Autumn Wing and the Crown of Fire is an action/adventure fantasy webcomic written and drawn by me: Brandon Hankins , and hosted by the Spider Forest Webcomic Collective . It follows the gentle young nephilim (part-angel) Autumn, as he quests to create his very own halo to prove his worth...by stealing the fire from a dangerous Sacred Beast.

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A year ago, I crowdfunded the print edition of the comics 1st epic chapter, which was brought to life by YOU ALL. Now, I am back to continue this journey we started, and get the second book in the series printed and sent out to you: The Fallen of the False Crown. 

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I've little doubt that, in your own lives, there were times you felt you had to be or act a certain way, or do certain things, in on the road to becoming the person you wanted to be. There isn't something inherently wrong with this. After all, we are all on our own journeys of becoming. 

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However, the expectation you held for yourself, or what you may hold for yourself even today...did that expectation come from yourself...? Or was it something forced upon you? And, perhaps more importantly, how much of yourself are you required to bury on that road of "becoming?" The heart of the matter is this: does the version of yourself you would become honor the person that you are, and what you value, OR does it ask you to betray that person, and betray those values? 

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These are questions at the heart of the second chapter of the Autumn Wing story, as he encounters a monster--once thought merely folklore--that pushes Autumn to face his fears and sacrifice who he is in order to achieve victory. All the while trying to help a pair of traveling mages the beast is bent on pursuing. "What would a real hero do?" is a question that often passes by Autumn's mind, and it is a question that will challenge his own notions of heroism, and what his journey means. 

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These are questions I often grappled with as well as both a child and as a adult: "What would a 'man' do? How would he behave? What would he say?" That tension between who I saw myself as, and what a "man" is was the cause of a great many scars and setbacks in my life. But, ultimately, what I had to realize in order to truly break away from that tension, was that my definition of manhood was what needed to be interrogated (just as Autumn must interrogate his preconceived/imposed notions of heroism), and that perhaps, what I held consciously within that definition was neither who I wanted to be, nor belonged to me in the first place. 

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And so comes this second story, born out of a need to face one's fears not on others, but on one's own terms, and to remind the child I was that subscribing to others' definition, others' story of you, will not get you the sense of worth you crave. Remember who you are, no matter what trials or tragedies face you on the road ahead. 

When I had started creating Autumn Wing (back then only called Crown of Fire), I hadn't realized I was beginning to delve deeper into these questions. It was a 24-hour comic at first, and the only stipulation I gave myself to see it through to completion was: "Tell a story you genuinely care about, tell a story YOU needed to see finished." I did not expect to be changed so profoundly, to fall in love with a story so much that it would come to define and shape the next 8 years of my life. The tiny little angelic Black boy, having to confront dragons both within and without to create his own halo...we've still been adventuring together, each looking for our answers.

Autumn is a soft-hearted nephilim child with dreams of becoming a hero much like the ones he reads about: brave, fierce, respected, and worthy. Everything he feels he isn't. So when it's his time to embark on the customary pilgrimage across the world to forge one’s own halo, he jumps at the chance. He believes that completing this quest—becoming a full angel—will make him a hero, and grant what he’s longed for. Unfortunately, he must journey through a land fraught with danger and cruelty to reach one of the few remaining Sacred Flames required to complete the quest: the fire within the throat of a powerful Dragon, or the flames of a dying Phoenix. Neither will part with its Flame willingly.

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The story so far (spoilers for chapter 1): Before he is allowed to depart, the Elders of Autumn's village demand he is tested. After facing an imprisoned beast and even his own brother, Autumn learns the cold truth of these trials: to expose his tender nature and harden his heart for the treacherous journey to come. Though shaken by their true intention, Autumn prevails, determined to seek his own heart's meaning of heroism. As he embarks, the words of his mother echoes in his spirit..."You aren't strong like us. You are strong like YOU."

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In this second chapter, Autumn comes across a pair of traveling mages set upon by bandits, and relishes the opportunity to test his heroics. Not all is as it seems, however, as the bandits flee in terror, mistaking Autumn for an even greater threat in the shadow of the Red Wilds. A beast that, according to nephilim folklore, isn't supposed to exist. As the threat of this monster looms over the mysterious mages, Autumn must confront a terror lurking within his own spirit: that this is a beast he is fated to become. 

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This comic series is a synthesis a lifetime in the making, combining my love of JRPGs like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and the Mana series, with a hunger to tell my own stories. I've always wanted to create the sorts of works that would've helped me learn how to accept myself when I was younger as a Black boy growing up in Detroit, and also with a healthy dashing of shonen manga thrown into the mix. I'm hoping that, by learning how to use my comics and brushwork to heal myself, these stories can also help others. Vulnerability is not weakness in a hard world. It is not a luxury or fake thing. It is necessary, change-making, and beautiful. I want the people who read my works to be able to better see the beauty within themselves, just as Autumn learns to. You are worthy right now, today, just being who you are. You are strong like YOU. And no one can define what your worth, your story, means to YOU. 

A year after my first and successful crowdfunding campaign, I am finally ready to continue this journey into printing and self-publishing! Of course, the webcomic will remain free and accessible, but bringing my work to life in print forever remains a main goal of mine, and--just as importantly--sharing it with y'all! So join me in bringing this chapter of Autumn's story to life, and being the next stepping stone to ensure we can print this series for years to come! I deeply believe that crowdfunding is the key to making this work, this career, this dream, sustainable. I hope to continue having your support! This campaign collects the second full chapter of the comic (76 pages), the bonus 4-page "opening/main menu" comic from last volume, and another fan art section.

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The book will be printed with perfect binding at 5.5x8.5, and be in the limited color palette I use.

I have 4 chapters complete as of the launch of this campaign, the 5th almost done, and the 6th in pre-production. Meaning this comic is ready to be printed NOW, I just need the help to get it funded and sent to the printer. Namely...I need YOUR help. This is my story...but it couldn't exist without you. All of you, who've supported me, who may decide to support this campaign...it's you all who help me to keep this story going. Being able to print these comics is PIVOTAL to its growth, to me seeing this story through to its conclusion. So let's embark on this new journey together, and get Autumn out into the world! If you enjoy traditionally drawn comics with expressive brushwork, and the feeling of JRPGs with a great joy for adventure, and supporting a Black creator with Black heroes, then this is the comic for you XD. 

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This time, as last year, when the campaign gets funded, I'm sending it to the printer IMMEDIATELY. Having used the last few months to sharpen my pre-launch, most of the rewards are ready to be ordered relatively quickly (actual timetable pending). The most time-consuming things will be the packaging of everything (and signing books at that reward tier, more on that in a sec). Additionally, I am working to add some new rewards like stickers, in addition to an updated bookmark design. Also in the back of the book will be some fanart from some friends and colleagues (whom I will link and highlight here as the campaign progress, but also special shoutouts to Kage for editing the video for me :) )

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As such, the budget breakdown: As of this writing, I am still deciding on what printer(s) to use, but it is safe to say that up to 50% of the total is going towards the printing the books, new bookmarks, and the stickers, with the other 50% being broken down to accrue packing supplies, account for unknown variables, marketing, processing fees, and additional materials. My main priority is getting AT LEAST 150 books printed and sent out to people, with the HOPE I'll be able to print more copies to sell at shows, to comic shops, and even more people through the Crowdfundr. Printing, packaging, and shipping took about a month last time, and with the experience gained from that campaign I am confident we can do that again. But if not, I will be sure to let you all know ASAP. A note about shipping: I'm leaving the option open to local folks and friends/family who're close enough to opt into free pick-up, so those folks won't be charged a shipping fee on check-out. As things develop and shift, I will work to keep as transparent as can be about anything that needs to change.

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Although my second crowdfunding campaign, I still want to keep this relatively simple, but still make this rewarding for y'all. As such, the reward breakdown is as follows:

This comic is my passion project, and any support you can give would be immensely helpful towards bringing this dream to life! Share this anywhere you can! Thank you SO MUCH for the consideration, and remember: You are worthy of your own life's story!