Tuesday 19 February 2013

Dissolution: Volume One Kickstarter

I'm excited to introduce to you Dissolution:  Volume One
 
 

KICKSTARTER PROJECT LIVE LINK:


 
 

Information from the Dissolution: Volume One project page:

Summary:  Exploring the questions of life after death, the realm of the supernatural, and how characters' lives unexpectedly interweave.

What is Dissolution? 
What if there is another world, just beyond our own? It's there, it's footfalls are in sync with ours, but just slight enough that we fail to notice - and if we do, it's a barely-perceptible scratching noise that makes our hair stand on end. A shadowy movement out of the corner of our eye. The smell of roses where there is no reason for them to exist. A heartbeat whose source cannot be traced by our human ears. A world we fail to notice - but most definitely notices us. Now, imagine the veil being lifted and that world
revealed at last - would you cling to your sanity or feel it slip between your fingers?

2012 saw a creative flowering of several projects in which I was involved as an illustrator. I decided that I needed to make time for Dissolution, which I first wrote as a 300+ page novel in 2005. I wanted to see it in color, in images, give the characters faces to go with their names, and above all, SHARE the story so that others could see it too. I established a website in September of 2012 where I could share comic pages (and random thoughts/recipes) weekly.

Can I see any samples of your work?
Samples? Heck, you can go see exactly what you'll be getting! Well, the first half of it or so. Visit Dissolution, I update weekly with a new page! The printed version you are backing encompasses the first 48 pages of the story, far more than the website currently displays, but it's all set and ready to go and you hopefully will be able to tell from what's already available if it's a story that piques your interest! There are also several pages shown below, at the bottom of this write-up. Warning: There IS some mature content (language, violence, nudity) in this story!

What is the money going to be used for?
I will print a run of at least 200 copies of Volume One - the first 48 pages of
Dissolution. If I get more backers, I will print more copies! That may seem like a small amount, but I am excited to even start with that. In addition, funds will cover merchandise included in tier level rewards - t-shirts, stickers, mini-buttons, and art prints. If there is a little left over, it will be funneled into purchasing an artist's booth at one of our local (or close-to-local) conventions (Shooting for one of the following: April 6-7, 2013 - Planet Comicon (in Kansas City); June 21-23, 2013 - Trek Expo; or July ?? 2013 - Tokyo in Tulsa).

Why should I pay for it when it's free online?
This is a savvy question, and one that I struggled with in creating this Kickstarter. It's true, Dissolution is free and viewable online - there aren't even any ads on the website. However, I can think of three reasons why you might choose to back this project in spite of that!

Dissolution: Volume One will cover the first 48 pages of the story.
You will notice that there are nowhere near 48 pages on the site yet. This is because I've been building a backlog in preparation for this printing, and yet have kept my online updating to once-weekly. Backers will be WAY ahead of online readers when it comes to knowing what happens and where the story is going!!
 
By supporting this project, you are also supporting the continuation of the story in all its forms
Being able to print and market Dissolution is a dream come true - and it means that the website will be going strong for a long time in the future! A successful project here tells me that enough people are interested in the story and art that it is vital to continue.

You are an amazing person who likes to support authors and illustrators by purchasing their work.
This can't be overstated.  People who choose to back art and literature in spite of it being available online are among my favorite people (along with Jacques Cousteau, Michio Kaku, Georgio Tsoukalos and Neil deGrasse Tyson - what a list to join!). Seriously though, it's a big deal - your decision to back my project humbles me, and I thank you.  "But wait," you may say. "I WILL be ahead of the story - but then I'll have to wait SOOOOO long for the website to catch up!" Ah, but I've got you covered! If this Kickstarter is successful, I'm considering moving to faster updates - updates aiming for the reveal of the end of Volume One online (page 48) to correspond to the offer of Volume Two in the future. Backing this project will mean faster reveal of the storyline in TOTAL, for those online and in print. EVERYBODY wins! But especially you. Because you get to hang out with Kaku, deGrasse Tyson, Tsoukalos and Cousteau in my head.

Who are you?
Hi! My name is Indi Martin. I write, I illustrate, I don't sleep as much as I should. I've been drawing and writing all of my life - I actually have several completed novels, but am generally too much of a perfectionist to be happy enough with them to shop them around. Though I've done a lot of illustrating for projects, I still consider myself amateur simply because I have never been paid - or paid much - to complete them. My largest and longest dream has always been to someday make a living - even a super-meager one - through my creative endeavors! I love to Geocache in my spare time (I'm "Starbuck2011" in the Tulsa Area Geocachers group!) and really bliss out when I find high terrain-high difficulty caches first! I don't consider myself an "avid" hiker, but I'd love to be. I took some time out from life to hike the Appalachian Trail a few years ago and completed about 1000 miles of it - considering I had never actually camped out more than one night at a time prior to that, I'm glad the risk paid off and I grew to love it!

Do you have any of those nifty Stretch Goals?
I DO!!!!

$4,000: ALL BACKERS (no limit!) will receive a PDF File of the Novel-So-Far - see how the graphic novel differs from the actual written version, and read everything that didn't make it in.

$5,000: Character cards! All backers above $15 will also receive trading cards of the characters that have been revealed so far - their profile and description, their connections and potential motives.

$6,000: TO BE REVEALED if we break $5k!

Explain these tier level rewards, would you?
I'd love to!

PDF Copy of Dissolution: Volume One - All backers at all levels receive this, and you don't have to wait for everything else. I'll send this to all backers' emails as soon as funding is successful. This is a high-resolution digital copy of the first 48 pages of the story - and I'm so excited to share it with you!

Printed Copy of Dissolution: Volume One - This will be a 48 page full-color perfect-bound comic book printed on 60# high-bright pages with a 80# glossy full-color cover. I will cry tears of joy when I first hold one in my hand, no lie. But I promise I won't send you the tear-stained copy. Unless maybe you want it. Weirdo.
 
Signed Print Copy of Dissolution: Volume One - Exactly what it sounds like!

Sketch-Cover Variant Copy of Dissolution: Volume One - These are limited (only 25 available), and have a slightly longer fulfillment date. This is because I will hand-draw and hand-ink each cover myself. You will have a one-of-a-kind (not even one of 25, because every one will be different!) item, and I will work tirelessly to fulfill these on time. As I mentioned, I don't sleep as much as I should.
^_~

Mini-Buttons - 1.5 inch buttons with a cool Dissolution splatter-logo

Stickers - 4.5 x 3 inch tri-color vinyl stickers so you can sport your Dissolution swag anywhere that you can stick a sticker!

T-Shirts - 100% pre-shrunk cotton men's style tees

Art Prints - 9x12 inch matte print of the Dissolution cover

Custom Art Prints - Whatever you want, I will pencil, ink, and color, then send to you in a lovely 9x12 inch matte print!

Tier Level Rewards:
Pledge $1 or more
Pay what YOU think it's worth! Backers at this tier receive a PDF copy of all 48 pages in Volume One! You've backed my project and I am eternally grateful!
Estimated delivery: Mar 2013

Pledge $6 or more
PDF copy + sweet Dissolution sticker! Swag on!
Estimated delivery: Apr 2013
Add $3 to ship outside the US

Pledge $12 or more
Enjoy a PDF + print copy of Volume One! I will also send you a personal thank-you email and list you as a backer on my website!
Estimated delivery: Apr 2013
Add $5 to ship outside the US

Pledge $18 or more
PDF copy + print copy of Volume One + awesome mini-button + sticker! Show off your Dissolution swag! I will also send you a personal thank-you email and list you as a backer on my website!
Estimated delivery: Apr 2013
Add $6 to ship outside the US

Pledge $25 or more
PDF copy + SIGNED copy of Volume One + mini-button + sticker, and a personal thank-you email! You'll be listed as a SILVER backer on my website!
Estimated delivery: Apr 2013
Add $6 to ship outside the US

Pledge $50 or more
PDF copy + a SIGNED copy of Volume One + awesome T-Shirt + mini-button + sticker + a personal letter from me thanking you for your support! AND you'll be listed as a GOLD backer on my website! WHEW!
Estimated delivery: Apr 2013
Add $10 to ship outside the US

Pledge $75 or more
PDF copy + a SIGNED copy of Volume One + awesome T-Shirt + mini-button + sticker + 9x12 matte art print + a personal letter from me thanking you for your support! AND you'll be listed as a GOLD backer on my website!
Estimated delivery: Apr 2013
Add $10 to ship outside the US

Pledge $125 or more
Limited
PDF copy + SKETCH COVER VARIANT of Volume One + standard print copy + sweet T-Shirt + mini-button + sticker + 9x12 matte art print + personal letter from me thanking you for your support! AND you'll be listed as a PLATINUM backer on my website!
Estimated delivery: Jun 2013
Add $10 to ship outside the US

Pledge $250 or more
Limited
PDF copy + signed print copy of Volume One + sweet T-Shirt + mini-button + sticker + CUSTOM REQUEST 9x12 FULL COLOR matte print of whatever you request! + a personal letter from me thanking you for your support! AND you'll be listed as a SUPER DOUBLE UNOBTANIUM backer on my website! (Fulfillment on all pieces except the custom art will be completed separately in May 2013).
Estimated delivery: Aug 2013
Add $12 to ship outside the US


Sample Comic Images (all images will be higher resolution through KS link, and links to
original image on the Dissolution site are included):
 
 


 

1 comment: