long, or not sharing the same beliefs as much, or not behaving how the priest wants, or whatever), and therefore fair game to sacrifice or purge or whatever if that’s what they’re into. I hope things don’t get sticky.
The sabre-toothed cat skull in the top right is fantastic. I have one at home 🙂 Such an incredible morphology. It was so successful that literally dozens of times (I can’t remember the exact number of species, but it’s about fifty) a sabre-toothed cat of some sort evolved because it’s just such a good niche to end up in. They weren’t all closely related or anything, it was just the morphology that a lot of apex predators have tended to evolve towards because it was so successful. They weren’t even all cats, or true placentals! There was at least one marsupial sabre-toothed cat. But, of course, either climate change or over-hunting of prey species (they were too good at what they did!) has made each one die out in turn. But more always follow!
So even here, in this comic which I am becoming more and more convinced is set in some far future, another sabre-tooth has emerged. As they have throughout history, and hopefully will continue to do so for a long time.
Thanks Kate! I’m glad you like the new page.
There is definitely a variety of skulls in that room. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a good portion of them that were indeed human.
The animals were my favorite to draw. You have a good point about sabertooth species. There have been a great variety of them for sure. Here is a fun list of just a few: http://listverse.com/2010/09/16/10-creatures-with-saberteeth/
My favorite is number 3, the Thylacosmilus. That lower jaw is just tremendous!
Another question (sorry, I am spamming your website today) but will we see some of “the beliefs worth keeping” of the mountain people? Because so far, it seems like the humans are complete, absolute jerks in every way imaginable, while the neanderthals can’t seem to do anything wrong. Will we be seeing more sides to each community in the future?
Not a problem. Love the thoughtful comments and questions. I will say, now that they are on the mountain, you’ll learn a lot more about them. I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll just say you’ll get a variety of views and opinions the longer we’re there.
As for the Neanderthals, I’d say some of them have done wrong already. Basse would have let Lye die to get rid of Icari. Also in Chapter 1 we saw infighting with Keyli and that group of bullies. They’re definitely the protagonists but they have their own issues. More will come out in the future too.
So, apart from joining everyone else in saying what a great, brilliant webcomic this is, and that I really hope it will be published one day, I wanted to say this: I love your decision to make the women topless. I saw that you mentioned somewhere in your concept art that you feel like a native bikini would objectify them more (not that I feel that Sno or Lye are in any way objectified, rather the contrary), and I completely agree with that statement. I am not sure why myself, maybe because of the “it could come off any second” factor, or maybe because breasts are often drawn horribly in those contexts. This just comes off as natural. At least to me.
In the Hominids group how is sorrow expressed when someone dies?
Hey there. I’m glad I was able to come by and say hello at Rose City this weekend. It was fun talking a little about the comic. I look forward to seeing how the story progresses. Also, thank you so much for signing my comics and ofr the sketch of Snow! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Kristal! It was nice to meet you too. I love going to Cons and meeting readers.
Where did you get the idea for Hominds?
The characters I’ve been drawing since I was 11. The story itself came about much much later. I was reading an article about the size of Neanderthals brains and how they were bigger then ours. I thought then, maybe they weren’t as dumb as pop culture had make them out to be. Maybe they had figured out some stuff we hadn’t. So I turned these characters I already had into Neanderthals and started from there.
One of my cousins suggested this website to me. We both are crazy about reading and try to find resources anywhere and everywhere. She was the one who shared this link. I read the book and found it really interesting. Now I always look forward for more updates.
Thanks Lee. And thank your cousin for suggesting the comic.
How do I access your Facebook page?
There is a Facebook button underneath the Hominids logo where you can access my FB page there.
There’s a animated Green Lantern Movie entitled Emerald Knights.I highly recommend it. I’ve seen it.It’s awesome.
Greg, how bout leaving comments like these on the Facebook page. I’m happy to geek out with you there.
Yea, so, the only one of the group that has a straight head is the one who was beaten near death. Shamefully embarrassing for the rest of them.
Don’t be too hard on them. They’ve never been through an experience like this before. Keyli is the eternal optimist and Sno is naturally more skeptical. She has to be since she is such a target. It makes for a well balanced team.
I expected the mountain to have little food, but not to the point that most of them a starving! Do they not have any food storage; don’t they go down to the jungle to hunt and gather fruits? Their leaders don’t even seem to care if their hogging all the good stuff! Moving on, Lye and Keyli seem to be the only ones that can tell Icari betrayed them to save them. The others in the group just quickly hate him with out thinking about what he was saying. This concerns me because how can they trust each other if they are quick to judge. Anyway can’t wait for more!
There is a little food storage but its the classic tale of too much population growth and not enough resources. The mountain provides protection from foreign threats but keeps them from getting any serious amount of good food. What they do have just isn’t enough.
This is mainly the reason the concept of the walled city vanished in the middle ages. It’s impossible to maintain population growth with a wall, and the wall creates a great deal of strife. As population grows, inevitably people have to live on the outside of the wall, which ultimately paints them as low class citizens since they’re within easy reach of enemies and the defense naturally hides on the other side of the wall. The logistics are already noted in the above comic.
(the advent of gunpowder and cannons that could blow through walls in a few minutes didn’t help much, either)
Did you get around yet to reading Strikeforce Morituri and it’s spinoff Electric Undertow? if so did you enjoy them?
Not yet. I’ve been crunching all summer at work and just went on vacation. I’ll check’em out when I get back.
My sister had shared this link on his Facebook page and Initially I shrugged it off thinking as a boring comic book.But once I started reading it,I found it very fascinating and entertaining.I felt totally engrossed and have started relating to the characters Icari,Kate and Clumsy.Also I would like to compliment you for designing this page so creatively with a classy as well as attractive overall appearance of the web page would definitely entice children.I will share the link on my social network to let my friends know about it.
Thank you so much Michelle. Whenever I have any doubts, comments like these keep me going. And thank you for spreading the word.
Ever read the Sailor Moon fanfic Stockholm Syndrome?
I don’t read much fan fiction. Hit up my Facebook page to tell me more.
After reading Strikeforce Morituri and it’s followup Electric Undertow please give me some feedback and tell me if you enjoyed it or not.
How was it in the mountains?
Incredible! It got close to about 90 degrees. The lake we stayed on was warm and pristine. I saw goats, deer, bears! All with newborns. We also saw a hawk hunting in the lake. The hikes were really difficult but it was worth it. Thanks for asking.
Ahh, this last page explains so much. I was wondering why they’d bother taking hostages at all, since the humans seemed to have all the technology and beliefs they needed. Nothing neanderthal would have a place in their strict way of viewing the world.
But they’re past their prime. They’re starving. The plebs are unhappy and the rulers are becoming desperate. Strife is gradually saturating everything. They need whatever the neanderthals can offer, although they hate to admit it. Their refusal to think in any mindset but a superior one may make dealings difficult for all parties, though.
Their intense religious focus could be a result of their troubles at home, as this has happened in many real-life ancient civilisations. Or maybe it’s just the way they’ve always been. Or perhaps it played a role in causing their problems (e.g. dictating farming practices based on impractical ideologies).
Is it just the lack of rain that’s caused their problems? Or are there other (cultural?) factors involved as well? The surrounding forest seems fine, although it could be supplied by the many swamps and rivers we’ve seen at the bottom. Perhaps this has been planned by whomever built the secret computer systems, but they seemed to have been in sleep mode for a very long time. It’s very similar to Harry Harrison’s “Captive Universe”–right down to the hybrid baby.
Argh I can’t wait to the next page! This comic is so brilliantly captivating!
Great analysis Kate! I love reading your posts. True the rain has a lot to do with their problems but really it’s just a symptom of larger problems within their culture. Rain always comes eventually, it’s just a matter of being smart and practical with what you get. You’re also right about the surrounding forest being so healthy. It could be any one of the things you mentioned. Also it has to do with their location. They’re way up there on the top of the mountain with a different climate, isolated from everything else. They don’t want to be a part of the world and that leaves them with little options. True they want to take the Neanderthals home, but they don’t want to share it.
Like you said they’re past their prime and are on the decline. You’ll see soon enough just how many problems they do have.
If you want something good to read I suggest the 31 issue comic book series Strikeforce Morituri and it’s 5 issue followup Electric Undertow.
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll check them out.
In Hominids if and when somebody does something wrong how is it dealt with?
Sorry for the late reply. I’ve been in the mountains for a few days. Well, for the humans, other then being banished, you’ll find out some of the other tools for discipline.
With the Neanderthals it’s hard to say without giving too much away since we haven’t seen it yet in the comic. Lets just say its a bit more animalistic like a wolf pack. A better example might be the chimpanzee or bonobo.
Did you know that your comic is on http://WWW.mangamagazine.net. It’s a partial paysite, though you don’t need to pay to read your comic but I thought it was kind of weird to find it their first.
Great comic by the way. Hominids managed to grab my attention and held it hostage until I caught up. I look forward to future updates.
Thanks Wes! I’m glad you like the comic and found it over at Manga Magazine. I recently was invited to host the comic there and thought it’d be a great way to get new readers. I will announce it formally when they highlight Hominids next month. Thanks for coming by.
I love hominids comics. I always look forward for the next episode. In fact I can say that I am addicted to the comics. Each and every episode is so filled with different ingredients and gives much food for thought.
Thanks Diaz! I’m glad you’re digging it. I hope I don’t disappoint.
Where does Hominids take place?
Good question Greg. Sorry to say that I’m not quite ready to reveal that yet. It’s worth noting that in our actual history, archaeologist suggest most of human interaction with Neanderthals took place in Europe and even into Russia. Whether or not that’s where Hominids takes place, I can’t say.
This all takes place on Earth , does it not ?
It’s safe to say it’s on earth.
Your comic is intriguing and it gives us a different and very unique offer from other webcomics that are posted all around. I would totally pay for a print, it’s so original, I’ve been reading comics for 20 years now and to be honest I don’t think that even great and famous comic authors have come up with something so original and different than the comics we’re used to read. I adored it since the very first day I started to read it, your characters are well portrayed and the way is developing only promises for more great things. Count me in as one of your followers and readers!
Thanks Armi! That means a lot. I’m excited to show what future holds for these characters. I just wish I could get it out to you faster.
I wonder how long it took the humans to carve that door with a symbol on it as well?! It shows that if we put our minds to something we can do anything, be it good or bad. The other readers and I look forward to seeing more of the city and the dangers that hide in its shadows!
I’m excited to show it! I imagine it took a long time too. The mountain would have had to of been a place with a lot of resources at one point. With enough to at least make them think about creative things rather than think about survival. We’ll find out if that’s still the case.
Ah, that symbol from the chapter cover. That must have taken a huge amount of time and effort to carve into the side of the cliff. The humans really must have made it their home for a long time.
If the priest is the guy from the chapter cover, then he certainly doesn’t look like the most approachable chap. He might not just deny Icari’s return, but make things more dire and complex according to whatever intricate rituals his people have had the time to develop in the centuries they’ve been living there. The longer a people stay in one place, the more complicated their customs are able to get, after all.
I’m glad Keyli is walking now. We can’t see his face, but from the back he isn’t purple and bleeding at least. Clumsy also doesn’t look as red and sunburned, but that might just be the angle and the shade they’re walking through. I wonder how many days they’ve been travelling for? Hopefully enough time for Icari to come up with a more long-term plan to save his friends.
You’re right Kate. They’ve been there a long time and you’ll soon start finding out just how complicated things are there.
Good point with the high priest. He’s definitely going to be something of a challenge. I’m excited for you all to meet him.
As for the characters, I think it’s just the angle. Although it has taken awhile, so I believe Keyli will be seeing progress. Clumsy on the other hand, he’s still been pretty exposed. I’ll probably want to add those burns into the panel. It just got overlooked this time. That’s why I need you guys!
Love the close-up of her eyes!
Thanks Mutazoid. That was my favorite part to draw.
Honestly from the initial plot,I thought the story is mediocre one but you have successfully proved me wrong.It is very much grappling my attention.I,aged 29, have always shrugged off comic books deeming it a childish stuff but I must admit this plot revolving Clumsy,Kate,Icari and the Mountain Dwellers has hooked me to the extreme that I keep thinking and imagining about it in my work time too.Also the mention of Neandrthal took me down to the memory lane back to my school days reminiscing the fun filled history lectures.
Thanks Jenna. I’m glad you’re enjoying it so much. Honestly there is a good reason the first chapter doesn’t play quite as well as the rest of the book. When I started my main goal was to see if I could actually complete a full 24 pages comic. So I didn’t have the story fully fleshed out. I knew the main themes, I just didn’t have how to get there down. I mean, I didn’t even know if I’d keep going after the first chapter. Once I knew I was going to, I took a full pass at the story and dove right into the plot.
Keep up the good work.Hominids is great reading.
Thanks Greg! Glad you like it.
Ooh backstory! It’s getting more interesting now. I love the juxtaposition of the base philosophies. It’s a great way to show how the two peoples think.
I finally remembered what this comic reminds me of: Hothouse, a sci-fi novel about the dwarfed hominid descendants of humans (only one species, though) who live in an immense Earth-blanketing jungle; the bizarre life makes the distinction between plant and animal blurred, and the foliage reaches all the way to the moon at some points. The people often live and die without ever seeing the ground. Very similar to what’s happening here.
Well, Hothouse, and H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine, of course. Eloi, morlocks, the broken moon, and all of that. Although, based on Icari’s phenomenon and the still-active computer systems, I suspect it’s more of a Ringworld type. This is far in the future, and either due to a failing of some grand sciency plan, or as a part of some ongoing mysterious experiment, mankind’s civilisation has fallen and they have gradually become new species and subspecies which resemble a number of old hominids.
Although the neanderthal thing really is uncanny. I don’t know if it’s the artist’s fondness for getting physiologies right, or a plot point: it seems cosmically unlikely that a non-apex, non-generalised species would reemerge so identically by sheer chance alone. It points to a designer of sorts. “The Face of Evil” with Tom Baker would be a perfect answer, actually.
All the way to the moon?!? That’s one serious jungle. I’ve never heard of Hothouse but it sounds awesome.
I’m reminded of the Time Machine a little bit too. I almost didn’t put the broken moon in there, but I have some cool things I want to do with it so I left it in.
As far as the design aspect, you’ll just have to wait and see. Although their philosophical discussions have to have something behind them right?
Are we going to get more of a back story with that priest? If that’s true then I can’t wait for next week!
You wish is my command. I’ll have pencil spoilers at the Facebook page in the next day or so. Just one more reason to follow there
Dun dun dun, Mountain Dwellers gonna get bows.
What if he’s inventing pens! They could be pens! They are mightier than the sword.
Or atlatls
( that damn comments box has gone funky again ,better check your coding with firefox ) )
If Pens > Swords
and
Arrows > Swords
are
Arrows > Pens?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Insufficient information
D) NEEEEEEEERD!
I’ll go with E)HOMINERD!!!
I would like to publish your web comics on our Pulp-Free app at no charge to you. Check out our website, download our free iOS app and then let’s talk. I’ll send you a code.
Kevin
Team Member / Founder
Pulp Free Publishing, LLC
http://www.pulpfreepublishing.com
http://www.facebook.com/PulpFreePublishing
http://www.twitter.com/@PulpFreePub
Thanks for the offer Kevin. Let me do a little research into your site I’ll be in contact with you.
As I had to take up exams, I was unable to catch up the last four episodes. I was waiting for the exams to get over. Now I can read to my hearts’ content. I really love this comic and always look forward to reading it.
Thanks Vanessa! I hope exams went well! Let me know what you think when you’re all caught up.
You’ve got a great looking comic, glad I found it. Looking forward to what’s coming next!
-Jeff
Thanks Jeff! I’m glad you came by.
Man, Clumsy is going to get cancer if he stays out in the open any longer! And I agree with Kate’s theory of a more advance civilization in the past dying out; as well with other human settlements trading with one another. Hope to see answers to both in the future.
Yeah, I think Clumsy doesn’t like being so exposed. Sno is lucky in one sense, but I imagine she’s not used to being so covered up. It must be hot under those heavy clothes!
You guys will definitely be learning a lot more about the Mountain Dwellers soon. I think the city will reveal, not all, but a lot of your questions.
Fantastic art in this latest update! Poor Clumsy, he’s getting so horribly burnt in the sun. At least Sno got covered up for the sake of her captors’ modesty.
I hope the neanderthals figure out what Icari’s plan is soon enough. Things are hard enough without distrust and communication problems being thrown into the mix. And what is his plan? He seems to be winging it so far. Of what value are the neanderthals to the humans? Do they wish to trade them for something? The neanderthals have nothing the humans desire, except perhaps land. Are the fanatical humans going to sacrifice the neanderthals? Or is there a connection with Zona’s old lover? I can’t wait to find out.
I find the humans’ level of technology fascinating. They clearly are able to work and shape metal; at least bronze at that. Their clothes and other possessions are well-made using a variety of materials, some refined. It is surprising that a single settlement on a bare rocky plate could supply them with the materials alone, let alone serve as an environment that fosters the development of the huge variety of skills needed to create their various arms, tools, etc. I can’t help but wonder, then, if there was once a much larger civilisation in the past which has since been reduced. Perhaps this is true of one or more of the other hominids portrayed as well. Another possibility is that there are several other current human settlements, and they are in a form of loose trade contact with each other. There are yet other possible reasons which are less likely. But the presence of the underground computer system found by Icari implies the ancient civilisation theory to be closer to the truth.
Or, you know, maybe just progenitor aliens. I like a good alien story (who doesn’t?) but it would be kind of a deus ex machina for a story in this particular sub-genre. I’m sure it would be beautifully done, but straight-out hominids are preferable.
Hey Kate,
Fantastic questions! I could chat with you for hours about each question if it didn’t spoil the story. I think it’s safe to say that Icari is winging it right now. He was just as surprised by the attack as everyone else. Now that their climbing the mountain he’s, hopefully, formulating a plan.
As for Neanderthal value to the Humans, there are three specific values. One we already know, that they want the neanderthals settlement. Perhaps they want to use the prisoners as a bargaining chip? The other two reasons will be revealed at some point in this chapter.
The human technology is an interesting one. It’s still a bit primitive but certainly further along then you would expect. This Mountain Dwellers back-story is a fun one. Interestingly, Zona briefly mentions that they came from somewhere else in Chapter 3, page 22. I think there’s some room in the story to learn a bit about that history someday.
As for the underground cave that Icari found, you’ll just have to wait….
Thanks for coming by Kate. Hope to hear more from you in the future.
Beautiful landscapes, Jordan. I continue to be impressed by the artwork, coloring, dialogue and plotting in this strip. Your depiction of the Neanderthals as being both intelligent and arboreal is especially unique given how they are so often (incorrectly) depicted in movies, stories and comics. Keep up the good work. 😉
Thanks! And I totally agree that Neanderthals are always depicted poorly (I mean, their not exactly around to defend themselves). It seems the more scientist discover about them the more intelligent they were. They buried their dead, created art, and were even successful fishermen. Their brains were larger then ours, so it stands to reason maybe they were just as smart if not smarter then us. It’s one of the reasons I started the comic in the first place.
Hi Jordan,
First of all I want to congratulate you for designing this spectacular site.The cartoons,pictures are quite colourful and attractive.I went through all the chapter pages as my friend suggested to take a glance over here and am very impressed with your creativity,superb images,graphics.The chapter looks quite interesting too.I hope the wait is worthwhile.
Thanks Stewart! I appreciate you coming by. I hope the wait is worth it too!
I wanted to wait for a few pages before I commented; and what I’ve seen so far I really like. We get to dive into Zona’s past for a bit (I can’t say if that priest is dead or not) and learn how the humans treat their own when out side the reach of their laws, even if it’s only to keep the rest alive. If we did not already know that Icari can make maps I’d have to call it out as some kind of plot hole, but I don’t need to so that’s good. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the cast is up to and I hope it makes everyone go “wow”! 🙂
Thanks John! I hope there’s a ‘wow’ factor when we catch up to the rest of the gang too.
I do try my best to stay away from plot holes so please note them when you find them.
It’s very astute of you to catch earlier moments of Icari using maps. Fun fact, before he was banished, Icari’s occupation was map making. That’s why he originally joined the raiding parties.
We’ve used google adsense for a little while. Thus far there’s been a small trickle in, small from our traffic than from any fault of the program. I’d be curious to hear how yours is doing, since I imagine with such an extraordinary work you’ve got a great many more regular readers than we 😉
I imagine its one of those things you put up and forget about for while until one day there’s a hundred bucks in there. We’ll see. Glad you’re enjoying the comic and thanks for leaving a comment Professor!
“a particular group actively move against one of their own. ”
Notwithstanding the war in Syria, the most lamentable I seen is a video of a coyote family expelling their own father and mother to die alone in the wild, heartbroken…
Worse even are report of most medieval farmer families…after treating their sons and daughters as slaves for decades, the father and mother were often outright killed to settle the inheritance…if and when they survived the severe beatings, they had to compete with the family dogs for table crumbs.
The main reason of the revolts were the canids and primitive humans strict enforcement of sexual abstention…only Alpha males and females copulated.
Any brother mounting a sister was immediately killed or expelled….until the Alpha couple weakened due to old age…then a violent revolt occurred…the most serious crime in Roman times was an attack on the “Pater Familias”,
Romans being totally obsessed by getting killed by their slaves or their sons…
Unfortunately the examples are countless. It seems ingrained in our DNA to act out against one another.
I think the interesting thing is bringing in another species, like Neanderthals into the picture and seeing if they act the same way. In real history, archeologists believe Neanderthals were more than likely guilty of cannibalism. This was probably due to scarce food during the ice age.
In my story, I wanted the Tree People (Neanderthals) to have far more empathy. Acting out against each other is a completely foreign concept to them. That’s one of the reasons it was such a big deal when Basse was willing to let Lye die to get rid of Icari in Chapter 3.
I love the start of the new chapter. The addition of new characters has made me very excited and got a new interest to read. It is also good to know that the new characters interact with the old ones also. But as I am busy now, I have to wait for sometime to read this chapter. Cannot wait to read it.
I like to wait a good while before getting caught up on my webcomics as well. It just feels so much nicer to have a good chunk of pages to read at a time. If only I could get them out sooner.
Hadn’t checked back here in a bit, been swamped, so you have no idea how happy I was to see not one, not two, but three updates! Your artwork is stunning as usual. Love the cover by the way, and Otari and the whole history behind his and Zona’s experiment intrigues me to no end.
I have so many questions!!!
Welcome back Polaris! I hope I end up answering all your questions. There are so many that still need answering I’m sure. The last thing I want to do is pull a ‘Lost’ and bring up all these new mysteries without answering the first ones. I am really excited about this back story.
Well that loose end is tied up, now ( Yes , I’m still paying attention )
Oh good! I’m glad you’re paying attention. There are going to be a lot of loose ends tied up this chapter.
Hey Jordan
Really enjoying the comic. Beautifully drawn and an intriguing setting and story. Thanks for your good work.
Ciao
Persia
Thanks Persia! I hope you keep coming back.
Cant wait to see how this develops! I was confused at first by the sepia, but it makes sense now 😛
gah! i LOVE hominids! X3
Thanks Sarah! Yeah, I didn’t want it to be completely obvious that it was a flashback right away. It’s the one fun thing about posting one page at a time. You get to stump your audience a little bit until the next page explains it. Then you can go back and read the whole thing and see how the pacing all works together.
Love your start to the new chapter! It’s fun to see new characters, and I’m excited to see how their stories will interact with the old characters’ stories. I’m also super excited that we’ll be able to read your summaries to each new page; it’ll add a whole new interactive experience to the comic. Nice work, as always!!
Thanks Charis! I’m excited to. I think there will be some fun twists and turns. Thanks for commenting.
Anticipation, anticipation, . . . is keepin’ me waitin’ . . . 😉
The wait is over my friend!
best series since dinosaurs 😉
Haha. I’ll take it. Thanks
I had not watch the last four chapter of this show, looking forward for this show to release on June 4th, will definitely watch this show.
Thanks Rebecca!
It’s great that you find the mermaids an interesting topic. The show is a true mind opener; which is a rare thing given some of the entertainment these days. Off topic, I have to say that pic of the group is adorable! Keep up the awesome work! 🙂
I’ll have to make sure to watch the whole thing. I only caught the last half.
I’m happy you like the teaser. It was a fun little piece.
Looks like they did a follow up documentary. The conclusion isn’t a surprise, but anything that gets your imagination going is well worth watching. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/27/mermaids-the-new-evidence_n_3343773.html
I feel a bit silly for putting that last comment up. Was more than a little bit tired when I wrote it. 😛 sorry
Did you see that “Mermaids: The New Evidence” on Animal Planet? I would understand if you did not, some would find it silly; but I think that it’s something that people could enjoy seeing and talking about afterwords. I know I liked it a lot. Just asking if you did. (You don’t need to answer if you don’t want to.)
Don’t sweet it John. Feel free to throw any inquiry my way. I’m glad you did, because I actually watched that documentary. One of my close illustrator friends was watching it and he immediately thought of Hominids. After I watched it we talked for hours and the fun stories that could come from it. I would love to see warrior mermaids in a movie. That’d be so badass.
hi people…..
Hi Bella.
Just to make a redundant wish official,
hurry , hurry , hurry , hurry
Working as we speak! And I should have a release date in the next day or so.
Skulls, creepy alter, guy in strange robes and a dark atmosphere to suck the reader in. This is going to be a fun chapter. 🙂
I think so too!
Not going to lie, kinda missing the updates…
Me too Gingie! I’m hard at work on it and I think it’ll be worth the wait.