(I was really struggling to come up with a decent Kickstarter-related pun for the title, gang. Go easy on me.)
So hey, folks. How the devil are you? Nearly three weeks into our time on Kickstarter and I, for one, am starting to flag. Wait, has it been nearly three weeks? Time, space and everything in between seem to be blurring into one. Is any of this happening? Is this real life?
Still, I can’t really complain. Compared to previous Kickstarters I’ve run, Man Made God has been a walk in the park – in terms of health, at least. I’ve not contracted labyrinthitis (Volume 3), I’ve not come down with food poisoning (Sandwich Masters)… it seems that the moment I turn to crowd-funding my body becomes a gosh-darned magnet for pestilence and misfortune. Maybe being hospitalised with my appendix a couple of months ago was karma’s way of front-loading the nastiness. Compared with hospitalisation and outright KO I can handle a couple more weeks of red eyes and general frazzled-ness.
On the actual money front… well, we’re ticking along. Not doing terribly, but not exactly charging ahead either. We’ve still got 11 days ahead of us to make Afterlife Inc. Volume 4 a reality, so maybe we can turn this around, but I’m trying to be pragmatic about our prospects. The worst part has to be the knowledge that I’ve pretty much done everything I can at this point to spread the word. There’s nothing much left to do but to throw myself at the mercy of the Kickstarter audience and hope for the best 😉
As the ‘little project that could’, given just how hard it’s proven this time around to raise the profile of the book, I’m all the more grateful to my incredible backers for taking us this far. You guys have been incredible – truly incredible – and if nothing else it means the world to know that so many people care about the future of Afterlife Inc.
But hey, it’s not over yet! How about a round-up of some of the awesome examples of support and positivity about Man Made God we’ve received over the last couple of weeks?
AFTERLIFE INC is one of the best British indie comics, and if you’re unaware of it, definitely have a nose. Excited to support volume 4.
— Kieron Gillen (@kierongillen) 13 September 2016
What can be said about Kieron Gillen (X-Men, The Wicked and The Divine) that hasn’t been said before? The man’s a nice guy. ‘Nuff said.
PLEDGE YOUR ALLEGIANCE. Jack Fortune is one of the best characters in the UK indie scene and this is going to be ACE https://t.co/3mPqqOUlX4
— Vince Hunt (@jesterdiablo) 29 August 2016
From one king of UK comics to another, Vince Hunt – friend, scholar… rake – is another fine example of a human being. Check out the Red Mask From Mars. It’s funny. Moving. And much less filling that wheat.
This is a book that helped wake me up at a time I desperately needed it. It’s GREAT, go pledge:) https://t.co/sqydsN1BHg
— Man of Words (@AlasdairStuart) 31 August 2016
Alasdair Stuart is… well, he’s a gentleman. He reviewed Afterlife Inc. for SFX and delivered one of the kindest, most moving, pieces of commentary I’ve ever received. Top bloke. Cares deeply.
Not only will I retweet it, you charming villain, but I now need to buy and read the story. Curse you! https://t.co/u2v8u2wtdV
— Nick Harkaway (@Harkaway) 2 September 2016
Nick Harkaway wrote The Gone-Away World and Angelmaker, two books that make me marvel, laugh and cry in equal measure, often at the same time. I don’t re-read books as a rule. I re-read Angelmaker. That’s how good it is. Genuinely touched that he would respond to such a random Twitter approach in such a nice way.
Wow! This looks awesome! https://t.co/2CRmUUgsVC
— Brad Guigar (@guigar) 9 September 2016
Been listening to a LOT of episodes of an old podcast called Webcomics Weekly, dating back to the primitive days of 2008. Hosted by cartoonists Scott Kurtz, Kris Straub, Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar, while the episodes might be nearly a decade old they have some uncannily relevant advice for anyone seeking to make comics/art as a digital business. Highly recommended. Mentioned this in passing on Twitter, and Brad (Evil Inc.) very kindly, and completely unbidden, gave us a shout out.
We’ve also had, among many wonderful features, articles on the Kickstarter run by Pipedream Comics and Bleeding Cool. Massive thanks, of course, to all the sites that have been kind enough to provide the project with a little publicity.
Thanks again to everyone who has lent their support to Afterlife Inc. Volume 4 so far. We’re entering the final stretch, so I guess the time has come for a final push to carry us home. If you’ve already backed and would like to help more, a word to a friend or via social media would be greatly appreciated. Similarly, if you can’t afford to pledge but would otherwise like to help, any efforts to spread the word could make all the difference. Let’s shout this from the rooftops! Let’s do this!
Cheers gang. You people, as ever, rock.