Kickstarter

Greetings, Patient Dolphy supporters!

It has been some time since I got back to you all. In recent months, I have been very busy at work on many projects. A Christian McBride CD, The Good Feeling, that I did the cover art for won a Grammy award, and I recently began working on special projects for the world famous jazz club The Blue Note. I’m overseeing the design and look of the club franchise, including the venues in New York, Japan and Milan.

As a result of these assignments, my progress on my jazz graphic novel you wonderful folks have enabled me to work on has slowed down.

Not that I ever stopped. I am creating pages every day and I am determined to finish the book this year. My current goal is by the end of Summer.

I apologize sincerely for the delay. This project is very near and dear to my heart and I am determined to complete it to the best of my ability.

If anyone has any questions about the progress on the book, (or any others) please feel free to email me.

Keith 

It has be just been called to my attention that I won't need you lovely people to send me your addresses individually in order for me to send premiums. It's all available through Kickstarter itself. 

Thanks so much for your cooperation!

Best,

Greetings, Dolphyites!

Hope this message finds you all healthy and happy this holiday season.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted my last update. The last two months have been quite busy for me, working a full time job while producing freelance artwork for the Blue Note Jazz Club  as well as creating the cover art for the just released Christian McBride album, The Good Feeling, which has been nominated for a Grammy®.

Of course, I have been also been happily toiling away on my labor of love, 
Eric Dolphy: His Life and Art. Admittedly, I am behind schedule (I originally hoped to have the book finished by Christmas), but it is extremely important for me to put my best foot forward on this project, and not rush the process in order to meet a previously self-imposed deadline. Many of you have been just as excited as I am about its impending publication, and I want to do all I can not to disappoint the great Eric Dolphy’s fans and admirers.

In the meantime, I‘d like to begin the process of gathering all my wonderful backers’ contact information so I can begin sending premiums. I have ordered all the goodies and created the original art, so we’re just about ready to go.

So please begin sending me your mailing addresses if your pledge comes with any level premium.

Best to you for the Holidays,

Keith

Good morning, Dolphyites!

Thought maybe you’d like a brief update on how I’m spending my summer. While you’re outside getting a tan or catching a wave, I’m at home having a ball working on my labor of love, “Eric Dolphy: His Life and Art”.

Research has been a big part of the process and is ongoing. There are only a few useful books on Dolphy available, so I have had to rely on various magazine pieces, internet articles, personal anecdotes, and academic writing as well. But the challenge is to have Eric emerge as a person, not historical figure (I’ll leave that to others) – a living, breathing artist and human being on a compelling personal journey.  At a proposed 74 pages, I won’t be able to touch on every significant musical event in his life (and there were many), but I hope to create a personal interpretation that is entertaining and emotional.

I’m well into the drawing stage, sketching out layouts. I work from a partial script, updating as I go along. After laying or loosely sketching out each page, I draw them in tightly in pencil, ink them with a pen or brush, and scan them in the computer, where I add color in Photoshop. It is a long, slow moving process, which requires plenty of visual reference and research as well.

But the important thing is I’m having fun and enjoying the work, angling hard to meet my deadline!

Best to you this sunny season,

K.

Hi, Gang!

As I'm sure everyone knows by now, we've made our goal! I can never thank you enough for putting time, money and effort towards this project. It is a long time dream of mine and it's finally here!

And now comes the real work.

Now that I'm secure in the financing I am deep in the process of not only physically drawing the book itself, but completing research. I am also, of course, working on all the rewards that were happily promised to you.

At the time I began the Kickstarter program roughly two months ago I had completed dozens of sketches, drawn about 15 completed pages and had done scads of research. Still, in the process of fund-raising, many folks have provided with me wonderful anecdotes, facts, and historical references which I think will greatly enhance the book.

So, in keeping with the current course of production, I expect to have the book written, drawn, printed and sent out by the end of the year, just in time for the Christmas season.

I will be sending regular updates as the project progresses--sneak peeks of things to come.

Thanks again for your interest and support of this project! Check with you again soon!