Back in 2018, I joined a tabletop roleplaying game in a homebrew fantasy setting created by my good friend Erienne McCray.  Over the next four and a half years, our party saved loved ones from certain doom, ended wars, felled tyrannies, and stopped the very fabric of reality from falling apart.  It is not an exaggeration to call this experience one of the most meaningful and powerful storytelling journeys of my life.

Recently, our campaign came to a satisfying end.  But I wasn't ready to let go of my character just yet.  There were still stories to tell, and as a cartoonist by trade, there's only one way I know how to properly tell them.

"Family Business"

"Family Business" is a story about Vennyx, my gnome character from our campaign, and his sister Estya.  The story is told largely as a flashback, with the aged hero in a tavern telling his daughter about the struggles they faced growing up in the Desert Coast, a place where being a gnome means being born with a target on your back.

Throughout the course of this fifteen-page comic, we explore the loss of innocence, the drive for survival, the power of family, and the unshakable bond of love.  We learn what it takes to turn a scared child into a hero, unafraid of pursuing justice and righting the wrongs of a dark past.

In many ways, this has been an experimental project that has REALLY paid off.  Most of my independent comics are 5.5"x8.5", but this is my first comic book to be printed at 6.625"x10.25"!  I've also been trying out new coloring and shading techniques, and the results have been exceptional.

The Campaign

I am running this campaign to fund the initial print run of the comic.  The book file is ready to go, and now all I need is the funds to make it happen.  The plan is to complete fulfillment before the 2023 holiday season.

I have quite a bit of experience with Kickstarter, having successfully funded four campaigns through both my own account and with my publishing group CanonWrite Productions.  More recently, however, I assisted with the Columbus Cartoon Coalition's Crowdfundr campaign and found that I really liked the platform's setup.  In some ways, this will be a trial run for future, larger projects.

I am also trying out running a shorter, smaller campaign.  We are only asking for $500 at the base level, and we are only running for three weeks.

We are also using a new printer for this project: Comix Well Spring!  They recently came onto my radar and have been incredibly helpful with figuring out how to get this new format into production.

Rewards

"Family Business" - Digital Edition - $5 USD

A Digital PDF copy of "Family Business"

"Family Business" - Physical Copy - $10 USD + Shipping (US Only)

A physical copy of "Family Business"

Bookmarks - $3 USD + Shipping (US Only)

Bookmarks with the three main characters of the story.

By default, you will receive a random bookmark, but we are also giving you the option to choose which one you want! We are also offering a bundle deal, where you can get all three for only $6!

Character Commissions - $75 USD

A commissioned digital full-body illustration of your character with a transparent/solid color background. Full details are available on my commissions page. Fulfillment will be performed after the Crowdfundr campaign ends.

If you are one of my followers on Patreon, you may be eligible for a discount! Please consider following me at the $3+ tier to receive this benefit. You must have followed me for at least one pay cycle in order to be eligible.

Extra features may be purchased at the following rates:

• Extra Characters - $35 USD Each (Maximum 5, Including Main Character)
• Background Art - $100 USD
• Physical Copy - 50% Markup plus $10 shipping, US Only

Stretch Goal #1: $1000 - Tabletop One-Shot

If we're able to reach $1,000 raised, our gaming group will record and post a tabletop one-shot based in the world of the Desert Coast.  I've done  something similar  once before for the  Less Than Secret  Kickstarter, and it was an absolute BLAST.  Let's see if we can make it happen again!

Special thanks to Haley, Rainer, and Teach for being the best adventuring party a gnome could ask for, and to Erienne for running the damn thing (and for creating the excellent map that appears in the background of the Crowdfundr campaign).