New storyline, and “Doctor Thor” now has an actual canon name! I’m sure this only means good things for his future.

The hospital background is an edited version of this public-domain art.

Lady of Light and Wings General Hospital

Lasse: Märten . . . my dearest, darling-est, favorite big brother ever . . . And the finest physician in all of Sønheim . . .

Märten: How much of a bailout do you need, Lasse?

Wait, how much?! What did you do?!

Lasse: I allegedly did the tiniest bit of petty theft. So tiny, brother!

. . . But the district has new “deterrence fees” for alleged repeat offenders.

Märten: I see those were named with a sense of irony.

Seems like every few years, I feel the need to draw a new “night swimming” picture. So here’s Leif & Thorn at the pool in the dark.

on Deviantart | on Tumblr

Dorothy and Her Princess in Oz has reached its funding goal!

(Pictured: Dorothy and Ozma getting congratulated by the protagonists of my other crowdfunded books. Eight annual campaigns for Leif & Thorn, one massive omnibus for But I’m A Cat Person.)

We hit the first stretch goal at $2500, there’s one more waiting at $3500, and less than 40 hours left in Printopia 2026. If you’re not already a backer, here’s your last chance to jump in.

Shoutout to the readers who were asking about Kale in the religion AU!

The library background is from the same Spiral Staircase Full Of Books as this 2024 bonus wallpaper.

One Year Later:

Kale: Excuse me! Can you help me find some books?

. . . Obviously you can. This is a library. But I mean, my therapist wants me to read some specific books.

Thorn: Sociology, right this way. So, you’re reading about “cult recovery” for . . . personal reasons?

Kale: Yes I was in Northwindology, yes there were murders, no I don’t want to talk about the tattoos, or the aliens, or the special underwear, and no, don’t even bother inviting me to your church. . . . Temple, I guess? You look like a temple guy.

Thorn: Here’s the shelf you want. You’re right that I’m Iuilic, but I’m not religious Iuilic. The only thing I’d invite you to . . . is book club.

Kale (thinking): I’m not supposed to believe in “omens” anymore, but . . .

Kale: . . . My therapist would probably be proud if I joined a book club.

I went from “how about a quick drawing of Leif with generic flowers” to “what if I looked up plants with heart-shaped leaves” to “oh, this specifically needs to be anthurium.”

on Deviantart | on Tumblr

A few different OTPs in this Couple Maker picrew: Leif/Thorn, Thorn/Kale, and Rowan/Archie.

Didn’t have much of a range of body types, which is why Archie is so skinny…and why I didn’t even try to make Violet/Kallie.

(If you know of a Picrew that makes giant/tiny couples, and they’re roughly in the correct size ratio, drop a link!)

Should we call this the “Losing My Religion” AU now…?

Last we saw this version of Leif and Thorn, they were planning how to sneak out of the temple. This month, I realized I didn’t actually want to draw a complicated Escape Sequence — I just wanted to skip to “this version of Leif picking his own clothes for the first time.”

Leif: Thorn . . . I thought I was okay sneaking away from the priesthood of Dómari, but . . . is everyone here in your country some kind of religious figure, except us?

Thorn: Oh, I’m sure that’s not universal. Aha! A casual clothing store.

I know you’re used to wearing full-body acolyte robes . . . Don’t feel any pressure to show more skin than you feel comfortable with, okay?

(GASP)

Leif: What if I’m comfortable in this?

Thorn: You look beautiful. I’ve never seen your hair out of the monastic braid! It looks so good!

Leif: . . . I actually kind of want to cut it super short?

Thorn: If that makes you happy, it will look good too.

Hermosa: When Dex gets out on parole . . . which is soon . . . I’m going to ask if they can serve it in another city. That could be Burnspoint, near your new posting, if you like. Or . . . not, if you don’t.

I don’t have clearance to know when or if Kudzu — Kale — is coming back. But if Sir Thorn is staying here in Central for the foreseeable future . . . It’s probably better for all of us if Dex doesn’t. Probably better if I don’t.

And I want to do what’s best for all of us. . . . Even if the parole board doesn’t see it that way.

Pascentia: . . .

Get out the cream cheese, almond, sugar, Bealtic yogurt, masala powder, and vanilla.

Hermosa: Say that again, one at a time? Also: why?

Pascentia: In case you end up moving “somewhere not near me.” I need to be sure that you know how to bake Dexie’s favorite masala doodh cheesecake as well as I do.

Hermosa: Back when we first met, Dexie and I were hiding a lot from you.

You found out after Montmere. When I mostly couldn’t keep track of what I was hiding from who.

Now that my brain can keep up with new interpersonal revelations again . . . It has been nice getting to know you for real.

Pascentia: This feels like the lead-up to a scheme.

Hermosa: Although it was also nice when you didn’t know me this well.

Rowan: Good job, Pas!

Violet: Not that you gotta do a good job for us.

Pascentia: Hah!

Hermosa: I started using the craft supplies!

So, I was thinking more about your question from a while ago . . .

Pascentia: You didn’t care to be spied on. I remember.

Hermosa: I have a follow-up, though. It’s a happy one! I promise.

As of this update, the campaign to print Dorothy And Her Princess In Oz is live!

It’s funny, it’s heartwarming, everyone here is friends of Dorothy, the continuity is terrible from one story to the next but if Baum didn’t care about it than we won’t either. Like with my webcomic campaigns, these are short stories that have been published online already — but this is your big chance to get them (a) in print (b) with all-new bonus content. (I have drawn so much new art for this. Come and get it.)

Now:

Juniper: Hah, yeah, surprise! I’m leveling up.

So, Pascentia — do you want to be the second-in-command of my team?

Pascentia: I accept!

Juniper: I’ll keep you busy.

Pascentia: I look forward to it!

Juniper: Also, you’ll be our only knight left with covert-ops clearance, and I’m sure I’ll be asking you to use it.

Pascentia: Oh, gladly.

Juniper is about to have a big moment, here. To celebrate, they get the spotlight in this month’s wallpaper:

Earlier:

Thorn: I don’t need to let this injury bench me, but if I decided to . . . What would you say to that, Juniper?

Juniper: I’d say, what took you so long? I’ve already been running the team for long stretches here. You know I’m good for it. Take a new assignment that keeps you in Central. Leave the rest to me.

Thorn: So . . . you’re not judging me for abandoning my duty to the team?

Juniper: Ahhh, hashtag Broadsword Things.

Thorn, you’re on your second career-ending injury. Get benched, and go get your man.

Thorn: Okay, next question: Any interest in doing second-in-command level work on a more . . . ongoing basis?

Pascentia: Thorn! This was supposed to be temporary. I don’t want to displace Juniper!

There won’t be enough “ongoing work” for both of us after I finish this project! And the only task left is to organize your move!

Less than a week until the launch of my Dorothy/Ozma short story collection!

Patrons got an exclusive first look at some of the illustrations. Art roundup one, and art roundup 2.

Thorn: You’ve been absolutely invaluable here, Pascentia! With organizing the move and with Senna’s . . . extra problem.

Pas: Oh, thank you.

Thorn: Sorry to be taking time away from your other out-of-work pursuits . . .

Pas: No . . . I’m trying to “cut back” too.

Giving up all my skills would be boring and awful . . . But I’m trying to think about which ones are really fulfilling, and narrow my focus to those.

So, just the baking, singing, flawless makeup looks, and only my favorite three of the languages.

Pas: Supplies for your crafts!

Hermosa: I’m actually trying to downsize, but — oh, huh, I can use these.

Dex: My dear sister, you know I’m a deep winter, and this was obviously purchased by a soft autumn.

Pas: Senna had fifty of these. I’m giving them to everyone, You can make it work.

Pas: Thorn says servants can accept gifts if they’re very cheap. Is that right, Katya?

Katya: Yes . . .

Pas: In that case: these only cost five crowns.

Katya: Ah! Of course they did.

Senna’s hoarding has been a low-key background gag, so she’s also getting a low-key background intervention. This isn’t necessarily a permanent fix for anything! But it’ll get her through the move.

And so:

Quince: Whoa! I can see the floor again!

Senna: Oooh, I ‘ate this . . . I really, really ‘ate this . . . You say this new med crystal’s supposed to ‘elp with the anxiety — but what if it doesn’t, yeah?

Pas: Well, sometimes people need to try different —

Senna: No, I mean, what if it’s normal to need six rice cookers, it’s the rest of you who aren’t bloody anxious enough??

Rowan: I’ll stay housemates with Violet. Might be dating Archie, but Violet’s still my person.

Violet: But can you get us a human-sized place that’s got built-in accommodations for Tamaputians?

Atarangi: Or a Tamaputian-sized place built with accommodations for humans.

Birch: My wife and I just need space for the menagerie!

Quince: Please set me up with space for a non-military partner to move in. I won’t be taking questions at this time.

Kokum: If she’s old enough to be your granny, but only reincarnated a couple years back, which of you is the cradle-robber?

Quince: I said I’m not taking questions!

Senna: . . . I might need a little ‘elp to pack.

Pas: Oh, dear, Senna. What you need is an intervention.

Senna: It’s all useful — it all works, at least last I checked — it was all on sale!

Pas: There’s a lot to keep track of . . .

Thorn: I’ll upgrade your account permissions in the spellware system. Same admin level that Juniper has.

Pas: Isn’t this normally the sort of work Juniper would be doing? As your second-in-command?

Thorn: They have other stuff on their plate right now.

Pas: You promise I’m not jeopardizing their job security by taking this on?

Thorn: Pas, do you want this new set of complicated high-stakes responsibilities, or not?

Pas: I do!!

Thorn: Hey, Pascentia — can I borrow you in the office for a minute?

New move, new city — that means new housing assignments. Which need to be coordinated with our most up-to-date housing needs.

Pascentia: Ah . . . Have a lot of those changed? I know yours — Sorry.

Thorn: I’m not going to think about this. At all. That’s one of the fun perks of delegating.

Inspired by Ash Baber’s recipe for gulab jamun cake.

I haven’t actually made it. Any readers want to try it, and report back if it’s good?

(Hermosa didn’t actually leave room for dessert)

Senna: You really baked this at ‘ome, Pascentia? What an absolute treat!

Kokum: Okay but seriously — what bakery did you actually buy this from?

Pascentia: Kokum, if you can find a bakery that makes pistachio buttercream this good, I will buy as many cakes from there as you can eat.

Pascentia: You really don’t need constant looking-after anymore, huh. If I wasn’t being relocated in a month, I’d be moving out anyway.

. . . Did you even like having your sister-in-law hanging around?

Hermosa: Yes! Mostly! You were a little bit spying on me, but other than that . . . !

. . . Would it help if I asked you to cook me something really elaborate for dessert?

Pascentia: Maybe.

Behind-the-scenes bonus: Nightmares in the North 11/11 is the rare Tall Strip where I got all the way to the drafting stage of a Short Version first. See the comparison here.

Pascentia: Hermosa! I’m home. Anything you’ve been waiting for me to get here and handle?

Hermosa: Pascentia! Actually, no!

I got myself to my spelltech optometrist’s appointment, returned those library books, checked out three new library books about the advances in veterinary medicine since I got out of the field, cooked myself lamb saag for dinner, and took out the recycling!

Pascentia: And you remembered all the words for that!

Hermosa: And I can still remember words!

Pascentia: My doctor says it’s good for me to do things that are just for myself.

Violet: Okay, but how many of these things are just for you? Which of ’em do you actually like?

Pascentia: . . . I have no idea.

Pascentia (thinking): I’ve really never tried “doing nothing” for myself, have I? And right now — when any local project I start, I’ll be leaving behind in a month anyway — might be the perfect time to try it.

I can slow down . . . take it easy . . . Lie in the grass and watch the clouds roll by . . .

. . . This is boring and I hate it.

The background of panel 2 was edited from this photo of a stable.

Pascentia: At least now, since some of Hermosa’s biggest injuries have been healed . . . for reasons too classified to recap in front of the unicorns . . .

I’ll have time to get back in practice at the languages and the heartsword ballet and —

Violet: Pas, hold up.

You don’t gotta have skills at everything, actually. Rowan swears he won’t make it weird if you’re not.

The promised Oz-based August wallpaper! Dorothy Gale with the “we’re not saying they’re lesbians, but come on” friends she visited in San Francisco, between books 3 and 4.

Rowan: I’m just trying to say — it’s totally normal if you’re out-of-practice at riding!

Pascentia: And crafting. Medical aid. Heartsword ballet. Non-Ceannic languages . . . My Sønheic is so off, I haven’t been mistaken for a person from Sønheim in months!

Violet: That stablehand figured you were Sønheic an hour ago.

Pascentia: She thought I was a Ceannic person of Sønheic descent! My accent must be obvious!

Rowan: Sorry about that, Pas. Of course it’s fine that you’ve been busy.

You moved in to be the live-in caregiver for your injured and forgetful brother-in-law . . . While your shady and stabby sibling was . . . unavailable.

Pascentia: We’ve all lived through this, Rowan. We don’t need a recap.

Violet: Eh — the unicorns might appreciate it.

I never shared the July Patreon wallpaper, did I? It has Bramble in it!

(Planning something Ozzy for the August wallpaper. But I’ll probably show it off here anyway.)

Pascentia: Oof. It’s fine, Violet, Rowan — I’m okay.

Rowan: You’re not feeling sick or anything?

Violet: It didn’t throw you on purpose, did it?

Pascentia: I think I’m just . . . out of practice? So when the path got uneven, I lost my balance.

Rowan: Are you sure you’re not sick? You even have a hair out of place —

Pascentia: Stop making me feel worse about this!!

It’s the 99th storyline!

Have I set everything up correctly so we can do something special and exciting to celebrate the 100th? Well, uh. Stay tuned to find out??

Crown Hill Stables, riding practice run

Pascentia (thinking): Uh-oh . . .

Violet: Pascentia?

Rowan: Pas!! Whoa!

Violet: Little late for that!

Wanted to draw a lightly-armored Thorn, fast approaching his Future Thorn character design…

(New main-continuity storyline starts on Monday!)

on Deviantart | on Tumblr

Kale sure was the obvious Leif & Thorn character to draw in this, huh?

Original “Blushing Faces Meme” here. (Patrons got the exclusive first look.)

on Deviantart | on Tumblr

Rosedale Castle, one week later:

Leif: My wise and handsome dragon-defeating prince! As your new full-time royal attendant . . . Let me attend to getting you out of those clothes.

Thorn: Yes!

Five minutes later:

Leif: Someone should invent clothes that are easier to get out of.

. . . Some amount of time after that:

Leif: Was the service good, my Prince?

Thorn: The best, dear heart.

Lefi: Maybe it’s silly, but sometimes I wish . . . I wish the royal families would all just choose to make the world better. Without being motivated by threats, or marriage arrangements, or anything.

Thorn: You’re not wrong, Leif. Maybe in a world with no royal families? If our rulers weren’t “the children of past rulers” . . . If they had to win “votes” to rule . . . Then we could just “vote” for rulers who are kind, and wise, and want a better world for everyone’s children.

. . . That is who you’d vote for, right??

Leif on a walk in the forest, taking a break to pose in a tree.

Drawn to be part of a set with Forest Thorn…I just finished it way later for some reason.

on Deviantart | on Tumblr

AU where Thorn did take Magical Thorn to the Moose Grill. (He originally ruined his reputation there back in volume 1…)

Bonus art from Leif & Thorn volume 8. (Orders shipping now!)

on Deviantart | on Tumblr

I got the use of “Princept” as a gender-neutral term for “Prince/ss” from the Friends at the Table podcast.

Thorn: And thus, with the sealing of the Dragon Charter . . . or “Dragna Carta” . . . we can get the kidnapped children from all our royal families returned safely home.

Gentian: Your daughter was the most recent, right, Queen Tansy?

Tansy: That’s right, Princept Gentian . . . I hate to imagine what she’s going through right now . . .

Ivy: EEEEEEEEEEEE Hi new friend!!

Sven: Hello, there, Prince Thorn . . . husband of my beloved daughter . . . Can we talk?

Since this treaty gives us a lot of new safeguards to keep us from invading each other . . . How would you feel about Ragnild not living here? At least for a while?

Thorn: Well . . .

Thorn (thinking): YES! Score! A winner art thou!

Thorn: You understand, Prince Sven — I will feel more safe if Rosedale keeps some little insurance. What if you leave her servant Leif behind?

Sven: Hmmm . . .

Sven (thinking): Woohoo! That’s not even hard, I don’t care what happens to that guy at all!

Sven: You don’t make it easy . . . but I can live with this deal.

Thorn: I am happy to hear.

Sven/Thorn (thinking): Sucker.

I’m crowdfunding a printed treasury of Oz short stories this year!

To celebrate (and advertise) that, here’s some art of the major Leif & Thorn characters in Oz cosplay. No super-close parallels, but I think this works well enough:

– Thorn as the ordinary person who gets pulled into an unfamiliar land, and gets famous for killing their biggest threat

– Tiernan as the non-speaking but genre-savvy companion animal

– Kale as the heir to incredible fabulous powers, raised in an abusive home that blocked him from even knowing his potential

– Leif as the kid who’s under serious, unjust pressure to make up for the mistakes of the adults in his life

on Deviantart | on Tumblr

Leif imagines “but what if Thorn was with me right now” a lot.

Bonus art from volume 8. (Preorder store.)

on Deviantart | on Tumblr

Thorn: Okay! Felt like it took years — but we have finally agreed on a list of problems for all of your royal parents to fix. Next step is to turn it into a treaty!I’ll bring it to Rosedale’s court lawyers, and have them rewrite it in bigger words.

Iona: Why would our families trust you, though? It’s going to look like you schemed to make the dragon “hold us hostage”, until all the other fiefdoms sign whatever treaty Rosedale wants.

Delphinum: Oh, my, darling, we can make it quite clear that Prince Thorn has no sway over us. A human can survive rather a lot of burns, isn’t that right? And I can’t imagine you need both your eyes.

Leif: Everybody, stop it! Give Thorn a chance to come up with a plan! He’s good at those! He’ll figure out something safe and smart that will work for all of us! Isn’t that right, Thorn?

Thorn: Well . . .

Tansy: Little brother! You’re back! Did you get the dragon? Where’s Ragnild?!

Thorn: Tansy, my favorite big sister . . . I have a risky and possibly stupid plan.

After running regular Leif & Thorn book campaigns for 8 solid years in a row…I’m switching things up this year.

See, it’s a point of pride that I get to say “All the strips for this are already drawn” in the campaign info for each new book. But I’m almost caught up to my own archives! So the strips for Volume 9 are not, in fact, all drawn.

You can still pick up Volumes 1-8 in the meantime (check out Gumroad or Bookshop.org). Here’s Violet, Rowan, and Pascentia, reading their copies of 6, 7, and 8.

on Deviantart | on Tumblr

Thorn’s office.

Thorn (thinking): Reassigned? Moving?? There was a whole prophecy that my team has to be at the Embassy!

I guess . . . with all the wild events of the past few years . . . maybe it’s fulfilled?

When Kale gets back, he could move with me . . . There’s no more court order tying him to Central.

But Leif . . . ?

[Bleep].

Juniper: Here’s the news: Cursed items being smuggled through Burnspoint — with or without taking a detour through a props department — is becoming a problem.

The kind of problem President Romarin wants to send in federal support for.

A dozen Order of the Chalice teams are being reassigned to cover it . . . Including us.

Birch: Ohhh, so Rowan will get to live close to his sweetheart! I hope Annie will like the change of scenery!

Pascentia: I was just thinking about how perhaps I could use a change myself.

Senna: Well, bollocks, I’ll ‘ave to move all my stuff.

Rowan: Whoa. We’re moving?

Kokum: Eyyy, this must mean we’re not the “team of screw-ups who can’t be trusted with the serious jobs” anymore!

Quince: Oh no, Senna’s going to want my help moving all her stuff.

Violet: Huh, it’ll be closer to my family . . . an’ yours, Rowan . . . Don’t matter either way for Kallie an’ Atarangi — their family is always with ’em whether they like it or not . . .

Birch: . . . but, wait. Thorn’s sweetheart can’t move.

Kokum: Oh yeah. ‘Cause the Embassy owns him.

Violet: What is this gonna mean for Leif an’ Thorn?