In our last episode, the Plonjado dove into the Cannibal Sea, searching for a treasure to launch the Kamesan’s war on heaven. What is that treasure? Find out in our second generous preview of SHARP EYE.
If you read my first draft of this scene, you'll see we dug a lot deeper as we revised. One good example is the skandalopetra, the round stone the Plonjado uses as a weight and guide underwater. That came from good, old-fashioned research.
And then, would you believe that the awesome power of Sharp Eye's MacGuffin arose from my selfish desire to smuggle my characters' internal dialogue into the comic? Artyom and Jason worked hard to show when the Plonjado is thinking and when...something else is speaking.
And that's it for now! Today we are very nearly half way through our campaign, and 160% funded. Thank you all for that. And we're getting close to that glimmery, glossy cover. Help us to meet that stretch goal by telling your friends to pledge to Sharp Eye.

Way back in November of 2019, I sat in a cafe and wrote this very first draft of the sequel to First Knife, the comic we much later named "Sharp Eye." Back the Sharp Eye Kickstarter to get your own copy.

The raft rocks on the blood-warm swell of the Cannibal Sea.
Behind the raft looms the sacred timbers of a Bequa caravel, its sails reefed against totem-carved masts. Behind that: the cracked and sun-glazed dome of ancient Mayami. Trapped hurricanes pile like volcanoes on the horizon.
Plonjadò A stands on the edge, his eyes closed, palms pressed to his hips, breathing his prayer.
He is an old man, hair and beard stubble white against very black skin, and he wears only a belt of weights. In the water at his feet bobs a white buoy, marked with the green and gold microchip of House Komèsan.
“What’s he waiting for?” Grumbles the mercenary on the deck of the caravel.
Plonjadò cannot hear her. He curls his toes around the hot sea-bamboo of his raft, barrel chest rising, falling, waiting for God to breathe into him.
When he was a boy and still had his eardrums, Plonjadò A could wait a year for a real breath. As an apprentice, he might spend days fasting and praying, then dive barely 50 meters. Now, inspiration comes to him every day and still they demand more. Still he will give it.
“They call it ‘Opening the Lungs of God.'” Lady Sardodj Komèsan Nan looks down on the little black figure on the pale raft. Sardodj’s parasol is finest plastic, painted silver and dangling with microchips. “A sacred ritual of my people.”
Her plumed mantel rises about her shoulders as she turns, hands on hips, grinning at her bodyguard. “I think it’s a rather fitting way to begin a war with heaven.”
“Whatever you say, Komèsan.” The mercenary is leaning against the railing on the ship’s far side, face hidden under the shadow cast by her hat. She caresses the barrel of her rifle and spits tobacco juice into the red brine. “Just tell me when to shoot the shaman.”
The breath comes to Plonjadò, and he opens his eyes. He knows the merchant princess plans to kill him. Only now, though, with the breath of God in his chest, does he know why he should not let her. More is demanded of him.
His arms rise and his breath gusts out. Plonjadò dives.
The Cannibal Sea is as warm and red as blood, teaming with jellyfish.
Stings slide off his oiled skin as Plonjadò reaches out. His fingers find the rope that depends from the buoy and thread themselves around it. as he sinks.
The water embraces him. Pain rises in his jaw, a dim memory of the pressure that took his hearing. Soft algae brush his cheeks.
Plonjadò feels the seabed and grips the buoy’s rope to slow his dive. In the red blackness, he sweeps out his arms, fingers splayed to feel for the treasure that the Komèsan princess says must be here.
Blind now, as well as deaf, Plonjadò forms a picture with his fingertips. There is the anchor of the buoy, buried in the fine blanket of dead algae. There is a long, smooth curve – the carbon fiber hull of an ancient ship. Another curve is a skull. There is the jaw, and there the fence posts of ribs. A long, smooth bone…
And the water lights up.
It looks like a heart, beating with light, nested within counter-rotating loops of black chain. Plonjadò squints against it, the blood pounding around his eyes. He reaches past the orbiting chains, touches the heart again, and for the first time in thirty years, he hears a voice.
“Greetings, master. What do you wish of me?”
The voice is high and sweet. A child playing make-believe.
Plonjadò takes up the heart and holds it against his chest. The chains break like smoke and reform around him. Wider, they orbit faster.
My child, he thinks, my only wish is to keep you safe.
The caravel rocks in a sudden upwelling of water. Sardodj grips the rail and narrows her eyes at the blood-colored water. At the contrail of bubbles speeding north, away from her. She glances at the compass, which is now also pointing north. Five minutes ago, it wasn’t.
“Well, shit,” she says.

Last night, still woozy from a 12-hour flight, I drank a toast with Simon and Artyom and made myself even woozier. Then I pressed that big, green button and our Kickstarter went live.
It was late evening in Sofia, but my internal clock told me it was early morning in Seattle. I felt like I'd only just climbed out of Lake Union, but my back was sore, the cat had used my pillow as a litter box, and the whiskey was still in my luggage*. I added another layer of Fabreeze to my mattress and went to watch a bed-time cartoon with my kids. When I woke up twelve hours later, Sharp Eye was funded.
Thank you. Thanks to Artyom, who would not let go of this project, Jason, who sprinted all summer to get the colors ready, Simon, who shepherded us through the whole process, and of course you, you beasts! You funded our comic! We can print it now!
What comes next is simple and exciting. We already have Sharp Eye ready, so all you have to do is sit tight while we finish the campaign and send CRWN what they need. Then you'll get a comic that is either beautiful, extra beautiful, or shining with celestial splendor, depending on which stretch goals we meet.
At the end of the campaign, on or near October 3rd, we'll have a virtual launch party. You'll get a link.
Finally, I'll polish the script for the next issue, and Artyom will start drawing it. Sharp Eye 2 will come out in fall 2026.
Enjoy the first six pages of the comic, and if you haven't yet, go make your pledge to get a copy of Sharp Eye.

Again, thank you all. And talk to you soon,
Dan
Visit Sharp Eye's page
Check out Simon's Patreon and Artyom's Patreon
*I used Jimador in our toast.