Tagesspiegel Interview!

The Tagesspiegel conducted an interview with me about the new science fiction comic series MAYA and DARK ZERO, which I invented and wrote. You can read it (in German) here:

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/comics/science-fiction-comicautor-chris-noeth-musik-hilft-bei-der-entwicklung-guter-bildergeschichten-13406227.html

DARK ZERO #2

In just a few days, the second comic album of the sci-fi action series DARK ZERO will be released—a series I created and wrote, brought to life with ultra-dynamic artwork by Marvel artist Jethro Morales. So, what’s the story about? Well, you could describe it with the elevator pitch: "Star Wars on crack!" Definitely a comic for adults, featuring not only a fascinating world and story but also violence and sex. The series is currently being published in Germany by SPLITTER Verlag. Same goes for my second series, MAYA, of which two albums have been released so far as well. That series follows a young girl who gains superpowers. While DARK ZERO is set in the distant future, MAYA takes place in our near future. The stunning covers are done by Tina Valentino, with colors by Bryan Valenza, Arif Prianto, and VAGRANT.

The artwork here is my own interpretation of NICA, the main character from DARK ZERO.

If you’re interested in licensing the comics, feel free to reach out directly to SPLITTER Verlag: www.splitter-verlag.de.
You can buy them at any comic shop, order them online anywhere, including Amazon, or directly from Splitter:
DARK ZERO 1: https://www.splitter-verlag.de/dark-zero-1-schwarze-sphaere.html
DARK ZERO 2: https://www.splitter-verlag.de/dark-zero-2.html
MAYA 1: https://www.splitter-verlag.de/maya-1-odinsblut.html
MAYA 2: https://www.splitter-verlag.de/maya-2.html

Since these are completely new series, I’d really appreciate it if you could spread the word to all your comic-loving friends if you enjoy them.
Thanks for your support!

Time Flies Too Fast!

 

It's already February, and I find myself wondering—where did all the time go? I'm working on my first major game while also juggling my comic projects in my free time. Routine makes time slip by in the blink of an eye—crazy!

Art from DARK ZERO #2 by Jethro Morales / VAGRANT / TEXT: Chris Noeth

 

Recently, I took a moment to reorganize my projects and priorities. As some of you know, I run a YouTube channel mainly dedicated to comic art. While I’ll definitely showcase more of my game there in the future, it's still too early for that. I upload whenever I find time, so if you have any specific requests for what you'd like to see, feel free to reach out!

But today, I want to talk about my current comic projects—MAYA and DARK ZERO. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported these projects so far, especially the Kickstarter backers! Since both are completely new sci-fi series without an established fanbase, their success was uncertain—it was a leap into the unknown. My approach? I created stories that I personally love and hoped that others would love them too.

But here’s the challenge: How do potential readers and future fans even hear about these comics? Even being published by one of Germany’s best comic publishers, Splitter Verlag, doesn’t guarantee instant recognition. The style of these comics isn't exactly what’s trending today—they're aimed at adult readers, featuring raw language, violence, and sex, much like the bold graphic novels of the 80s. You don’t see much of that anymore.

Since only the first issues of MAYA and DARK ZERO have been released so far (with MAYA Vol. 2 just launching a few weeks ago), I’d love for readers and fans to help spread the word! Tell your comic-loving friends about these two German indie productions and let your local comic shops know you enjoy them! These stories were conceived, written, and developed right here in Germany, brought to life with the help of an international team of artists.

Your support means the world to me and helps ensure the continuation of these stories!

Speaking of which—I just finished writing MAYA Vol. 3, and Ricardo Silva has already been working on the artwork for a few weeks now. Let me just say—it's gonna be CRAZY!

And if you don’t want to wait too long for more, mark April 2025 on your calendar—that’s when DARK ZERO Vol. 2 drops! If I had to describe the series in one sentence, I’d call it "Star Wars on crack!"

So, thanks again for all your support, and I hope you continue to enjoy MAYA and DARK ZERO!

- Chris

MANGA?

While sketching, I’ve been working hard to break my annoying habit of overworking drawings and getting lost in the details. To fight this tendency, I’ve started doing three-minute sketches. The goal is to teach myself that even unfinished and imperfect drawings can have charm, and to combat procrastination. After all, it’s about the output you produce, not obsessing over a handful of ‘perfect’ drawings. Imperfection is fine as long as the art is appealing and, in comics, effectively tells a story.

So, I created a quick three-minute sketch of a young girl in a spacesuit, and because I had some digital screentone textures ready, it immediately looked like a panel from a Manga. That idea stuck with me, and suddenly, an epic story popped into my head. I’ve started exploring the opening of this story in a series of thumbnails, which I’m excited to share with all of you.

Would you be interested in reading a Manga aimed more at adult readers, centered around a young girl aboard a colony spaceship traveling to a distant part of our galaxy a few decades from now?

MAYA #2 insider gag...

A little inside joke for everyone who’s already read MAYA 2... 😉

Don’t get it? No worries! 📚
Grab a copy of MAYA 2 – Die Flucht (the escape), the brand-new sci-fi action comic for adults, published by Splitter Verlag! 🚀

✨ Dive into this action-packed sci-fi world, and this joke will suddenly make perfect sense. 😄

Who here has already read MAYA 2? Drop a comment below! 💬

MAYA #2 is OUT NOW!

It's here! The second installment of my science-fiction superhero comic series MAYA, developed by me (I'm the creator / writer) and published in album format by Splitter Verlag in Germany, is now available! Both the first and second volumes are available as stylish hardcover editions in comic shops, online, or directly from Splitter Verlag. The interior art is done by Ricardo Silva with cover art by Tina Valentino. The colors are done by VAGRANT and Arif Prianto.

What many readers don’t realize: MAYA is a German original production—not a licensed comic from the USA or the Franco-Belgian market. And because it’s an entirely new series, it needs your support! Many comic shops and fans may not know this yet or could be waiting to purchase the books until the series is complete (the first story arc will consist of three parts).

This is where you come in:
To help MAYA gain the recognition it deserves, we need to spread the word to all comic fans out there! Building a small but dedicated fanbase for MAYA—and for my second comic project, DARK ZERO—will make it easier to convince comic shops and publishers to continue supporting these German comics. This, in turn, will allow me to bring you even more stories from the world of MAYA and the DARK ZERO universe in the future. And I have big plans for both! ;)

So please, help share this message with all the comic lovers out there!

Thank you so much for your support!
Your Chris

Chris Perfect Pencil Brush for Clip Studio Paint – Free Download!

As a comic artist, I’ve been experimenting with creating the perfect pencil brush for Clip Studio Paint. I needed something versatile for sketching character designs, laying out comic pages, and even working on light and shadow greyscales—all directly on my iPad.

After a full day of trial and error, I finally developed a brush that works like a dream. It’s now my go-to tool for everything:

• Thumbnailing layouts
• Drawing detailed page designs
• Adding shading and greyscale tones

While I’ve tried other apps like Procreate on the iPad, Clip Studio Paint remains my top choice for digital drawing—whether I’m working on my iPad or my Wacom Cintiq. There’s just something about the flow and feel of Clip Studio tools that makes it unbeatable for penciling.

Do you want my new brush? It is easy to get... just help me spread the word about my comics MAYA and DARK ZERO (available in Germany as we speak) and then DOWNLOAD the brush HERE! ;)
Or just click on the sketch image below to start the download. On how to use and install a brush in Clip Studio Paint check there help pages.

Have fun and do not forget to share your works.