Kickstarter

Why this project?  After spending a great deal of time looking for a Steampunk calendar, I discovered that there aren't any that feature both adults and children.  As one of my favorite things to observe at conventions is the youngsters running about in Steampunk attire, I thought it was due time to put together a Steampunk family calendar.

Who will be in it?  I spoke with my sister and her husband about this, and they agreed that it was a great idea, and that they would love to take part with their two children, Taylor, 2, and Logan, 3 months.  The only trouble is that none of them have suitable outfits, so anything they'll be wearing for the calendar I'll have to make first.

What are you doing with the funds? You good folks will be helping me raise the funds to get their outfits put together, and what's needed to publish 500 copies of the final calendar.  I'm estimating that $4000 is the bare minimum to do both.  More would be fantastic, of course, as it would enable me to make more elaborate outfits, get more models involved, and possibly make additional rewards items, but it can be done for $4000, after fees and taxes get their share.

What will you be making?  The calendar itself will be an 8x11" 12-month, spanning from January 2013 to December 2013, with a full color picture for each month, as well as a picture on the cover.  There will also be room for additional pictures, a Thank You page for backers, and other assorted bits and bobs.  With permission, we'll do our best to feature popular Steampunk conventions around the world on their respective dates, to help you plan your outings accordingly!

When will you get started?  As soon as we reach the funded amount, I'll start working on the outfits, and posting weekly video updates for all backers, so that they can see the progress.  I've already started working on a few things that I can manage with what I have on hand.  I plan to have the pictures ready for the calendar by late September/early October, and the calendar itself ready to ship by November.  Most of my own costumes are already done, so it's mainly props and outfits for the others that I'll need to get done.

What will it look like?  A rough draft of the months are as follows.  Subject to change as inspiration strikes!

• January - Chinese New Year: Red, fireworks, Oriental dragons. Hand cannons, anyone? 
• February - Experiments with candy: A tribute to St. Valentine's Day, featuring Hayley & Taylor enjoying the fruits of their scientific sweet labors. 
• March - Kite flying! Good ol' paper kites, in the shape of boxes, zeppelins, and other fanciful items. 
• April - Target practice with Hayley & Shawna. 
• May - Taking a quiet moment for tea in a field of wildflowers. 
• June - Taylor having a mechanic moment with a more knowledgeable grown-up. 
• July - A day at the waterfront. As many people as I can get outfitted in olden-styled swimwear. 
• August - Mad science! Electrical arcs and glowing tubes. 
• September - Harvest time. Even Steampunks have to eat, and what better food than that improved with science? 
• October - A gathering around a bonfire, complete with wienie roasting and fire-lit dancing. 
• November - Books, books, and more books. In this digital age, paper-bounds seem to be a dying format, but there's nothing quite like curling up with a big hard-cover, or being read to by an older Steamer while your imagination casts an exciting tale in the background.
• December - A holiday portrait fit for royalty, as a Steampunk family poses prettily.

What about International Backers?  While we love our other-country backers, we do respectfully ask that you add $10 to your contribution in order to cover shipping charges to your country, where applicable.