Commander Davidson Bulloch, a former Confederate Navy submarine captain, gets more than he bargains for when he signs on as the first captain of Maryland's new "Oyster Navy" and sets out to rid the Chesapeake Bay of illegal oyster dredgers. Beset with an aging crew of misfits and his cantankerous iron-clad steamer, The Layla, Davidson quickly realizes he's dealing with more than just some purloined oysters; the nefarious pirate Treacher Fink has hatched a plan to summon the ghost of a legendary Chesapeake Bay waterman who has the power to control the sea and everything in it.
© Ben Towle - All Rights Reserved.
Overboard by Chip Dunham
Ozy and Millie by Dana Simpson
Comments (20) (Please sign in to comment)
old1953 said, 5 months ago
He looks a little tired.
Three Steps Over Japan said, 5 months ago
“First issue up on the table is Haynie Holsapple.”
surfstuff55 said, 5 months ago
It looks like the Commander (Commodore) doesn’t cotton to brawlers and drunks.
pcolli said, 5 months ago
He’s just ripe for the press gang.
Ben Towle
said, 4 months ago
And thus concludes chapter one. (I’m not throwing in any chapter divider pages or anything of that sort, but the story has 12 chapters.)
Veteran
said, 4 months ago
Wake up sailor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome to the MARYLAND NAVY!
I see a VERY interesting crew being gathered.
Night-Gaunt49 said, 4 months ago
@Ben Towle
Thanx for telling us. And a press ganging is illegal. We went to war against it and nearly lost from 1812-1814. Shouldn’t have burned that Canada courthouse.
information said, 4 months ago
No chapter 13 is a good way to stay in business
Veteran
said, 4 months ago
@Night-Gaunt49
Hey, they burned down the Whitehouse I think it was fair. The English got a lesson. We did not surrender when our “Capitol” was destroyed. That was the way war was fought back then. Take the capitol and win the war. We continued to fight totally unexpected by the English.
Veteran
said, 4 months ago
And he was not “pressed” into the Navy. He was volunteered unconsciously. Just because you are unconscious does not prevent one from being volunteered. I got volunteered lots of times. “You and You come with me. I have a job for you to volunteer for.” No questions, just go, it made no difference anyway. (And sometimes it was great duty)
Gary McSpook said, 4 months ago
A bit light on the artwork here, Ben.
3 am and a deadline looming?
Been there, done that (once wrote a 100 pg. script for a class in 3 days; and this was on a typewriter, not a computer; and I’m a slow typist)
Night-Gaunt49 said, 4 months ago
@Veteran
The White House was burned in retaliation for the US invasion and destruction.
Demonick said, 4 months ago
Mr. Holsapple is unavailable for the moment but if you leave a message he will be sure to get back to you the moment he regains consciousness.
Ben Towle
said, 4 months ago
@Gary McSpook
Ha! No… just a pacing thing—kind of a “End of Chapter One.” It’s not true of every single chapter, but I tend to start and end on “quiet” pages—pages with one or two panels and little or no dialog. It’s kind of like the intro and outro to songs, I guess.
Demonick said, 4 months ago
@Ben Towle
Ben, I got impatient and went onto you’re site and read ahead in the story. Your work is great! Can’t wait to see how it ends!!