Hey, folks!
We’re planning a Kickstarter. Not sure if it’ll be this month, next, or the following, but it’s coming. We’re doing it for several reasons:
1) To make feasible a Year Two trade.
2) To keep the lights on (Cura ain’t free for us here, alas, though we very much love doing it).
3) To see where the comic stands and reassess.
I’m honestly not sure what to ask for, or how. I’m worried I’ll set the bar too high or too low. I think Cura is worth a million bazillion dollars, but I am fully cognizant that I think about a hundred things in this world are worth a million bazillion dollars, and I’m struggling to buy groceries and couldn’t contribute to them if I want to, so maybe it’s not an issue of value so much as it is this economy. Who knows? Either way, I have to try and do something.
The last three trades broke even, but it was a huge stress for me financially. I had to outlay the costs for the trades, and then recover the costs through sales incrementally, and the end result was a trade that broke even and a Neal that got hit hard by credit card percentages, so essentially it was a net loss. I can’t do that again, not with a baby on the way. Besides, Year trades are bigger, which means more story for less, and there are enough years to justify it now (woohoo!).
HUH? Wait? What? A baby on the way? Yeah, I went and got a lady pregnant. Don’t worry, I know her, and I’m reasonably certain she’ll stick around. Her name is Arntzen, you might know her namesake here in the comic. I will post pictures, don’t worry… I am not above exploiting my baby! Especially to keep him fed.
I have done surveys in the past, and the end result of the actions I took didn’t work out. People said they wanted tees, I bought tees, and I have a few kind people who bought them and a big box of leftover tees. And more debt. This is the peril of business, and I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip, understand. You have to throw spaghetti, and when it doesn’t stick, that’s nobody’s fault. What I AM trying to do, however, is make it so that I know for sure what to spend money on, and thus this upcoming Kickstarter. Either people want to pay X for a trade, or they do not, and that will be borne out, but I will not spend the next six months being chased by chuckling credit card goons.
To that end, I am doing a little pre-work here. I have a bunch of ideas and things that I have put together that I figure people might want, and I want to give you all a chance, here and now, to say what you want the most. These are the things that will be potentially going into the Kickstarter:
Trades (Year One and Year Two, buyer’s choice of one or both)
Extra-dimensional translocator stone (regular and deluxe, with color choice and Arntzen’s jewelry box)
Tee shirts
Buttons
Postcards
Posters
Original Art
PDF of the years with script and extras
Printed paper dolls
Of these, right now, based on past reaction, I am leaning toward paper dolls, postcards, and the translocators. The tee shirt as an endeavor is a risky one in my experience, and unless people really want DINOSAUR DINOSAUR DINOSAUR in the comments, or another idea, I am inclined not to do it. That is not to say I couldn’t be swayed if that’s what would make you want to contribute.
Please, by all means, let me know what you think in the comments. Here is where Cura really needs you, because if this doesn’t succeed, I have to look sternly at number 3 on the list above, and I don’t want to do that, because Cura and you guys are, to me, worth millions and bazillions. My optimistic thought is that ideas like two pages a week or its like will never be broached, so honesty and blunt assessment would be appreciated. Also: What target should I set? What is a fair amount? I know that with 3-4 thousand bucks, I could virtually assure the next year and some of four, barring illness or Dex being scooped up by Marvel or DC or… (which would not surprise me).
Speak, world! I listen.