Aurturio Benerzini and the 3 Impossible Tasks, 3 evil monsters, 3 ancient gods and an Evil Kalif help or hinder a hero and his Princess Read more
Aurturio Benerzini and the 3 Impossible Tasks, 3 evil monsters, 3 ancient gods and an Evil Kalif help or hinder a hero and his Princess
About this project
Who is Aurturio Benerzini?
A mysterious rogue whose fame, and ever-increasing reputation, plagues the Evil Kalif. Three Impossible Tasks have raised Aurturio Benerzini to a near legendary status amongst his people. Now, with the Kalif's most prized treasure gone missing, this rogue seems to be their only hope.
What are the Three Impossible Tasks?
Aurturio Benerzini and the Three Impossible Tasks is a 120 to 130 page B&W and half tone illustrated graphic novel. It is the adaptation of a short novel that I wrote a number of years ago. The story itself is a faerie tale type story, much in the tradition of Sinbad and Aladdin. It takes place in ancient Arabia and is written in a style similar to the Arabian Nights, but with more startling and surprising twists.
The Three Impossible tasks are perilous feats of legend, horrifying terrors that have been known to cause war-hardened armies to flee. Who has not heard the blood chilling tales of the Wicked Witch of the Woods, the Monstrous Minotaur of the Marshes, and the Terrible Troll of Toll.
Vanquish one? A hero's song.
Vanquish two? A king's ransom for you.
Vanquish all three? ... Well, you meet a lot of liars on the road to Arabia. What man could possibly face all Three Impossible Tasks and live?
Who could dispatch the Wicked Witch of the Woods?
Who could defeat the Terrible Troll of Toll?
Who could destroy the Monstrous Minotaur of the Marshes?
Though the story has many chapters, the graphic novel is broken into 5 sections with a full page cover starting each. These covers, depicting various thrilling scenes from the story, are already completed and fit together to make one large poster. There is already a pen & ink and coloured comic book cover that is available as a print in one of the pledge tiers and in the bundled items that follow. The actual cover that will appear on the graphic novel will be a fully rendered oil painting, much in the tradition of the great illustrator Boris.
While I was writing Aurturio Benerzini and the Three Impossible Tasks, I kept imagining the story unfolding, playing out in my mind as in a graphic novel. I am so excited to finally realize that vision and to see those characters acting out these iconic scenes in a high quality graphic novel.
And the best part is that we get to be a part of this creative endeavour together.
Why Kickstarter?
I have had several close friends -- and more than a few fans -- ask me why I chose to release this work through a Kickstarter campaign. After working with Marvel, Valiant, and several other large publishing companies, why would I even consider funding this project with a Kickstarter?
The truth is that I have been intrigued by the undeniable sense of community that Kickstarter projects foster. Not only does Kickstarter provide an alternate path to funding projects, but it creates an environment that makes it easy for artists to share the creative process with those who pledge their support.
With the larger companies, you can get a wide distribution, but often lack the type of intimacy that you can achieve through a campaign such as this. A fan might be able to buy an issue of pencils from the book. The publisher might offer fans a sneak peek of the upcoming work in another comic or on their website. And if you wanted to meet the artist, you could always travel to Comic Con. You might even be able to buy a piece of the original artwork.
And thanks to Kickstarter, we will be offering all of those opportunities and more! Our pledge tiers have been arranged to offer fans behind the scenes access, to be part of the actual creation process, and at affordable price points.
Want to be in the graphic novel? There's a tier for that.
Want to own the original artwork? There's a tier for that.
Want to be part of an exclusive Q&A with the artist? There's a tier for that.
Pencils, prints, original artwork, exclusive video of me creating the artwork right before your eyes -- even a day pass to meet and hang out with me at our table at Comic Con -- all of these can be obtained through the pledges and with the bundled items offered through our Kickstarter campaign.
If you couldn't tell, I am extremely thrilled to be running this Kickstarter. Can you imagine what my next year looks like? You won't have to imagine. You will have an exclusive view through the rewards that we are offering as part of this campaign. I am looking forward to interacting with my fans on an incredibly personal level as we re-create the world of Ancient Arabia and tell the most wondrous tale of the legend known as Aurturio Benerzini and the Three Impossible Tasks.
Pledge now to join me on this incredible adventure.
Bundled Items
You can bundle the following items with your rewards by adding the amounts below to your pledge. After the campaign, we will contact you to find out which items you wanted to add.
Stretch Goals
I am incredibly competitive. I've always been. It has never been enough for me to meet a goal without setting some higher, loftier goals, just in case we smash through the ceiling. Here are additional gifts that we can look forward to as we reach these goals.
Risks and challenges
Various troubles and pitfalls have been known to meet creators who set out to tackle the highly challenging world of graphic novels. Among the most common and easily identifiable are the editorial changes that come down from the powers that be that run the various companies that publish such projects, creative differences among the writers and artists, and the failure of these creators to adhere to the many deadlines contained therein.
All of these challenges, though daunting as they may be, have been looked at and prove not to be of any consequence in the Aurturio Benerzini Project. With the autonomy provided by the freedom Kickstarter offers, I am free to pursue the unobstructed vision that I set forth for this book, without the comings and goings of this editor and that editor seeking to adjust or change the project as it progresses. Since there is only me doing the writing and art chores, I have little to worry about creative differences and various visions for the project.
Being that this is an adaptation of a novel that is already finished, this cuts the time wasted on rewrites and changes, all that remains is for the artwork to be completed. Through the years, I have proven, not only able to execute at a very high level, but I have always been able to finish my projects with speed that is not often seen in this industry, generally finishing way ahead of my deadlines. All of the afore mentioned pitfalls are real and do exist but I am pleased to say, that they do not present themselves here.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterFAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
Rewards
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Pledge $1 or more
0 backers
THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WOODS TIER: 1 Drahkma? You are as poor as the Wicked Witch of the Woods. For your donation to the collection plate, you are afforded your life, though most of your dignity has fled.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $10 or more
1 backer
THE TERRIBLE TROLL OF TOLL TIER: Must have paid the Terrible Troll's toll. For the price you've paid, you have bought another day's breath. Leave with your life, albeit with but half your dignity intact.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $20 or more
1 backer
THE MONSTROUS MINOTAUR OF THE MARSHES TIER: Lost most of your money hiding in the marshes from the Monstrous Minotaur. For your faithful alms, you will receive a digital copy of the graphic novel in PDF format.
Estimated delivery: -
Pledge $30 or more
4 backers
THE DABUTTO FLOWER TIER: A goblet of nectar from the Dabutto Flower has been offered to you. For your patronage, you will receive a soft cover copy of the graphic novel.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $50 or more
0 backers
THE MINOTAUR'S BETROTHED TIER: Private time has been set aside for you and the Minotaur's betrothed. For your considerate offer of support, you will receive a soft cover copy + the digital copy of the graphic novel in PDF format.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $75 or more
0 backers
THE PRINCESS PARIZDAE TIER: A formal introduction to Princess Parizdae has been awarded to you. For your dedication, you will receive the limited print A + the soft cover copy + the digital copy of the graphic novel in PDF format.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $100 or more
2 backers Limited (8 left of 10)
NGA, THE GIANT COBRA OF DEATH TIER: Even Nga, the Giant Cobra of Death, couldn't keep you from this deal. For your courageous support of our expedition, you will receive a pencil edition containing the first 32 pages of the graphic novel + the limited print A + the soft cover copy + the digital copy of the graphic novel in PDF format.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $125 or more
0 backers
BANJO'S DEAR MOTHER TIER: Banjo's Dear Mother gives you her heart felt thanks. For your generosity, you will receive a pencil edition containing the first 32 pages of the graphic novel + the limited print A + the soft cover copy + the digital copy of the graphic novel in PDF format.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $150 or more
0 backers
THE ORPHANS OF ARABIA TIER: The Orphans of Arabia invite you to join their ranks. For your charitable pledge, you will receive exclusive access to a Q&A webinar with the creator, Sasha Raught. In addition, you will receive the rewards of the NGA, THE GIANT COBRA OF DEATH TIER.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $200 or more
2 backers Limited (118 left of 120)
THE KING OF WINTER TIER: The King of Winter applauds your cool offering. For your fielty, you will receive Original Art, a page from the graphic novel (artist's choice, 120 pages available.) In addition, you will receive the rewards of THE PRINCESS PARIZDAE TIER.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $300 or more
0 backers
THE 300 DRAHKMA TIER: For another 300 drahkma please, you could move up a tier and keep a 100 for yourself. For your consideration, you will receive a video of the artist penciling and inking a page of the graphic novel + pencil edition containing the first 32 pages of the graphic novel + the limited print A + the soft cover copy + the digital copy of the graphic novel in PDF format.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $500 or more
0 backers
THE KHAN SHER-TA TIER: For some reason, you have chosen to offer up your life to Khan Sher-ta. In honor of your continued long suffering, you will star in a full page bloody death scene. You provide a selfie of your face and Sasha will incorporate your likeness in an imaginative death scene of his own design. Included with a pledge at this tier, you will receive the limited print A + the soft cover copy + the digital copy of the graphic novel in PDF format. Add $100 if you want to buy the original art of your amazingly graphic and grisly death scene page at this amazing price.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $1,000 or more
0 backers Limited (1 left of 1)
THE EMPEROR OF TOMORROW TIER: The Emperor of Tomorrow knew yesterday that you would pledge this today. For your obeisance, you will receive the original art, 7"x10.5" oil painting of the comic book version cover + the rewards of the 300 DRAHKMA TIER.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $1,600 or more
0 backers Limited (1 left of 1)
THE CORONATION BANQUET TIER: An invitation to Aurturio's Coronation Banquet has been presented to you. For your sustaining pledge, you will receive original art, 11"x17" b&w comic book version cover + the rewards of the 300 DRAHKMA TIER.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $4,000 or more
0 backers Limited (10 left of 10)
THE PALACE ROOM TIER: A room in the palace has been set aside for you. For your continued loyalty, you will receive 2 one day tickets to the 2015 New York Comic Con to be held on the island of Manhattan, including an invitation to hang with the creator at the AB&3IT table. You pay for your own travel and lodging, and Sasha will provide the day passes to Comic Con! You will also receive the rewards of the 300 DRAHKMA TIER.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $5,000 or more
0 backers
THE THREE FOOLS OF BAGHDAD TIER: The Three Fools of Baghdad offer you membership in their tight knit trio. With your membership, you will also receive an 11"x17" oil painting, personal portrait of yourself in the Aurturio Benerzini (Arabian) Style, painted from a photo that you provide + the rewards of the 300 DRAHKMA TIER.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $8,000 or more
0 backers Limited (1 left of 1)
THE PRINCESS FYNNE CHYNNAH TIER: Princess Fynne Chynnah bows before your donation, and bequeaths to you the original art for all 5 prints C-G of the special edition covers + the rewards of the 300 DRAHKMA TIER.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world -
Pledge $10,000
0 backers Limited (1 left of 1)
THE AURTURIO BENERZINI TIER: Aurturio Benerzini is humbled by your generosity. He bestows upon you original art, oil painting graphic novel cover + the rewards of the 300 DRAHKMA TIER.
Estimated delivery:Ships anywhere in the world
Funding period
- (30 days)
