In Ion Valley, a vast majority of the planet is covered in a mysterious thick fog. Land has become scarce with the population moving to high altitude. As wars were fought and decades passed, societies began to establish themselves. Being geographically rich in resources with large land mass, it didn’t take long for Ion Valley to establish regional dominance. However, not everyone was so lucky. There is still struggle throughout the rest of the world. While refugees are still coming in with strict control on how the region operates, tensions are brewing while whispers of conspiracy are in the air.

The Cashmere family are long time residents of Ion Valley. Abram Cashmere has retired from the military, and now serves as the Chief of Police. While Abram does the best he can keeping Ion Valley safe, often times the government has other ideas in mind. Abram and Holly’s kids Arlo and Enzo, are privileged to have a father so respected by the bureaucracy which allows them to live a comfortable life in Ohmsdale.

With an influx of refugees and rising tensions in class warfare, Abram is beginning to receive questionable orders that go against his duties to protect the people. With the assistance of his colleague Archer Sullivan, they both begin to question the motives of the government. With a seemingly beautiful place to live, there are dark undertones being revealed. As Abram investigates, he’ll find a conspiracy so deep, that it could shatter the lives of everyone not just in Ion Valley, but the world itself.

About the Project

Cashmere Sky is a graphic novel, being the culmination of passion and nostalgia, reaching deep into the imagination and attempting to recreate the magic of what cartoons and animation do for all ages. It’s described as a retro-future world with “electropunk” tones bringing together an exciting brew of airships, electricity, and an alien race of cat-like people. The project is heavily inspired by TV and feature film animation pulling from many twentieth century trends.

The style and concepts are derived by many past inspirations including Fred Quimby, Chuck Jones, Preston Blair, and Hanna Barbera while moving to later inspirations such as Glen Keane, Don Bluth, and Bill Watterson. The idea is to tell a fun and epic adventure in the true spirit of what cartoons do for us as a kid, yet with a modern approach and deeper themes, all while falling in love with a great cast of characters. It can be thought that Cashmere Sky attempts to be like a feature film on paper. Get ready to laugh, cry, be intrigued…and then laugh some more.

Jared Hudson

Creator / Illustrator / Writer

Occasionally regarded as someone from another planet or a swiss army knife only dropped a couple times, Jared has been a creative force since he was very young. From an early age he was known for always having a pencil in his hand, drawing a plethora of landscapes and architecture, competing with other classmates during grade school.

Long story short, most of Jared’s past life ended up being in music and eventually obtained his Bachelor’s from the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Jared eventually refocused his energy to character design and digital illustration. As if possessed by an unknown entity, Jared has invested thousands of hours with a furiously ambitious goal of doing a graphic novel, desperately wanting to tap into his childhood nostalgia for others to enjoy. Cats are getting the stage in this idea, considering his childhood consisted of shows dominated by these design trends. The road is unknown, but his goals are certain. Jared currently resides in Indianapolis.

jaredhudson.com

Aaron Schweizer

Editor

Aaron Schweizer is influenced by many of his favorite movies, stories and comics from childhood. This includes the Tim Burton Batman films, Back to the Future, Robocop, Star Trek TNG, Goonies, the Princess Bride and more. He is drawn not only to the strong hero archetype portrayed in those stories but also to the light-hearted heroes, like one Mr. Marty McFly.

Aaron was born and raised in Indiana. He shares his domicile with his wife, two small children, two dogs and a cat. He has had previous work published in Black Cross magazine and in his spare time he enjoys writing, reading, creating cosplay, and video games. Currently, he is reading various titles from DC Comics, Image, and other independent creators.