Around the Fire #150: Welcome to Willowmyst!
Hello and welcome!
As the title reveals, this is the 150th edition of Around the Fire!
I can't believe I've done 150+ of these emails so far. And for those of you that have stuck with me from the beginning, thank you and I'm sorry! haha Just kidding. You ALL are awesome!
I'm not going to beat around the bush with this one, so let's get into some updates!
THE SECRETS OF WILLOWMYST
Our latest Kickstarter campaign, which went live on Monday, is doing very well! We are currently 57% funded as of this writing with 65 backers! That's a pretty great start and it's thanks to all of you that came out in support of it!
We are making progress on the art in the book and will continue to update the campaign and all of you here as that is finished. We also, as usual, have some surprises in store throughout the campaign, so be on the lookout for those.
If you haven't had a chance to check out the campaign page yet, you can find it by clicking that nifty little button below!
DAY ONE BACKERS
Those that came out early for the campaign are getting a Snatch button or Mobile Wallpaper! Thanks so much if that includes you!
WOULD YOU WATCH?
It's survey time!
I would LOVE your feedback on an idea I have, so if you could vote below, that would be most helpful!
My YouTube channel kind of went on hiatus a while back when I realized it was more of a time suck than anything, it lacked focus, and my audience wasn't really there to support it either save for a select dedicated few (and thank you if that's you!).
But I came up with an idea to revive it that wouldn't be as taxing as it used to be and would actually be kind of fun I think.
Basically, I want to take the concept of this very email, Around the Fire, and do a weekly LIVE stream version of it in a sense, both on YouTube and Facebook perhaps. So what you've come to expect here in these emails, which you'd still be getting, I would convert and do something similar in live video format.
I might talk about a comic I read recently (I plan to add in some indie comics I've gotten as Kickstarter rewards in the mix with this), a TV show or movie I saw, some topic that is on my mind, etc. Just like here. And then I'd always share some kind of update or progress report from Last Ember Press and the various other things I'm a part of (Comic Frontline, the gaming stuff we're doing, etc.).
If that sounds cool (or lame) to you, let your vote be counted! Thanks!
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(If the survey above doesn't load, you can find it by clicking here.)
KICKSTARTER CORNER
As I mentioned last week, I have the pleasure of teaming up with several fantastic creators for this current Kickstarter launch. All five of our campaigns are doing very well! As I'm typing this, two are fully funded, one's about 3/4 there, and the other two are over halfway there, including ours!
The project I'd like to highlight this week, though, is Will Allred's...
Make 100 Diary of Night Volume 1 Diary Edition
This is a campaign I actually had the pleasure of working on in terms of designing the Kickstarter page. So I got to know more about the project and work closely with Will in shaping the visual narrative of the campaign. I also have the standard version of the Vol. 1 trade, so I've read it as well and it's a fantastic story. Here's a little about it:
A centuries-old vampire who protects her people and humanity from the worst of each other is stalked by her past.
Feared, hated, and hunted, vampires exist, but not those of myth and legend. Fundamentally, they are just like us. They are good, bad, happy, and sad, but mostly, they are just frightened...of the light, being found out, and, above all, dying again.
Catherine Morrison has spent nearly 900 years walking the line between humans and vampires...protecting her people from the worst of humanity and humanity from the worst of her people. Her vast wealth established the Phoenix Foundation, a non-Profit corporation whose sole purpose is to help her kind and give them a place to belong...a safe place...a community. Yet, she chooses to remain an outsider.
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You can check out a cool interview with Will on First Comics News.
If you like interesting takes on classic genres, strong female leads, stunning artwork and sharp and witty dialogue, you're going to love Diary of Night! And you can get the Make 100 tier of a handwritten diary entry in the inside cover if you like. The list of diary entries is on the KS page.
You can find a link to Diary of Night and the other three campaigns below.
IN CLOSING
While the year started off a little challenging with the traveling to Houston to look after baby Arya Grace, I have to say that this month has been very positive for me overall.
I've had several work opportunities arise in Kickstarter page design, logo design and lettering recently. You'll be hearing more about those all in due time.
The lettering job in particular is something I'm very excited about but I'm not allowed to talk about it! When I can, I will definitely share, but for now it's all hush hush (plus I'd rather avoid getting sued!). All I can say is it was completely unexpected, kind of came out of nowhere, and I can't wait to share what it is!
If you are looking to hire someone for Kickstarter page design, logo design, lettering or podcast editing, let me know! My schedule is filling up for the next couple of months, but I'm always interested, so hit me up!
And with that, I'll wrap things up by reminding you once more to visit The Secrets of Willowmyst #2 on Kickstarter and check out the cool custom minifig or updated Everything Willowmyst Box while you're there! And if you can't support it financially, please share it and spread the word!
Until next time, as always, stay toasty!
-Brant