THANK YOU! Plus: credit card errors, surveys, and the next steps
over 1 year ago – Tue, Nov 29, 2022 at 05:56:05 PM

THANK YOU!

The campaign ended last night, and I just want to thank all of you for your support. I've said it many times, but making comics is a dream come true for me, and that's all thanks to you. I am really grateful for all of you. 🤗

I also want to give a special shout out to my family, because they really wanted all of you to get a bunch of free bonus rewards! 😁 In the final minutes, my wife and father in law pitched in $200 to bring us up to the $3800 final stretch goal. I've truly blessed with the support in my life. And thanks to that, it means that the trading cards and Uncle Sam print are a go, and I will also start planning the next issue!

Issue #3 is in the future, though. Right now, I wanted to briefly go over what will happen next with this campaign.

Credit Card Errors

It's that time of year! No, not the holidays. It's the time of year when everyone's credit card expires! 😁

I just want to give a reminder to double check your payment info. There were 17 backers whose payments didn't process, and I really want to make sure that everyone who backed this project gets a copy of the comic!

My own card on file expired earlier this month and I got a bunch of messages from Kickstarter about it, so I know exactly how it goes! But I don't want anyone to miss out, so please double check. 🙂 Kickstarter will be processing the payments in less than two weeks, so if things aren't corrected by then, you may miss out. 

Surveys and Printing

The next step of the process will be surveys. I'm using Backerkit for the first time on this campaign, which will hopefully make the process smoother and easier.

I'm currently in the process of setting up the surveys, and I expect to send them out by Thursday. These surveys are very important, as without them I won't have your shipping addresses to mail the comic. And for some rewards, there are choices that need to be made as well. 

Once the surveys go out, you'll have a couple of weeks to answer them. I'll be receiving the money from Kickstarter sometime around December 12, so I'm hoping to lock in all the rewards by December 15. The book will be 100% complete at that point - I am just adding the lettering to the last 7 pages right now and then it's done - so as soon as the surveys are locked in, I'll be sending out digital rewards, and I will also be sending the book to the printer. 

I want to get you your rewards as soon as possible, so it will be super helpful if you can answer the survey quickly as well.

Thank you all again for your support! I'll have another update in a day or two when the surveys go out. 

Until then, adventure awaits!

Final 8 hours! 1st Stretch Goal Unlocked, One More to Go!
over 1 year ago – Tue, Nov 29, 2022 at 06:39:48 AM

Hello, fellow cultists!

We're into the final hours and I'm excited and humbled to announced that we've passed the first stretch goal! That means that ALL backers will receive a suite of bonus digital rewards including an extended PDF with bonus stories, five complete bonus comics, digital wallpapers, an audio commentary track, and more!

Thank you all so much for your support, it means a lot to me! 🤗

As I am writing this, we're currently just $348 from hitting the final stretch goal. This would give all physical backers a pile of bonus rewards, including five new trading cards, a secret decoder bookmark, and a brand new Uncle Sam print from Jay Piscopo! Plus, ALL backers will receive digital versions of the trading cards, including the five original trading cards from issue #1.

I'm still working to get the word out to everyone in these last hours, so I'm hopeful we may still be able to hit that goal. As part of that, I just wanted to highlight again a few add-ons that I think you might like.

Spotlight on Add-Ons

Right now I'm giving a special discounted price on a set of all four issues of my other series The Crimebusters. Taking place 12 years later in the same world as Cthulhu vs. Uncle Sam, The Crimebusters features a group of student detectives who investigate supernatural mysteries in the classic style of Scooby Doo. Along the way, they start to uncover a larger conspiracy that may or may not have something to do with a certain Cult of Cthulhu 😉

Usually these are $8 each, but right now I'm offering the whole set of 4 issues for $20 as an add-on. And now is a great time to jump on board: issue #5 is coming at the end of January with a new artist and the introduction of a terrible new threat -- the Queen in Yellow. 

I'm also a big fan of the trading cards, which is one reason I'm really hopeful we can unlock the stretch goals for everyone! So far in our previous campaigns we've funded the printing of 15 trading cards; if you missed those, or just want doubles, you can get the set of all 15 trading cards for $7. And I'm also doing sketches on blank cards this time around, where I will draw any character you want; these sketch cards are $5 each. 

We've also got two sets of 7x10 prints, which are almost the same size as the comics themselves. You can get a set of all five covers from issue #1, or a set of all five covers from issue #2; each set of five prints is $5. 

And I'm also excited this campaign to be making fridge magnets for the first time! These are 2x3, and feature either the "Cthulhu Wants You!" poster variant from issue #1 or the "Keep Calm and Cthulhu Fhtagn" poster variant from issue #2. These fridge magnets are $8 each, or you can get both fridge magnets for $13. 

These are just a few of the many stretch goals available, such as the Granny Gumshoe variant cover for #2, so check out the add-ons when you have a chance. You might find something cool you like!

Thanks again for all the support, I appreciate it very much!! 😊

You're Invited to a Closeout Bash!

Just a reminder that tonight at 8 pm ET I will be livestreaming the final hour of the campaign! You can join me and I'll be answering any questions you have about this comic, or about anything else you might want to discuss. Bring your party hat, and I'll see you there!

Kickstarter Spotlight

It's the last day, so I want to close things out by highlighting two up and coming creators who are following their passion: The Theme of Thieves and Cold-Blooded.

The Theme of Thieves

Creator Dawg Pound Brown is back with the third issue of his ongoing series The Theme of Thieves.

Here's how he describes it: "The Theme of Thieves is an ongoing mystery comic book series about 2 teens coming-of-age, Rebecca Rhodes and Jason Gable, whose daily lives are interrupted when the mysterious Man In The Red Suit take them time traveling to different periods in history to try to solve the mystery of why people are disappearing in present day.  Think LOST meets Quantum Leap meets The Wire!"

You can check it out here!

Cold-Blooded

Creator Perry Edwards is back with the second, 139-page volume of his ongoing manga-inspired slugfest Cold-Blooded. Here's how he describes this series:

"Rembrandt Snart misses his dad. While holding out hope after his father's disappearance five years ago he discovers latent reptilian abilities brought out by a shadowy figure determined to end his life. This is a shonen/seinen battle manga which just means that it's focused heavily on the action/fighting aspect. If you enjoyed DBZ or any battle anime/manga for that matter, such as One Punch man, My hero Academia, Attack on Titan, than you'll enjoy this."

You can check it out here.

Final Weekend! New rewards! Plus: Egoraven, and more!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Nov 25, 2022 at 04:32:14 PM

Hello, fellow cultists!

Well, this is it: the final weekend! The campaign ends on Monday at 9 pm ET, so we just have three days left in this one. I'm still hopeful that we can unlock both stretch goal tiers and get a bunch of sweet bonus rewards into everyone's hands!

As I'm writing this we're at $3148, meaning we're just $242 away from hitting the first stretch goal, which will unlock a slew of digital rewards for all backers. And we're just $642 away from unlocking all the bonus physical rewards, which include a set of 5 new trading cards and a new print of Uncle Sam by Jay Piscopo! Plus, if we hit that $3800 goal, it means that there will be a Cthulhu vs. Uncle Sam #3!

Needless to say, it's a very exciting time around here. And I want you to share in the excitement, so I'm inviting you all to join me for a Closeout Party Bash Livestream event on Monday night at 8 pm ET to count down the final hour in style!

Each of my last two Kickstarters have seen some surprising last minute action, so this should be a treat. Plus, I'll be answering any and all of your questions, and possibly showing a couple sneak peeks at some new comics I'll be bringing to Kickstarter in 2023.

See you there! 🤗

New Add-On and Stretch Goal Reward!

I do have a couple NEW REWARDS to share with you. 

As part of the $3800 stretch goal, I'm adding in another bonus reward for all physical backers: a Secret Decoder Bookmark that will allow you to decode eldritch incantations inside Cthulhu vs. Uncle Sam! here's a sneak peek at the bookmark:

And I've also added in a new add-on for those of you who have kids, or are still kids at heart: a set of Boston Powers #3 and #6, both of which include a story about boy superhero Earth Boy, co-created and written by me!

Boston Powers is an all-ages, kid friendly anthology about superheroes in the Boston area. It was completely written, drawn. and published by Boston-area indie comic creators, some of whom are kids themselves!

I had a lot of fun creating Earth Boy, who is sort of my homage to both Thor and the original Golden Age Captain Marvel: when he strikes his magic walking stick on the ground, he gains all the powers of Thor...eau. Famed naturalist Henry David Thoreau, that is. Aided by the ghost of Thoreau, Earth Boy uses his powers to protect the environment. 

This set of both issues is just $10 as an add-on. But I only have a handful of sets available, so if you're interested, get them before they disappear!

Thanks again for all the support, and I'll see you all on Monday night! 🙂

Kickstarter Spotlight

One thing I love about Kickstarter, especially Kickstarter right now, is that it's evolving into a true alternative distribution system to your old school comic stores. That means that there are more and more ongoing titles and extended limited series being released regularly here. And this time I have three of those titles that are building a legacy: Egoraven #5, Starlite #5, and Tokyo Blade Detectives #6!

Egoraven: Heir of the First Unicorn

If you missed the first four issues of Egoraven, don't worry, creator Daphne Lage has you covered, as you can get the vol. 1 trade collecting issues #1-4 as well as the latest issue. 

Here's a quick description: "Follow the adventure of a unicorn princess exiled into the mortal realm after she is betrayed by her elf prince husband-to-be and dragons overtake her kingdom. But when Egoraven becomes an unwitting pawn in a noblewoman's attempt to avoid an arranged marriage, she trains to become a knight with the help of an unlikely trio of blacksmiths, hoping she can ultimately win a king's favor and save her people."

This series is set to run 15 issues, so now is a perfect time to jump on board for the rest of ride. Check it out here!

Starlite

There are just two days left to back Starlite, which delivers the fifth of a planned seven issue story about what happens when kid superheroes start to grow up. 

Creator Travis Webb describes the comic thusly: "Chris and Sara Sheridan - formerly Mighty Boy and The Melter of The Ultra Kids - are now just two "normal" teenagers trying to navigate high school and beyond.

They were once child superheroes, a sensation known as "ULTRA KIDS." They vanished from the public eye five years ago, leaving the world to wonder what happened."

Oh, and now they've been kidnapped by extra-dimensional spider wizards. That's a big thing to mention. Check it out now before it's too late!

Tokyo Blade Detectives

Tokyo Blade Detectives is a high octane love letter to anime about two detectives in a dangerous anime world. 

The creators of this book have crafted it as a tribute to the anime they grew up on. If you missed the first five issues, don't worry, they have reward tiers that will allow you to catch up on the story. In fact, they have a tier that allows you to catch up on all their various comic book series at once, with 40+ digitial comics for just $15!

There are only 5 days left, though, so check it out now!

FINAL WEEK!! Add-on spotlight on George Tuska!! Plus: Cane L. Grey, Werewolf Bounty Hunter and more!
over 1 year ago – Thu, Nov 24, 2022 at 06:17:23 PM

Hello, fellow cultists!

This is it, the final week of the campaign! There are just 6 days left before Cthulhu vs. Uncle Sam #2 is in the books, and we're moving up towards unlocking those stretch goals. Thank you all so much for your support, and for sharing this project with other comic fans like you. It's been a big help and I really appreciate it! 😊

Today I want to just spotlight a special add-on that's available for $20: the 100-page giant Crimebuster 80th Anniversary Special featuring a never before published cover by the legendary Golden Age artist George Tuska!!

It was truly humbling to have the chance to bring some of the late Mr. Tuska's art to life, especially to mark the 80th anniversary of the creation of one of my favorite comic book characters, Crimebuster. To really do Mr. Tuska's art justice, I also had it inked by Batman and Archie inker and artist Andrew Pepoy. Here's the finished cover:

To really do the project justice, I decided to make it a 100-page giant. In the style of the DC 100-page giants of the 1970s, the book is packed with hand-picked Crimebuster stories from the Golden Age. And not just hand-picked: I personally scanned the stories from my own collection and then digitally remastered them to create what I think are the highest quality copies of these stories you can get anywhere outside of the original copies.

In addition, the comic also includes a remastered version of my comic The Crimebusters #1, aka Boy Comics #120, which continues Crimebuster's legacy and continuity from the Golden Age. I not only redrew some panels and re-inked the entire comic, I also had all 36 pages colorized so I could present this story in full color for the first time. And I published it all as a flip book for bonus fun! 

Here's a look at the "back cover," which pays homage to DC's classic 100-page giants:

Over this past weekend, I received the physical proof from the printer, and it looks great! I made an unboxing video to show it off:

I do have some extra copies, but not very many, as it's not cheap to print a 100-page squarebound comic! So this add-on is available in limited quantity, with just 10 copies available.

There's also a special artist's edition variant as well, which features a virgin variant on the front with no logo, and the black and white inked line-art on the back so that fans can really get a great look at Mr. Tuska's artwork. This is even more limited, with just 5 copies available. Here's a look at the artist's edition back cover:

I'm super excited to get these in my own collection, and I know that some of you are fans of Golden Age comics -- and of The Crimebusters -- so I wanted to highlight this one, especially since there are a lot of add-ons this time! 🙂

Thanks, everyone for all the support! Let's get this across the finish line and finish strong!

Kickstarter Spotlight

Cthulhu vs. Uncle Sam isn't the only Kickstarter ending soon. In fact, a couple of the Kickstarters I wanted to share with you today are ending very, very soon, so if you dig these, don't wait!!

Cane L. Grey: Werewolf Bounty Hunter

This one ends TOMORROW, so you won't want to wait to check it out, especially since Cane L. Grey: Werewolf Bounty Hunter is such a cool looking book! And as I am writing this, it still needs $158 to get funded. 

Creator Andrew Perry has this tease for the story: "Deep in the Louisiana Bayou, a darkness that has been growing for decades has breached the surface of the rancid waters. Bounty Hunter, Cane L.Grey, has been dispatched to find out who or what has been killing children."

This one also has a number of Chtulhu-related posters and rewards, some of which I know you'll dig. So check it out now before it ends!

Violet Dawn: Exile

This is another really cool looking project that could use your help. With just 3 days left to go, they're still about $2500 short. It would be a shame if this one didn't get made, because it's a really cool looking dark fantasy comic. 

I'll let the creators tell you about it themselves:

You can check it out here!

The Shilling Shockers

Here's another worthy campaign that needs a boost, as with 7 days left they're only about halfway there. This is a horror anthology channeling the feel of those classic dime novels and salacious broadsheets of yesterday. Here's what the creators have to say:

"“The Shilling Shockers” is an anthology of six horror tales, focused on fear. These stories want to show different sides of ‘terror’, through different interpretations. For this very reason there are multiple artists at work and each of them has given their own spin on what terror and discomfort mean, different in both style and way to tell a story; four of these stories are comics and two of them are illustrated. Six stories, six different ways to instill fear in the heart of readers."

You can give it a look here!

Fully funded! Plus: STRETCH GOALS!
over 1 year ago – Thu, Nov 24, 2022 at 06:17:02 PM

Hello, fellow cultists!

I'm extremely humbled and grateful to announce that we are now fully funded! That's entirely thanks to you and your support. You all really came together over the last few days to push us up over the funding mark, and I appreciate it very much! 🤗

Right now we're a little bit past the $3000 mark with 8 days left to go on the campaign. And that means that it's time for STRETCH GOALS!

This time around I'm going to keep things pretty simple, as there will be two stretch goal levels. Usually I only announce stretch goals one at a time, as I never want to take anything for granted and get ahead of myself. But with just over a week left, I thought this time I would announce them both up front since there's not a lot of time to work with. And I've tried to pack both stretch goal levels with a lot of cool bonus rewards.

The first stretch goal will be at $3400 and will include a whole suite of bonus digital rewards that all backers will receive if we reach that mark. I always like the first stretch goal to be bonus digital content, as I know there are a number of people who are backing at digital reward levels, and I want to make sure they get a bonus benefit from the stretch goals too. So if we reach $3400, all backers will receive the following suite of digital bonus rewards in addition to the regular rewards:

• the PDF edition of Cthulhu vs. Uncle Sam will be enhanced with the addition of at least three complete Golden Age stories -- one starring Uncle Sam (from the pages of National Comics), one starring granny Gumshoe (also from National Comics), and one starring Yankee Longago (from Boy Comics) -- for 25+ bonus pages of classic comic action!
• digital Cthulhu vs. Uncle Sam desktop wallpaper
• digital Cthulhu vs. Uncle Sam smartphone wallpapers
• director's commentary audio track for Cthulhu vs. Uncle Sam #2
• and FIVE COMPLETE BONUS COMICS: Cthulhu Invades Wonderland preview, The Sentinels #268, Silent Knight #1, Thunder #1, and the Standard Comics Encyclopedia #1

I've selected those five comics specifically because I think they will be of interest to you, as they all involve reimagining classic public domain characters, including Santa, Thor, Cthulhu, Alice in Wonderland, and several Golden Age superheroes!

And the second stretch goal will be at $3800 and will include bonus rewards for both physical and digital backers. Returning backers who have participated in my previous campaigns know how much I love my trading cards! So if we get to $3800, the following stretch goals will be added:

• all physical backers will receive a set of FIVE brand new trading cards featuring the following characters: Ike Reeves, Jake the Dog, Lady Liberty, The Knights in Yellow, and Death Mask 1776
• all backers will receive digital versions of the five new trading cards, as well as digital editions of the five trading cards from the first issue, which include Uncle Sam, Cthuhlu, Granny Gumshoe, Count Orloff, and Private Joe. 
• all physical backers will receive a brand new 6x9 print of Uncle Sam by Jay Piscopo!
• all backers will receive a digital version of the Uncle Sam print by Jay Piscopo
• finally, here's the BIG ONE: if we hit $3800, I will also commit to making Cthulhu vs. Uncle Sam #3!

Here's a look at Jay's Uncle Sam print!!

I've never produced digital editions of the trading cards before, because frankly, it never occurred to me! But when I saw our friends at Miskatonic High doing digital editions of their trading cards, it clicked. I love doing the trading cards in part because it allows me to put on the back of the cards a lot of fun character details that I don't always have room to fit into the comics themselves, so they are a really fun expansion of the world that I think a lot of you will enjoy in both formats!

And finally, I have a story I'd love to tell if we're able to do a third issue, which is tentatively called "The Brides of Cthulhu." If we get to $3800, we'll be at the level where it's financially viable for me do make a third issue, so if we hit the stretch goal, I'll commit to doing that. 

I've tried to really add value with both these stretch goals,  and I hope we are able to hit them so I can give all of you a lot of cool bonus rewards!

Thanks so much for all the support!! 👾🤗