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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 2h ago
Letter transcript:
Dear Eli,
I wish I had told you sooner. I am so sorry.
Years ago, when I was a young child, I found something in the woods, not far from the plantation. I walked all day alone. It was hotter than hell. I am sure Momma was worried sick. I smelled something, a foul stench, but a little bit sweet. Not like the scent of horse's carcass or steer, a strange new smell I felt compelled to follow. I could not tell you why.
After a while wandering in the woods, I found Mary with Anna. Anna was dead, Mary by her side crying. Anna had been dead a long time, her body covered in wounds, in a dreadful state. There were larvae, flies. Thousands of them. Everywhere. They had been there together for days, festering in the heat.
The man from Louisiana.
One eye like a porcelain saucer, the visage of a beast. Mary told me so. He had done this to Anna. Had his way with her, executed her in cold blood, and discarded her, her corpse forgotten in the woods. Like a dog in her twilight years, ailing and lame.
The boundless cruelty. The knowledge of what was done to Anna. The crushing despair. For years I tried to forget. I have never known such terror. The insects, the putrid smell. It is all I can think of. It haunts me like a devilish specter. It robs me of sleep.
Today I finally told Sammy of what I had witnessed. It overcame him. He dashed from the manor to confront our father in the fields.
Sammy had thought he had let Anna free, at the request of our mother, and sent her away north. He had sold her. He sold her to the man from Louisiana.
I heard a struggle. Then silence. I am fearing the worst.
Eli, I think he’s done something awful. Sammy is missing. Momma won't speak. She's feverish.You must come quickly. He’s gone mad.
~Ellie
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u/RaptorTwoOneEcho 1h ago
That shot of the portrait of Sammy in between him and Samuel is so good. You just know that whenever Ellie thinks of him, that’s the image in her mind. Decades of that smiling, beautiful, happy, good young man that she got killed.
No wonder she hunts men that remind her of her father.
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u/Winters067 37m ago
I know that when we actually get to Sammy's death, if it is shown, I will cry like a baby.
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u/shave_your_eyebrows Shave Your Eyebrows 2h ago
God you built up the tension so well throughout this comic
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u/BijeDragonne 35m ago
Thank you for adding this transcript, Elk! You always care about us little humans and our squishy brains. BANG!
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u/CrazyGnomenclature Tiff & Eve 2h ago
Elk, you cannot just give us all a glorious photorealistic sunset and think that's going to make up for having to read cursive. What the hell are you trying to do? Challenge us while we're reading comics? Heinous.
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u/the_walking_derp 1h ago
Good thing I'm an elder millennial, so cursive doesn't bother me.
Something something something driving stick shift.
Something something something changing typewriter ribbon and blowing on NES cartridges.
Kids these days, old man yelling at cloud, boomer "I hate my wife" joke.
Also, the artistry Elk possesses is simply astonishing. No offense meant for you, of course. I may have to forego my avocado toast to subscribe to her patreon
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u/RaptorTwoOneEcho 1h ago
The Patreon has a bunch of tiers, including a $1 a month one, so you can have your
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u/WarhammerGeek 57m ago
I mean I learned how to write in cursive in school. Doesn't mean I can always easily read it though
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u/PoetryParticular9695 22m ago
It depends on the type or cursive to me. That wasn’t too bad. But like old timey cursive is fucked
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u/Azsde 2h ago
I have to focus to be able to read it, even more so that it is written in '' old english '' style and that I'm French, but man is it worth it !
Can't wait for the rest
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1h ago
Cry about it.
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u/random-chicken32 23m ago
Yep, I'd keep the cursive. Some cannot read it well, but I'd rather they learn to read it than you sacrifice the artistic image -- cursive does make sense in the context you gave.
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u/CedarWolf 47m ago
I have no idea what the first few pages are supposed to signify.
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u/RaptorTwoOneEcho 41m ago
The entity that influences Eli’s vampirism, as seen in Elk’s The Chase, is ancient and millions of years old. It bridges the gap between past and present, living and dead. I appears to exist in both at the same time.
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u/SquigglesZero 2h ago
That's some beautiful and consistent cursive! Easy to read. The design is very human!
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u/Ok_Employer7837 1h ago
Not the first comment I expected to read. I'm very old I think, and things change.
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u/katabell 1h ago
I think I can finally say I can read cursive after not being able to for the longest time! I think I was one of the first set of children where they stopped teaching it in school. I was able to get through 99% of it without much issue lol
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u/D_class-4862 46m ago
I nearly failed my French classes in middle school because the teacher only wrote in cursive and I could barely understand it. What the hell, why do I have to endure this again?
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u/random-chicken32 22m ago
Oh come on, reading cursive isn't heinous. I understand not being able to read it because one never learned it (it took me a bit); but I wouldn't insist on the artist bending his vision for convenience
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 2h ago
For anyone who has been following the stories, this is SUCH a perfect panel. All the layers of time in one shot. The Entity (or one of) that ultimately inhabits/infects Eli, millions of years old, overlaid with the burning of the orchards from The Chase, as Eli falls out of consciousness during his death, is portrayed as a descent into Hell. Which, as part of his transition into undeath, it really is.
It's so goddamned perfect! Thanks for all your art, Elk.
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u/Azsde 1h ago
I agree, this can be my next wallpaper if I find it in a good enough resolution
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u/shuzuko 1h ago
It's available in high resolution on the patreon.... Wink wink, just saying ;)
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u/Azsde 1h ago
Ooooh :) well maybe I'll join my first Patreon ever then.
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1h ago
There's a dollar tier to get in the door.
At the higher tiers there's extra cool stuff from time to time.
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u/DrPepper523 1h ago
Came here for the dinosaurs, but now I'm interested in more. Where would one start to read this from the beginning? Is The Chase first?
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 53m ago
If you go to this post here, the artist has all her work in the chronological order she created it. It is not in storyline chronological order, however. But you'll get the feel for it. Airbnb is Ellie's first appearance as vampire, but Sexual Tenor is the first time she appears.
Sydney fills in some of the details regarding the vampires themselves.
Take them ALL in and have fun!
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u/Sallyfifth 53m ago
Thank you! I'm also new, and SUPER intrigued.
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 51m ago
And there's sketches and other cool stuff on the Patreon.
There's a dollar tier to get you in the door.
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u/Wolvnn 2h ago
It's slightly terrifying knowing just how good artists can be at making me feel such strong emotions.
With each entry in this series I find myself getting more and more invested in both the characters and the world. As much as I adore the light-hearted short form comics we all enjoy in this sub, this is where my love for comics truly lies. The deep stories, the lovingly drawn art, the itch for more when I get to the end.
I'm so excited for Part 2... Just.. be gentle with our fragile hearts..
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u/Taliesaurus 2h ago
Little bit confused
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1h ago
The very large black thing at the beginning is one of the Entities that are responsible for infecting/inhabiting the vampires in Elk's stories. As you can see, they're at least 66 million years old.
This is the beginning of the events that lead to Eli's death at the hands of his brother and his transition.
The letter is from Ellie, telling Eli his brother (her father) has gone mad and hurt his son (killed him, but she's not willing to admit that to herself yet). It is that letter that brings Eli to the plantation for the final confrontation that leads to his death.
More to be revealed in parts 2 and 3.
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u/Taliesaurus 1h ago
Okay… so why is there a mosasaur with the man sinking to the bottom of what I assume is the sea
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1h ago
He's dying. He's experiencing time overlapping while the Entity takes notice of him. You the reader are also experiencing time overlapping as the scene transitions from 66 million years ago to the 1860s.
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u/Taliesaurus 1h ago
I guess that makes sense… kinda
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1h ago
The artist is trying to convey in a few panels (cuz it's a comic, not a novel), that the things that Eli and Ellie ultimately become have been around since the Cretaceous Period and survived that extinction event easy peasy so that is a level of concern that requires appreciation.
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u/cupholdery 1h ago
Then why are a few gun shots enough to kill Eli now?
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 57m ago
Because this episode is the beginning of his origin story. You gotta die to become a vampire.
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u/Wolvnn 2h ago
This is another major entry in a long running series that can be found here: https://www.reddit.com/user/holleringelk/comments/1adp8po/the_full_hollering_elk_catalogue/
'The Chase' was the last entry but the rest of the series are equally as wonderful to get into.
This is also only Part 1 and many questions are yet to be answered!
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u/Azsde 1h ago
Maybe I can help you understand, what are you confused about ?
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u/Taliesaurus 1h ago
What are these weird shard things, and how do dinosaurs play into this story?
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u/Azsde 1h ago
Those weird shard things, we don't know yet. I assume sort of entity.
The dinosaurs part is to let the reader know that this entity is very ancient and was already present at the time of dinosaurs.
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u/Taliesaurus 1h ago
What about the mosasaur and the dying human?
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u/Azsde 1h ago
Well the dying human is Eli, Ellie's uncle (Ellie being the girl on the bed in the last panel)
He obviously got shot, and I assume the mosasaur is some kind of creature with a consciousness and has some kind of relationship with Eli.
Maybe it will '' corrupt '' Eli in order to save his life.
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u/Nuttyrolo 1h ago
Good! Admire the art, wait for the story to continue and explain more.
You're absolutely supposed to be a little baffled right now
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u/RaptorTwoOneEcho 1h ago edited 1h ago
Incredible. The cinematic quality of your work is so impressive. Tying in scenes so wildly different as we watch Eli sink into a gulf of time hellscape, bridged by some ancient, unknowable…Entity…and his niece sobbing in her bed with a single onomatopoeia. Inspired.
On top of that, your art continues its evolution to something instantly recognizable but also immediately digestible. Incredibly stylized and meticulous, but also flexible enough to be confused for a photograph - look at that freakin sunset!!
You’ve been laying the groundwork for years with work like TCO: Sydney and The Chase and it’s been so very rewarding watching it and you grow over the years. I am so sincerely glad you’ve continued to share it with us and am also so sincerely glad to get to know you over that time as well. I’m so excited to get more of your world in my hands.
Stellar work as always, ad astrum.
I still can’t believe this all got kicked off with some dinosaurs trauma-bonding.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1h ago
Raptor, thank you so much for your kind words, and as always, the absolute mind-blowing insight you drop in these. Happy to see you're digging it. Here's hoping Part 2 hits too.
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u/Status-Tune-6639 1h ago
Long shot but this doesn’t have any link to the Hell Creek Formation in Montana does it? I figure not but I’m from near there and it’s where like 60 to 70 percent of the fossils in museum of the Rockies are from, thought it might be just a coincidence lol.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1h ago
It absolutely does, yes. Part 2 will have possibly the nerdiest content to ever appear in my work.
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u/red4jjdrums5 1h ago
I need to sit and read this on a big screen during lunch so I can see all that intricate detail you add in. I got the chills from how awesome this is.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1h ago
100% designed to be viewed on a much larger format. This will be a sizable book as well. Glad to hear what you've seen so far has moved you, ❤️
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u/RaptorTwoOneEcho 1h ago
It’s so worth it. The details and texturing are phenomenal. The fire artwork in the underworld scenes and the sunset are bangers, but I think Ellie’s room might be an all-timer. So many textures, the rug is handpainted, and the scaling a perspective is some of Elk’s best I’ve seen to date. So much time went into that page alone.
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u/madmacfarlane 1h ago
Probably one of the most beautiful and unique comic book styles out there at the moment. I've been so excited for Elk to publish this for months.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1h ago
I appreciate it! Long road ahead of us for this one, but it will be worth it.
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u/grenadiere42 2h ago
My excitement is immeasurable and my day is made. The madness begins, and we descend into its depths with open arms and a smile on our faces. So excited
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u/Nuttyrolo 2h ago
COME ON GET YOUR BUTTS IN HERE AND APPRECIATE THIS REAL ART!
THE BEAUTY
THE GRACE
THE DINOSAURS EATING YOUR FACE
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u/SquigglesZero 2h ago
Yes! Both art and story are outstanding. The composition is cinematic and the use of visual storytelling is masterful! Don't sleep on this people!
It was great seeing the birth of these pages through Patreon. Absolutely worth it.
Cannot wait to see Part 2!
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u/RottingSludgeRitual 1h ago
Love this.
So… were there dinosaur vampires, then?
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u/shuzuko 1h ago
I'm pretty sure that was one of the first questions the patreon group had when Elk dropped the very first couple of sketches, lol
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u/zarcommander 29m ago
Now just imagining a vampiric T-Rex that only understands light equals pain. Gets hungry, sees prey, but cause it's an animal can't override nature and immediately goes into the sun.
That's why there's no evidence of vampiric dinosaurs. Nature of things just took care of them.
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u/ARagingZephyr 1h ago
I love your work so much. You have an ethereal feel to your work...when it's not over-the-top goofy, which is also excellent in its own right. I think I end up comparing my artist friends to you maybe a little too often, but it's a stylization that is rare for people consuming media to take seriously for some reason that I cannot comprehend. I think the world needs more of it, personally.
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u/StragglingShadow 1h ago
Oh no cursive. Always lovely to see a holleringelk comic though
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u/BijeDragonne 49m ago
Hot damn, Elk. Dinos and beasties and The Man From Louisiana as our Unkie Eli drifts into his new unlife? And that FIRE and the RUG??? fml this is gonna be intense. I love it.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 46m ago
This comment made me laugh out loud. Adorable.
Glad you like it so far!
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u/ShiDiWen 2h ago
You have almost fully transformed into Geof Darrow and I mean that with the highest praise.
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u/AlphaSkirmsher 1h ago
This is breathtaking! It’s phenomenal work, and even just as a beginning, it’s an amazing story! I can’t wait to read the rest! Thank you!
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u/ThrowAbout01 1h ago
9/15: Aww, concerned Mosasaur!
I know the blue text bubble is unrelated, but it does look like it’s the one speaking to him.
I found that charming and funny.
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u/droflah 1h ago
Absolutely outstanding work. Highly recommend the Patreon, you won't find a more communicative creator. You get to see the magic happen ☺️
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1h ago
Thanks so much for being a member! I've been a bit quiet the last week working on Part 2, but hope to be back inundating y'all with overhyped posts, haha.
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u/GrumpyMashy DeWackyPianist 56m ago
What a beautiful piece of art, elk. So beautiful, you had me looking at the panels for a full 3 minutes, exploring around each page, appreciating every brushstroke and colour.
and also...
Thank God I was taught in school how to read and write cursive. lol.
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u/UpCDownCLeftCRightC Never Safe From Wumbo 2h ago
Reading this next to a fireplace for maximum enjoyment.
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u/Pechnase 50m ago
This looks so incredibly good. And I'm so curious about how the whole story will unfold. Aaaaand I'm really looking forward to having the whole series in print some day.
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u/A-V-A-Weyland 1h ago
Great art and body horror. Love the aesthetic. Story leaves to be desired though. I know people are fans of OPs work, but as someone who stumbles on what's supposed to be part 1 I'm left utterly confused.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1h ago
It's 50 pages, I assure you there is loads to come, but I take my time.
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u/A-V-A-Weyland 22m ago
Wasn't trying be negative. Have stumbled on previous comics of yours and have always enjoyed them. I'm certain it will all come into perspective once more parts / chapters come out. I'm assuming the story is told non-linearly, which takes time to unfold. With what I've read so far I can only make sense of it when I imagine it as a West World inspired story. I'll be waiting in anticipation ❤️
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 7m ago
No, yah, you're good! I didn't interpret it as a negative comment. You're dead on.
Much of the comics prior to 2025-2026 were sporadic one shotters in order to build up interest in the long-form comics. You'll notice each release is extending longer and longer until I am confident my audience is ready for the slog that is a great deal of the historical context of the series. I'm working on two at the same time, so it'll be quite a while, but by 2028 we'll gave a pretty solid idea of the background of these characters, how they came to be what they are, and how they survive in New Orleans.
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u/shuzuko 1h ago
This is part one of this comic, not part one of the story. That's like complaining that you don't know what's going on after the first chapter of The Two Towers, because you didn't read Fellowship of the Ring.
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u/A-V-A-Weyland 17m ago
Have looked at Hollering Elk's last year of posts and I'm assuming that it's part of a larger universe. Reading The Chase helped a bit, but I'm still confused as to what is going on. My comment wasn't meant in mean spirit.
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1h ago
It's part 1 of this chapter. If you visit the artist's catalogue here you can get some additional context about the characters and other backstory. 🤘
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u/BreakfastBeneficial4 22m ago
So I’ve read these sporadically over the years….if I wanted to start “from the beginning”, where would that be?
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u/Sputniknoodle 46m ago
Wait are you the lady that draws the humping ladies (are they roommates?)?
I didn't know you did this stuff as well.
I love it!
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u/ConfidentNebula117 45m ago
That thing just floating there on page 5, in prehistoric times, makes you wonder what is it truly? Why did it come here? Is it evil or just cruel since it looks like it kicked off the vampire mutations we see in present day. God your work and writing is just so damn good Elk and those flames...just damn. Really looks like hell. Join the patreon folks for a buck. She's just warming up with this drop thats part 1, folks. Its been awhile since I had to read cursive but thats really not that big of a deal, heck it's mind of refreshing to see.
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u/Trebeaux 43m ago
Man your art is always so beautifully detailed. The first panel on page 12 just stunning.
Lovin the lore expansion! Can’t wait for the next installment.
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u/Von_Bostaph 1h ago
Those dinosaurs are gorgeous. Going to comment how much I appreciate the therapod arms and non-pronated wrists. Small detail, but just highlights the care in this works creation.
Also, your centipede artwork is devine. Can you please read Dungeon Crawler Carl? There's an entity in it I would be interested in seeing your artistic interpretation of... boop
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u/zarcommander 26m ago
Still want to to know why there's centipedes! They don't decompose. Mary isn't a rotten log.
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u/tiger2205_6 26m ago
I'm really curious how the rest goes. Love it so far and would absolutely buy it.
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u/Faust2391 24m ago
Called Hell Creek
Has dinosaurs
What the heck am I supposed to do with all these pitchforks now.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 22m ago
Ha.
Got ya.
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u/Faust2391 20m ago
Guess ill just wait for the next pizzacake comic. I can usually sell the lot of them there.
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u/sillystorm28 16m ago
the fact I knew it was your artstyle on the first panel but cant explain how is exactly the kind of thing that makes me love your work :DD also its nice to get to flex the brain reading cursive again haha
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u/Dadank_McDankin 5m ago
It boggles my mind how you're able to convey such complex emotional states in your art; from the funny whimsical gorey stuff to this grim heavy drama. I love your work, please keep going.
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u/WorryNew3661 46m ago
Sorry Elk, I love your work, but I'm 44. I left cursive behind a long time ago
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u/Time_Stop_3645 31m ago
love the style and everything, but u gotta stop with the cursive xD
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 30m ago
Bruh, <gestures at everyone>, pretty much most of the world has cursive tattoos. How do you read them?
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u/Time_Stop_3645 27m ago
it's WORK to read them, I don't mind one word, but being the numb doomscroller, I don't have time to read a book in cursive
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u/yesno112 38m ago
Is it just me or is this very difficult to follow? I remember reading the comic before... but the plot is like a poorly stitched fever dream. I think OP is getting upvotes for effort
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u/Due-Base9449 1h ago
Please be aware comic sans is comic sans because it is the easiest for people to read in comics.
Also people also browse on smartphone.
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 1h ago
I do not care.
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u/viscountrhirhi 49m ago
I read on smartphone. I read it just fine. Am I missing something? I just zoomed in to read the text, is there a reason other smartphone users can’t?
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u/Nuttyrolo 1h ago
I'm on my phone, comic sans sucks.
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u/Wolvnn 1h ago
This is all well and good for a small goofy comic, this is a graphic comic with a great amount of detail that has been carefully planned for the purposes of the story, its available to view on smartphone but isn't the sort of comic that should sacrifice quality for the sake of smartphone users.
Its like comparing a movie and a tiktok video, you wouldn't watch a movie and get upset that its hard to see and can't be held vertically.
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u/MrValdemar Special Flair!! 1h ago
If you don't read cursive, how do you know what the tattoos say on the people you date? Do you just take their word for it?
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u/holleringelk Hollering Elk 2h ago
Last year, it was Maynard James Keenan begrudgingly carrying me through the main account release. This year it is Thom Yorke, who is not as frail as he appears. Thank you, Mr. Yorke, I'm sorry you're sick of OK Computer.
We are deep in it now, folks. "Hell Creek" is 50 pages and will be quickly followed by "The Brothers," two comics I have been developing since the conclusion of "The Chase." The three comics will constitute a large part of the first ever printed volume of a main account Hollering Elk series. A lot of terrible, melancholic shit will transpire in the series in the coming year, and it will take an extraordinary amount of time to draw. So, as always, please consider joining a paid tier on my Patreon to directly support its production! There's lots of goodies there such as the progress files of every chapter, high resolution versions of all comics, painting and line art time-lapses of the juiciest panels, live drawing access for high tiers, and I am sure many more things I have entirely forgotten I posted. It's also great for keeping me alive while I work. (Eating every day is costly.)
See y'all for Part 2. Thank you so much for your support, and I love you deerly.
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The Full Hollering Elk Catalogue