Hiroyasu Ike is creating
BASTARD PRINCE / KNIVES AND CIGARETTES - TWO ORIGINAL BL MANGA
Wanting to bring you some grittier, down-to-earth BL thriller stories!
14
$57
Milestone Goals
More frequent updates!
With this goal reached I'll be able to dedicate even more time to updates of Knives & Cigarettes and Bastard Prince mangas. New page updates will be more frequent for both, as will bonus arts.
Level Up!
With this goal reached I'd be able to work fulltime on updates for both Knives and Cigarettes and Bastard Prince mangas. Updates will be as frequent as possible, the printed volumes would approach faster, and I'll be able to start production of extra merch and gifts for patrons.
Dedicated artbooks!
With this kind of support I'd want to work on some dedicated BL artbooks alongside my mangas. This is a project I have always wanted to do - create something special and artistic involving beautiful and dangerous men. While I would love to publish and sell a collection of arts like this in book form, I think with this kind of support it should be available to all my interested Patrons for free as well, as a digital e-book (or possible discounted hard copy as well!)
With this kind of support I'd also be able to upgrade my computer and other equipment. Currently it is not the most powerful computer for making arts and sometimes struggles to use large canvas in my image editing software.
With this kind of support I'd also be able to upgrade my computer and other equipment. Currently it is not the most powerful computer for making arts and sometimes struggles to use large canvas in my image editing software.
About
I'm a freelance professional artist of nearly 10 years, creating two original BL manga series. I studied illustration and animation at university, and attended night college for drawing, but I'm completely self-taught when it comes to manga. What I want to do now is tell these stories that have been on my mind for over a decade, that I've studied the manga style for in order to be able to do.
Top PatronsSee all 14
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So what's the story?
I've been a freelance professional artist nearly a decade, working on all kinds of projects - concepts for indie films, art for board games, indie video games and book covers, and sold hand-crafted sculptures to earn my living. But I've never had the courage before to make works with my own stories and characters and offer them up for people to read - until now.
"Knives and Cigarettes" and "Bastard Prince" are two original BL/shōnen-ai (boy's love) manga I spent the last year writing and scripting in my spare moments. So everything's all set - except for the artwork, which I'll be doing alone. The thing is, I want to make the artwork as high quality as possible for these manga, which takes my time and attention to detail. I could really use some help while I make these. Believe me, even $1 a month to support my work will be both a great encouragement and a help to me! Times have got progressively tougher since I started work as a professional artist; your support would go towards allowing me to keep making art, and updating these two original manga as frequently as possible, while also making them available to read online, and eventually as printed volumes.
If you choose to support me even further with a larger donation, there'll be opportunities to see "behind the scenes" of the manga - how I scripted and created them, how I develop characters, how I make the art and prep it for publishing online, and more. For higher tier supporters there'll be cool freebies offered, such as a free commissioned work per year of your own choice for your own personal use, limited signed artworks, or if you prefer, the chance for some one-to-one Q&A/teaching about art (or you can request tutorials on something specific if you'd like to know how I do things). You will also automatically receive signed 1st edition copies of the printed volumes of each of these mangas when printed if you become a top tier supporter. Even if you aren't interested in the manga but would just like to support me as an artist, I'd be super-grateful for that, too!
What's so great about Knives and Bastard Prince?
As much as I like BL manga, I always wanted to find more BL stories that had thriller elements to them, less predictable plots, and maybe less of the usual clichés. Guys who act more like guys, with all the issues guys tend to have, finding themselves in improbable and inextricable situations with other guys. So that's what I'm writing here - something a little grittier - maybe a little more realistic, and hopefully enjoyable! :)
Tell me about it!
Knives and Cigarettes is a gritty, modern-day tale of redemption - set in Tokyo's concrete jungle, 19-year old Kei struggles to find acceptance after being turned out from his home and family when they discover his sexuality. Falling first under the wing of the carefree, devil-may-care delinquent gang leader Kazuo, he faces up to the prospect of losing everything once again if he dares admits the strength of his feelings for his new senpai. Enter Jirou, an unlikely yakuza benefactor. Kei finds himself unable to let go of his old flame, and the game he now plays with his latest and sinuous admirer is a dangerous one...
(Be warned, this one pulls no punches! We're talking gangs, yakuza, and addiction! This will be published in slightly edited form on Inkblazers to keep it safe for the ToS... printed versions will be available for purchase completely uncensored when the first volume completes.)
Bastard Prince is a twisting tale of supernatural immortals locked in a bitter feud, the secrets of which two boys will discover when they unwittingly stumble on the present-day hiding-place of one of them. Set largely in a time of medieval European witch-hunts and terrifying werewolf and vampire attacks, the story follows the fate of Silas, crown prince of a small mountain province besieged by dark forces, and his obsession to bring down the elusive mastermind behind them. Get ready for the dark side of Man...!
New pages for these two manga will be uploaded to Patreon first as a mini-issue of several pages, twice per month. They will be available after on Tapastic, once per month as a single update to the chapter. With enough support this could become more frequent, as I'll then be able to dedicate my prime working time to these manga.
***The uncut versions of these manga will be uploaded to Patreon, while the censored/cut versions will be available at Tapastic.***
The more support I can get from those who like my art and want to see these stories come to fruition, the more time I can dedicate to them, to getting pages out quicker and published online for you to read... and the more time I can dedicate to you, as my supporters! :)
I've been a freelance professional artist nearly a decade, working on all kinds of projects - concepts for indie films, art for board games, indie video games and book covers, and sold hand-crafted sculptures to earn my living. But I've never had the courage before to make works with my own stories and characters and offer them up for people to read - until now.
"Knives and Cigarettes" and "Bastard Prince" are two original BL/shōnen-ai (boy's love) manga I spent the last year writing and scripting in my spare moments. So everything's all set - except for the artwork, which I'll be doing alone. The thing is, I want to make the artwork as high quality as possible for these manga, which takes my time and attention to detail. I could really use some help while I make these. Believe me, even $1 a month to support my work will be both a great encouragement and a help to me! Times have got progressively tougher since I started work as a professional artist; your support would go towards allowing me to keep making art, and updating these two original manga as frequently as possible, while also making them available to read online, and eventually as printed volumes.
If you choose to support me even further with a larger donation, there'll be opportunities to see "behind the scenes" of the manga - how I scripted and created them, how I develop characters, how I make the art and prep it for publishing online, and more. For higher tier supporters there'll be cool freebies offered, such as a free commissioned work per year of your own choice for your own personal use, limited signed artworks, or if you prefer, the chance for some one-to-one Q&A/teaching about art (or you can request tutorials on something specific if you'd like to know how I do things). You will also automatically receive signed 1st edition copies of the printed volumes of each of these mangas when printed if you become a top tier supporter. Even if you aren't interested in the manga but would just like to support me as an artist, I'd be super-grateful for that, too!
What's so great about Knives and Bastard Prince?
As much as I like BL manga, I always wanted to find more BL stories that had thriller elements to them, less predictable plots, and maybe less of the usual clichés. Guys who act more like guys, with all the issues guys tend to have, finding themselves in improbable and inextricable situations with other guys. So that's what I'm writing here - something a little grittier - maybe a little more realistic, and hopefully enjoyable! :)
Tell me about it!
Knives and Cigarettes is a gritty, modern-day tale of redemption - set in Tokyo's concrete jungle, 19-year old Kei struggles to find acceptance after being turned out from his home and family when they discover his sexuality. Falling first under the wing of the carefree, devil-may-care delinquent gang leader Kazuo, he faces up to the prospect of losing everything once again if he dares admits the strength of his feelings for his new senpai. Enter Jirou, an unlikely yakuza benefactor. Kei finds himself unable to let go of his old flame, and the game he now plays with his latest and sinuous admirer is a dangerous one...
(Be warned, this one pulls no punches! We're talking gangs, yakuza, and addiction! This will be published in slightly edited form on Inkblazers to keep it safe for the ToS... printed versions will be available for purchase completely uncensored when the first volume completes.)
Bastard Prince is a twisting tale of supernatural immortals locked in a bitter feud, the secrets of which two boys will discover when they unwittingly stumble on the present-day hiding-place of one of them. Set largely in a time of medieval European witch-hunts and terrifying werewolf and vampire attacks, the story follows the fate of Silas, crown prince of a small mountain province besieged by dark forces, and his obsession to bring down the elusive mastermind behind them. Get ready for the dark side of Man...!
New pages for these two manga will be uploaded to Patreon first as a mini-issue of several pages, twice per month. They will be available after on Tapastic, once per month as a single update to the chapter. With enough support this could become more frequent, as I'll then be able to dedicate my prime working time to these manga.
***The uncut versions of these manga will be uploaded to Patreon, while the censored/cut versions will be available at Tapastic.***
The more support I can get from those who like my art and want to see these stories come to fruition, the more time I can dedicate to them, to getting pages out quicker and published online for you to read... and the more time I can dedicate to you, as my supporters! :)