Hey everyone! Inside The Aviary part 2 is still in the works (expect it later this week), but in the meantime, a quick update to let you know about a variety of goings-on...

First - want to hear a little more from me about this project? Well, I've done a couple of interviews lately. You can listen to me babble over at Fanboy Radio, or you can read a Q&A I did with Kickstarter over on their blog - the people who run this place are really nice, it turns out! In the course of the interview, they asked if I'd like to do a sketch or short comic for them and I happily obliged with a brand new 5-page comic called The Squid - you can read it right here. The story grew out of a bonus reward drawing I did for the wonderful backer who made the pledge that put this project over its initial funding goal. So I've decided to keep the extra rewards going - I'll be giving away the other 4 pages of original art for this story in a little "contest". Want to win one of these pages as an extra reward for being a backer? Here's how it'll work:

Who can enter? Any backer who has pledged $30 or more.
How do you enter? Just let me know you want to, either by posting a comment here or by sending me a message or email. Easy! (Note: if you're a backer at a lower amount and want to bump your pledge up to $30, that's fine too of course!) Next Monday, November 9, I'll pick 4 random backers who've entered the contest, and you'll each get a page from The Squid in addition to your chosen reward!

While we're on the subject of bonus rewards, the most recent one (for making the pledge that put us over $6500) goes to a backer known only as "Brian" (though I'm pretty sure I know who this gent is - hi, Brian!). Brian gets the original art of my last Inktober drawing:

For all my fellow New Yorkers, this weekend (Nov.7th & 8th) I'll be at the new King Con in Brooklyn - one of the items I'll be selling is a super-limited edition mini-comic of all 31 of my Inktober drawings (plus The Squid story). I'm only going to make 31 copies of this, and I'll only be offering them at this convention, so if you want one, stop by and see me! One exception: copy #1 of this little book will go to the backer who pledged immediately after $6500, Michelle Schrad, who was aiming for that bonus and has been a big supporter of this project over on twitter (speaking of which, you can always follow me...). So thanks, Michelle - hope you like the mini!

That's about all the news for now. Before I go, a few notes about rewards just to clarify some possible confusion. The funding period ends on November 14, and after that the pledges are processed and transferred to me. I'm told it takes up to two weeks - as soon as it all goes through, the ready-made rewards (like the blank books, signed Aviaries, art prints, etc) start shipping out. If you've selected a reward like a commissioned piece of art or a page from the new book, those will be sent as I complete them - don't worry, I'll be in touch with everyone when funding ends to get your requests and let you know when you can expect your stuff! I'll be drawing the commissions for backers in the order in which they pledged to the project. If anyone already knows what they want for their commission or would like to make sure they get it by a certain date (say, for a gift, perhaps - original art makes a great gift!), you are more than welcome to contact me right now and let me know what you want me to draw for you. That way I can get started on it even sooner.

Okay, that's enough outta me for now - more soon! Thanks everybody! Just 10 days to go - keep circulating the links...