I will soon be returning home to the UK 🇬🇧, from my long stay in Japan 🇯🇵, and as I have previously mentioned in the last update there is going to be a lot of changes happening to the website. I have had plenty of time to think about the future of Zuperbuu Works and what direction I will be taking it in for it’s primary function, and now have an artistic vision ready and waiting for me to make as soon as I get back. These changes might be sudden and occur overnight, or over a few days whereby the site may look messy over that period of work. Regardless of which it is, I hope you will enjoy the revised version once the changes are made. Speaking of changes…
- The bookstore will be more easily accessible. The navigation menu will now have a direct link to the bookstore, but all story pages will still have direct links to their relevant books.
- The structure of the written work menu is changing. The two largest series (Subject 218 and The Jinimaru) are getting their own links on the navigation menu, as they are now the centre pieces of the site, and each will have a drop down list for easier access to the different sections of the series (example: The Jinimaru menu will have Tales of Jinimaru Folklore, Specimen G13 and Guidebooks in its drop down menu.) All smaller series will be condensed in the existing Written Work menu.
- External Links page is being split up with disused sites being removed. This is because I am dedicating my time to my projects, and do not have time to use social media like I use to. All social media pages will be removed, except for the Facebook page. The page currently shows social media links, fanfiction links and links to my other stores and services. I will be creating 3 different pages that will be found under the “more work” menu tab. These pages include Portfolio (gallery), Merchandise, and Commissions.
- Several redundant pages will be removed. As I will be making the website easier to use, I will be condensing some pages together, which will make other pages useless. As I am making a page for merchandise and commissions, the “services” page will be useless, as will other pages like it.
- New artwork for the site. Whilst the current artwork in the headers is 75% unique to the site, I was never truly happy with it. Whilst in Japan I have been drawing new pictures for it. I will also put the website logo at the top of the page rather than at the bottom, just to reduce the likelihood of confusion.
That aside, I have more news! There are not only going to be changes to the site, but more content is coming as well!
- Subject 218 has a comic adaptation on the way. The series was originally intended to be a comic, but I was constantly changing the story so I could not officially start it, so I wrote the novel first to keep a good foundation, making only slight changes in the comic version that are better suited to how the story is told. The comic is being released in issues first, with the first issue covering the first half of chapter 2 and a couple of segments in chapter 1 (as the story is told by an unknown 3rd party, rather than from Tim’s point of view like the novel). When it reaches chapter 5 of the book, the individual issues will be made into a single volume, much like a manga. There is no time scale to when the first volume will be out, but the first issue should be available by the end of march. I will be working on the comic indefinitely, though as I have other projects ongoing there will be periods of time that the comic will not be released.
- Delays to the Jinimaru series. My proof reader is very far behind in their process, still working on volume 3 of Jinimaru Folklore, and as such I have delayed all series connected to it until they have caught up. As we have moved house, and we are working on making the house the way we want, this delay could be months. In the meantime I will be working on the Subject 218 comic actively, and only writing the rest of the Jinimaru series in the background until my proof reader catches up.
- ComicCon is confirmed. I will be sharing a table with my sister for the October event. Unlike last time, I will have comics and prints for sale, alongside the usual stock of the current Jinimaru books. Whether or not I will have a volume of the manga for sale is not clear, but the first issue will be.
That’s all for now, I have been working hard on the comic and artwork for the site whilst in Japan, but things are about to get a lot busier. When I return home, I have to unpack my room and make it presentable as we moved house whilst I was away! But once that is done, I will be focusing on the website, and then to polishing the comic for publishing. I hope that you have had a wonderful time over the last few months, because I certainly have, and I am excited for the future.
Thomas