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.
So far the Flesh-Eaters we’ve seen are males, so how do female Flesh-Eaters look like?
You might have seen some females and didn’t know it. They all look very similar.
Nothing much is known about Denisovans as only 1 finger bone & 2 molars of this species were found. So why are the Flesh-Eaters from the Hominds universe which were modeled after them portrayed as predatory carnivores that kill any living things that isn’t the same species as them?
I knew I was going to have the Flesh-Eaters in the comic, but I also wanted each species to be represented by a hominid that truly existed. Since there is so little known about the Denisovans, they were the perfect fit because I could make them pretty much whatever I wanted.
Jordan, this few questions I’m about to ask you will sound awkward. What is the gestation of the Tree-Dwellers & how many young can they have at 1 go?
Good question. I’d like to think it’s about a 7 month gestation period. Being in the dangerous jungle, it’d be safer to have baby faster and have them grow faster as well. I think they hit puberty around 10 or 11.
As far as how many children, that’s the same as humans. One kid with the occasional twin.
Hey there I really enjoyed your comic! The art is dynamic and the plot is very thrilling. Looking forward to the next chapter. 😀
Thanks Black! I appreciate you reaching out.
have to say that the only thing about the tree dwellers i like is their approach to anything religious, every other thing about them is just kinda gross.
gotta say these tree dwellers live like idiot savages but for some weird reason espouse logic and reasoning like philosophers, this would be my only gripe with this comic, it makes no sense for all of them to have such sound logic but yet live like fools, we have clearly seen that the humans are more innovative than them but how are they more logical than the humans, innovation and logic usually have a very close relationship. so my point is this savages are too philosophically sound for a bunch of creatures who don’t have a civilization or even understand the need for a child to know it’s father (possibility of incest) especially in such a close knit group, it’s just not realistic, it’s like expecting the bushmen of africa to start preaching platonic philosophy, that sort of shit just doesn’t happen.
Interesting take. I appreciate your honest feedback. I certainly don’t expect everyone to find the Tree Dwellers life-style appealing. If it grosses you out, it grosses you out.
That said, a lot of cultures out there live pretty similar, even today. It’s worked for them for thousands of years without the worry of incest or lacking of a father figure. To call them “idiot savages” purely because it’s different is pretty insulting.
I should be clear. Eventhough the Tree Dwellers don’t have a singular father doesn’t mean they don’t have “father figures”. If the whole of the tribe helps raise the children together, then they have an abundance of “fathers” and each of those “fathers” are equally invested in each of the children. I’m not trying to say that this is the best way to live or anything, just a different way. And again, there’s documentation showing lots of societies, mainly matriarchical ones, that live like that.
As far as the philosophy and logic go, that may be a flaw in my writing, sure. If so, it is what it is. I do reject the claim that only civilized society can deal in logic and philosophy. You can look up quotes all day of early native Americans, aboriginals, bushmen even, who aspouse great words of wisdom. Perhaps they just prefer being one with nature or perhaps they never found the need to build great cities because they had and abundance of resources. Either way, I don’t see a nessecary link between innovation and philosophy and you aspouse.
I appreciate the comment though. I hope you keep coming back. I always want to hear different opinions.
I agree with both John and Laughing Target.
As a once-new reader, I have found the current system to be exceedingly easy to navigate. It’s easy to go back a few pages and read through those to remind myself of the story arc and once again enjoy the graphics.
I care more about the story, consistency and art than the background details in the comics I read. I read plenty of traditional-format comics as faithfully as i do Hominids, and would never drop this enchanting, intriguing tale simply because you change the format. But I like this current type of layout a lot.
I also like the layout that you use now. My points are the same as laughing target.
I protest. I find this layout far superior to the traditional one. It’s way easier navigating pages and finding where I want to jump to. Plus, the whole page doesn’t have to reload every time I go to the next comic. What you have here now is attractive, easy to use and resource efficient.
Thanks for the feedback. It’s extremely helpful to get a sense of how the readers enjoy the comic. As much as I also like this format, I wonder if it keeps new readers from wanting to engage….but I’ll never really know as they don’t reach out.
I’m glad you like it though. I may just clean up the site a bit and move away from such dark colors. Simple changes to start.
Wait it says “end of chapter 8” but this is chapter 7. And I can’t believe that it is so short.
Yeah, my mistake. Unfortunately, I’m in another state so I can’t fix it until next week.
Also trying to keep the chapters closer to a regular issue size.
i have a strong feeling thats not going to end well for her and shes pregnant too T-T
There will be no lack of nail-biting, I promise you that.
Well, looks like the mission for peace is over…. I just hope whatever she’s planning ends well (and with none of the heroes dying, hopefully). Good job and I can’t wait for the next chapter 😀
Thanks Christopher! It’s going to go in a direction that I think will surprise you but also satisfy!
That sounds cool! I can’t wait to see what will surprise me, though…. but it looks like Zona’s gonna go all “you took our people, now we gonna take your mountain! How you like that?” on those crazy mountain dudes in that last panel, so I got a feeling that whatever your planning will be satisfying too 🙂 <3
Why is this the end of chapter 8. Did I miss a whole chapter?
That was my bad. I was finishing up the script for 8 while finishing this chapter. I just have the next book on my mind! Thanks for catching that.
Freaky page.
I love how the slave forest dweller looks both dead and alive.
Thanks, T. Gatto.
Dang, thats a quote you can put on a box blurb right there.
haha
I am really liking clumsy right now. Still able to think rationally even after what’s happened to his family.
I’m glad! I really wanted him to get stronger and grow a lot from this ordeal. It’s kind of his time to grow up.
Ok,
Who taught the monkeys about religion?
They had a perfectly fine harmonious, and loving, existence without the concept.
Now they are taking up a collection to build a mega-church, and screaming heretic at non-believers!
If this keep up, they will be no different than the damned City Dwellers, in a few generations… 😉
In all serious, this is an interesting tangent, and I am patiently waiting to see where it ends up. 🙂
That might not be too crazy…
Oh no… Praising demonical aliens is even more wrong than Praising forces of nature with power-hungry clerics …
Praise (be to) The Sun!
It’ll remain to be seen whether they’ll worship it or not but right now Keyli needs to hope for something.
Funny enough, that reminds me of my response when I was first introduced to the concept of heaven. I didn’t grow up in a religious household, so when my best friend told little 5 year old me that her grandmother was in this fantastic place called heaven, I asked why we didn’t all just kill ourselves so we could be happy forever. Needless to say, her mother called my parents.
I have a very similar story which actually served as the inspiration for this scene. I’ll tell more about it with the next update.
Poor guys.
I cannot tell you how much I adore reading your comic. One of my favorite things to do is sit with my parrot and some tea, flip though the pages and compare your early artwork to the current work.
Aaannd I may or may not have an entire folder on my computer dedicated to Sno quotes.
Oh man, I’m so glad you reached out. I would love to hear what some of your favorite Sno quotes are.
Oh, yeah, the concept of an afterlife. Because that’s worked out *so* well for us, hasn’t it……?
It might muck things up a bit…..
Hello.
Reference page 14;
When the city dwellers are talking about food for 1/2 the city, are they only discussing eating the dead giant Sloth Bear, or are they not above cannibalism?
It seems that, to quite a few of the dwellers in your comic, one crunchy meal is just as good an another.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mountain Dwellers resorted to cannibalism either, but probably only when they are starving. They probably don’t see eating other Hominids as cannibalism though.
Well, it technically isn’t cannibalism unless they’re eating their own species.
True enough, but it kinda seems like a fuzzy line with how close we are.
I say, if they can interbreed, it is most definitely cannibalism. Besides it seems there were dead from both sides of the battle.
So it would seem that both exo-cannibalism (eating enemies) and indo-cannibalism (eating friends) could occur.
So being undead only last to the next update; which seems to have landed on my birthday so it’s like being reborn (kind of).
The poor guy he’s trying to help his friend feel better but it only lead to him about to do something stupid. Hopefully he’ll stop him before that.
Happy birthday John!
I won’t give any spoilers, but yes, this is definitely an example of two very different cultures trying to explain a very difficult subject with not very good results.
That is page 14 up top or page 213 overall.
God damnit, Icari! What did you just do?
These guys dont even have abstract thought centers in their brains, you spod!
I think they do actually have the cognitive capability for abstract thought. In actual archeological digs, scientists found evidence of ritualistic burials for Neanderthals dead, so I think they have it in them. However, it’s not a part of their culture and the concept of the afterlife is completely foreign to them.
So, you’re right, Icari isn’t helping. As mush as he wants to.
I would say it’s more a combination of depression and grief screwing up his logical thinking than anything cultural. Their cultural response to Icari’s weird clamps have always been incredulity. Here, he’s accepted the claim s fast it looks like he is trying to justify a pre-existing suicidal thought and Icari provided it.
I was looking through Top Web Comics for something new, and your fine comic popped up as something that looked a bit different.
I read it all in one sitting, and it is PURE MAGIC!
I will be coming back for more.
Thank You for a wonderful story! 🙂
BTW if anyone else draws a map of the area they should now be required to write “Here Be Giants” on the map somewhere. 😉
Thanks for reading T. Gatto! I’m so glad you liked it. I like hearing where people discover my comic. It’s helpful to know where to focus my time and promotion.
I’m all about maps saying “Here Be Giants”! Do it people!!!
Welcome to the pack
Wow… i got a little sniffly… very much feels. Luckily, Patreon…. WOOHOO!
The feels hit me so hard it stopped my heart. Congratulations sir you have made me an undead.
And please don’t have them come across Sno’s corpse later, we don’t need that.
I think I’ve been hard enough on you guys to do that.
I’m kinda happy I made you undead though.
Isn’t Page 18 missing?
I don’t think so. Everything looks correct.
Oh, man, I got a bad feeling that Icari and Keyli are about to have a bit of a falling out…. 🙁 And it’s on top of an eventual war with the crazy Mountain People and an alien destroying the forest even. This comic is getting so heavy and I love it 🙂
I do hope things come to a happy end, though 🙂
Thanks Christopher! I’m pretty excited for these next few pages. Hopefully there will be some surprises in there.
Sounds good 🙂 I can’t wait! <3
Though, here's hoping Zona can try and help comfort them, especially Icari; he kinda needs someone who let him know that everything that happened isn't (totally) his fault, because I don't think what Keyli might say next page might not be so helpful ;-;
(Unrelated: I kinda like Icari and Zona together and I wonder when she'll tell that she's….y'know…?)
Either way, I think you might find out soon…..
We may also be seeing a different cultural approach to death as seen from the Mountain Dwellers and Tree Dwellers. I’m guessing due to different circumstances, the loss for the Tree Dwellers, while hard, is also seen as a part of nature that just is. Mountain Dwellers take loss as more of a community, as is common in heavily religious groups, because of how valuable life is seen to community survival.
Clever, clever. I like the way you think.
Always loving the panels, even if sad. ( :[ )
on a side note, the “background music” got the Pencils video blocked in my country.
Thanks Monika. I always try and keep it interesting, especially when it’s a simple dialog scene.
oh weird…it was the background music….Thanks for letting me know. Duly noted. It’s my first one so it was more of a test then anything. Future ones will be better.
Beware the weird snake man.
I am now seeing him as the most badass captain planet villain ever.
I’m at least hoping well learn what kind of personality it has in this chapter. Don’t need to know it’s motives yet.
https://youtu.be/EVWESrIt3uk
Predator’s killing leaves, man! He’s gotta be stopped!!!
War is on the horizon. If board gaming has taught me anything there is nothing worst then a crazed fanatic on a genocidal crusade. Hopefully the giants got something a bit more effective then an Mega-Sloth. Perhaps…an Ultra-Sloth? That THROWS Mega-Sloths as projectiles? Yes that would be just dandy. Just dandy indeed.
Your Mega-Sloth projectile hypothesis is rather enticing. I don’t know if I was going to go in that direction….but my imagination stirs.
We had Sloth-Gorilla-Bear… Now it’s time for Hammerhed-Mammoth-Whale!!! When he splits water from whale-nose, it’s starting to rain giants.
War with the mountain on one side an unknown danger ( that monster thing) on the other and between that is one human a beat-up band of tree people and a posse of giants. This chapter is going to be so fun!
You know it! It’s totally on!!!
Worse than giant, flying zombie squids? This jungle is getting way too dangerous.
I like that. Maybe I’ll draw it either way.
Me Thinks he speaks of Icaris “god” aka the jungle predetor!
I can neither confirm or deny….
Reader: Face the emotions.
Sno: Ascend.
I love the coloring on these latest pages…! Not to mention the emotion…
Thanks brother! Night time in a dense jungle is a strange thing to wrap your head around because in reality it would probably be pitch black out there. It’ll be fun drawing some nocturnal creatures.
For a second there, I thought the mole sloths learned how to talk in the Las panel. Some unintentional humor in my day.
Haha. That would be awesome if I randomly added talking sloths.
Weird to think how if lye hadn’t done that thing with the vine and the spear back in chapter 4, this would have turned much much better.
Yep! Totally. She’ll never know that her badass fighting skills had a direct link to them getting their asses kicked.
Food and Fur. But I think the plan to take the forest will fail because I feel that the combined numbers of the Tree Dwellers and Giants can beat them. Unless they be dumb and burn the forest down like in “elf-quest”. The lose-lose option is their best and worst choice, how sad.
Since they did it in Elf-Quest, I probably won’t go that route. That’s not to say they may have something up their sleeves.
I love the giants pages so much. Especially cuz I can guess how much fun it is to draw.
So much fun to draw! Tedious but fun!
I missed an awesome update … spirits of Great Water will punish me.
No radishes for me this week …
Aaw, you came by anyways. You get radishes.
Love the crazy eyes on those mole-sloth things. Make me think of weird amphibians you find living in caves.
Nice! I love the look of cave animals.
Glad to finally see the giants truly make there first appearance. Last time we saw them was in the prologue of chapter one.
I love that the dude’s spear is made from a tree. A small tree but still a tree.
Thanks John. Yeah, I wanted it to be quite a long gap before we actually met them….and admittedly, they look a bit different from the prologue. I really wanted them to be cool though.
I’ll share some concept art soon!
Who cares about a tree? This dude is wearing radishes!
Jędrzej – Talk about rad gear…
good lord is that….a sloth ape?!
Not that it wasn’t foreshadowed, but … Giant Ape-Man riding a Giant Bear-Sloth-Gorilla! …with mantis eyes?!
Can it be any better?
It can! Wait until next week! Oh crap…I have to finish that page!
Did you know monkeys, sloths and bears have one common ancestor?
Evolution is a crazy beast.
They sort of are. I based that guy off the extinct “Ground Sloth”. Check it out: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_sloth
this page come out on my birrrthhhhhh-dayyyyyyyyyy. its a good page
Well Happy Birthday!
flying treeeee! who is it????
It’s most likely Lye with the giants. But I’m not ruling out random flying trees.
I mean….flying trees would be pretty cool…or flying zombie squids.
Oh shit, flying zombie squid!
Total curveball, right!
G… G-g… Gaa… GIANTS?!?
My Heart just got so much bigger! Also watch out for artillery. I mean… It’s rock-paper-scissors.
Wait until you get a load of next week!
My heart just aches for poor Sno!
Me too Candice!
It seems that less people are commenting like before.
It’s true. I hope they all come back. I was gone for awhile so it’s just natural that there will be a drop in readers. Hopefully it’s only temporary.
The comments have only been up two days. I wouldn’t worry too much. The hits will roll.
A literal cliffhanger…ok. Good to see the comment box back up.
Me too. I apologize to everyone for it taking so long. I’m sure I would have gotten it fixed a little earlier if I wasn’t so inept.
Looking forward to some zip lining on that rope.
Good to see the next chapter starting.
Hello.
Well I’m happy to see new page, but I feel bad for it since pack is in terrible situation. I guess, I just missed this comic and characters. But please, don’t make next cliffhangre.
It is ironic that they’re on the edge of a cliff again isn’t it. All I’ll say is that I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Test Comment. Yes! Comments are finally back!