Funded! This project successfully raised its funding goal on March 22, 2012.
The files for Goats IV are in the hands of the printer. Very little beyond my own incompetence can stop us now.
3/4 of the Good Hitler mini script is written. I may have laughed a couple of times, which is unusual when I write. Usually I just groan and vomit.
Deliverables keep arriving at Topatoco HQ. We're making some real progress here. Surveys are going to go out soon, keep an eye open and a sharp knife handy.
-j
Hey guys! Just wanted to catch you up with the goings-on here at Goats HQ.
This week was a bit strange; I had some personal stuff that needed squaring away, so I got less writing done for the Goats mini than I would have liked. I do have several pages of notes and I thoroughly enjoyed watching Skyfall, and I think the Good Hitler story that's going to evolve out of that is going to be rather fun. Gonna work on that some more tonight.
Magnet sets went out to the printer. I had to scale back from the original design a bit (doing a colorforms-style playset was just WAY too expensive) but the magnets are still going to be pretty great. Check the bottom of this post for a preview. Those should be ready in 2-3 weeks.
I got quotes for printing Goats IV today; we're going ahead with that and files should be ready for the printer following a couple of small tweaks. I need to add one more image, adjust the spine width and I think we're ready to go. Estimated delivery for the books is sometime in July. When you're printing overseas, production takes a long, long time. Someday when the US economy completely crashes we'll be able to print here again for reasonable prices and it won't take so goddamned long.
At this point, the remaining deliverables include the ebooks, the minis, the USB drives, paintings and sketches, cameo appearances and a trip to Australia. I'm sure I'm leaving something out but that's the majority of the tasks left to do. I'm starting SFAM back up again this week but the bulk of the work is done now and the rest is mostly details and badgering my wife to do Indesign layout for me, so hopefully progress will keep... uh... progressing.
Okay! Gonna go write an epic spy adventure now. Talk to you later!
Most of this week has been dedicated to getting the little bits of rewards paraphernalia squared away. The small prints, large archival prints and sticker sheets are out of my hands now, joining the bookplates and buttons in production somewhere out there in the printing cloud.
Wanna see what the stickers look like? Check 'em below the text. I hope you like them! I spent way too long on them and it was weird to be drawing those characters again.
I have magnet set samples on the way for the second time. I am beginning to think that my original plan for the magnet sets is simply not physically possible to do in the way I had intended, so I may go back to the drawing board with those. I promise you awesome bunnies planet magnets either way.
Goats IV book production is just about done; I've seen all the pages and we have a few final tweaks to make -- add a sentence here, move a page over there, slap an ISBN barcode on the back. We'll almost certainly be finished by the weekend and I will be thrilled and delighted to get this bastard out the door.
I still have to get working on Goats Silver V and start writing the Good Hitler mini. I'm thinking those two things are going to take up almost the entire week next week, which is fine, beacuse I should have sufficient guest strippage to last until then. After that, it's back to drawing SFAM.
The good news is that I think the bulk of the production work is going to be finished by that point and the remaining work is in the hands of folks much more capable than I am. So, I remain optimistic, which is a really strange feeling.
Talk to you next week! Make sure you do something fun this weekend, like eat a hot dog or steal a car.
Hi everyone! I've been working hard on the Goats Kickstarter. Damn, there's a lot to do, but I'm plowing through it.
I'm pleased to be able to say that ALL of the content for Goats IV is now complete. Here's what we've got:
We're going to wrap up layout this week so that Rich Stevens can proof for us this weekend. It's nice to have a deadline, even if it's artificial and self-imposed. There may be some additional illustration I need to make due to interior layout quirks but I'll do those as we come across them.
This week I'll be working on/ordering stickers, magnets and prints and I'll start pulling together Goats Silver 5. Orders have already been placed for buttons, bookplates, RVF bumper stickers and more. I'll also start working on the script for the Goats Mini, which is probably going to be a standalone Good Hitler story. I'll know for sure after I've watched Skyfall a couple of times.
That just about covers it for now. I'll try to update you later in the week and let you know how much more progress we've made. Thanks for all your support! It's good to know I have folks out there cheering me along.
Did you know that Goats: Inhuman Resources is going to be about 200 pages long? Sheesh.
Just a few quick notes on what I've been working on:
If you received a message from me regarding how your name should be printed in the front of the book, please make sure you reply ASAP if you haven't already. if I haven't heard back from you by the time the files get submitted to the printer, there will be no way to make changes later.
Okay! See you fine folks later.
Funding period
Feb 21, 2012 -
Mar 22, 2012
(30 days)
128 backers
The Electron Special: A downloadable DRM-free ebook version of Goats Book IV: Inhuman Resources, and a warm feeling in your heart.
144 backers
Dead Tree Delight: You'll get your very own printed copy of Goats Book IV: Inhuman Resources and access to the downloadable ebook version as well for your Digital Book Reader. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
106 backers
The Electron Cloud: New Reward! Access to downloadable DRM-free versions of all four Goats: The Infinite Pendergast Cycle ebooks and multiple warm feelings in your heart.
77 backers
Artist's Edition: A signed and sketched copy of Goats IV, access to the downloadable ebook and a small signed print featuring the front cover artwork, suitable for framing. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
16 backers
The Thumb Drive: Plain and simple. You will receive a signed USB thumb drive with all four Goats: The Infinite Pendergast Cycle ebooks on it. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
10 backers
Dead Tree++: New Reward! This reward features everything in the Dead Tree Delight reward package plus your choice of one other volume of Goats: The Infinite Pendergast Cycle. We'll ask you to specify which volume later on towards the end of the fund drive. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
112 backers
The Ultimate Answer: Everything included in the Artist's Edition, plus a signed USB thumb drive with all four Goats: The Infinite Pendergast Cycle ebooks on it. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
75 backers
The Executive Producer: Everything included in The Ultimate Answer, plus your name listed in a special credits/thanks section of the book. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
10 backers
Dead Tree's Company: New Reward! Just like the Dead Tree++ reward package, except you get Book IV plus your choice of any two other Goats: The Infinite Pendergast Cycle. We'll ask you to specify which volumes later on towards the end of the fund drive. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
25 backers
The Action Edition: We'll send you everything in The Executive Producer reward package along with a Diablo the Satanic Chicken action figure, complete with accessories like The Necronomicon, 2nd Ed. and three pieces of oversized novelty bacon.
36 backers Limited (464 of 500 left)
Print Lover's Edition: Everything included in The Action Edition plus a super-sized archival quality print featuring the full spread of cover art from the book, signed and numbered and suitable for framing. I'll also throw in a signed print of your favorite Goats strip. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
41 backers
The Infinite Pendergast Edition: New Reward! Just like the Dead Tree's Company reward package, except you get Book IV plus the other three books from Goats: The Infinite Pendergast Cycle. Added at your request, these books are unsigned and unsketched for maximum cheapness. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
14 backers Limited (486 of 500 left)
Magnetic Personality Edition: You get all the swag in the Print Lover's Edition, plus a neato set of Bunnies Planet fridge magnets, suitable for hanging report cards in your kitchen or wiping sensitive data from hard drives. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
16 backers Limited (84 of 100 left)
Original Gangsta Edition: You get everything included in the Magnetic Personality Edition, plus I'll send you the original signed artwork from a Goats strip of my choosing. If you specify a storyline I'll do my best to choose a strip from it but I can't make any promises. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
5 backers
Just All The Books Ma'am Edition: You get one of every Goats book published so far: The four books of Goats: The Infinite Pendergast Cycle, plus the three (volumes I-IV) black and white "classic" silver-covered books from the early years of the strip. Each book will be signed and sketched by the artiste. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
17 backers Limited (83 of 100 left)
The Complete Edition: This package includes everything in the Original Gangsta Edition, plus I'll send you full-color copies of Goats:The infinite Pendergast Cycle Books 1-3 too! Signed and sketched, of course. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
30 backers Limited (70 of 100 left)
The Classic Edition: You get everything in The Complete Edition, plus we'll send you copies of all three of the classic "silver" B&W Goats books with all the trimmings. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
4 backers Limited (16 of 20 left)
The Handmade Edition: You get everything in The Complete Edition, and I'll draw you your favorite Goats character by hand, on paper, no computer magic involved. I've sworn off paper forever so this is a good way to irritate me if that is your inclination. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
10 backers All gone!
The Super-Handmade Edition: Includes everything in The Complete Edition, and I'll paint you an acrylic painting of your favorite Goats character on canvas. By hand! Seriously. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
3 backers All gone!
The Super-Duper-Handmade Edition: Includes everything in The Complete Edition, and I'll paint you an acrylic painting of your five favorite Goats characters boozing it up at the Pub. (Canada/Mexico orders, please add $7 extra to your pledge to cover shipping; international orders, add $10.)
1 backer Limited (4 of 5 left)
The Peculier Edition: Includes everything in The Complete Edition, and you'll be invited to a special evening at The Peculier Pub in NYC for refreshments and pleasant conversation with Jon.
3 backers Limited (7 of 10 left)
The Cameo Edition: Includes everything in The Complete Edition, plus I'll draw you into an SFAM comic sometime during the 2012 calendar year. No promises on what color/species you'll be. OR I'll bring back your favorite SFAM character for an encore strip if you prefer.
3 backers All gone!
The Goats Cameo Edition: New Reward! Includes everything in The Complete Edition, plus your visage will be featured in a brand-new exclusive Goats mini story that will be distributed electronically to all backers at the $9 level and above.
0 backers Limited (30 of 30 left)
The Cellulose Edition: You get everything contained in The Complete Edition, plus I will eat one of the vegetable of your choosing and videotape it. Even my parents could not get me to do this.
0 backers Limited (10 of 10 left)
The Hand-Delivered Edition: Includes everything in The Complete Edition, and I'll come and personally deliver ten copies of Goats Book IV into your hot little hands at the bar/pub/drinking hole of your choosing, anywhere in the US of A. What happens then cannot be adequately described here without violating Kickstarter's terms of service.
1 backer Limited (2 of 3 left)
The Global Hand-Delivered Edition: Includes everything in The Complete Edition, and I'll come and personally deliver ten copies of Goats Book IV into your hot little hands at the bar/pub/drinking hole of your choosing, anywhere in the world that is not in a war zone or in a country where people will want to hurt me on sight.
0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)
I will bring Goats back into production, IMMEDIATELY, one full page per week at a minimum until the story is complete. I'll also send you everything in The Complete Edition, twenty Diablo action figures, plus one of every t-shirt I currently sell in whatever size you'd like. Heck, I'll even throw in some stickers.
