NOTE: I’ve intentionally left some obvious mistakes, like the faces on page 20 of Issue #1, to keep the raw, experimental feel of the project. As explained in the "the making of" section, this comic book was created with the aid of an AI model. I review and adjust each image, sometimes editing by hand to fix things like missing characters, extra fingers, or elements that don’t belong. Then I add the dialogue boxes.
I understand that newer model versions may produce better results; however, replacing the original sketches would undermine the purpose of the experiment. For each issue, I’ll use whichever LLM version is available at the time I’m working on it.
The Lydian Stone Series
The Lydian Stone is a story about an archaeology student named Ulyses who accidentally finds himself texting a Roman slave named Marcus. With each issue, Marcus faces a new danger or challenge, and Ulyses tries to help him using modern knowledge and technology, carefully adapting solutions Marcus can actually build with what's available around him. Every problem they solve together quietly sets ancient Rome on the path toward an industrial revolution, unlocking new ideas and inventions that quickly ripple through society. But as Rome rushes forward, these rapid changes create tension and trouble among people unprepared for a world transforming before their eyes. It's a story about what could have happened if history took a different path, told through friendship, ingenuity, and unintended consequences.
Issue #1 - ContactREAD HERE
In this first issue, we meet Ulyses, a worn-down archaeology student digging in the dust of Pompeii, desperate to find something meaningful. Instead, he uncovers something impossible, a stone that bridges two timelines. Suddenly he's speaking with Marcus, an educated slave who lives just days before the city is doomed by fire and ash. As their connection grows, Ulyses faces a painful choice: intervene to save Marcus, knowing it could destroy the present as he knows it, or stand by and watch history unfold.
Issue #2 - The Engine Of Empire COMING SOON!
In issue #2, The Engine of Empire, Marcus and his master, Gaius, find themselves facing disaster after Pompeii’s destruction. With their wool workers dead or injured, the entire Campania region is sliding toward ruin and starvation. Desperate for a solution, Marcus turns to Ulyses, whose modern knowledge helps him unlock the power of steam. Together, they create machines that weave wool without human hands, replacing the lost workers and rescuing their community. Soon they realize steam can also drive their boats, helping them deliver wool goods faster and farther than ever before.
Issue #2 - Civil War COMING SOON!
In issue #3, Civil War, Marcus and Gaius have turned Campania into an economic powerhouse thanks to their steam-driven empire. But their success draws the eyes of Rome’s leaders, who start taxing them heavily and see their refusal to use slave labor as a dangerous threat. Tensions grow, much like those that sparked revolution in early America, dividing the empire between old traditions and new ideas. When Campania boldly outlaws slavery, the emperor orders Gaius arrested, pushing Marcus to a breaking point. Desperate and out of options, Marcus again asks Ulyses for help, and this time, with great hesitation, Ulyses introduces them to gunpowder.