Dear Loyal Backers -

Some of you I know, and others I would like to know so that I can thank you personally. Thanks to you, this project is gaining not only funds, but also some serious momentum.

I've just come back from a very exciting trip to the Chicago Toy and Game Fair, where The Gentlemen of the South Sandwiche Islands was played by a lot of people who know their games. I can say yes, this game is definitely worth moving forward with. By this point, the game has been playtested more than 200 times. It is both well-refined, and still entirely unique - a hard combination to come by. I can't wait to send you the copies of the games that you have preOrdered. I completely stand by this game. It is a quality product.

Also, in case you are wondering, I will collect everyone's address towards the end of the funding period so that I know where I am sending the games.

You should be very proud to know that by investing in this game, you are investing in a very small company called Taylor & Gray. I'm Taylor and Dan Gray is the artist responsible for the board and most of the illustrations. With your help, we can bypass big companies and produce interesting, exciting high-quality games that are not subject to the mass-market formulas of production and distribution. Kickstarter is a new outlet for marketing that is really making this possible.

This is a very exciting time. Before leaving for Chicago I packed a bag. I threw a loaf of bread into the bag, and that was my food budget for the trip. (Luckily they provided some of the meals.) Earlier in the month I booked my hotel room for 2 nights, knowing perfctly well that I would be staying in Chicago for 4 nights. ...This is the type of adventure and excitement you get when you're working from nothing - when you're trying to build something - when you just believe in an idea.

The trip went great. Not only did the game get some serious exposure, but I got to meet the British lady who invented Jenga. Last night, I listened to the guy who invented the game of Life give a very inspriring speech. I also heard a lecture from the guy who invented tickle-me-elmo, who happened to have a degree in "aeronautics" - making him technically a rocket scientist turned toy inventor.

The trip was great. It gave me some very important contacts and a nice stack of useful business cards. That said, it's still very important that we move towards our goal of printing the first 500 copies of the game. We are still a long way from $7,600.

Please check in with the site every once in a while and try to spread the word as much as possible. If a large number of people contribute even a little bit of money, then everything moves forward. By investing in the game, you are helping to change the relationship in this country between the company and the consumer. With the kickstarter resource we can bypass huge distributors who are unwilling to take risks, and we are coming a little bit closer to seeing board games on the shelves that are more about ART rather than INDUSTRY.

WE STILL NEED HELP. PLEASE TELL YOUR SOCIAL NETWORK ABOUT THIS PROJECT.

I appreciate what you are doing for me. I can't believe that I'm actually moving through with this. It feels great to be out on a limb. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed. I will try to write updates every Sunday evening.

Sincerely,

Your friend,

-jim taylor

ps. the historical element was meant to be a bit more tongue-in-cheek. I realize there was some confusion here, so I've tried to make it more clear on the site. You can read more about the history in the Henry Jenkins article http://henryjenkins.org/2009/11/how_do_you_sell_an_artsy_board.html