PROJECT OF THE DAY
Author Matthew Buckley is self-publishing Almost Super, his novel about some very unlikely superheroes. A $15 pledge gets you a signed-and-numbered first edition. Also cool is his charming, animated pitch video.
COMMUNITY
Is this the age of the hackerspace? i3 Detroit is a communal and collaborative environment for geeks and creatives in Detroit looking to expand its mission. The creators are offering swag to show your allegiance, and their project is off to a great start.
TECHNOLOGY
Brett Camper built the popular Trees Near You iPhone app, and now he's making 8-Bit NYC, a map of the city rendered to look like something out of Zelda. He's offering postcards and posters of his chip-mapped creation to fund the mapping of more cities.
BOOK
Neal Pollack is a heavily decorated writer and McSweeney's veteran. His "Anthology of American Literature" was clever satire and "Alternadad" made him a hipster parent hero. His next book covers yoga instruction; a signed galley — along with his complete catalogue — is just $75.
FILM
We've fallen in love with Joel Schroeder's "cinematic exploration of Calvin & Hobbes." Not only will Bill Watterson's creations finally get their on-screen due, the story is being told from a fan's perspective, as Schroeder examines the impact Calvin & Hobbes have had on, well, everything. It's been a great project, and this week is your last chance to join in.
VIDEO
"Transylvania Television" is a web-comedy series out of Minneapolis starring some R-rated puppets. As you'll see in their project video, it's awesome — and lacking in cash. The goal is to make an hour-long special, and they're offering lots of rewards to do it.
TECHNOLOGY
Thomas Hayden is a former producer for Google Street View with a cool plan: to street-map the Grand Canyon. To do it, Hayden will take a white-water raft through the Canyon using a GigaPan camera, which produces stunning images.
VIDEO
"Dragons" is a ridiculous TV show about two skaters and their quest for enlightenment. Or maybe it's just to party, skate, and have a good time. Either way, the clips in the project video are amazing, and the rewards look great. Hilarious stuff.
FILM
Geoff Edgars' documentary on the Kinks, "Do It Again," was one of Kickstarter's very first success stories. But the movie still needs help. To complete the film and prepare its release, he's launched a second project to share his quest to reunite the Kinks.
JOURNALISM
Ted Rall is a journalist, cartoonist, and writer who won awards for his coverage of the Afghanistan war in 2001 for the Nation and Washington Post. This project will send Rall to cover the new phase of the war, and he's bringing his readers with him via updates from the field.
GAMING
Gary Sarli has won awards for his work developing table-top role-playing games for the "Star Wars" franchise, and he's using his audience to develop a new game design in a grassroots way. Click through for more from this rich community.
BOOK
We were quickly charmed by the video for "The Elbows," a new novel from William Burck, which involves a menagerie of people claiming authorship. That participatory flavor flows through the project: chapters have been posted as project updates and the rewards are excellent.
GAME
Comic artist James Kochalka and neo-retro gamers Pixeljam are teaming up for a new game called "Glorkian Warrior," and they're funding the development through Kickstarter. They have great rewards (the game itself is just $10), and their video is one of the best we've seen yet. Great stuff!
ART
The basics for "1024 bits of you and me" couldn't be simpler: pledge $10, submit a word or phrase, and receive a painting by Pesi of the word. He's been posting tons of project updates with examples, and all have been terrific.