As a kid, you try to squeeze out every drop of summer that you can. As the school year once again grows closer, you ask yourself why you didn’t read the twenty books you promised you would. The sun begins to set a little earlier and you can’t help but find yourself in a sort melancholic-flux. Somehow, that’s the theme for this week’s Crowdfunding Watch. It’s about letting yourself get lost, even as the light fades outside, even though there are other things you technically could be doing.

1. Getting Lost 

Izzi Ward (Ink Witch) is out here creating the good stuff. Their comic, Getting Lost, is about two twenty-somethings named Reed and Isaiah who go for a walk in the woods and end up getting a wee lost. Most of all, it’s a story about friendship learning about how important it is to surround yourself with people who lift you up. It’s a story centered on warmness.

Getting Lost is a gentle story. It’s a story about a respite, a lull, a pause from the real world, coming in a totally unexpected way. Reed and Isaiah go for a walk in the woods, a short drive from where they live. When night falls, they can’t find their way home, and neither of them mind in the slightest.

The themes of this story, Ward notes on their Kickstarter, are more geared for ages 13 and up. Getting Lost is a planned 24-page full-color comic, with a silk matt laminate cover. Ward created this project to help cover the cost of printing 200 copies of the comic, enough for some of their upcoming events ThoughtBubble and the Bristol Comic and Zine Fair. In addition, they are hoping to raise enough money to print and ship this comic to backers (naturally).

Here are some previews of the comic

Preview of Getting Lost Comic by Izzi Ward, via Kickstarter
Preview of Getting Lost Comic by Izzi Ward, via Kickstarter

The rewards for this project are limited, in that there isn’t a whole lot to choose from, but that makes sense considering the scope of this project. Backers can choose from signed prints, sketches, and postcards. Either way, you’ll receive a warm, gentle comic about friendship and who doesn’t want that? Ward is hoping to raise $965 to create this comic and funding will continue through August 26.

2. Cayrels Ring 3 – The final issue

Image via Kickstarter for Cayrels Ring

Shannon Lentz (Horror of Khor) and Dustin Weaver (Paklis) are back with their third installment of the 70s fever-dream inspired Cayrels Ring seriesThe 48-page comic will feature six stories from different collaborators. You can read a little synopsis of each story over on the Kickstarter page but the general theme involves a look at the inhabitants of the Cayrels Ring galaxy.

Here’s a look at the first story in the series, art and colors by John Le (Planetoid Praxis).

A young colony on a distant planet, on the edge of the explored space. It’s the first colony established since KLARA was retired almost 40 years ago but It’s not an officially sanctioned colony. As the colony grows and becomes more comfortable, they send out a team to explore their new homeworld. What they find is more than unexpected. This story is illustrated by John Le and 5 pages of preview art can be seen below.

Other contributors include Simon Roy (Habitat), François Vigneault (Titan), Pablo Clark (storyboard artist), and Alchemichael (Heart of Weirdness). There are a number of backer tiers and rewards available, in addition to the possibility of bundling rewards. That’s helpful for new readers of the series who may want to catch up on the previous two issues. You can also snag yourself some limited edition print or original work from the likes of artists James Stokoe, John Le, and Dustin Weaver. Funding for this project will continue through September 14.

This isn’t the team’s first Kickstarter (it’s their fifth), so they have a good understanding of what it takes to follow-through on projects. The team is hoping to raise $9,202 to help cover what I am assuming are the costs of printing. It would be lovely to have a more detailed breakdown, however, of what these costs are and how the money will be allocated. It’s important to note here that backers will have to pay for shipping, but they are upfront about these costs.

 

3. Skin Deep Volume 4: Illumination 

Kory Bing has been writing Skin Deep since 2006. In fact, it’s all available for you to read online right now. Bing says this comic grew from her love of myth and lore. Skin Deep follows the stories of four mythical creatures who live hidden from the sight of humans in Liverpool, England. This book is a whopping 227-pages long and the mock-ups look lovely.

Digital mock-up of Skin Deep, image via Kickstarter

Here’s a bit more about the stories that you’ll find inside:

  • The Bugbear Talisman: Follow Lily Snodgrass, a mischievous glaistig with a flair for pranks, as she finally takes down her biggest rival with the help of a mysterious talisman she found in the Mysterious Items Store.
  • Kill Them With Kindness: Rhonda Phelton gets to meet her boyfriend’s mother. Her boyfriend’s mother is a monster. She’s also kinda mean.
  • Reunion: A continuation of Anthony and Blanche’s story from Skin Deep: Exchanges. Anthony is now living with Blanche’s family as he tries to come to terms with his sudden transformation into a harpy, but it’s not easy. It doesn’t get any easier when Anthony’s mother shows up to tell her son a big family secret.
  • Illumination: A 3-part story continuing the main plot of Skin Deep as Jim brings Michelle, Merial, and Greg to the Liverpool Avalon in the hopes of getting answers to Michelle’s random and unhelpful visions. With the help of a mysterious new friend who is unhelpfully helpful, Michelle might get the answers she needs, but might also get a whole new batch of questions.

This is Bing’s eighth, yes eighth Kickstarter. She’s got this crowdfunding stuff down people, and she’s using a printer that has reliably produced work for her four previous times. Something I appreciate is Bing’s full accounting for where the money will go, here’s how Bing is breaking down the costs:

  • $7000 – printing 1,500 softcover books
  • $2000 – printing 250 limited edition hardcover books
  • $2000 – shipping from Hong Kong to Oregon
  • $5000 – shipping to backers
  • $3000 – estimated taxes, Kickstarter fees, incidentals

For this project, Bing wants to raise $19,000. There are two stretch goals at the $20,000 and $25,000 level which include a gold foil cover for the softcover book and enamel pin. Each hardcover copy of this book will be numbered, signed and have a unique sketch inside. Definitely a collector’s item. The pledge tiers allow backers the ability to receive the digital, softcover or hardcover edition of this book. You can also pick-up the previously released Skin Deep books too, should that tickle your fancy. Funding for this project will continue through September 9.


Well, I’m off to ride my bike.

Until next time, enjoy these last few days of summer and be well.