About this project
On June 30, 2010, Insomnia Publications filed to cease trading with the UK companies house. Though Insomnia never officially informed his creators (or anyone) of this decision, all signs pointed to the end of Insomnia. And the creators, well, we were supposed to move on, chalk up a loss, and let all our hard work and dedication become a memory—lesson learned.
But we came up with a different plan. In the days following the news of Insomnia’s seeming end, one thing became clear: that all the creators involved believed in each other’s work. A mutual admiration was shared for the short comics that appear in this anthology, and we are determined to see it get the release it deserves.
And that’s how The Sleepless Phoenix—a collective of up-and-coming comics talent from both the UK and the US—was born. While the Comic Book Alliance works to settle the conflict of our publishing contracts, we took the only content that still belongs to us—this anthology.
The book is 192 pages long, black and white, and features all-new content. Creators include Martin Conaghan (Burke & Hare), Ben Bates (Sonic the Hedgehog), Jim Boswell (KiCk!), Peter Forbes (Oz: Fall of the Scarecrow King), and more. It will be released in October, 2010.
It also features an introduction from Alex Fitch, reviewer, podcast host, and Eagle Award nominee.
Mike Carey (Lucifer, The Unwritten, X-Men Legacy) says the book is "a kaleidoscope of graphic stories - mostly in the darker colours of the horror palette, but all the better for that."
The varying pledge amounts can be seen on the right side of this page. Once the book is released, it will only be available at conventions and through online orders, at a higher rate.
Previews from the book will be posted regularly, along with some insight from the creators on their process. So be sure to check this page often.
All the profit raised, after printing and shipping, will go straight to the Comic Book Alliance—an organization that fights for the rights of comic creators everywhere. Hopefully, what has happened to the creators of Insomnia publications doesn’t happen again.
We appreciate everyone’s support—thanks in advance!
Canadian backers please add the following shipping surcharge:
$15-$20 pledges = Add $5 shipping
$50-$75 pledge = Add $20 shipping
Books will be printed and shipped from the UK.
PROJECT UPDATE: On Friday, August 20, Insomnia creators were informed, by the publisher Crawford Coutts, that we were released from our contracts. While this is a major relief for everyone involved, we are still very dedicated to publishing The Sleepless Phoenix anthology. All profits will still go to the CBA, who were a great help to us during this time.
FAQ
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on September 17, 2010.
Pledge $1 or more
Pitch in $1 and earn the right to feel superior to all your friends. You gave to a good cause; go ahead, stand proud. And know that all the creators appreciate your support.
Pledge $5 or more
GO DIGITAL: Books are clunky, you say? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. For just $5, you’ll get a digital PDF sent directly to your door—er, email.
Pledge $15 or more
GET THE BOOK: This is it--for just $15 (or 9.5 pounds), you get the complete 192-page anthology featuring work from Alex Willmore (Kronos City), Adam Grose (Cosmogensis), Michael Moreci (Quarantined), Steve Tanner, Lauren Anne Sharp, Andy Dodd, Monty Borror, Bryan Coyle, and a whole bunch of others. Do you know how much Marvel would charge for 192 pages? Right now they're giving 22 pages for $4--you do the math.
Pledge $20 or more
THANK YOU PAGE: Get the anthology, with two bonuses. One, it'll be signed by a whole bunch of creators. If one hits it big, hello college fund! Also, you'll have your name inscribed on a special Thank You page in the book.
Pledge $30 or more
PERSONAL MESSAGE: Here's the opportunity to really stick it to friends/feel good about yourself--you get the signed book, and a message, written by you, printed with the Thank You acknowledgment.
Pledge $75 or more
LIMITED EDITION PRINT: Now we're talking. Get the signed book, Thank You page appearance, and a limited-edition print from one of the anthology's artists.
Pledge $100 or more
ORIGINAL SKETCH: Your chance to have some original artwork from anthology creators, plus the signed book and a mention on the Thank You page.
Pledge $150 or more
ANTHOLOGY APPEARANCE: Get the signed book, the message, and your likeness drawn by one of the artists to accompany the message. You also get the original artwork of the likeness.
Pledge $175 or more
ORIGINAL ARTWORK: This is the whole shebang package. The signed anthology, the message, and an original page of A3 artwork from the book.
Project By
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Michael Moreci is a writer of all sorts of things. Mainly, his time and energy is spent working on comics. His debut graphic novel, Quarantined, was slated to be released with Insomnia Publications in 2010, but things with his publisher have gotten...complicated. He can say this: the book is done, it has an intro from Tim Seeley, and it's going to be great. His shorter comics work has appeared (or is forthcoming) in Futurequake, Something Wicked, Accent UK's Victoriana anthology, and the Reading With Pictures anthology. He's currently working on a new series, Reincar(Nate), with artist Keith Burns.
Michael is also a journalist. His work has been published in Wired, the Huffington Post, In These Times, and other outlets. Earlier this year, his short fiction was nominated for a Spinetingler Award but was beat out be someone who rigged the system better than him.
