Journey Beyond the Setting Sun

Journey Beyond the Setting Sun is a coming of age story set within the framework of Native American mythology. After the untimely death of his father, young Kitala-Wanji (little one) is filled with many questions. He asks the village wise man how he can handle the pain, how to become a man without his father to show him how, and most of all, what happens to a person’s spirit when they die.The wise man tells him that he must journey beyond the setting sun to find the answers he seeks. The boy travels west to find Raging-Bull, (Chief of the Buffalo Nation) who tells him that he must ask his questions of Wakan-Keha, the turtle who carries the world on his shell. Kitala-Wanji continues west, meeting many animal spirits along the way. He receives guidance from Coyote, leads a herd of many-colored horses across the mountains, and finally reaches the great waters. He builds a canoe, and paddles out into the Pacific, where he meets Orca (the sea-wolf) who agrees to take him to see Thunderbird.
Thunderbird takes the boy to meet the Great Turtle, who informs the boy that only the Great-Spirit knows what happens to the soul. Despondent, Kitala-Wanji returns to the earth, thinking his quest has ended in failure. That is,
until Beaver waddles up, and offers a startling solution.
Jon C. Hammond is a self-taught author and illustrator who is finally beginning to make his mark on the world. Born in Boothbay Maine, the son of a lobster fisherman, and an anthropologist he showed a proclivity towards the arts as
soon as he could hold a pencil. In Portland Maine, Jon became closely affiliated with the colorful artist/poet community, and began to emerge into a modest form of local celebrity.
He wrote and illustrated Journey Beyond the Setting Sun in 2012 and self-published it in March of 2013. His short comic Succubus was published in AP&P comics in November of 2013, and went on to publish Journey with
Red Orchid publishing in March 2014.
Jon will soon release his second book (a collection of his art, short stories, and comics) entitled The :Ham‘O Collection.
Thunderbird takes the boy to meet the Great Turtle, who informs the boy that only the Great-Spirit knows what happens to the soul. Despondent, Kitala-Wanji returns to the earth, thinking his quest has ended in failure. That is,
until Beaver waddles up, and offers a startling solution.
Jon C. Hammond is a self-taught author and illustrator who is finally beginning to make his mark on the world. Born in Boothbay Maine, the son of a lobster fisherman, and an anthropologist he showed a proclivity towards the arts as
soon as he could hold a pencil. In Portland Maine, Jon became closely affiliated with the colorful artist/poet community, and began to emerge into a modest form of local celebrity.
He wrote and illustrated Journey Beyond the Setting Sun in 2012 and self-published it in March of 2013. His short comic Succubus was published in AP&P comics in November of 2013, and went on to publish Journey with
Red Orchid publishing in March 2014.
Jon will soon release his second book (a collection of his art, short stories, and comics) entitled The :Ham‘O Collection.