A DIDIER CASSEGRAIN DOUBLE FEATURE launching tomorrow!
almost 2 years ago – Tue, May 17, 2022 at 03:05:52 PM

Hi everyone!

Hope you had a great weekend -- and hopefully those of you in the UK and EU have received address verification messages (and possibly even tracking info) from Spiral Galaxy for your shipment! We heard from a handful of backers who have gotten the former, and were told by QML last week that Sprial expected to have everything out by the weekend, but we haven't gotten confirmation yet... hopefully they have gotten things out the door, and hopefully we'll get confirmation of such asap! (That's a lot of hoping, but that's all we can do these days...)

We're really excited to not only get the last of this campaign's orders into the final backers' hands, and are even more excited to announce the next amazing campaign LAUNCHING TOMORROW:

Presenting a double-feature of cinematic thrillers illustrated by Eisner Award-nominee DIDIER CASSEGRAIN! Two out of this world graphic novel adaptations of two celebrated novels -- one a mind-bending murder mystery and the other a gonzo sci-fi action-adventure -- both brought to vivid life by the incomparable illustrative style of the amazing Didier Cassegrain!

BLACK WATER LILIES is a thrilling murder mystery with a brain-breaking twist based on the best-selling novel by Michel Bussi. Three women are tied to a murder in the quaint village of Giverney, where Monet painted his legendary Water LIlies, and the truth behind the killing goes much further than anyone can suspect...

TRAPPED ON ZARKASS is a wild interplanetary romp through the alien wilderness of a faraway planet, following two Earth agents as they deal with the indigenous alien population in search of answers to questions that each may be hiding from the other. Based on the classic 1957 sci-fi novel by Stefan Wul, this blockbuster ride is described as "APOCALYPSE NOW through the jungles of AVATAR'S PANDORA."

As usual, we have a pre-registration page open now where you can sign up to receive a FREE BONUS linen cardstock print by Didier Cassegrain with your pledge, and a SECOND BONUS print if you pledge on Day-1 (TOMORROW)! Please check it out and sign up -- we're hoping for another strong turnout tomorrow, and it's totally up to YOU to help us get there!

While these are admittedly two very different books -- one a taut and engrossing murder mystery, the other a wise-cracking and action-packed sci-fi adventure -- they both complement each other due to Didier's unique and stunningly original art style and talent.

Both books stand completely on their own,  and you can simply order one or the other, or get both at a bundled discount tier!

Of course, we have a lot of nifty stretch goals planned and we're also offering a handful of similar Add-ons to supplement your order, so please check out the campaign when it launches at 10am CST TOMORROW!

Thanks, everyone! Hope to see you there tomorrow!

AU/NZ and UK/EU shipping update!
almost 2 years ago – Thu, Apr 28, 2022 at 10:37:22 PM

Hi everyone!

We've finally received some word back from the Australia and UK shipping hubs as to the status of those orders. It has indeed taken a lot longer than anyone expected, so we're happy to report that solid progress is finally being made. For what it's worth, it seems that all fulfillment hubs in every region have been feeling the pressure of ongoing COVID-related staff shortages and their ripple effects, if not in their own warehouses then somewhere along the supply chain getting the goods to and from them. We're told that projects ahead of us were delayed for those global reasons, and those delays had an equal effect on following projects, including ours. They're trying to get caught up, but it is a bit of an uphill climb with so many Kickstarter campaigns to fulfill these days...

That said, here's what we learned from Quartermaster this morning:

•  Australia/New Zealand orders have shipped! It sounds like most of them might have even hit the post yesterday morning, so if you are in that region, keep a look out. We assume you should have received notification from Aetherworks directly, but that's another point of confirmation we're waiting on...
•  UK/EU orders are being packed as we speak. According to Spiral Galaxy, they will start fulfillment soon, so you should look out for an address verification email this week. You can also check for updates via their social media, such as https://www.facebook.com/SpiralGalaxyGames, https://twitter.com/Spiral_Galaxy, and https://www.instagram.com/spiralgalaxygames/.

We will add tracking numbers to your Backerkit orders once we have received them from QML/Aetherworks/Spiral, but frankly, you may receive those numbers (or even your items) directly from those hubs before we even get those numbers!

We really do appreciate your patience. We've all had to deal with unprecedented shipping challenges this year, but we're muscling through them...

Thank you!

News on the slow-moving AU/UK/EU freight (finally!)
about 2 years ago – Sun, Apr 03, 2022 at 04:24:11 AM

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all doing well and starting a nice weekend. I must start by first apologizing to the international backers for the lack of news these past few weeks as orders seemed to crawl to their respective hubs in Australia and the UK. I've been hounding Quartermaster almost daily for the past month for updates, particularly these past two weeks when the freight was originally estimated to have arrived at their individual ports, but even QML has trouble getting updates through the ongoing shipping chaos. I've been reluctant to post a "no news" update, repeatedly hoping to have actual news a day or two later, but the lack of news from AU and the UK has been deafening...

...until now. We finally received word yesterday that the freight has finally reached Aetherworks in Australia, and the Spiral Galaxy shipment has apparently cleared customs in the UK. I only hope and pray that message wasn't an April Fool's Joke...! (I'm 99% sure it's not...)

Quartermaster will get more news from Spiral and Aetherworks after the weekend, but if those arrival reports are accurate, that should mean those international orders could hit the local mail within the next two weeks or so. We'll post more accurate info if/when we can get it from those hubs or QML.

Asia orders have already left the hub at VFI, so those are now in the hands of their regional postal carriers or game stores. We're told Japan and Singapore tend to move the fastest, so those orders should probably arrive in the next couple of weeks. Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines might take a few weeks longer in the hands of their local post, as we're told there are more local checkpoints in those regions.

Thanks to all of you wonderful supporters abroad for your patience. We know it has been a long wait for your stuff, particularly with the domestic orders reaching backers' hands months ago. Nobody wants to be late for a party, but maybe we can look at this as the start of a SECOND party: The Overseas Edition as all of you finally receive your stuff! 😊 We look forward to hearing your squeals of satisfaction!

Please know that we are constantly working with QML and monitoring all of our international shipping options on a weekly basis. If there were anything we could do to speed up the process, we would, and we certainly will do whatever we can as we move forward with other campaign fulfillment. The global situation is stressful on all parts of the industry, from both directions (with incoming goods being further delayed from the factory to our own warehouse again lately).

Here's hoping and praying that things get better soon. Not just for the crass commercial benefit of lower gas prices and faster shipping, but for the health and well-being of so many people suffering unimaginable hardship these days. As much as we may become focused on the frustrations of having to wait for our books to arrive, that's nothing compared to the millions who are currently forced to leave their homes, families, and possessions behind. We encourage everyone who can give to please consider any one of these many verified charities. We are all one people, and we all benefit when we stand together in support of each other. Even when a particular crisis is half-a-world away, there are undoubtedly those in need right around every corner.

Thanks again, everyone! More news soon!

International shipping status + ADRASTEA!
about 2 years ago – Mon, Feb 28, 2022 at 03:46:25 PM

Hi everyone!

A quick status report on international orders:

• UK/EU stock is well on its way to Spiral Galaxy and is expected to arrive there within the next two weeks (ETA March 13th). Assuming there are no unexpected events, they should be able to have all packages out by the end of the month. (Hopefully the current political situation doesn't cause any further delays, but some countries might be more affected than others...)
• AU/NZ stock was picked by Aetherworks last week, which should put those orders on roughly the same timeline.
• ASIA order inventory was received by VFI last week, so those orders should be going out very shortly!

We know this is taking longer than expected, and we're all doing what we can to navigate the ongoing (and increasingly complicated) international shipping situation, but there's not much we can do beyond patiently going through the available steps. With all that is happening in the world, our little comic books feels pretty insignificant, but we hope that when it does arrive (and it will soon), it'll provide a little respite and an enjoyable escape to make it worth the wait. 😊

In the meantime:

OUR NEXT CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES TOMORROW!

ADRASTEA by Mathieu Bablet

For those of you who backed our campaign for SHANGRI-LA and CARBON & SILICON last year, you probably know how amazing Mathieu Bablet's work is. (International backers, you will soon... they're on their way to you as we speak...!) Set in Greek mythology, this new book is equally beautiful, poetic, action-packed, quirky, and epic. It tells the story of a man who cannot die, so after 1000 years of watching loved ones die and his empire crumble, he sets out on a quest to demand answers from the gods of Olympus...

We'll be offering a limited edition, campaign-exclusive "Immortal" Bundle with a bunch of nice extras, as well as the usual array of stretch goals and bonus prints for pre-registering and pledging on Day 1.
Plus:

*** FREE SHIPPING for backers of OGRE GODS or ARSENE LUPIN! ***

Much like we did with SHANGRI-LA + FALSE GUARD + THE WALL, if you backed either of our previous two campaigns for THE OGRE GODS SAGA or ARSENE LUPIN, GENTLEMAN THIEF, or pre-order either from their Backerkit stores before closing at the end of March, we can add your physical pledge items from this campaign to your previous order so that they ship together at no extra cost! Free shipping will be applied to all qualifying pledges during pledge management in Backerkit.

This is going to be another beautiful book, a perfect companion to SHANGRI-LA or CARBON & SILICON, and we're excited to give ADRASTEA the spotlight treatment it deserves!

Hope to see you there tomorrow!

Only 2 days left to back ARSENE LUPIN, GENTLEMAN THIEF!
about 2 years ago – Wed, Feb 09, 2022 at 10:15:31 PM

Hi everyone!

We're hoping to have some updated shipping news from Quartermaster and the international hubs soon, but in the meantime...

There are only TWO DAYS LEFT to join the ARSENE LUPIN, GENTLEMAN THIEF Kickstarter campaign before it ends!

You don't want to miss out on the fabulous package of exclusive, limited-edition bonus items that have been unlocked to be included with all physical pledges for FREE! Right now, that's about $40 worth of exclusive collectibles that will not be available anywhere else once this campaign is complete. And you can get this whole beautiful art package for simply pre-ordering the $30 base tier or $40 Limited Edition Cipher Edition tier!

Like we did with FALSE GUARD and SHANGRI-LA, if you also backed our OGRE GODS campaign or pre-order from the Backerkit, you can get FREE SHIPPING by bundling both packages into one! Both campaigns will ship in May, so it's the perfect way to save on the skyrocketing cost of shipping these days.

We're hopeful that we'll unlock the numbered bookplates at $90k, but if even a portion of you non-backers watching this campaign come on board in the next 48 hours, everyone will benefit from having a matching "Holmes" lapel pin added to the set. It really is a bargain worth taking advantage of! (Can we hit that last stretch goal to make it $50 worth...? The lapel pins are sweet...)

Oh, and of course, there's THE FABULOUS BOOK ITSELF! 😊

Please check it out and help spread the word!