Happy May, everybody! As some of you might recall, May is the month we'd planned to send you Occupy Comics Issue 1 and things are right on schedule. Expect the digital issue in your emailbox on May 23 (and if you're getting the physical book then you should be receiving it on your doorstep shortly after May 23).

We're really excited about this first release and the honest & insightful stories that were contributed to it by the creative team.

As the release date gets closer we'll update you with more details on what to expect and we'll also have some new announcements about the final book (which is still slated for release in the Fall).

Thanks for the support, everybody!

It's been a while since the last update, but have no fear... we've been pluggin away in the lab making cool art and tinkering with new types of release models.

We let Wired post some excerpts from the works-in progress, including selections from Joshua Dysart & Allen Gladfelter, Douglas Rushkoff & Dean Haspiel, J.M. DeMatteis & Mike Cavallaro, Swifty Lang & Frank Reynoso, Zane Grant, Brea Grant & Jonathan Spies, Ales Kot & Tyler Crook, and Mike Allred.

Check em out here 
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/03/black-mask-studios-occupy-comics/

The Wired article also gives an update on the release method we're putting together. Initially I was hoping we could partner with a publisher or retailer to work with us on distribution, but we weren't happy with any of the deals we were offered. So instead I decided to invent a solution we'd be happy with, and it wound up seeming like a pretty cool way to support comics creators in general. It's called Black Mask Studios and you can read more about it over at Wired.

Thanks for supporting the project everybody. We're doing our best to make an awesome book. Now that the pages are coming in and the plan is really coalescing, I'll be sending along updates more regularly.

Here's some holiday cheer from Occupy Comics courtesy of Dean Haspiel (see below). I like to think this isn't belated... perhaps the elves are conspiring to bring us gifts on Dec 28th?

In sorta related news, the first contributions from our roster of artists and writers have already started arriving, so we'll be posting updates soon with sneak previews of what to expect in the book.

Also, a recent interview asked me what people could do to help, and I mentioned:

...none of the artists and writers working on this are walking away with a nickel, and none of them are rich, so if you feel so inclined, I'd urge you to support the books they get paid for if you like their work and respect what they're doing here.

To that end, I'll start ending these updates by mentioning some current projects from our contributors. Since Dean was kind enough to contribute the Occupy Santa illustration, I'll start with him: check out Dean's multimedia website TRIP CITY.

Thanks, we hope everybody on the Occupy Comics Kickstarter Team is having a fantastic holiday season!

Thank you so much everybody for all the amazing amazing support. It was just 3 days ago that we crossed $13k and I reached out to everyone to help spread the word, and now we've passed $25k! WOW!!!

With just 24 hours to go, we've opened up two new additions to pledge rewards:

* 5 More Items Added to $150 Original Art Pledge Reward *

Several of you have reached out asking that we add more items to the sold-out $150 pledge level. We just worked it out to add 5 more!
(The $150 reward level includes a piece of Original Art from Occupy Comics and has been sold out for a while now.)

* Limited Edition Guy Fawkes T-Shirt *

We thought it would be cool to add a special, limited edition shirt because we so fell in love with Guy Denning's gorgeous illustration of Guy Fawkes-masked protesters and to commemorate V For Vendetta creators Alan Moore & David Lloyd both joining this project after having such an impact on the protests. Also, it enables us to get you a piece of Occupy Comics in the coming weeks while we work on the comics coming next year. See the design below.

We're asking $25 for the shirt (please add $5 if you'd like it on American Apparel), and, as with all the rewards, anything past the hard costs of printing/shipping will go into the donation pool. Guy Denning is contributing the illustration to the shirt for free to support the protesters.

This pledge amount does not include digital comics or anything else, so if you want the comics & the shirt please add its value to another pledge package and send me a message that you want the shirt as well (the shirt is also available as a standalone $25 pledge). *We're hoping to ship in time for Xmas/Hanukkah but can't promise*

Thanks everybody, this is an amazing coalition of creators and supporters that we're all so excited to be a part of!