HELLO!

What a hectic month (i was involved in a few more self publishing projects for friends, with much success!) and this time i come with a VIDEO!

We got advance copies last week and so I filmed my grubby hands perusing through the pages~ I hope it gives you an idea of what most of you will be receiving!

it's nearly 2 lbs! TWO POUNDS of lovely ink and paper~ I really hope that it's an item people will keep on their shelves to give those trees a long happy life~

I updated the website: fixit-mag.com
with some preview pages of the comics inside issue 01 so mosey on over to check them out~ I attached the video here for your update, but it's also viewable on the website as well!

Also we opened up preorders to everyone, but FEAR NOT! your copies are already accounted for! We are prioritizing the kickstarter copies and ESPECIALLY the upper level rewards since you guys have been the MOST patient! We're waiting for the issues to arrive so that we can send you a giant all-in-one package so we hope it's worth the wait~

ALSO, one last moment of sharing...there are a few projects on kickstarter that are worth your notice if you like F*X*T!

http://kck.st/c8Afi8 - Grace has gathered many talented artists and they are hoping to publish an artbook for the first time~ please take a look here!

http://kck.st/c9mUlU - Vera has already exceeded her goal (CONGRATS!) but the rewards are worth pledging for! I would like a signed book =)

http://kck.st/bmYEcN - and of course Joy's anthology project is well funded but they have EXTRA incentives for meeting NEW funding goals so please do take a look because we all win!

APE con in San Francisco is this coming weekend, october 16-17!! I'm excited to kind of "debut" or sorts as it will be the first convention appearance. We'll be at booth # 283!

There will be a printout of the entire first issue for preview~ It's still being printed in China and we MAY have our 2nd proof for the con (it's due this week for approval) but we may not, but the layout is all set and ready for your fingers to flip through~

I'll also have 5x8 prints of new artwork by our comic artists for purchase to support the funding of issue 2. Issue 2 is already underway so F*X*T will stay busy year round~ If you're a full subscription backer you'll get these prints included! it's to thank you for your patience!! When issue 1 gets shipped, you guys will have the largest package of goodies~

SO! if you're in the Bay Area, stop by! APE is a great show in general, so you should be here!

I attached the hall map so you can find us at booth #283~ I think we'll be by the deleter booth, so if you want some art supplies too, it'll be like 2 birds!

Hope to see you there~!

ALSOALSO if you can, support this amazing project on kickstarter:
The Anthology Project, vol.2 http://kck.st/bmYEcN

I already have vol.1 and i'm extremely excited to see a volume 2! they're almost to their goal, but i want to see them exceed it so they can go forth with volume 3!

The quality of volume 1 is amazing, please support another great comic anthology here on kickstarter if you haven't already~!

So last week i turned a year older, moped about how little i have achieved so far in life, and this weekend I hunkered down and got the mailing list up and working!

Go the the website and stick your email in the little field and then check your email to confirm you joined! SIMPLE RIGHT??

I'll send info when we'll take preorders and what events we'll be attending in 2011 and also the FIRST information of who are next featured artist would be, if we need more artists for anything, if there's a year 2 call for applications, ALL THAT!

(all kickstarter related updates though will still only be made through here though~~!)
(oh also i packaged and enveloped the buttons so those should be going out soon! i had to special request some padded envelopes from daiso that they had because the were the PERFECT size for the buttons...i kid you not, you will see how PER.FECT they are if you have only the buttons being sent~)

so CHECK IT OUT on our site! FIXIT-Mag.com

It's been a...crazy? interesting? few weeks since our Kickstarter project closed~ We got all our button supplies and I've had my sister and friend help me cut out the button art and punch holes in the button backer...BUTTONBUTTONBUTTON BONANZA!

also the mini prints came in on a lovely matte finish~ they look awesome!

I've sent out the requests for people's info! please fill them out so i can send the rewards to you~

Next up is printing all those lovely medium prints, i'm so excited to get that all done~

We've applied for an exhibitors table at APE this year, we'll see if we're cool enough to get one~

also my college friend has a project still up here on kickstarter, only a few more days so i hope you don't mind if i pimp her out a little here~
http://kck.st/cXdbFN
i spent many a college evenings in a cafe listening to her live tunes, i hope she can make the tour happen so other can enjoy her music!

thanks again SO MUCH for your support!

our funding is officially successful! Thanks everyone for your incredible mammoth-sized support!

and there have been great amount of other comic projects that crossed that successful funding finish line today and this week in general! AND! today is Free Comic Book Day!

Thanks again for the amazing kickstart to F*X*T ! Requests for information will be coming shortly~ I'm excited to start sending out the rewards!!

HAPPY MAY!!!

Only a few hundred left to go! I keep saying it, but it's been SO AMAZING the speed at which we've reached this level from say just 2 weeks ago! probably the fastest rise since our kickstarter launch back in february~

There has been an overwhelming push in these final hours from artists on Deviantart and Livejournal and it's been so encouraging to know they support F*X*T because this is for them~ THANK YOU!!!

------

WHAT???! i was just told we made the goal! THIS IS MY ACTUAL REACTION!!!!

I was making this post to just be like "ooh! close almost there!" and my friend says, "CONGRATS!" and i'm just AMAZED!

All you guys are amazing! I was bouncing scenarios in my head, "what if i lowered the goal" "what if i did more street teaming" "what if i was more obnoxious" but I'm ecstatic to have everyone's major support with any compromises or regrets!

OUR GOAL IS MET! A BILLION THANKS!!!

details to come for all your rewards when the project closes and we'll always be posting pics here with progress shots so stay tuned for news!!

So 2 major things happened yesterday:

1. Deb at manga.about.com wrote up a wonderful article about F*X*T that featured interviews with our creators~ (http://manga.about.com/od/mangaeditorsinterviews/a/FXTMagazine.htm)
2. We made it to the front page on Kickstarter's homepage!

I don't know how those slots are determined, i imagine it's a mix of stats and staff awareness but THANK YOU! I think those things, in addition to a slew of artists posting around to support our come from behind effort at raising these last bits~

We've also had supporters posting on CNN's iReport (http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-437929) and doing last minute commission drives in these final moments~

I've unknowingly timed the ending of this (well, not so much timed, i chose the max amount of days to keep it open haha) on one of my creators' birthday and in addition to hoping it succeeds for all of F*X*T's goals, I hope it succeeds to at least start out her birthday with a high note~

Long journey is long but! it was so fun, I can't wait to see where these next 30+ hours will lead us!

in the meantime, again, posting/tweeting/grabbing the nearest person on the street with a smart phone and telling them to check our project out is extremely encouraged!

I contacted Deb Aoki as we've been mildly acquainted in the industry so I felt comfortable reaching out to her and her audience and she wrote an amazing article with some words from our creators as well!

I consider this the first and exclusive interview/article about F*X*T! THANKS DEB!

read it here!
intro:
http://manga.about.com/b/2010/04/29/fxt-magazine-hopes-to-kickstart-new-comicsmanga-anthology.htm

interview:
http://manga.about.com/od/mangaeditorsinterviews/a/FXTMagazine.htm

being backers of this project, i think you know most of the purposes of F*X*T, but you'll learn more about our amazing creators~

again, a MILLION thanks to everyone who has blogged/tweeted/another internet publishing phenomenon term-ed out project~ We've had a lot of artists' support which has been stunning so whatever the outcome of kickstarter, we are very encouraged to continue! True to my mathematical nature, I have already taken to account the 2 outcomes and have formulated scenarios for each that we will take to find a solution for success!

can you believe it's almost been 90 days since we first started things off at kickstarter? and now it'll all be over in a matter of days...and while this only ends one of 2 ways, successful and unsuccessful, i could never have imagined having 100+ backers. we KNEW the amount was daring! we knew we were only but small fries in the grander scheme of the interwebs, but we went for it!

and hello new backers! we've gotten a nice swell of support in our closing days~ whatever you can do to help pimp this project out would be super appreciated! timing wise, i wish i could have extended this another month as there are several comic and art related conventions in may, but alas the timing! *shakes fist at clock*

I'm happy to have you all as backers and hopefully, kickstarter success or not, you'll still be interested in what F*X*T has to offer in 2011~ I think we can still give updates even after our project ends, so i hope you guys can stick around~

One thing I've been meaning to update you guys on was our oneshot artist for issue 1, Sloane!

Super experience and published in multiple anthologies, i'm so honoured to have her submit something to F*X*T~ This is our first announcement of our collaboration!

She submitted her pitch as a oneshot or series and it was SUCH a tough decision as our budget only allowed for 4 series and i didn't think it would be fair to suddenly change the rules and have 5 series and no oneshots...but i might have done it! that's how much i loved the submissions from all the creators who are in my lineup so I'm glad she had given an option to make a great lineup~

I already received Sloane's outline for the oneshot story and i'm super excited to see her get started~~~

Issue 1 (and other goodies!) comes with the level $25 pledge and above if you want to see more of Sloane!

*below is an image from her website...check out her website to see more of her work! war.respark.net/

I'm kind of conflicted about how i should be feeling about the 8 days left and the almost 60% raised~

i'm amped to get so much support, but sad that if this doesn't reach it's goal
1) i'll receive none of the pledges (don't worry, you won't be charged either!)
2) i won't get to send the rewards out~

i guess in deciding the rewards for the pledges, i was thinking of my own collecting nature and chose artists whose work i adore to help make these exclusive pieces to offer as rewards...It's like picking the celebrities you'd like to see play your favourite superheros from your favourite comic book~ Yeah I can print a set for myself anyway, but I always like to share me joys with others, so it would have been even more fun to make and send out the rewards~

Also, i wonder how a project makes it to the spotlight...is it through technical achievements/stats? or just a Kickstarter employee taking interest? Hmm...it would help to get onto the front page somehow, but so many projects are ending around my time, it would be pretty tough!

ALSO! while I'm here! I have an old college friend who is also raising funds at Kickstarter~ It's a musical endeavor so go check her out!
http://kck.st/cXdbFN
I've always loved her live shows when we were both in LA, so i wish her luck in raising funds to tour the west coast!!

so yeah! 8 MORE DAYS! 8 MORE DAYS! 8 MORE DAYS!
thanks to everyone who has posted/tweeted/anything to pimp out this project for me~ I SUPER appreciate the support!