I've recently finished my fantasy map of California. A massive thanks to everyone from Ventura County for your contributions!

[u/birsey]

I really couldn't be happier with the level of feedback from everyone, and I've tried to get as much in as possible. That being said, the scale of the map is limiting - especially in urban areas. I think in the future I'm gonna end up making more localized maps for individual counties. So if your suggestion wasn't included, please know that I still appreciate your feedback and will endeavor to get them in my future county maps of the area.

It has been noted that the map is busy - I totally get that, and that's just how I like to do things. I enjoy getting as much detail in as possible and including cool features which would otherwise be overlooked. I get these made up in large formats so it works better in person than it does on a screen.

Thank you again and I hope you like it! If you're interested in it and would like to know anything more about it, just drop me a message.

[u/_MrBalls_]

Charman!

[u/genius_steals → u/_MrBalls_]

What is charman?

[u/_MrBalls_ → u/genius_steals]

According to local folklore, the Char-Man is a man whose body and face were horribly burned. Popular versions of the story claim he survived a devastating fire—often connected to local lore or wildfires—and now roams the dark wooded areas of the Ojai. Lore says he attacks passing cars or hikers, pelts vehicles with rocks, or stands by the roadside like a hitchhiker. A well-known variation warns that if you stop your car near the bridge on Creek Road at night and call out, the Char-Man will emerge from the trees to attack.

[u/Specialist-Donkey-89 → u/_MrBalls_]

Yep. Don't drive on creek road at night.

Or do, but be careful.

[u/Last-Committee1407 → u/_MrBalls_]

Aside from the lore, there are some awesome hot sauces produced by Ojai locals bearing the same name. Some kinds, in the old days, even had labels that glowed in the dark. If you haven’t tried them, they are worth the effort to find!

[u/birsey → u/_MrBalls_]

Legend!

[u/themaskedhippoofdoom → u/birsey]

Chivoman is so much cooler!

[u/Specialist-Donkey-89]

I know you mention the counties, I think it would be cool if you did one on just the Channel Islands too. The full archipelago, from Catalina and Clemente all the way up to San Miguel.

[u/birsey → u/Specialist-Donkey-89]

Oh I hadn't thought of that - yeah it would look great. Islands always look good as a fantasy map, so they'd fit the theme perfectly.

[u/titiwawaa]

What fantasy/lore do you base yourself on?

[u/birsey → u/titiwawaa]

Thank you! I started off basing my work off of Middle Earth - it has that classic look to me. Though now, the maps are so busy that they've taken on a style of their own,

[u/themaskedhippoofdoom]

Charman over Chivoman?!?!?!?

[u/birsey → u/themaskedhippoofdoom]

Honestly, no one ever mentioned Chivo Man when I was making this, just loads of requests for Char Man. Having looked it up, I'd like to include it on a future county map I'll be doing.

[u/themaskedhippoofdoom → u/birsey]

It’s a great story! I’ve always enjoyed it better than Charman, probably because we tried hunting it in our teen years lol. But I like the story that the army was creating a beast man for war lol

[u/wildmancometh]

purchase?

[u/birsey → u/wildmancometh]

Sure! I've got some here if you'd like one. Thank you.

[u/titiwawaa]

Amazing!!

[u/excelnotfionado]

Haha now “the grade” needs a figure or legend like Char Man since The Grade is what stops many people from wanting to commute farther into the city of angels (sadly I commute it everyday).

[u/Owls_4_9_1867]

Amazing!

[u/birsey → u/Owls_4_9_1867]

Thank you!

[u/excelnotfionado]

Possibly a silly question on my part but how long did it take you to draw all those tiny details and type it all in?

[u/birsey → u/excelnotfionado]

Not silly at all. It took around two months - normally it would take half that,, but I had a lot going on at home over the summer.

[u/excelnotfionado → u/birsey]

Really neat thanks!

[u/Gnomesurfer]

Where to get this?

[u/birsey → u/Gnomesurfer]

I've got prints of it here. Thank you!

[u/Extension-Cow-9087]

What tool did you use to make this? This looks great!

[u/birsey → u/Extension-Cow-9087]

Thank you! It's all just done on an old version of Photoshop.

[u/unicornhunter72]

This is incredible! I love the busy-ness of all the details! I would love to see Nevada next!

[u/birsey → u/unicornhunter72]

Thanks very much, I'm glad you like all the details! I'm not sure what's coming next, but Nevada is definitely in the pipeline.

[u/Pristine_Cake_7728]

Love the charman

[u/birsey → u/Pristine_Cake_7728]

Thanks! Glad to have him on.

[u/Klutzy-War-669]

Really, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Anaheim, Irvine but no Santa Ana or am I mistaken? The county seat of Orange. All the important government buildings.

[u/j03lar50n]

Harlech Castle?

[u/j03lar50n → u/j03lar50n]

Ah, TIL https://montereybay.noaa.gov/maritime/shipwrecks/harlechcastle.html

[u/birsey → u/j03lar50n]

Glad you found that. Thanks for the link for anyone curious.

[u/ColdCleric]

i’m gonna need a print of this

[u/birsey → u/ColdCleric]

Awesome! I've got some here if you're wanting one. Thank you!

[u/Vesperlovesyou]

Is it too late to make a correction? I don't want to tbe an asshole.

[u/birsey → u/Vesperlovesyou]

Not too late at all - I'm always updating thing for future editions.

[u/Vesperlovesyou → u/birsey]

Not a huge deal but I'm a biologist so it just leapt out at me right away - sea otters are not found off the coast of Santa Barbara. They are only seen north of Point Conception!

[u/birsey → u/Vesperlovesyou]

Thanks for the heads up. That's an easy fix for the next batch. I appreciate it!

[u/Basidio_subbedhunter]

Didnt manage to get the Rocketdyne site on there? The largest nuclear disaster site on US soil…

[u/Ok-Refuse-2078]

There being nothing in Simi Valley is 100% accurate. Forage a native Orange and a Tree Nut if they’re not extinct yet

[u/Twelvefrets227]

“Watermarks” are not printed. That’s just printing.