"Autumn Wing is a story of beginnings. The beginning of a pilgrimage through a magical land, the beginning of a hero's journey to discover himself, the beginning of an adventure with more heart and substance than you can imagine. And this Autumn Wing Crowdfundr is your chance to get it at the beginning of a story unlike any other!"

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Jeff Trammell, Head Writer of Craig of the Creek S2-S3, Showrunner of Spider-Man: Freshman Year

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Autumn Wing and the Crown of Fire is an action/adventure fantasy webcomic written and drawn by me: Brandon Hankins, and hosted by the Spider Forest Webcomic Collective. It follows the gentle young nephilim (part-angel) Autumn, as he quests to create his very own halo to prove his worth...by stealing the fire from a dangerous Sacred Beast.

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This was something that I had always needed to hear, growing up. That I didn't have to "man up", become tougher, or get used to the coldness we were all surrounded by. I needed to hear this, simply: you are enough, stay true to yourself. Through making comics, through brushwork, I found, slowly, that I could live with MY values and priorities at the heart of my own life.

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But what does it mean to "be enough," to decide you are worthy, in world demanding you be anything but yourself? A world that imposes a false vision on you, demanding you acquiesce to its cruel dance? And, perhaps most importantly, how could you come to heal the kid you once were, who had those impositions burned onto their soul?

When I had started creating Autumn Wing (back then only called Crown of Fire), I hadn't realized I was beginning to delve deeper into these questions. It was a 24-hour comic at first, and the only stipulation I gave myself to see it through to completion was: "Tell a story you genuinely care about, tell a story YOU needed to see finished." I did not expect to be changed so profoundly, to fall in love with a story so much that it would come to define and shape the next 7 years of my life. The tiny little angelic Black boy, having to confront dragons both within and without to create his own halo...we've still been adventuring together, each looking for our answers.

Autumn is a soft-hearted nephilim child with dreams of becoming a hero much like the ones he reads about: brave, fierce, respected, and worthy. Everything he feels he isn't. So when it's his time to embark on the customary pilgrimage across the world to forge one’s own halo, he jumps at the chance. He believes that completing this quest—becoming a full angel—will make him a hero, and grant what he’s longed for. Unfortunately, he must journey through a land fraught with danger and cruelty to reach one of the few remaining Sacred Flames required to complete the quest: the fire within the throat of a powerful Dragon, or the flames of a dying Phoenix. Neither will part with its Flame willingly.

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In this opening chapter, Autumn is tested before he's allowed to embark on his quest, and must face a deadly trial that will change him and his family forever.

This comic is a synthesis a lifetime in the making, combining my love of JRPGs like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and the Mana series, with a hunger to tell my own stories. I've always wanted to create the sorts of works that would've helped me learn how to accept myself when I was younger as a Black boy growing up in Detroit, and also throw a healthy dashing of shonen manga thrown into the mix. I'm hoping that, by learning how to use my comics and brushwork to heal myself, these stories can also help others. Vulnerability is not weakness in a hard world. It is not a luxury or fake thing. It is necessary, change-making, and beautiful. I want the people who read my works to be able to better see the beauty within themselves, just as Autumn learns to. You are worthy right now, today, just being who you are. You are strong like YOU.

Now, after all this time, all this work...we're ready to embark on a new journey. The journey I had intended and planned for from the very beginning: print comics. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE making this as a webcomic. I love making this free and accessible, and I want to keep that. But in my heart of hearts...I love books. I love holding them in my hands and knowing it is physically part of the world. And I want everyone who enjoys this comic, who believes in Autumn's quest, to be able to experience the same thing. So I'm hoping this campaign will be the first of many, collecting each chapter such that I can send everyone each story and I can have it in stores. I genuinely believe this to be the next step, to propel the story forward and become something that is sustainable through to the end. Crowdfunding and printing books are necessary. This campaign collects the first full chapter of the comic (80 pages), as well as some bonus content like a 4-page "opening/main menu" introducing the journey of Autumn with, and featuring some guest art from dear art friends such as Emi Lenox, Ron Chan, Lexi Ramos, and Rodrigo Vargas, to name a few.

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The book will total 100 pages front to back, perfect binding at 5.5x8.5, and be in the limited color palette I use.

I have 4 chapters complete as of the launch of this campaign, with the 5th in production. Meaning this comic is ready to be printed NOW, I just need the help to get it funded and sent to the printer. Namely...I need YOUR help. This is my story...but it couldn't exist without you. All of you, who've supported me, who may decide to support this campaign...it's you all who help me to keep this story going. Being able to print these comics is PIVOTAL to its growth, to me seeing this story through to its conclusion. So let's embark on this new journey together, and get Autumn out into the world! If you enjoy traditionally drawn comics with expressive brushwork, and the feeling of JRPGs with a great joy for adventure, and supporting a Black creator with Black heroes, then this is the comic for you XD.

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When the campaign gets funded, I'm sending it to the printer IMMEDIATELY. Having used the last few months to sharpen my pre-launch, most of the rewards are ready to be ordered relatively quickly (actual timetable pending). The most time-consuming things will be the packaging of everything (and signing books at that reward tier, more on that in a sec).

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As such, the budget breakdown: 50% of the total is going towards the printing the books and bookmarks, with the other 50% being broken down to accrue packing supplies, account for unknown variables, marketing, processing fees, and additional materials. My main priority is getting AT LEAST 100 books printed and sent out to people, with the HOPE I'll be able to print more copies to sell at shows, to comic shops, and even more people through the Crowdfundr. Prepping the books to be shipped will likely take a while, but once everything is packed up, I will send everything out through USPS as quickly as I can. My goal is to have everything shipped out by the end of November, with 2-day shipping so as to get books to everyone ASAP. A note about shipping: I'm leaving the option open to local folks and friends/family who're close enough to opt into free pick-up, so those folks won't be charged a shipping fee on check-out. As things develop and shift, I will work to keep as transparent as can be about anything that needs to change. 

This being my very first crowdfunding campaign, I am compelled to keep this one simple, but still make this rewarding for y'all. As such, the reward breakdown is as follows:

This comic is my passion project, and any support you can give would be immensely helpful towards bringing this dream to life! Share this anywhere you can! Thank you SO MUCH for the consideration, and remember: You are worthy of your own life's story!