First, a sneak peek from the coming chapter.
Now, for the relevant topic. A special thanks to you who support or have supported Astray3 in the past. It means a lot and keeps the work grinding ever onward. I have been contemplating ways of rewarding contributors without gating off any pertinent story content. Which is tricky given the myriad of ways readers can make donations.
The principle way to contribute is via the comic’s Patreon page. ( https://www.patreon.com/astray3 ) Which is great, Patreon has a variety of tools to help manage bonus content. Buuuuttt…given some recent events, readers may have some misgivings about the service. So, it’s understandable if potential patrons are hesitant to use it.
Another way to contribute is via the paypal button that appears with comic posts. You can make a one time or recurring contribution using that service. Just look for this button…
[wpedon id=”123″ align=”center”]
Sadly, I haven’t really investigated this option and have no clue how to deliver exclusive content with it. It is an easy way to contribute if you already have a paypal account though.
With that in mind, there are going to be a few changes to the Patreon coming up. The comic and the new Tangent side series of works will be free for public view. Nothing is going to change with the primary story content. However, Patreon patrons will start getting exclusive updates of background/developmental material. Weekly sneak peeks, like the above image, along with supplementary work like character designs with some creator insight thrown in. The Patreon only charges for comic updates. Which makes now a fantastic introduction period! Astray3 won’t be posting comics till March. Meaning that you can enjoy the bonus content for free until the comic starts posting again in March. ( I’ll make an announcement about the official return date beforehand. )
I’m still trying to think of a way to reward non-patreon contributors. Please comment below if you have an idea.
And that is all for now.
Thanks everybody,
-Eldon
Greetings you wonderful Astray3 readers. Just wanted to take a moment to reflect on 2017 and address a few issues.
2017 was a mixed bag for yours truly. It was a year filled with triumph, horrible coincidences, rattled nerves, and family tragedies. Truthfully, I picked a terrible time to relaunch this life consuming monster. But, I do not regret it.
I’m proud of what I’ve created so far and believe Astray3 is a story worth telling. Sure, It’s not always perfect. And yes, I still kick myself for falling short of the intended vision. Yet, that is all part of the process. The only important thing is to keep pressing onwards and upwards. Cause you can’t reach the summit if you don’t start climbing. ( I need to find a different metaphor. Now, I’m thinking of frozen corpses on the slopes of comic mountain. )
So, with several months of updates behind us, let’s reflect a bit on the previous year. 2017 for Astray3 has largely been about laying the foundation for our protagonist. I always felt this was something missing in the old A3. Emily’s dissatisfaction was largely baseless. Her pathos during the story seemed shallow and mawkish. That’s why I feebly tried to do a rewrite during the last run. Alas, that was impossible while trying to keep the comic moving forward at the same time. One of the reasons for the reboot.
I do suspect that this is not what old fans were looking for in the comic’s return. A whole bunch of mundane drama. Well, I’m happy to announce that Astray3 will be returning to form in 2018.
2018 is going to be wild. A year full of new faces and old friends ( with some slightly newer faces. ) Plus, we are going to answer some questions that were left hanging in the previous iteration. Yes, Astray3 is back bigger and better than ever. ( And I’ll finally be able to draw fun stuff again. )
Now, for some more practical issues. First, I’m going to try to expand my services on Patreon and be more interactive with the audience. Astray3 is a monster of a project. Keeping up with page production alone consumes the majority of my free time. That doesn’t leave much room for creating supplementary material nor community outreach. But, I also understand that those are the things that keep readers engaged. ( Maybe even toss some shekels my way. ) To that end, I’ll be posting a few polls/surveys to feel out the audience. Also, feel free to comment on this topic if anything immediately comes to mind.
Second, there will be a break coming up. The current run will end about mid-January. After that, there will be a one to two month break while I rebuild the buffer. Patreon patrons will not be charged during this break. The comic should be back in full force no later than March 1st. ( Sooner than that if I can help it. ) It is my goal to reach at least page 100 by the end of 2018. So, don’t expect too many breaks during the year.
And that wraps up this update. Thanks to all of you for reading this humble webcomic. I hope 2018 will be a banner year for Astray3.
All the best,
Eldon Cowgur 
The first week of inktober 2017 is in the can and it’s been illuminating. ( You can see the entire week’s run on the Astray3 Facebook Page. ) It really has forced me to re-evaluate how I approach finished art. But plainly, I feel it has been for the best. The week started out rough admittedly. I clearly hadn’t touched the ole brushes, nibs and inks in awhile. Luckily, I seem to be getting back up to speed pretty quick. You can expect a shift in the way the new comic looks after the first two month run. ( That is when the current buffer runs out. ) Now, to start working on a new system for coloring….
Oh, long time readers may notice that the above image is roughly based on the old Astray3 Upper Fuungahi run. Also, it may just be a glimpse of things to come…. 
Yes, in one short week Astray3 will return! It’s been a long time, but the wait is almost over. Beginning on Oct. 2nd a new version of Astray3 will begin to unfurl. This project has been in the works for a long, long time and it’s a relief to finally be able to share it with you. If you haven’t been following the facebook page, I encourage you to go over there for details on the return. (