Welcome!
Hey there! I’m Paul Sloboda, the creator of Ultrastellar. Welcome to my site! I’m still working on getting things set up here, putting everything in its right place, but it’s starting to come together and I’m excited. And eventually this blog post will take its place as the very last one in the list, but for now it’s Post #1. Hi!
Over the years I’ve built many different sites, generally for portfolio purposes but usually narrowed to a specific medium. Such as? My motion graphics portfolio! My self-published small-press minicomics! Hey, maybe I’ll do a blog! Last year it seemed smart to build a site with everything included; while that’s still active and relevant, it’s apparently not enough.
Ultrastellar.net is the first time I’m dedicating the whole URL to just one creation: my graphic novel Ultrastellar, a kid-friendly adventure story about finding your own space. I’m still creating it, I want to share it, and I want it shared on my own site. So, beginning here and now, the comic is going online. You can start reading it here! (And if you need to find where you left off, maybe start here.)
I hope you’ll enjoy the story, and if you do, I sure hope you’ll write and let me know! Even though I’m not allowing comments on the site (mostly to avoid spam), hearing from you is the biggest reason I’ve built this dedicated site: to get actual feedback from real humans! I may need to offer some incentive, and I’ll think that over… but for now I’ll make it simple: PLEASE WRITE!
What else can I tell you? In the coming months I’ll have an ABOUT page (both about the story, and about me) and sharing how often new pages will go up. There’s only a few pages up at the moment but as some of you know I have MANY more than that, including what’s beyond the book. Once I get the posting schedule firm, I look forward to the steady uploads of so much new stuff up here!
What’s that? There’s a book? Yes, there is! It’s titled Ultrastellar Book 1: Escape, and I’ll have more to say about that, too. It’s only the start of the story, it ends on a cliffhanger, I can’t yet sell it online, and yes, all its pages will eventually be on this site. (I’ll have MUCH more to say about THAT, too… but not here, and not now.)
I will share this, though: the very end of the story won’t be available as comics online. The second biggest reason for building this Ultrastellar site is that I really want to build my audience. If enough people enjoy reading Trevor’s adventures and want to know how they conclude, I’m hoping that audience enthusiasm will help me finish the story as a tangible published book of the entire tale. And what could be better than that?
I hope you can join me on this journey! Please send me your comments, send me your questions, even send me your money (once I can offer the best ways to receive it) — and thank you for reading!
If Trevor only knew how many people were following his exploits, I’m sure he’d be completely surprised and embarrased… but it would also give him tremendous courage, hope and strength. Thanks again, and be well.
– Paul Sloboda