A Modest Destiny
Encyclopedia
A Modest Destiny is a pixel art
webcomic
created by Sean Howard, will start its 5th chapter in the Fall of 2011, as said on the AMD home page. The first strip appeared on January 1, 2003; it ended in July 2005, but as of Sept, 2006 new strips were once again being made. It began releasing regularly scheduled comics again November 2008. It consists of four chapters: Maxim Saves the World, The Dreaded Vampire Lord Fluffy (AMDF), The War of Fate (AMDW), and Prophecies of the Demon King (AMDP).
The comic is set in a fantasy world
dotted with modern mentality and references. It contains parodies of fantasy cliché
s, and occasionally breaks the fourth wall
.
ended on December 28, 2003.
When the first story arc ended, Howard announced a new science fiction
space opera
webcomic entitled The Starship Destiny (TSD), unrelated to AMD. When it concluded, he stated that he was not completely satisfied with it, and soon continued work on A Modest Destiny.
The second chapter of AMD, The Dreaded Vampire Lord Fluffy (AMDF), began on March 16, 2004. The chapter is about half the length of the first, focusing on a single story rather than on several smaller ones. Set in the same universe as the first chapter, it follows a not very evil vampire
necromancer
named Fluffy who had been tamed by society, as well as some lesser-used characters from the first season. The chapter shows the events leading up to a war between the humans and the undead. The AMDF storyline concluded in September 2004.
About halfway through the second chapter, the comic changed format, with larger 12-panel story comics posted Monday through Friday, and short, non-canon strips featuring characters from both AMD and TSD posted on the weekends.
After running another chapter of The Starship Destiny, Sean Howard took all of December 2004 off for the purposes of creating a well-planned foundation for the third AMD chapter, The War Of Fate (AMDW), which began on January 1, 2005.
His goals for the third chapter were to create a much larger-scale experience with a more detailed and complex storyline. The comic's artistic style changed for this chapter as well, featuring more realistic backgrounds drawn in Adobe Photoshop
instead of the pixel art
style backgrounds which had been used in previous chapters.
The direction of this chapter was much darker and more adult-oriented than the previous chapters, touching on themes like child molestation
, abortion
, and profanity
. The story is set five years after the end of AMDF in a world that had all but been destroyed by the war against the undead. An undead army, led by the mysterious Black Knight, has taken over a majority of the country with only a small group of humans left to oppose him. These humans, led by Maxim and his friends, are living in a small, well defended city called "Last Hope".
In July 2005, the chapter finished its first half, and the author took a break from the comic. However, on August 2, 2005, Sean Howard announced that he was shutting down his website, stating that he plans to continue AMD, but will no longer self-publish on the Internet. the comic was still in hiatus. The squidi.net homepage was used as a blog by Sean Howard and, as he said in one entry, still receives over 2000 hits per day.
There was a subcomic story based on a character from A Modest Destiny, which is archived in the new site.
On December 22, 2005, Sean Howard published the original outline for AMDW, including material that was never made into comics. Of the parts that were used in comics, major changes can be noted.
On February 15, 2006, Sean Howard announced that he intends to, in the near future, publish a fourth and final AMD chapter (referred to as AMDP) that would wrap up all the loose ends at the end of AMDW. In late April 2006, the comic website was relaunched, containing the AMD archives and a statement saying that Howard intended to finish the webcomic.
On August 10, 2006, Sean Howard began the first of a new series, AMD Chronicles. The first Chronicle, titled "Sibling Rivalry" features an encounter between Ruby and her sister, Sapphire. It concluded with the two sisters making amends-over a piece of cake. However, Sapphire must leave on a mission for the King. What this is has yet to be determined.
On September 29, 2006, the new season of AMD started, entitled "A Modest Destiny-Prophecies of the Demon King". It covers the adventures of Jenny, Maxim, and Giggles, on their quest to enter the City of the Dead. It also shows Mina and Morris in a search to recover the Crimson Blade's journal in order to decode it and defeat the Black Knight. Morris' help is supplied with the help of "her", the voice in his head. He appears a little more self-aware.
In November 2006, Sean Howard began a new webcomic titled "Zombies of the Living Dead" before continuing "A Modest Destiny."
The story was on an indeterminate hiatus until Sean Howard announced that he will once again be creating more AMD comics. New comics began to appear from 11 November 2008
On June 10, 2010, Sean Howard announced he was working on completing AMD 4. At the beginning of February 2011, he announced its completion and his plans for a short (20-40 comics) conclusion in AMD 5.
On February 16, 2011, AMD returned from hiatus. It is scheduled to be updated on weekdays.
Pixel art
Pixel art is a form of digital art, created through the use of raster graphics software, where images are edited on the pixel level. Graphics in most old computer and video games, graphing calculator games, and many mobile phone games are mostly pixel art.- History :The term pixel art was first...
webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
created by Sean Howard, will start its 5th chapter in the Fall of 2011, as said on the AMD home page. The first strip appeared on January 1, 2003; it ended in July 2005, but as of Sept, 2006 new strips were once again being made. It began releasing regularly scheduled comics again November 2008. It consists of four chapters: Maxim Saves the World, The Dreaded Vampire Lord Fluffy (AMDF), The War of Fate (AMDW), and Prophecies of the Demon King (AMDP).
The comic is set in a fantasy world
Fantasy world
A fantasy world is a fictional universe used in fantasy novels and games. Typical worlds involve magic or magical abilities and often, but not always, either a medieval or futuristic theme...
dotted with modern mentality and references. It contains parodies of fantasy cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
s, and occasionally breaks the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
.
History
The first chapter, Maxim Saves The World, follows the adventures of a young man named Maxim, and is told through flashbacks. This chapter makes liberal use of clichés and one-shot jokes, but still maintains continuity through its various sub-plots. A Modest Destinys first story arcStory arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
ended on December 28, 2003.
When the first story arc ended, Howard announced a new science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
space opera
Space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities. The term has no relation to music and it is analogous to "soap...
webcomic entitled The Starship Destiny (TSD), unrelated to AMD. When it concluded, he stated that he was not completely satisfied with it, and soon continued work on A Modest Destiny.
The second chapter of AMD, The Dreaded Vampire Lord Fluffy (AMDF), began on March 16, 2004. The chapter is about half the length of the first, focusing on a single story rather than on several smaller ones. Set in the same universe as the first chapter, it follows a not very evil vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
necromancer
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
named Fluffy who had been tamed by society, as well as some lesser-used characters from the first season. The chapter shows the events leading up to a war between the humans and the undead. The AMDF storyline concluded in September 2004.
About halfway through the second chapter, the comic changed format, with larger 12-panel story comics posted Monday through Friday, and short, non-canon strips featuring characters from both AMD and TSD posted on the weekends.
After running another chapter of The Starship Destiny, Sean Howard took all of December 2004 off for the purposes of creating a well-planned foundation for the third AMD chapter, The War Of Fate (AMDW), which began on January 1, 2005.
His goals for the third chapter were to create a much larger-scale experience with a more detailed and complex storyline. The comic's artistic style changed for this chapter as well, featuring more realistic backgrounds drawn in Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems Incorporated.Adobe's 2003 "Creative Suite" rebranding led to Adobe Photoshop 8's renaming to Adobe Photoshop CS. Thus, Adobe Photoshop CS5 is the 12th major release of Adobe Photoshop...
instead of the pixel art
Pixel art
Pixel art is a form of digital art, created through the use of raster graphics software, where images are edited on the pixel level. Graphics in most old computer and video games, graphing calculator games, and many mobile phone games are mostly pixel art.- History :The term pixel art was first...
style backgrounds which had been used in previous chapters.
The direction of this chapter was much darker and more adult-oriented than the previous chapters, touching on themes like child molestation
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
, abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, and profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
. The story is set five years after the end of AMDF in a world that had all but been destroyed by the war against the undead. An undead army, led by the mysterious Black Knight, has taken over a majority of the country with only a small group of humans left to oppose him. These humans, led by Maxim and his friends, are living in a small, well defended city called "Last Hope".
In July 2005, the chapter finished its first half, and the author took a break from the comic. However, on August 2, 2005, Sean Howard announced that he was shutting down his website, stating that he plans to continue AMD, but will no longer self-publish on the Internet. the comic was still in hiatus. The squidi.net homepage was used as a blog by Sean Howard and, as he said in one entry, still receives over 2000 hits per day.
There was a subcomic story based on a character from A Modest Destiny, which is archived in the new site.
On December 22, 2005, Sean Howard published the original outline for AMDW, including material that was never made into comics. Of the parts that were used in comics, major changes can be noted.
On February 15, 2006, Sean Howard announced that he intends to, in the near future, publish a fourth and final AMD chapter (referred to as AMDP) that would wrap up all the loose ends at the end of AMDW. In late April 2006, the comic website was relaunched, containing the AMD archives and a statement saying that Howard intended to finish the webcomic.
On August 10, 2006, Sean Howard began the first of a new series, AMD Chronicles. The first Chronicle, titled "Sibling Rivalry" features an encounter between Ruby and her sister, Sapphire. It concluded with the two sisters making amends-over a piece of cake. However, Sapphire must leave on a mission for the King. What this is has yet to be determined.
On September 29, 2006, the new season of AMD started, entitled "A Modest Destiny-Prophecies of the Demon King". It covers the adventures of Jenny, Maxim, and Giggles, on their quest to enter the City of the Dead. It also shows Mina and Morris in a search to recover the Crimson Blade's journal in order to decode it and defeat the Black Knight. Morris' help is supplied with the help of "her", the voice in his head. He appears a little more self-aware.
In November 2006, Sean Howard began a new webcomic titled "Zombies of the Living Dead" before continuing "A Modest Destiny."
The story was on an indeterminate hiatus until Sean Howard announced that he will once again be creating more AMD comics. New comics began to appear from 11 November 2008
On June 10, 2010, Sean Howard announced he was working on completing AMD 4. At the beginning of February 2011, he announced its completion and his plans for a short (20-40 comics) conclusion in AMD 5.
On February 16, 2011, AMD returned from hiatus. It is scheduled to be updated on weekdays.
Major characters
- Maxim - The main character of the story. The first comic shows him at an old age, sporting an eye patch, bragging about how he saved the world twice.
- Gilbert - Maxim's evil twinTwinA twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
brother and the main antagonist for the first chapter. He works with Team Evil to resurrect the evil wizard Deo-Deo. - Fluffy - A two thousand year old vampireVampireVampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
necromancer who has been domesticated and now works for the humans by creating dungeons for warriors to adventure in. First regularly appeared in AMDF (though he had a cameo in the last page of season 1). - Hechter - A living suit of armor that was created by the vampire lord Fluffy three hundred years prior to the beginning of AMD. Dim-witted but hilarious.
- Hubert - A drunkard thief who teams up with Maxim early on to stop Team Evil.
- Jenny - The owner of the local inn and bar, she is one of Maxim's major love interests, and becomes his wife between AMD and AMDF.
- Maureen - Maxim's other love interest, Maureen is the secretary for the Warriors' Guild. She marries Lucile between AMD and AMDF.
- Bart - Also known as Black Bart the Stupidly Courageous, he is the stupid, but adorable, guild master for the Warrior's Guild. Bart is both boss and mentor to Maxim. He reappears in AMDW where Lucile calls him "Black Bart"
- Lucile - Grew up with Maxim at the orphanage. During one of her adventures, she was forced to marry Maxim to prevent being turned into a cow by a cursed wedding ring. She later divorces him and marries Maureen so he can marry Jenny.
- Ruby - First appearing in AMDF, she is the captain of the guards. She likes violence and sarcasm, in that order.
- Gustav - First appears in AMDF (was mentioned by name in season 1). An incredibly unintelligent but remarkably strong warrior with a paralyzing fear of the undead.
- Giggles - First appears AMDW (though was mentioned by name at the end of season 1). An undead spy for the Black Knight, Giggles is captured by the heroes and becomes romantically involved with Hechter. She masqueraded as Benny.
- The Crimson Blade - A superhero who fights for justice and righteousness. It is known that several different people have donned the Crimson Blade name and armor.
- Mina - The only named Crimson Blade, first introduced during AMDF. Mina was one of 1,047 Crimson Blades during AMDF, and she became Captain of the Guard during AMDW.
- Matilda - Hechter's sister and a vampire. She has a lisp.
- Zanzabar - In the second series of AMD, he betrays and kills king Khaan for Matilda, and becomes a vampire. In the third series he is an antagonist.
- Sapphire - First appears in AMDC. Ruby's sister, whose visit to Ruby provides the plot of AMDC
- Gillian - First appears in AMDW. Maureen's blue-eyed redhead daughter, likely to be the daughter of Gilbert.
- Morris - Maureen's brother, who in AMDW was revealed to have gone utterly insane. He now appears to be the legitimate Pope, due to a rather odd series of events. In AMD-PDK Morris is shown to slowly regain his mental stability.
- Dark Knight - The Main antagonist in AMD-PDK, he is also mentioned in other chapters. He also claims to be Gilbert's Father.
Minor characters
- Slime - A green pile of slime that appears early in AMD.
- Jeebs - An alien bartender. From "up north". This explains everything.
- Zebulon - Another alien who pretended to be a bartender for a short period of time, despite his lack of faculty in that profession. He appears to be hunting down Jeebs, along with some other alien friends of his, for what appears to be a vendetta. He has not appeared again.
- Crunchy - Fluffy's pet bat. Smells like a real bat, only more evil.
- Benny - A character introduced at the beginning of AMDW who is not all he appears. See Giggles above.
- Amethyst -Sister to Ruby and Sapphire, as yet unseen.
- George - One of the top thieves of the Thieves Guild and also a Master of Shadow Magic, which he teaches Maxim. He is also terrified of the dark.