Hello, I’m Ben Dunn and I am collecting years of sketches, commissions and handpicked drawings from my private sketchbooks and printing them into a full color, perfect bound book.
I have a passion for drawing:
If you do not know me, I am an artist who started drawing many years ago. I first worked for some small companies and then started my own independent comic book company called Antarctic Press back in 1984. It still is in existence to this day, which is a small miracle in today’s comic market. Over the past years I have had to give up the day to day operations of Antarctic Press to focus on my family which includes caring for my wife, kids and my ill father in law (who has Alzheimer’s) so while I am still involved with Antarctic Press as an artist, I also have taken outside work doing book illustrations.
As you all know, the sketchbook is where the work of most artists begins. If you have an idea your work begins in a sketchbook either to lay out pages or create character designs. The beauty of a sketchbook is that you never know what you will create. My sketchbook is my constant companion as I draw at my desk or in my bed, or when I travel almost any place imaginable. It is like a moment in time captured with pencil, pen and ink. Whenever I go to conventions I like to buy other artists sketchbook for inspiration.
I also share portions of my sketchbooks with others that are usually composed of a few drawings compiled at a Kinkos. Over the many years of drawing at conventions many fans would look over my shoulder when I am drawing and would say, “you should put that in a book” or “I wish I could get a copy of that sketch.” So when the opportunity presented itself I decided to collect drawings from my commissions and sketchbook and put them in a printed full color book.
I’m taking scans of my ideas (and my mistakes) along with some personal notes to see what goes through my crazed mind and collecting them for you. I think you will enjoy it.
What are the details:
- A 6 x 9 inch book
- It will be 72 pages, full color, perfect bound and on gloss paper
- The cover will be on 80# gloss for durability
Risks and challenges
While this is the first time to work on Kickstarter, I do not believe there will be many obstacles or problems. I have been in the comic industry since 1985 and when I first started to print comics back then I had to print the interiors in one location, the covers in another and then bring them all together to get bound. Things have changed since then and luckily things are a bit easier. I have established relations with a multitude of printers over the years and know what they are looking for and in what format. I have dealt with boxes of comics in the past and know how to deal with that sort of inventory and shipping them safely to you.
I also realize things are fluid over time. Over the course of the campaign I will try to keep you up to date as much as possible. I hope you will do the same with me as if you have a change in address please let me know. I am familiar with ins and outs of overseas shipping so I will try to accommodate those supporters as best as possible.
I am going to strive to get all the books and incentives out on time and I have confidence I will be able to do so.
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Funding period
- (30 days)