Syconium
227

December 11th, 2017






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167 . by: Furrama January 8, 2018, 6:46 pm

My bet is that XX and the XY's don't die. At least, not literally.
166 . by: Dani January 8, 2018, 2:57 pm

Yeah, watch it be some sort of sacrifice for Fig
165 . by: January 8, 2018, 2:17 pm

I wish smoothie wouldn’t end up dead buuut It’s NofNA. :c
164 . by: January 7, 2018, 11:49 pm

Something tells me Smoothie is going to end up dead.
163 . by: Dani January 7, 2018, 1:49 am

No worries, by 11PM - 12AM the night before I see them too :p.
162 . by: January 6, 2018, 7:07 pm

...Did he write a message to Green, as well?
161 . by: Furrama January 6, 2018, 4:08 pm

Yeah sorry, I know they're officially Tuesday but I'm west coast USA and often get them late Monday, so I think of them that way.
160 . by: Dani January 6, 2018, 1:07 pm

@Furrama nice! Or a Tuesday.
159 . by: Furrama January 5, 2018, 6:26 pm

Zack on Twitter:

"I'm at the point where I decide whether this drawing contains all of the elements that it should contain. Otherwise, it's nearly finished."

Heeeey, maybe we'll get a Monday update.
158 . by: Dani January 5, 2018, 5:35 pm

I like your 2017 Peace picture Zach. I just caught on that you do one every year. It's a good reminder that we have to accept (maybe not embrace) the full scope of humanity in order to be able to find peace within ourselves.

@Mutt uggh how did I not clue in that they are colored by their speech colors?! Now I see Smoothie!
157 . by: January 5, 2018, 2:35 pm

i had a dream this updated, but i had some issue that prevented me from scrolling to view the whole update...
156 . by: Camila January 5, 2018, 8:32 am

*refreshing intensifies*
155 . by: Ñire January 4, 2018, 2:26 am

Oh dear :') hadn't checked the NofNA comments in a couple of days and now I feel so warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks a lot, @149 and Seven! I'm super glad my story is enjoyed ^^

And, Zack mentioned the next page will be about 15000 px tall, hence the amount time taken. I'm very eagerly looking forward for it!

URL : http://nothofagus-obliqua.deviantart.com
154 . by: Furrama January 4, 2018, 2:11 am

Let the man work/rest, jeeze. He's working on a big page, it will be done when it's done.

In the meantime, if you're that itchy, might I recommend you read ye olden Digger by Ursula Vernon if you haven't yet? It's free and finished and has a wombat in it.

URL : http://diggercomic.com/blog/2007/02/01/wombat1-gnorf/
153 . by: January 4, 2018, 1:57 am

I hope Zack isn't dead.
152 . by: Seven January 3, 2018, 6:39 pm

Oops, and I agree, "Awka" is a fantastic comic. :D
151 . by: Seven January 3, 2018, 6:38 pm

@149 there's a new comic by Songdog-Strayfang called "Doe of Deadwood" if you want to check that one out as well.
150 . by: Blazic January 3, 2018, 12:01 pm

Still no page, next one must be big, aha - Though, to be fair, Zack is probably just off with his family, and that should be priority :0
149 . by: January 2, 2018, 7:20 pm

@Ñire, may I say that I love your comic thus far? Deer are among one of my favorite animals. You rarely ever see comics with deer.
148 . by: January 2, 2018, 3:29 pm

Just X
147 . by: kuu January 2, 2018, 12:08 pm

the peace sign is also like a tree
146 . by: Ñire January 1, 2018, 10:05 pm

That's a beautiful picture, Zach!

URL : http://nothofagus-obliqua.deviantart.com
145 . by: Mutt January 1, 2018, 10:05 pm

@ Seven It looks like one of Scarface's guards. It could possibly be the very same guy that Green deflected Battery's shock to. Took me a minute to notice they were all colored with their respective speech bubble colors.
144 . by: Seven January 1, 2018, 9:26 pm

I love it, Zack!

Who's the acid green mustelid guy behind Morning Glory?
143 . by: January 1, 2018, 8:14 pm

I find it really interesting how the characters are arranged, mostly how there's a "Greenie's side" and a "XX's side" so to speak
142 . by: January 1, 2018, 3:36 pm

Dearest X Dearest X Dearest X Dearest X
141 . by: Furrama January 1, 2018, 3:00 pm

Think of it as a curtain call.
140 . by: January 1, 2018, 1:49 pm

Some of those characters don't deserve to be standing in a peace sign :|
139 . by: Furrama January 1, 2018, 12:58 am

She's XX's color!
138 . by: Silkworm January 1, 2018, 12:35 am

@Furrama

Everyone is in their colors but Fig isn't grey or white!
137 . by: Furrama January 1, 2018, 12:31 am

Did y'all catch Zack's Peace picture for the year?

URL : http://nofna.tumblr.com/post/169169330844
136 . by: December 31, 2017, 8:18 pm

Happy new year! Wow, in less than a month, I'll have followed this incredible comic for two years. Time flies.
135 . by: December 31, 2017, 7:02 pm

happy new years, everyone!
134 . by: catalyze December 31, 2017, 6:51 pm

@133 THAT WOULD BE PERFECT. I was not expecting to see another commenter who knew what Petz was, it was a huge part of my childhood. Now that I think of it, the styles really mesh. Maybe I should bust out the old hex editor and make some Nofna characters...
133 . by: December 31, 2017, 2:06 pm

If nofna was ever animated, I want to see it animated like those old Petz games. MS paint-looking-but-animated.
132 . by: December 30, 2017, 7:51 pm

@127 Truely... my body aches for it.
131 . by: December 29, 2017, 1:49 pm

@Furrama yes that's exactly what I'm saying lol
130 . by: Turret December 29, 2017, 1:34 am

Hey Zack! I don’t know how much you’re working on the next page outside of life stuff on the holidays but make sure you’re taking breaks! I know I’m willing to wait for the page and I’m pretty sure everyone else is too.
129 . by: Furrama December 29, 2017, 1:13 am

Are you saying our green man is horny?
128 . by: December 29, 2017, 12:34 am

I just started rereading this arc and wow I'm not sure if it's just a shift in art style, or if it's intentional, but the streaks on Green's face that lead to his ears are a lot thicker now. They look much more like horns than they used to.

Probably intentional, but who knows.
127 . by: December 28, 2017, 11:44 pm

NofNA withdrawal is real.
126 . by: J.Slaughter December 28, 2017, 2:52 pm

I'm not sure. I don't know many websites that are okay with NSFW other than Tumblr. But I feel like it would cheapen the value of the comic if it was only posted there.
125 . by: December 28, 2017, 6:09 am

Yeah, photobucket has gone to the dogs. I really detest it. So many times I look on forums for guides on how to work on my car, do DIY aquarium stuff, etc. and I see broken photobucket links. Not cool, photobucket.
J.Slaughter, are you gonna post your comic online anywhere as a regular thing or publish it?
124 . by: J.Slaughter December 28, 2017, 1:26 am

Okay, I made an account on Imgur and reuploaded it. It has been a long time since I used Photobucket and I thought that it was the same as when I used it way back when. Thanks for the update, Comment 123.

URL : http://i.imgur.com/PiGQEmM.png
123 . by: December 28, 2017, 12:19 am

photobucket doesn't work if you use any sort of adblocker or script blocker, because it lost so much money that they had to essentially build an ad with an image container under it.

imgur is a better alternative.
122 . by: December 27, 2017, 11:12 pm

the photobucket link is broken ); reupload using IMGbox? i wanna see too sobs

i'd be very interested in picking up another comic to read if you ever upload it anywhere~

the wait for the next page of Synconium is driving me insane. it's gonna be such a good paaaagggee.
121 . by: December 27, 2017, 2:58 pm

Thanks everyone, your comments about the comic page means a lot. I'm not very confident people will like the content of my stories though. I finished inking page 2 today, but it is NSFW so I'll keep it to myself.
120 . by: December 27, 2017, 12:08 pm

I suspect we'll either get some kind of lengthy epiphany from Fig or we'll see her begin to work on the big canvas and complete the painting at the end. Or both! Maybe mind-XX will finally regain her power? Lots of possibilities, and I'm really excited to see what comes of it. I wonder if she'll paint a dedication piece to Smoothie like she was doing for the brothel girls before?
119 . by: kuu December 27, 2017, 11:32 am

so we're going to get a giant non representational black and white painting "from" XX/Fig? or pictures of her doing it i wonder?
118 . by: Zack December 27, 2017, 11:16 am

Hi commentator 111,

I finally got a chance to look at your comic page. Very acute linework and artwork. Thank you for sharing.
117 . by: Witticaster December 25, 2017, 10:58 pm

Guys, if anyone has been holding out on getting the physical version of Secretary Addendum, DO IT. It reads SO well in physical form + there is fantastic extra content.

(I got it as a Christmas present can you tell)
116 . by: December 25, 2017, 9:49 pm

happy holidays everyone

would it be safe to assume zack won't be updating before the new year?
115 . by: December 25, 2017, 8:15 pm

Ugh 111, I'm jealous of that line work. I can feel my fingers going numb just thinking about making something like that. Thank you for sharing your work!
114 . by: December 25, 2017, 6:58 pm

Happy holidays everyone! And 111, I like the detail on the background!
113 . by: Downhill December 25, 2017, 4:19 pm

Merry Christmas everyone! And 111, that looks brilliant!
112 . by: Starry December 25, 2017, 3:44 pm

happy holidays nofna fans! hope everyone is having a good season.

Can't wait to see the upcoming gigantic page!!
111 . by: December 25, 2017, 1:59 pm

Sorry for the wait, but here's my page so far.

URL : http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f27/jimmyxslaughter/Page%201-5_zpsgldznfas.png
110 . by: Magenta December 25, 2017, 1:43 pm

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, fellow Nofna fans!
109 . by: hazard December 25, 2017, 11:03 am

Get Hype For pg 228!!!!!!
108 . by: December 25, 2017, 10:35 am

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone!
107 . by: December 24, 2017, 12:40 am

Take your time! Both of you. And happy holidays to my fellow fans!
106 . by: December 23, 2017, 10:46 am

Well, okay, it's not finished.. it just feels finished since I spent days on it... but I haven't added the dialog yet. I'll post it on this page (I don't want to distract from Zack's new page post, if it happens today) after I get back from work. Approximately 9 hours from now.
105 . by: December 23, 2017, 2:45 am

103, let us seeeee
104 . by: December 22, 2017, 11:47 pm

You gonna share the goods, 103?
103 . by: December 22, 2017, 10:21 pm

As I eagerly await the new page, I finished the first page of my comic! I would be happy if I wasn't so scared and anxious...
102 . by: December 22, 2017, 8:29 pm

*Maui voice* I am still scrolling!
101 . by: Furrama December 22, 2017, 6:55 pm

I'm guessing it's still about 650 px wide?

Either way, here's what 650 by 15,000 px looks like.

(Happy holidays y'all.)

URL : http://orig00.deviantart.net/6d37/f/2017/356/9/9/it_tall_by_furrama-dbxiuus.png
100 . by: December 22, 2017, 6:41 pm

I just downloaded gimp so I could see what 7,500-15,000px looks like and I am SO excited.
99 . by: December 22, 2017, 5:57 pm

Jack the rabbit grim reaper comic? Boy that thing brings me WAY back.
98 . by: December 22, 2017, 4:11 pm

7.5k pixels? holy shit, zack
97 . by: Juna December 22, 2017, 2:51 pm

omg is she really bringing out the big canvas? I'll bet we'll kick off the new year with the mega-update.
96 . by: Furrama December 22, 2017, 2:44 pm

She's painting on the big canvas isn't she?
95 . by: Zack December 22, 2017, 2:17 pm

Hi,

The next page is still in production. It is currently 7,500 pixels tall, and may be double that size by its completion.
94 . by: kuu December 22, 2017, 5:50 am

has any one thoght of all suggesting songs to pretend we have a sound track? I once had CDs for a "Jack"(I forgot how many arcs) sound track but left it where our mail boxes are, for that time being people would use it as a kind of "here take this, I don't want it"

but this time insted of asking for a cd and paying for postage we just go "ok here it is"
93 . by: December 21, 2017, 8:55 pm

Will we get a new page tomorrow?
92 . by: Mutt December 21, 2017, 1:43 pm

The only real issue I had with Lycosa's speech bubbles was that it was easy for me to miss hovering over the tinier ones. Some of them blended into the background and were a little difficult to see. Other than that, I loved those animations. One of my favorites was Pisurina's web gun style.

Solar System was great! I appreciate all the time Zack put into the art and story.
91 . by: Esplin December 21, 2017, 12:32 pm

Solar System is number 1, with lycosa as a close second. I love the mouseover, it makes both the spider's and the aliens a little more alien, while Zack's writing makes them relatable. It's just what I want from my Sci-Fi and Fantasy.
90 . by: December 21, 2017, 12:57 am

The animated exclamation points in Lycosa are one of my favorite webcomic innovations I've ever seen. Zack is definitely a master of the infinite campus!
89 . by: December 20, 2017, 11:26 pm

I don’t know. The hover text is too gimmicky for me. If that’s the word I’m looking for. I’m honestly relieved that Syconium isn’t using them.
88 . by: Juna December 20, 2017, 8:13 pm

My favorites are Secretary and Solar System, if we're talking completed stories. I'd probably group Lycosa in the same place as Solar System, too! I really enjoyed the mouse over dialogue, and I think the two showcase Zach's illustration skills at their most imaginative. Lycosa and Solar System are probably the most fun nofna stories for me.
87 . by: December 20, 2017, 4:47 pm

honestly, a "redemption" for streaks would be incredibly cheap and disappointing.

it'd be a total asspull regardless of what happens between here and the end, and it'd be super distasteful to have this abusive, cold-blooded murderer get narrative redemption regardless of how sorry he acts.

because it will just be an act. his entire character hinges around his deception of others to further his own goals.

i have more faith in zack as a writer than that.
86 . by: Witticaster December 19, 2017, 11:44 pm

Aw... he didn't just pump 'n dump. Good for him. And what appropriate symbolism, to have the imagery of womb-XX tucked away within the fig-shaped panels. I like the sketch of what is presumably Estrus!Fig on the back and can only imagine what's written next to it. "P.S. your dream self tried to rape me."

Secretary profoundly affected me and remains my absolute favorite arc. I always struggled with its metaphors but that somehow only made it more endearing to me. It was a deeply moving and raw story that kept me afloat during a time when all I wanted to do was succumb to my own life's malices. I was so happy to read the addendum - I felt it was a beautiful resolution to the world of that comic and it helped expound on the styles and concepts in a way that makes everything seem more complete.

Solar System is a close second I think... I never had a problem with its complexity, mostly because I got the impression that the aliens were SUPPOSED to be too-complex-for-lowly-humans-to-comprehend, so I didn't stress too much when I couldn't understand anything. (Wish I understood more of the video game references, though.) I let the technical aspects soar over my head and focused on the core of the story: a magnificent tale of hope. I love it and I have been wanting to go back for some time and re-read it and spam the comments section to hell and back with commentary on the pages that I didn't leave back then because I wasn't in a good place mentally when the story first came out. Maybe I'll do that soon.

Also, Pika. Who knew an April Fools comic could be so profound.
85 . by: Botany December 19, 2017, 10:03 pm

Solar System, I believe, is going to become one of those works to be celebrated long after the fact. I'd go as far as to say it came too early to be appreciated in it's own time. But it genuinely is one of the greatest stories I have ever been witness to.


Syconium, on the other hand... Was painful in the past. Still is in some ways. But right now, I have a future pieced together just enough that I can have faith, or at least hope. If nothing else, I have a narrative, now, for how it could end. Without Smoothie, with Fig renouncing Power to Streaks, teaching him all he's been too indoctrinated by Power to see on his own. For him to truly see his sins and repent to face whatever he will with dignity. If nothing else, Fig becoming the teacher of art she deserves to become.

As hard as it was to appreciate this story before, it has challenged and reaffirmed, and may just possibly become Solar System's equal to me.
84 . by: December 19, 2017, 9:58 pm

I’ve always been partial to Namtaro

URL : http://zack-sr.deviantart.com/art/NAMTARO-28358143
83 . by: Furrama December 19, 2017, 8:01 pm

Pika and Wild Style are masterpieces that goes without saying.
82 . by: Anna December 19, 2017, 6:53 pm

Are we talking about favorites?! Secretary is absolutely my favorite and has been one of my favorite stories in any medium for years. When it broke the color barrier, when I read that long page where the jerboa transformed and the background color switched... I WAS SO FLOORED. I've read it several times and feel like I catch onto something new with each reading (or maybe I'm thinking too much about it, but that's part of the fun). I was over the moon about the addendum because I loved the jerboa's character.

Syconium is coming pretty close. I can't wait til its finished so I can reread it all at once. Like some others, I'll admit I didn't finish solar system - it was a little too out there for me, but I love NofNA so much I'll have to try again someday.
81 . by: December 19, 2017, 6:22 pm

Pika was my introduction to NofNA! It's still one of my favorite comics of all time.

URL : http://pika.nofna.com
80 . by: December 19, 2017, 5:07 pm

Most profound story is Pika, Bring Pika Back 2018
79 . by: December 19, 2017, 5:02 pm

I'll always have a soft spot for 10%+, so that's probably my favorite.

I really like Secretary, but I agree with a lot of people that some of the themes are pretty obscured until you read the alternate version. I am still pretty fond of it though.

Solar System has a few of my favorite moments, but as a whole I found it a little unwieldy. The text boxes are interesting, but nofna style dialogue + theoretical science is even more confusing. Plus I had a lot harder time following the fights and action than the other series. Buut like I said, it still has some of my favorite moments, and the ending is beautiful.

I enjoy Lycosa a lot, though it doesn't hold the special place 10%+ or Secretary have for me.

Syconium has a lot of good moments and it's interesting, but I'm reserving judgement until it's over.
78 . by: Dani December 19, 2017, 1:59 pm

@77 -- took me WAY too long to realize that XX and Smoothie aren't the only stoats with significant fur colorations ^^;. Thanks, lol!
77 . by: December 19, 2017, 12:23 pm

I had a dream that Green was able to overcome his power lust and greed and we no longer saw him colored in green - he was his natural brown from thereon out.
76 . by: December 19, 2017, 11:31 am

Secretary has always been the story of a school shooter to me, manifesto and everything. i don’t know if i can read the alternate ending, thinking of it differently wouldn’t make sense.
75 . by: December 19, 2017, 8:46 am

I felt like I understood Secretary until I read the alternate version of events in the book, haha... It seems like he's doing the same things to everyone (beating up and even killing some) but its a good thing this time?
74 . by: hazard December 19, 2017, 8:21 am

I loved Solar System a lot!!! Lots of great stuff comparing different technologies, ways of existing and values. I loved the scope and the worldbuilding involved.

Yes, it was difficult to penetrate, but that's a quality I connect with ALL NofNA stories. But I am one who likes stories I have to "work for", to think hard to figure out. As a good example of that kind of media, NofNA always has really fascinating things to say so when you do figure it out, it's very rewarding.

Lycosa was masterful too and I recommend it alot to people who like spiders. I thought of Secretary was actually the most difficult to penetrate because the concepts involved were so strange and I don't think I ever really grokked it, I need to re-read them. 10% is still so so good as an action comic.
73 . by: December 19, 2017, 7:49 am

Solar system was a little too much for me, but I liked lycosa even if I didn’t know what was going on without reading the comments haha. The dialogue was punchy!
72 . by: Kiri December 19, 2017, 6:12 am

Yeeaaah.... Solar System proved too difficult for me to follow due to the speech bubbles. I read through Lycosa but once I saw they had returned I ended up not reading it. NoFNA can be hard to follow. I agree. It’s just easier for me to soak it all in when I can read everything on the page without having to hover over things.
71 . by: December 19, 2017, 2:32 am

I'll be honest, I didn't read any of the aliens' hover-over dialogue in Solar System. I didn't understand everything that happened but there were some fantastic parts in there.

I think NofNA in general can suffer from being difficult to read. A friend that I tried to get into it bounced off because of the unconnected colour speech bubbles. I've gotten used to it by now, but he couldn't understand who was speaking at all.
70 . by: Furrama December 18, 2017, 6:06 pm

1. Syconium - 2. Secretary(as a whole but mostly with the original ending) - 3. 10%+

Solar System and Lycosa sit in about the same place for me. I do not like having to scroll over to read text, and the more alien something gets the less I understand its subtleties. It might be interesting conceptually but I can't identify with what's going on. And both have a lot of fight scenes that are incredibly difficult to follow. Lycosa not having line art hurt its readability as well. I still can't get through Solar System and I have tried several several! times. It has a grand vision under it all, but I "can't parse the signal".

My favorites tend to be the most "human" and all of them deal with the burgeoning animal society before human recognition. They're the right mix of new concept with a reality I can grasp. And that world is inherently interesting to me personally.

10%+ has a really clever conclusion but the major fight scenes go a little too long for me. And the word choices are generally more interesting than feel natural. Good characters, good world introduction. Speech bubbles aren't as legible as they would become later. Art is colorful but the consistency in character design isn't there yet (taking into account gradual art evolution of course). The tone isn't consistent sometimes, but I kind of like that about it. It's rough, but... exfoliating? Idk, it's good.

Secretary is still very chewy. The line art got really good here by the midway point. Fights weren't too long, got to the point, and the concepts planted in 10%+ bloom really well here. Ultimately I like Syconium more (even though unfinished right now) because Secretary holds a little too much to its chest. You really have to read two different endings to get a full picture, and I'm not sure I like that. It's less "Oh that's what would have happened if such and such!" and more "Oh that's what that originally was about." I feel like I wasn't given enough to work with sometimes. It's kind of frustrating like that, but it kept me coming back to read it over and over and over, like it hooked me in. It's in there now, and it's not going away. And the original ending feels very... true to me.

Syconium says a lot with not as much and I feel like it's like a perfect logo. It doesn't waste anything. It's clear, but it's hiding extra meaning right in plain sight. It knows what it is and it does it. I don't even really have any major criticisms for it yet. Every writing decision feels like the right one. I'm not grasping for corn. The characters are fantastic, the themes and symbolism are brilliantly executed. This thing is so tight I'm in literal awe. As long as it isn't a "rocks fall everyone dies" ending it can't rank below the others.
69 . by: December 18, 2017, 5:40 pm

Secretary (the original and prime) is my favorite arc. I read it at the age where it had a huge impact on how I interact with other people, for the better. As I've been growing older and older, the characters ring truer and I find so much depth and new details every time I reread it. It's probably been the biggest driver in why I primarily create black-and-white pieces and pixel-based art.

Lycosa is a close second, however. The titular character is probably my favorite protagonist of all time and scratches so many itches I never realized I had (sassy, clever, kick-ass mom as the main character? I wish the archetype weren't so rare!). Plus, spiders creeped me out before, but now, I'm the one protecting the buggers from terrified dorm mates.

In the interests of not destroying the comment box, I won't write my thesis on why each arc is amazing, but there are so many good things to be said about each. Depending on how Syconium ends, it might actually edge out the others and become my favorite.
68 . by: Mutt December 18, 2017, 3:49 pm

In terms of favorites, I like 10%+ the most. Every time I reread it I always discover something new hidden the panels, same thing with Secretary. Syconium came around when I was experiencing issues with depression and anxiety, so it's definitely the most relatable story so far. Minus the sex part. :P
67 . by: Silkworm December 18, 2017, 3:13 pm

Lycosa! I adore the spiders and the pop up speech bubbles! Action ronin mom! The hidden world of sapient bugs developing parallel to the NofNA world we've seen in all the other arcs is so appealing to me!
66 . by: Silkworm December 18, 2017, 3:13 pm

Lycosa! I adore the spiders and the pop up speech bubbles! Action ronin mom! The hidden world of sapient bugs developing parallel to the NofNA world we've seen in all the other arcs is so appealing to me!
65 . by: December 18, 2017, 1:27 pm

syconium is my favourite and has been for awhile now ^^ secretary was good but 10%+ had been my previous fav, followed by lycosa. i still need to read solar system all the way through but i love it so far.

..did anyone end up making a discord server? would love to join if so.
64 . by: Kai December 18, 2017, 12:02 pm

@62
I'd be upset and disappointed to see XX end up like that, for sure. It seems like she's slowly regaining herself and standing up to Fig though, hopefully it continues to get better.
63 . by: Blazic December 18, 2017, 11:55 am

@Botany (#35), @Zack (#40)
To Zack: Yes, discord is a program which you can use online to talk with others, anyone may create a server in which people may join through specific links. It's all free etc; It's like skype but more oriented to group chats.

To Botany: I'd love to join a NofNA discord, and could help in setting up if you need it, as I've done such for many servers before~
62 . by: December 18, 2017, 11:29 am

I randomly had a dream about how Syconium ended last night, and let's just say I hope it actually ends on a happier note than my dream did!! It involved Fig basically turning into Greenie and going through the cycle of perpetuating the abuse and use doled out onto her, basically fully becoming 'dream Fig' I guess. That would be such a SAD ending, to see her fall victim to the cycle and never escape it. Luckily I think that's Greenie's arc, and we won't see a repeat of that with Fig.
61 . by: Downhill December 18, 2017, 3:44 am

Ahhh its so hard to choose a favourite because they're such varied stories and cool for different reasons... Secretary is the one I go back to most though. It has relatively few major characters, but their varied motives all bounce off each other in such natural and interesting ways. And they all relate, in their own ways, back to main theme of malice. Watching SV's struggles then descent into madness is also extremely compelling.

I reserve the right to switch my fave over to Syconium once its finished though!
60 . by: December 17, 2017, 11:45 pm

10%+ is my favorite until this one reveals its final tone! I love how much worldbuilding has happened in this one and it has a much more solid plot.
59 . by: December 17, 2017, 11:43 pm

It shows up as a blank page for me. Did I do it wrong?
58 . by: Mutt December 17, 2017, 11:06 pm

Since it will be a while before the next upload, what is your guys' favorite nofna arc so far?
57 . by: Dani December 17, 2017, 3:50 pm

@55

Oh! I see the icon now at the bottom. Followed your link, displays the html for me too, but it's colour-coded so not that bad to read. It'll be neat to follow this page moving forward! Thanks for explaining this! :)
56 . by: December 16, 2017, 3:01 pm

A large page, you say? I'm excited! No need to rush, but I can't wait~
55 . by: December 16, 2017, 2:26 pm

The RSS feed/the XML document for it can be found by clicking the orange button at the very bottom of the page, between the Twitter icon and the copyright information. (I've also linked it at the bottom of my comment.) You should be able to load it as a plain webpage, though for me, it displays with a bunch of html code too. I imagine it probably displays properly in an RSS reader...I should probably finally get one of those, lol.

URL : http://nofna.com/feed.xml
54 . by: Dani December 16, 2017, 1:52 pm

I don't know a lot about XML. Who can see them, and who can't? Where are they if you can?
53 . by: December 16, 2017, 12:29 am

Oh, okay. I can't see those titles, so I missed that!
52 . by: December 16, 2017, 12:13 am

@51: in the xml title for this page, zack said "The next page is very large, and may take a little while to make."
51 . by: December 16, 2017, 12:09 am

Is there no new page this Friday?
50 . by: December 15, 2017, 11:21 pm

I'd love to join a discord!
49 . by: December 15, 2017, 10:58 pm

Re-reading this arc, know what I just noticed? In all of her internal struggles, XX is no longer shown as pixels. She has her form back. She's regaining herself.
48 . by: Dani December 15, 2017, 4:45 pm

I need to get on the fanart bandwagon A.S.A.P!

URL : http://danibeez.deviantart.com
47 . by: Zack December 15, 2017, 9:18 am

Kanya and commentator 43, thank you for your beautiful expressions of the themes of this story.
46 . by: December 15, 2017, 5:35 am

I'd love to get more use out of my discord with a nofna chat!!
45 . by: Muse December 15, 2017, 2:07 am

@24 and 43, those are excellent!
44 . by: Furrama December 15, 2017, 1:48 am

24 and 43 bringing the fine arts!
43 . by: December 15, 2017, 12:37 am

drew something

URL : http://files.witches.town/media/media_attachments/files/000/815/104/original/5e45f08d6070648b.png
42 . by: Esplin December 14, 2017, 8:44 am

On the note of fan-created NofNA spaces, I made a wiki a while ago but haven't had the time to populate it, anyone here want to contribute?

URL : http://nofna.wikia.com/wiki/Nature_of_Nature%27s_Art_Wiki
41 . by: December 14, 2017, 1:09 am

i would love a discord chat!! ive been dying to talk to people about syconium but all of my friends think its too dark to read... ;__;
40 . by: Zack December 13, 2017, 11:44 pm

Hi Botany,

A "discord" is like a chat room, right? I do not mind that.
39 . by: Someone Kewl December 13, 2017, 9:27 pm

@Botany ooh that's a nice idea. Seconded!
38 . by: December 13, 2017, 6:42 pm

Will we ever see the guy from page 27 again? Or has she already seen him while she was on the job, but off screen?
37 . by: Dani December 13, 2017, 5:09 pm

@34: "Art from the Heart"... now there's a cute handle!
36 . by: Dani December 13, 2017, 5:08 pm

@Silkworm: Oh, well that's the end of that mystery then! Thanks :). Would have been an interesting element to a sex-themed story, but all is well regardless!
35 . by: Botany December 13, 2017, 3:17 pm

Zach, if you happen to come across this:

Have you thought about creating a discord, or letting someone create one on your behalf?

I am in fact mildly compelled to make one of my own accord but... that would be conduct unbecoming.
34 . by: December 13, 2017, 11:55 am

Smoothie's style of drawing reminds me of the mouse's art from the beginning of Secretary. Only here the drawing definitely has a more heartwarming charm to it.

Art from the heart can be such a powerful thing.
33 . by: Shannon December 13, 2017, 5:32 am

I also love Smoothie's painting...the little nubby feet and hands, like those of an arboreal salamander. Of course they look like those of a fetus. The colors penetrate!
32 . by: Shannon December 13, 2017, 5:28 am

;u;

Gosh, every story gives me so much hope. I love these twists and turns, after reading his message I wanted to do the same thing. I wonder what will happen. I know what I want to happen .
31 . by: Silkworm December 13, 2017, 1:02 am

@ Dani I remember asking earlier in the comic about potential pregnancies and I think Zack said there wouldn't be any. At least no physical ones, I guess.
30 . by: Dani December 12, 2017, 10:22 pm

I think the angry expression could be intentional on Smoothie's part though, assuming it's a depiction of aggressive Dream Fig.

I wonder now more than ever if a real pregnancy will occur in this story. Perhaps the real 'X' Smoothie will get to meet will be their lovechild? Just a theroy! It was winter after all...
29 . by: Furrama December 12, 2017, 8:59 pm

I was expecting an announcement of a holiday break or something pretty soon anyway. Try to let us know when to check back.
28 . by: December 12, 2017, 8:45 pm

destroy greenie date the newbie artist
27 . by: December 12, 2017, 7:59 pm

According to the XML title, the next page is large so it won't be updating for a bit. Always exciting to know a large page is coming, can't wait to see it!
26 . by: Someone Rite December 12, 2017, 7:43 pm

Heh
25 . by: Someone Kewl December 12, 2017, 7:42 pm

Hey, I was right. I should change my name.

Yey happiness.
24 . by: Kanya December 12, 2017, 9:57 am

This page inspired me to make a thing

URL : http://fourfires.deviantart.com/art/Syconium-719721864?ga_submit_new=10%3A1513090460
23 . by: Kuu December 12, 2017, 8:33 am

The box is fig shaped too?

Much better page that the one I dream of last night, where Zack put this on hold for a sonic the hedgehog fan comic featuring a sonic lookalike named Doctor Lenny
22 . by: Ñire December 12, 2017, 7:42 am

Count me as another fan of Smoothie's doodles.

I love it that the stoat drawing on the last panel looks pissed, even thought XY probably didn't mean it that way. It's a small detail, but gives the clear idea that it's amateur art.
21 . by: kuu December 12, 2017, 6:38 am

the hand written speech was their own language so it's not that is what is happening
20 . by: December 12, 2017, 5:43 am

....so he knew she would break it open? i quite like that. i think he drew her on the front in grey? and the colour is on the inside? which is something that was alluded to in her courtesan name since the very beginning. i love that..
19 . by: Turret December 12, 2017, 3:43 am

I just realized, we don’t see fig’s face at all save for the womb one. Anyone have a theory on what this’ll mean? I’m up too late to say anything at the moment.
18 . by: Teenage Mutant Sarpah December 12, 2017, 2:57 am

I really love this series, Often I think to myself...How does Zack choose who will be the protagonist of each arc? By that I mean how does he choose each protagonist's species I love Musteliads but I do hope we will soon have a protagonist who is a non-mammalian tetrapod so far the only non-mammalian hero we've had so far was an arachnid and while tat was awesome I'm eager to see NOFNA'S first bird, reptile or even amphibian protaganist
17 . by: December 12, 2017, 2:41 am

i wonder if he made the colour painting before he turned white? soon after he dove into her dream? but that drawing, and this whole page are so endearing, aaaa...
16 . by: December 12, 2017, 2:40 am

..is that Dream Fig on the bottom there?
Looks like on the back he's maybe written more about what he saw in the dream
15 . by: Downhill December 12, 2017, 2:39 am

Womb!XX looks like a kind of mix of Fig and XX. She has some tufts of fur around her face but they seem less wild than Fig's fur, and her tail is between them in size. I hope this means she'll find a good balance in the end!
14 . by: Turret December 12, 2017, 2:19 am

....sorry I somehow made two comments. how even?
13 . by: Turret December 12, 2017, 2:19 am

This has taken a hopeful turn and I'm glad but also worried.
12 . by: Turret December 12, 2017, 2:19 am

This has taken a hopeful turn and I'm glad but also worried.
11 . by: Teenage Mutant Sarpah December 12, 2017, 1:51 am

Thanks so much Mason!
10 . by: Furrama December 12, 2017, 1:41 am

I find it funny/cool that they don't (look like) they have a cursive script but he's being read like he's written in one. Like, all I'm thinking is:


December 3 1863

My dearest darling Elisabeth,

I am yet still alive, though I do not know how. The war rages on, and the thought of your visage is of no small comfort in these dark days. My dearest friend and brother Harold Williams lost his leg to gangrene last month and had to be shipped home. He left me his mustache wax.
General Mustard sends his regards, though he does not deserve to be dwelt on any longer since he has taken to hording the bacon rations for himself while we mere foot soldiers must make do with hardtack and swill.
It is very cold here, please send me more socks and long underwear. I miss you and Ma terribly. Please continue to water my plants. Tell Whiskers I love him.

Eternally yours,
Reginald Gregory II
9 . by: Jen December 12, 2017, 1:24 am

yep, veracity

accuracy
validity
truthfulness
8 . by: Mason December 12, 2017, 1:09 am

If you can’t read cursive...

“Dearest X,

We have not formally met. When I dove into your dream, that part of yourself, I saw a person suspended in stasis. She was nourishing herself in a womb, biding her time. I have not yet met this person, but I would like to do so, when she finally emerges.

I have strong feelings for her. Although, I fear that my confidence in the veracity of these feelings has recently been shaken. This is my fault. I do not regret our time together. If possible, I would like to continue buying your paintings, if not your company.
Because, I believe that, even if I might not be, that you are still there.”

I’m not totally sure if I got ‘veracity’ right, but I could not see any other possibility.
7 . by: Teenage Mutant Sarpah December 12, 2017, 12:17 am

Dang it! I can barely read cursive
6 . by: December 11, 2017, 11:17 pm

Oh, Smoothie did paint in color! Maybe if he recovered enough to get in touch with her, that was enough to restore his color.
5 . by: Kaidona December 11, 2017, 11:00 pm

Ahhahaha, his drawings are so dang cute. I like the one at the bottom of the letter. That face

URL : http://kaidona.deviantart.com
4 . by: Juna December 11, 2017, 10:21 pm

I adore Smoothie's stoat doodles. Simple but telling. This is also the first time he's told her anything about his dream dive, isn't it? This might be the first time she's ever heard of her incubating dream-self, too, depending on how we interpret fruiting/gestating XX's monologue on page 121.

In either case, it's warming to see XX so touched. Someone else is able to see the version of herself she's trying to create.
3 . by: Furrama December 11, 2017, 9:42 pm

Dang there's no XML tag again. Let me absorb any extra contexts I beg.
2 . by: December 11, 2017, 9:33 pm

AWW
1 . by: December 11, 2017, 9:26 pm

I'm happy that she's happy