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HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 115
07.29.2010
[ ...Yeah, Ame probably isn't going to recover well from this. ]

A day early for one being a day late. S'only fair!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 114
07.28.2010
[ Possibly the beginning of the end..? ] More to be revealed soon, as well!

This part has been pretty hard t'do thus far, hence some of the tardiness. I apologize for that, but better to be late than to be lackluster, eh?

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 113
07.22.2010
[ And Royce elaborates while kicking ass ], along with revealing those...crazy spine things he had earlier.

More t'be revealed, particularly concerning the use of those spines, next time!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 112
07.21.2010
[ The first of the big reveals: ] The "major factor" in Ame being cited as a traitor was all a big fat lie~

'But why..?' indeed. Lots and lots to be revealed shortly!

This also clearly verifies one of Asmodai's special abilities that placed him well above Slade~

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 111
07.15.2010
[ Arguing while fighting is always more interesting than characters standing around! ] It looks like a Big Reveal, or rather a series of them, are bound to happen!

Hell, I'm actually splitting this chapter into two due to how much is about to happen!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 110
07.07.2010
[ Royce makes his appearance ], and it looks like he's cutting to the chase pronto!

Only one update this week and the next - gotta play catchup on owed pics, comms, and well...I have a wedding shortly! I love working on Heartcore, but I'll need a bit of a break.

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 109
07.02.2010
[ A few bits of scenery, candle light, flowers, iron gates~ ] This would all be so romantic, but it looks like the Big Bad has finally come to play!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 108
06.30.2010
[ Royce has got QUITE the temper. ] And you thought Ame was fairly two-sided! Royce has got bi-polar craziness completely cornered. Mayhaps it's where Ame gets it from~

Makes you wonder just how bad Royce can be, having SLADE scared and all...

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 107
06.25.2010
[ And things go underway~ ] I wonder where Royce is?

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 106
06.22.2010
[ A simple page for amusement ] before things really start to heat up for awhile!

If you thought things were heated with Slade earlier...well, you haven't seen anything yet!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 105
06.18.2010
As you can see, with Ame's illusion charm she [ can hide things in plain sight, in very weird ways! ]. Wonder what that paintings of~ You may recognize it by the colors!

Lutz is being a bit paranoid here, hrmm.

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 104
06.15.2010
Despite being her snarky self, [ Ame's got the ball rolling! ]

Also, courtesy of Cukeman and other fine gents, Heartcore has it's own TVTropes! Take a look!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 103
06.11.2010
A few hijinks, while [ Ame still isn't aware of the looming peril ]. Maybe Ame shouldn't of stood so close. :o

That's the second time Lutz has uttered that last line...a catchphrase, perhaps? Only time will tell!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 102
06.08.2010
And in [ the latest Heartcore ], it seems Ame unknowingly has come across Royce's Berserk Button! My lips are sealed on his minor changes for now!

Annnnd she's distracted by tormenting Lutz...oy!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 101
06.04.2010
It seems Ame's plan had a few kinks in it...some old faces are back, [ and they're not very happy! ]

One of these particular people is the LAST person you'd want to cheese off...

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 100
06.01.2010
Auuugh, don't [ you hate it when the little twerp is probably right? ]

And wait a minute... What's light green, supple, and goes boing?

HEARTCORE: Concept Materials! And a bonus!
05.27.2010
Annnnd the last bonus to celebrate Heartcore hitting it's 1st year/100 pages! Here's a [ concept sheet for an interesting outfit for Amethyst! ] For even more Amethyst love, here's a [ dirty picture posted on DeviantArt. ]

...Things'll be back to normal next week, I promise. :U

HEARTCORE: Concept Materials!
05.25.2010
Going to have a bit of fun this update, since Heartcore is now at 100 pages! It's a preview of whats to come, and what better way t'do that than to show [ the concept sheet for the new and improved Lilium Lashiec? ] I'm very happy with her changes, she seems a little more visually-worthy of her status now.

Also, the song I associate with Lilium that mentioned [ is ridiculously awesome. ]

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 99
05.21.2010
Ame is pretty wasteful, but [ it's hard to deny her logic! ]

Page 100/the 1 year anniversary of Heartcore is now here, so next week I may release some nice materials or somesuch~

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 98
05.18.2010
That's the second time Ame's called him that, maybe it means something~ [ Despite her brief recollection, she goes through with it! ]

That looks a bit like...blood?!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 97
05.14.2010
While she may not be as smart or as powerful as Asmodai, [ Ame is a master at turning a situation in her favor! ]

Wait, why are they so scared? :C

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 96
05.11.2010
[ As you can see, TRICKSY~ Oh so tricksy. ] ...Although those cracks are still an issue, hrmm.

Heartcore has been on-going for a full year in a week. ...To be honest, it snuck up on me. C:

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 95
05.07.2010
[ Errrk, Asmodai's attack may of done more than one originally thought! ]

Wish this page was more than just a setup for better ones, but it happens!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 94
05.05.2010
...Oops. [ But at least you got to see how potent Asmodai is at magic! ] He didn't even have to charge it to get it that big, unlike Ame.

I'm a little late this time, mostly because I wanted to spend Syranon's birthday free of responsibility~ And job stuff, it happens. :U There's still two updates every week so it's all gravy.

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 93
04.30.2010
Asmodai's decision is made, [ along with a small tease at a major plot point! ]

Guess what you like, but I'll be dancing around with fingers in my ears concerning it! I promise not to keep it in the dark for too long~

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 92
04.28.2010
With how relentless Slade is, [ Asmodai might want to hurry things up a bit! ] But at least it looks like Lutz is playing a lil' hardball with this.

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 91
04.24.2010
Slade's mastery over Ame is concrete, [ but it looks like a rather important plot device has an issue with it! ] Maybe he's just tired of Slade playing with his food.

As you can see, it'll likely involve Asmodai!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 90
04.20.2010
I didn't think I'd have to say this, but all the fighting has been going on for awhile. Too long, really. [ And Slade agrees! ] Wait...that's bad. :I

...And yes, those establishing shots of Lutz earlier might be coming into play soon~

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 89
04.13.2010
The end result of Slade's attack [ is quite shocking! ] ...yeah, that was so cheesy I ought t'be shot.

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 88
04.09.2010
Sadly [ things'll probably get worse from here. ] Enough to have Lutz concerned, anyway!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 87
04.06.2010
[ More fun times for all! ] Ame manages to score a hit! ...Unfortunately Slade likes it.

Was really on the fence about the panel count/how much content there was for this page. I wanted to save a particular scene for the top of the next page though, so~

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 86
04.02.2010
Slade's muse [ is finally revealed! ] Fun times ahead, to be sure!

Have you ever played Streets of Rage? I remember being a bit confused the first time I fought a boss whose health bar was a different color than other enemies...but what it means is they have the original bar of health, PLUS additional health. That's exactly what's going on with Slade's stats on this page, having finally revealed them. Scary? Very much so!

...Makes you wonder just how bad Royce'll be, and what the hell Asmodai did to get Rank 1!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 85
03.30.2010
And here I am, [ making Slade's muse now intensely obvious before it's revealed next page or so! ] Things are about t'get pretty intense, or so I hope with all the time I spent drafting it up!

Now go back to your Pokeymans.

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 84
03.26.2010
And after some overfiend bickering, [ Slade decides to finish what Royce started! ] THIS is the fight I couldn't wait to start! Teodora VS. Ame was fun, but things were far too much in Ame's favor. Not anymore~

Also...hooray, better background work! Gotta keep at this!

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 83
03.23.2010
I wouldn't trust anyone with that face, [ ...so when Slade uses it, that goes DOUBLE. ] But at least he was nice enough to do a rather big reveal for you folks. NOW you know why I kept reiterating just how durable they can be. Teodora's finnne~ ...Sort of.

Hooray, normal schedule again! Can finally get some real progress done.

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 82
03.17.2010
Things go from bad, [ ...to worse. For Ame anyway! ]

Sorry about to strong delays, last week was HECTIC. I didn't draw at ALL. :U Things'll be back on track next week~

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 81
03.10.2010
[ ...So that's one of his abilities, ] yipe! All the demons except for Asmodai won't be happy until Teo is minced into a fine paté, apparently. ;_;

Sorry about being a bit late on this one. Just got a new job and still have a slew of commissions to work under.

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 80
03.05.2010
Hrmmm, [ that looks like potential trouble! ] Why have I been holding back on Slade's stats and muse? You're about to find out~

Also, some folks seem to think I'm really into Teen Titans due to his name, but you guys need to play Shining Force II! Very awesome game~

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 79
03.03.2010
[ Figures...that didn't last too long! ] And...Asmodai has a soft, creamy center it seems! S'long as Teo's in danger, anyway~

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Page 78
02.26.2010
[ Quiet. Simple. Almost serene, here. ] Wonder where she is... That'll be answered soon enough~ But as you can see from Teo's ramble way back and Ame's profile information, the illusion charm is definitely being used.

Nice to have things quiet, for once.

HEARTCORE Chapter 03 Cover
02.23.2010
[ And now, onto Chapter 3~ ] Have you noticed the naming system yet for these Chapters? Cowboy Bebop named episodes from popular Western songs, Hellsing named chapters from the titles of videogames. Guilty Gear...named EVERYTHING EVER after Western songs. Heartcore's Chapter titles come from stellar (in my opinion) videogame OST tracks.

Can you figure out where this one and the previous two are from? If so, you win...nothing. Good music taste, though!

HEARTCORE Introspective/Unused Art
02.19.2010
[ A quick introspective/unused art page ] right before we head on! Although one could argue it's a fanservice page, what with Ame being obnoxious officially a sport.

...Yeah, I mostly wanted to draw Ame in Teo's garb, har! Chapter 3 next week, I promise. C:

HEARTCORE Character Stats
02.16.2010
Since the last two overfiend-types are about to become active, I figure it was time to post some [ Heartcore character stats! ] ...This is also an excuse to poke fun at Lutz and draw SD characters, admittedly. C:

Also, a small [ thing I did for Valentine's ].

HEARTCORE 73
02.12.2010
Annnnd chapter end! So we finally get a looksee [ at Ame's profile! ] Along with a few other extras for the next few updates. ...Y-YES, KNOWING AME'S BASE MEASUREMENTS IS IMPORTANT, OKAY?!

Also, I did some quick [ No More Heroes fanart ] because I am a hopeless loser.

HEARTCORE 72
02.09.2010
Slade must be a pretty big threat [ to make Ame THAT nervous. ] It MIGHT have something t'do with his muse~ We'll just have to find out next chapter! (I know I changed his look ever so slightly, thankfully he only had 2 panels of time before this.)

And yes, I'm a giant sucker for such accents. Tis a major reason I find No More Heroes' Nathan Copeland to be quite awesome.

HEARTCORE 71
02.06.2010
Hrmmm, I can't recall any character [ speaking with a deep Edinburgh dialect of Scottish English in Heartcore ], can you? Wait...isn't there a character with incredibly low panel time that hasn't said a word up to this point?! I think there isss. c:

This character has another, more familiar surprise with him as well~ Stay tuned!

HEARTCORE 69-70
02.02.2010
Cheesiness rules the day [ in the latest Heartcore ], complete with a 2 page spread. I actually was debating going even cheesier with "DEVIL DRIVE, MAXIMUM DRILL" but figured that'd be kind of out of no where.

I actually skipped a part of this fight to get to a significantly more interesting one faster, but I'll release the unused art shortly, promise~

HEARTCORE 68
01.29.2010
Ame's back to her older tricks [ in the newest Heartcore! ] So at least the previous damage done to Teo won't go to waste! And after this, just one more final bout before things get a lot....well, trickier. And Scottish!

The verdict on No More Heroes Desperate Struggle? BETTER than the original, but if it had kept more of the boss elaboration and didn't nerf the Dark Step move, it'd be a 10/10. Oh well, 9.5/10 is dandy~ Behold my new [ favorite boss, ever. ]

HEARTCORE 67
01.26.2010
Me? Update on the date No More Heroes is released? [ Surely you jest! ]

In all seriousness, I have [ a brand spanking new Heartcore regardless! ]

How DOES Ame deal with the blueberry pixie? ...And more Lutz to boot!

HEARTCORE 66
01.22.2010
Ame pulls a complete 180, [ and then Teo proves to be nearly as durable as Ame is! ] ...At least Lutz tried to help!

IGN recently reviewed No More Heroes Desperate Struggle, singing praises and confirming it's better than the first...will I update the day it comes out? Probably, but I'll still gush anyway! Here's whats likely to be the final trailer: [ "Everyone deals with grief differently, right? Some people fuck at funerals, I cut off heads!" ]

HEARTCORE 65
01.19.2010
Awww, our protagonist is so nice and thoughtful! First she nails a brat to the floor for ease, [ and then she offers to remodel for Lutz! ] ...Wait.

A few days ago I tried making a new UOM with a fun idea, but I still felt I'd rather do less fan-stuff. BUUUUT you can have a cheesy doodle leftover from the process: [ here ] Ame being obnoxious and Toon Link, who I find to be ridiculously cute in general.

HEARTCORE 64
01.15.2010
It doesn't matter which story they're in it seems, [ Ame and Lutz are all about butting heads with each other! ]

Kinda brings back some memories~

HEARTCORE 63
01.12.2010

HEARTCORE 62
01.08.2010
Oh, something was bound to save little Teodora just in the nick of time! It's the author's favorite character after all! Nothing could possibly happen to her, right? [ ...RIGHT?! ]

Methinks I let Kentaro Miura influence my brain a bit too much~

HEARTCORE 61
01.05.2010
Auugh, hopefully the break didn't make me too rusty. [ Here's a new Heartcore! ]

If I had things my way, I'd just draw Ame making goofy evil faces forever~ But alas, the end is near!

HEARTCORE Filler
12.29.2009
If I recall right, this is my first instance of [ filler promotional art ] as an update since Heartcore started. Whoo! I did it more because of the content than the timing (having a bro chill here for awhile plus New Years), as Ame and Teo together will only be relevant for so long at this point in the series. I tried a weird pseudo-SD style with this one.

Also, happy early New Years! Heartcore will get back on track shortly after that. I figure it's the only time of the year I'd let myself take a small break, so~

HEARTCORE 60
12.22.2009
Looks like Teodora may of accidentally given Ame a weapon, [ which was probably a bad idea. ]

Also, an early Merry Christmas~ ...What, you want me to update ON Christmas? PFFT!

HEARTCORE 59
12.18.2009
Remember the part of Teo's warhammer in Ame's back? [ Yeah. ...Ouch. ]

Hopefully the layout of this page isn't too screwy, I had some trouble with it and I know it's cumbersome. Something for me to keep in mind for future pages~

HEARTCORE 58
12.15.2009
Teodora's favorite game is apparently [ whack-a-mole, starring Ame! ]

Not much else new, aside from [ a crappy doodle of a possible outfit for Ame in the future. ]

HEARTCORE 57
12.11.2009
In the newest [ Heartcore ], Teodora proves to be quite deceptive! So thats where all the blood came from...

I can't help but listen to [ this song ] every time I'm drawing Teodora in battle. So I can't help but relate it to her now. :U

HEARTCORE 56
12.09.2009
The fight continues in today's installment of [ Heartcore ]!

Teodora may seem like a speedster, but there's actually far better characters at that. (Ame just happens to be a real heavy-type of fighter.) Teo's surprise stat? Strength, and lots of it!

HEARTCORE 55
12.08.2009
OH YES~, finally the [ Heartcore ] where the first official battle begins!

You'll be getting THREE pages this week so I can keep the pace I want while avoiding taking too long to progress. Rejoice!

HEARTCORE 54
12.04.2009
Upping the ante with a [ new Heartcore ]. Ame is even more obnoxious, and loli rage is rising steadily!

HEARTCORE 53
12.01.2009
A brand [ new Heartcore ]! With Ame being ever so slightly obnoxious with her rack and loli rage, the only thing that could be better is...well, them beating the crud out of each other!

Teodora seems a little antsy, so one has to wonder just -what- she's capable of.

HEARTCORE 52
11.24.2009
More of the twin-tailed brat [ in this update of Heartcore ]! She's easily my favorite character t'draw thus far.

I'll be skipping Friday's update this week, because I'll likely be sleeping off a ridiculous amount of turkey like the rest of you.

HEARTCORE 51
11.20.2009
I could of sworn this chapter of [ Heartcore ] was called 'Cashmere Cannonball'. Oh wait, the reason why rears their unusually lanky self! ...With an over-sized mallet, complete with curtains.

This'll be fun~!

HEARTCORE 50
11.17.2009
[ An assailant? ] This marks the ante going up real soon. And of course, you remember the gatekeeper right? I'm sure I'll make a few happy with that news. I mean...Yow!

HEARTCORE 49
11.13.2009
[ A new Heartcore ], in which the princess can be both the maiden in distress AND the hero! Royce subtly introduces his own muse (which if you recall, is simply the vague thing a demon gets most of their enjoyment from.) Ame's was video entertainment, Suko's was books, Royce's is...fine cuisine? All the other demons have their own muses, and it ranges from obvious to downright odd!

And oh boy, Darkside Chronicles is out soon! Here's an [ Awesome trailer that effects your entire browser...including shaking it!]

HEARTCORE 48
11.10.2009
Some of you adore him, some of you rightfully hate him, but like it or not [ Big bad Royce is about to make the scene again! ]

A certain two characters I REALLY want to get back to drawing rear their heads soon, oh boy oh boy~

HEARTCORE 47
11.06.2009
A lot of you guessed that Suko had some kind of hidden power or shared Ame's abilities, well... [ No. As the latest Heartcore proves! ] As you may recall, Suko's muse is books. Lots...and LOTS of books!

Ever feel a strong desire to play or watch something just because of some music from it you managed to get ahold of? That definitely happened [ with this ]. Seems really awesome, and is available on the Wii Virtual Console. Hrmmm!

HEARTCORE 46
11.03.2009
[ A new Heartcore ] in which Ame showcases some weird inherent mental connection with Suko. And what's Asmodai so worried about?

[ And well, now I know for certain I prefer Suda51 over Kojima... ]

HEARTCORE 45
10.30.2009
[ A new Heartcore for you~ ]

And have a Happy Halloween folks! Be sure to watch at least one horror flick...might I suggest a certain classic with Michael Myers?

HEARTCORE 44
10.27.2009

HEARTCORE 43
10.23.2009
A [ new Heartcore ], in which imps babysit and unknown voices mark suspense!

And yes, I was inspired by the Chuckola fruits in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga for the foilage shown in the bottom right corner. Great game, must've replayed it three times by now.

HEARTCORE 42
10.20.2009
Such [ stupid anti-climatic imps! ] Like I said, I don't consider this part an actual fight, just a good way to introduce some things.

Argh. I almost made this page contain twice the amount of panels - but I gotta balance decent pacing with my impatience. Please bear with me!

HEARTCORE 41
10.16.2009
Is Ame's [ hatred of sparkly backgrounds ] an ongoing trend? Only time will tell!

The end of the chapter will feature a "Spell Corner" akin to the first Slayers manga that explains exactly what each spell thus far does in more detail. For example: Ame's (and Royce's for that matter) Devil Drive is a wave-like mix of shadowflame that caters to pain even moreso than damage...not that it doesn't cause plenty of course! Due to it having a ray-like movement, Ame doesn't use it against faster opponents - but she CAN harness it's effects in her hands for punching attacks.

HEARTCORE 40
10.13.2009
A brand spankin' [ new Heartcore ], in which Ame lacks self control.

Sadly nothing else this time, my brain is utterly sapped from watching Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

HEARTCORE 39
10.09.2009
In a haze of caffeine and some noise that sounds similar to 80s music comes a [ new Heartcore ] for you all! It looks like with Rip and Tear in tow, some individuals tried to bite off more than they could chew~

Fairly old news, BUT: There is an awesome project titled [ "Epic Mickey" ], right? Amazing design art has been released over the past few months but there was nothing solid about the game until a few days ago. Also, [ confirmed as a Wii exclusive. ] So this, A Boy and his Blob, Lost in Shadows, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Silent Hill's reimagining, Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles, AND No More Heroes 2? Good time to own a Wii, I'd say.

HEARTCORE 38
10.06.2009
A brand spankin' [ new Heartcore ], in which Ame defines tough love.

I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone whose been supportive of Heartcore. I honestly didn't expect too much until I hit a certain (critical) point in the story, but you folks have made something relatively fun to work into something I truly enjoy every minute of - you have my deepest thanks.
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All various works contained herein are copyright to Tara Lei Welker unless stated otherwise.