Books are Here! Surveys Soon!
about 5 years ago – Mon, Apr 29, 2019 at 11:31:15 PM

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick update today to let you all know that we've received the physical copies of Issue #5! Hurrah! 

I'm working on the BackerKit surveys at the moment and am hoping to have them done soon, maybe by tomorrow or the day after. There'll be another update then with instructions and a backup link. We're still on track to fulfill this month and have been getting things ready since... ie, ordering supplies, printing art prints, etc. etc.

Stay tuned and thank you all for your patience!

Best,

Ray and Vince

Campaign Close! - Variant Preview, and Fulfillment Plans
about 5 years ago – Sun, Apr 14, 2019 at 12:51:18 AM

Hey Folks! 

We're on the last two days of this campaign and hoping to finish out strong!

Variant Cover Preview

I mentioned a while ago that I was going to preview the variant cover soon. Well, we have one more major revision to go, but seeing as how we can't wait any longer before the campaign's close here's the current iteration of the cover:

From what's shown above there will be three major changes:

• We're going to get rid of the hand gesture and have that more blended into the clouds. 
• We'll be adjusting the margins of the border as well. 
• The typography for the logo on the bottom is also not finalized.

The finished variant issue will also be printed either on a UV or Satin finish which will also significantly change the look and feel of the final cover. 

Fulfillment Plans

Once the campaign closes, it takes around 10 business days for Kickstarter to finish processing payments. As soon as the payments process, we'll send out BackerKit surveys to gather shipping details and where you can add on other items as well.

Mixam is currently in the process of printing and shipping our order of books. We're hoping that their arrival will coincide with the BackerKit surveys, allowing us to transition quickly into fulfillment.  On our end, we also need to order more shipping supplies such as cardboard mailers, bags and boards, and bubble wrap. 

We'll be doing our best to try and finish fulfillment by the end of May.

Issue #6

An update on issue #6: we're still in the process of revising the colors! But, we just recently finished the cover, which you can see below:

Yup! Issue Six delves deep into Ace and Alex as characters. We're really excited to bring you the issue in a couple of months...

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That's it for now folks! Thank you so much for making this campaign another successful one! Here's to a fast and furious finish!

- Ray and Vince

Mid Campaign! Manufacturing, WonderCon ++
about 5 years ago – Fri, Apr 12, 2019 at 12:02:01 AM

Hello Everyone! 

We just passed the midway point of the campaign! Hurrah!

WonderCon Anaheim 2019

This weekend I'll be at WonderCon Anaheim, located in Artist Alley C-62!

It's my first show of the year and I'm pumped! I can't wait to see some old friends and immerse myself once again in the comic scene. Please do stop by if you're attending the show! I'll have some secret goodies for longtime fans that make the trek ;). 

Printing Update

We're happy to announce that we have sourced a printer and our on our way with fulfillment on this issue! This time we're going with UK-based Mixam Printing. 

We're really excited as it seems like Mixam might be able to solve our floppy printing needs for the foreseeable future. Because we are based in both the UK and USA, there's always been an extra step in coordinating the shipping logistics of our suppliers, one that has sometimes resulted in some mishaps, delays, and extra cash. 

Early in this campaign Vince and I decided that we didn't want to print in Asia as we're at a point where we value turnaround time more than saving a couple hundred dollars. Mixam seems like they have both competitive pricing and a faster turnaround time than Asian printers; plus, their offset printers are actually located in the UK, which means that hopefully we've found a vital new partner that can help us fulfill faster in Europe.

Fingers crossed. So far their samples look spot on, pricing is competitive, and the customer service has been fabulous. We're hoping their care in shipping and the final product matches what they've shown so far.

Other Mythopoeia Projects

Meanwhile, as we work on fulfillment, progress continues on Skies of Fire #6! We're currently in the coloring phase after reviewing the first pass of color flats last week. Here's a look at some inks and initial flats:

Glow #3 is art-locked and moving to lettering:

While Glow #4 is nearly 2/3rds inked:

We've also been chipping away at the Skies of Fire RPG:

Shameless Plug Section

Today I'd like to share two awesome Kickstarters from creators I've met in person! 

Tuskers is a comic about a herd of orphaned elephants that must escape their homeland from vicious poachers. One of the writers, Javier, is the awesome librarian at the Writer's Guild of America West Library (which I have been known to frequent from time to time). The project looks like it has a lot of heart, so please check it out!

The Lost Kids: Seeking Samarkandis a young adult fantasy series from Felipe Cagno, creator of Few and the Cursed, a fellow indie Kickstarter guy, and general beast of a creator. "A love letter to the Goonies, the 80s cartoon Dungeons & Dragons, and my all-time favorite game series Final Fantasy."  If that seems like your cup of tea please check it out! \o/

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Alright, that's it for now! I hope to see some of you at WonderCon! I have to get back to packing! 

Onwards! 

- Ray and Vince

Day 1 Breakdown - Thank you!
about 5 years ago – Fri, Mar 22, 2019 at 08:58:14 AM

Hey Everyone,

Thank you so much for coming out in force day one of this Kickstarter! Vince and I are honored to be able to publish another issue of Skies of Fire.  We say it over and over again because it needs to be said: none of this would be possible without you. So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. 

For our new fans - welcome! You've stumbled upon a true passion project that we, the creators, have put every ounce of our heart and soul into. Our goal at Mythopoeia is nothing less than to create the highest quality comics in the world. We hope that comes through in your enjoyment of the series.

Issue #5 marks the beginning of the second half of the story. We're currently in the midst of finishing up writing issue #7 while issue #6 is being colored. It's been quite a surreal experience now that our ending is in sight. 

On the publishing side, we're currently in the midst of securing a new printer for this comic; one that hopefully will have a quick turnaround so that we can fulfill this campaign ASAP. We think we have a good supplier, so fingers crossed. 

We know that we have a backlog of issues that we'd like to release, so hopefully this is but the first of a quartet of campaigns we run this year. 

As they say, onwards and upwards! 

- Ray and Vince

Kickstarter Comics
about 5 years ago – Fri, Mar 22, 2019 at 08:58:05 AM

Hey Everyone,

I want to take the opportunity to use this space and talk about comics for a moment. Specifically, Kickstarter comics. 

Back when Vince and I started making Skies in 2014, we thought about all of the things aspiring comic creators think about: how to find an artist (and pay them), how to get noticed, and of course how to get published. 

In the course of our discussions it became really clear at the time that something amazing was happening in comics. Creators were becoming empowered to find an audience directly, all because of this newfangled thing called crowdfunding. We decided to give it a go and, well, we've been blessed to be able to keep doing it, five years on.  

In 2014 it seemed that we were among maybe the first or second wave of new comic creators on the platform... ie, not coming from webcomics or traditional comics with an established fanbase, but true neophtes trying to build something through the platform. We didn't know if Kickstarter would last and thought well maybe the bubble has to eventually burst.

It hasn't. Man, oh man, it hasn't!

I'm always most active on Kickstarter when we have an ongoing campaign. Y'know, I like to take a look around, see what others are doing, etc. And of course through the years doing this we've made a lot of friends out of fellow creators.

This Spring... my goodness, crowdfunded comics are blossoming! I've been blown away by the quality of work that's on the platform right now. Never have I seen this quantity and quality of original comics on the platform at once. 

Not going to lie, it's a bit intimidating and awe-inspiring being in the company of all these amazing creators. But, it also gives me a feeling of camaraderie and optimism. I truly believe that Kickstarter is the place of greatest innovation and creativity in all of the comics industry. Nowhere else will you find a collection of voices pushing the boundaries of medium and genre than in this, the true direct market. 

We're grateful and honored to be part of the wave. Thank you for your support of independent comics and independent creators. Your belief has not just allowed our voice, but that of an entire new generation of creators, to be heard, grow, and thrive (while also giving the old heads the creative freedom to work on their passion projects ;)

Let's keep the momentum going. Together, we really are pushing comics forward. 

- Ray and Vince