//About the Comic//
Who makes The Barrier Scroll?
I’m J., the creator behind The Barrier Scroll—I write, illustrate, and worldbuild everything you see. It’s a solo project powered by tea and a deep love for high fantasy, slow-burn romance, and a story that’s lived in my heart for years. You can read more about me here.
Where should I start reading?
I recommend starting at the Prologue. You can also read right here on the site (which I duly recommend, because I pair each episode with music!) But if you prefer, I also currently publish to Webtoon Canvas. New episodes release monthly, you can sign up to get email notifications when a new episode comes out!
What inspires The Barrier Scroll?
The narrative is inspired by stories I grew up with that include: The Neverending Story, The Last Unicorn, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and Star Wars. Book series like Lord of the Rings, and The Wheel of Time. As well as games like the Quest for Glory series and Dungeons and Dragons. The art style combines the lush palettes and dramatic silhouettes of 80s/90s animation with a mature, high-fantasy comic aesthetic. You can read more about the comic here.
What’s more important, art or story?
Both. Nice art can pull you in, but great story makes you stay. I’ve poured the same hours into writing as I do polishing the panels, and I’d urge any creator: don’t scrimp on story. Give your visuals a narrative worth carrying.
How long does an episode take?
Each episode takes several weeks and many hours: writing edits, layouts, line art, color, rendering, and lettering are all done by hand, and all done by me, I don’t have any assistants for things like flats or lines. Updates are paced for quality and sustainability.
When’s the next episode?
I release episodes monthly (as time permits). You can get updates by subscribing to the newsletter or following on socials. I always post sneak peeks there!
Do you share sneak peeks?
I do! I’m most active on Instagram for sharing things like upcoming episodes, reels, and posts.
Will you eventually print these as books?
Yes! I’d love to at the completion of each Season. But I’ll need to keep building up an interested audience to make something like a Kickstarter or crowdfunding possible. It’s a huge goal and dream of mine (I’ve already done some pre-planning!), and I’d love to make that a reality, so your support is immensely appreciated!
//Comic Creation//
What tools do you use to make the comic?
Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, Photoshop, SketchUp
How did you build the site for The Barrier Scroll?
This website was built using WordPress for Business with the Toocheke Premium theme (and a few custom integrations). I use WooCommerce to run the store, and EmailOctopus for the newsletter. I wanted a clean, immersive experience for readers and this setup gave me the flexibility to showcase the comic just the way I wanted to.
I want to start a webcomic, any advice?
Don’t wait until you’re ‘good enough’, you will learn as you go. Sustainable pacing beats burnout, whatever allows you to be consistent. Obsess over the story you want to tell. Create for yourself, not the algorithm, not metrics, not what you think audiences want to read, not what artstyle you think people will like. Write what you want, draw what you want. Build your own website—let this be the main home for your comic (its ok to post other places too). Own your funnel—don’t rely on 3rd party applications for this. Start your newsletter today. Market your comic with emotional impact (funny, romantic, inspiring, etc.) humans love storytelling. Understand not everything sticks the landing. You’re going to fail a lot, keep experimenting and trying new things.
//Connecting with the Creator//
Can I message you directly?
I love connecting with readers about the story and the characters. That’s the kind of connection I value most. Messages outside that scope may not solicit a response, simply so I can protect time and energy for the work itself. While I’m grateful for every message, I’m not always able to reply to DMs on social in a timely manner, but I do try. Also, if you’d like to reach out in a professional capacity for things like commissions please do so via email.
Can I invite you to be on my podcast or YouTube channel?
I’m always open to fun conversations about storytelling and comics. The more heads-up you can give me, the better since I can get busy sometimes, but I’ll get back to you as soon as I can! Feel free to reach out via email or even a DM through social works great as well.
Is this your full-time job?
No, right now it’s a hobby I’m super passionate about. I currently work full time as a designer in tech.
Do you have a Patreon?
Yes! I post really exclusive content there like super romantic sketches, early access, free digital downloads (like beautiful wallpapers for your phone and desktop), tutorials, Patreon specific merch bundles (if you stay for a year), and priority on commissions. There’s even really rad opportunities for you, like helping me test new store products for free. You can sign up here.
//Community//
Can I make fan art of your characters?
Yes! Tagging @thebarrierscroll is the best way to share! I love fan art and will always share it!
Just know that while personal fan work is totally welcome, The Barrier Scroll is protected IP and commercial use (like selling prints, merch, etc.) is not permitted.
Can I cosplay your characters?
Yes! Tagging @thebarrierscroll is the best way to share! I absolutely adore cosplays of my characters.
Can I get a tattoo of your art?
Yes! And if you want to tattoo a specific piece of art I’ve personally created, please consider a tattoo license available in the shop. It grants single-use permission with a downloadable certificate.
//Commissions & Merch//
Can I commission you?
Yes, I accept a limited number of commercial commissions a year for illustrations, book covers, and branding. I am a professional designer by trade and my pricing reflects this. You can read more here.
Do you sell The Barrier Scroll merch?
Yes! And most all of it is made by me (by hand)! I sell some things on Etsy (sometimes this is a better option for international readers), but the majority of my stock is right here in the official shop.
