About this project
"Imagine an island, cut off from the rest of the world by a series of treacherous coral reefs. Imagine that the island was plagued by a war that lasted hundreds of years, only to be divided into provinces ruled by warlord. Imagine that as technology has improved and increased in the outside world, the island has remained much the same as it has always been. Now imagine that outsiders have brought the outside world to that island, and that things have changed forever . . .
. . . Unlike traditional fantasy settings, Steampunk Musha draws on East Asian mythology and history and combines aspects of several cultural traditions with Victorian-era technology. The traditional Oriental setting is thrown into a roaring industrial age, where incredible new inventions contrast with ancient mysteries and restless spirits. High fantasy and science-fiction clash and combine in the middle of the conflict between old and new, father and son, mechanical and spiritual."
After years of development and design, we are ready to take the next steps in launching the Steampunk Musha property. Our goal is to launch the website and present our first two setting inspired products. The first will be a tabletop roleplaying game featuring the Steampunk Musha setting and utilizing a game system designed entirely for use with the setting. The second product will be the first in a series of graphic novels depicting the stories and characters of Rosuto-Shima (the island setting of Steampunk Musha).
The initial design for the rpg is complete and tons of design notes have been compiled. We plan on finishing the system design and utilizing the extensive setting knowledge of the Empty Room Studio contributors. We also plan on creating high end artwork that demonstrates the rich setting and fully compliments the concepts and designs of the world. Through are many contacts and clients, we will be utilizing a third party publisher to distribute physical copies of the book into stores, while selling the PDF version and support material ourselves.
The graphic novel will take the form of an anthology to introduce readers to various locations, characters, and cultures of the setting. The graphic novel will be around 70-80 pages and include an additional section showing galleries and index of terms, characters, etc.
The donations you make will be used to hire additional talent to support the completion of these projects. This includes additional designers, editors, writers, colorists, etc. Any additional funds will be used to promote the publications and build a strong fan base for the material so we can further explore the setting.
FAQ
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20
Backers
$701
pledged of $5,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Unsuccessful
This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on July 31, 2010.
Pledge $10 or more
You will receive a digital copy (PDF) of both the graphic novel and roleplaying game.
Pledge $25 or more
You will receive all of the above along with a never released before collection of Steampunk Musha short stories (PDF), written by Mark Adams. You'll also be credited as a full patron in the credits at the back of the Graphic Novel and RPG books.
Pledge $50 or more
You will receive all of the above and a special sketchbook showing tons of concepts and designs for Steampunk Musha, including the progression of the setting from many sketches never seen before. Each sketchbook will include original drawings unique to each book and signed by SM creator Rick Hershey.
Pledge $100 or more
You will receive all of the above plus physical copies of both the Graphic Novel and RPG. These will be signed by creator Rick Hershey and include signed original art.
Pledge $250 or more
You will receive all of the above plus have yourself drawn into the comic, being featured in one of the short stories as a feature character! You'll also receive an original drawing of yourself as the character from the story drawn and signed by creator Rick Hershey!
Pledge $500 or more
You will receive all of the above (except for the $250 pledge) and become a permanent character in the Steampunk Musha setting. That's right, your likeness and name will become part of the settings history and you will be mentioned, referenced, and featured in Steampunk Musha forever!
Project By
Connected as Rick Hershey (1287 friends)
Rick Hershey is the Owner and Operator of Empty Room Studios, Empty Room Studios Publishing, and the creator of Steampunk Musha.
