Every week, the Kickstarter staff collects a few of our favorite recently launched projects to share with all of you. This week's will take you the edge of forever and back, with a Mayan-inspired operetta, a documentary that's stranger than (science) fiction, and the story of a little girl and her robot.
MUSIC: The Edge of Forever
The Edge of Forever is an operetta inspired by the last day of the Mayan calendar, which many have surmised will usher in the apocalypse. As accomplished astronomers, the Maya carefully studied celestial events and refined a complex, cyclical calendar system that mirrors natural phenomena. It's within this world and its tightly concentric circles of time that The Edge of Forever takes place, exploring the interlocking lives of two people who are ultimately destined for each other. If that doesn't sound all-encompassing enough, the operetta will be staged as an immersive experience, beginning with a procession of chorus members that will lead the audience into the theater with their voices. Not a bad note to go out on — now that we've reached the end of days.
FILM: Science Fiction Land
You've probably caught the trailer for Argo, the new Ben Affleck flick loosely based on the true story of a CIA agent who used a fake movie to sneak six US diplomats out of Iran disguised as a Canadian film crew. Strange enough. However, it turns out that this "fake movie" was in fact quite real, albeit never fully realized. Written by an enigmatic young inventor named Barry Ira Geller, it was based on Roger Zelazny's best-selling novel Lord of Light, and was originally planned to be released concurrently with the opening of a science-fiction themed amusement park in a sprawling effort to inspire the next generation of scientists. Still with me? Because now director Judd Ehrlich is making a documentary film based on the true story of the enterprising young Geller and his sci-fi wonderland that never came to be. Luckily, this time around backers can help ensure this movie won't suffer the same unfortunate fate.
COMICS: Alison and her Rainy Day Robot
Alison, like many of us, tends to get bored on rainy days. Unlike many of us, though, she decides to do something about it: she builds a full-sized, intelligent robot as a playmate. Impressive! But her plan goes awry when her funbot turns out to be — ech! — downright boring. The two get in a fight and must learn to get along, which it turns out is pretty entertaining for us, as the readers. Creator Fred Chao, Eisner-nomiated author of cult-fave comic book Johnny Hiro, is also offering backers all kinds of super-fun rewards. (Original prints, sketchbooks, and PDFs, just to name a few.)
FOOD: Conundrum. Unordinary Granola.
"Everybody likes granola!" claims Conundrum founder Brett Aube. He's probably right. Have you ever met a bowl of yogurt or an outstretched palm that didn't benefit from a scoop of sweet, toasty granola? I didn't think so. Right now, Aube churns out two different varieties of small-batch granola from his home base of Portland, OR and they're both chock-full of tantalizing ingredients like "candied orange peels," "coffee roasted pistachios," and "candied bacon in a cinnamon plum sweet tea syrup." Call me crunchy.
FILM: Dale Radio! Spending time with...
Dale Radio is a whiskey-fueled, Brooklyn-based cultural gab fest hosted by its namesake, the lovable maniac Dale Seever. After successfully funding his first seasons with Kickstarter, Dale Seever is back, bolder than ever, and ready to embark on his first web series. It's about time! With his trademark tinted shades and garish Dad ties, it's really a shame that he's primarily been heard and not seen thus far in his storied career. I can't wait to see what kind of trouble he gets into as he cavorts around Brooklyn, spending his days talking shop with comedians, filmmakers, and musicians.
