THE RAPTOR: FPS - THE FINAL 3

UPDATE: As of this writing, we're 81% funded, with $941 left to raise in 69 HOURS, by Saturday, September 3rd at 11:58 AM EST.

Past that time, no more pledges will be taken, and if the $5000 funding goal is not met, THE RAPTOR: FPS is essentially dead in the water. See what you can do to help here --> [CLICKY]



While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #22

Updates abound! Check them out here --> [CLICKY]



While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

Post 300.

My 300th post here on "Holding Lines," since this blog began in April of 2009. So I'd better talk about something significant.

Surprise! I'm going to talk about The Raptor: FPS.



(Digital roughs for the cover of The Raptor: FPS.)

Well it shouldn't be a surprise. I've been working on this comic since elementary school (as Backers of the Kickstarter project would know).

Heck, the current iteration has been carefully planned and written since just before the start of 2011, as evidenced with this tease from New Year's Eve;

Yes, it had a different title back then. I'm much happier with the current one.

But even after all this careful planning, drawing, editing, there's still no guarantee this book will be produced. As I said on Kickstarter the other day;

...without the funding, I just don't have the time to sit for more than a month straight and work on a book for no pay. Comics are my passion and I love working on them, this project even moreso, but my responsibilities as a husband and father mean I can't sit and work on something for more than a month straight that brings in absolutely no money and doesn't guarantee any significant income upon completion.

Also, as I said during the Geeky Talky podcast, I also see me making my funding goal as a strong indication that people out there want to read this book. Not fully funding is a good indicator that only me and a handful of people would care, making it a bad idea.

I really don't want to do this again.

There's nothing wrong with Kickstarter - for the right kind of person. The kind of person that loves to talk themselves and their accomplishments up. I'm not that guy - if you've followed this blog and/or my Twitter, you know I'm big into self-deprecatory comments. And it's not just over-modesty. Without getting into specifics, I came to believe early on that anyone that tooted their own horn a lot was full of crap and/or just a jerk.

And now, here I am in a position where I have to toot my horn and scream about how awesome something is when I don't even have the whole thing to show off! I loathe being such a pimp for my own work. Talking it up is one thing; CONSTANT talking it up is another.

So I don't want to go back on Kickstarter in a week or two with the same project, but with a longer deadline, less of a goal, whatever. I can't imagine putting my friends, family, and any possible supporters and fans through that kind of used-car dealer-hawking again.

Which is why I said what I said above; If I can't do it now, I back-drawer this project, and move on to something else. Which could be more comic book work with an established company (hopefully) or working at the gas station at the edge of town. I'm not joking, nor am I guilting. Seriously, have you seen the economy lately? I'm in a relatively stable job area, but this is what's available, people.

I've gotta do what I've gotta do, then. I put myself on this path, so I have to see it through. So, here's another plea;

Please consider pledging your financial support to making The Raptor: FPS a reality. If you've already pledged, THANK YOU. If you're considering, but need to wait for a little bit, just know that the deadline is September 3rd, at 11:58 EST (and if you don't have a Kickstarter account, it'll take you a few minutes to set one up). Past that time, no more pledges can be accepted (nor counted).

If you absolutely can't contribute, or don't want to (well, later for you, then), but still like the project, please post the links to it and talk it up on your blogs, Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, Google+, forums, messageboards, heck, real life conversations.

I really want to make this happen, but I cannot, under any circumstances (save for a millions in lottery winnings) do this on my own.

Here's the link --> http://kck.st/nG17w3 <-- CLICK THERE.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to bring you another 300 posts, and more importantly, a kick-ass comic.

Cheers,

~Blair Shedd

DOCTOR WHO Annual 2011 - TOMORROW!

According to my editor, Denton Tipton, Diamond Distributors says that the Doctor Who 2011 Annual from IDW Publishing comes out tomorrow (after originally having a planned release date of the 31st), so we'll take their word for it. Therefore...



DOCTOR WHO ANNUAL 2011

The Eleventh Doctor materializes in his first Annual! This oversized issue contains three complete stories by an all-star lineup;

"Run, Doctor, Run" - Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov, Art by Blair Shedd

"Down To Earth" - Written by Matthew Dow Smith, Art by Mitch Gerads, Colors by Mitch Gerads and Kyle Latino

"Tuesday" - Written and Illustrated by Dan McDaid, Color assist by Deborah McCumiskey

"Your Destiny Awaits" - Written by Tony Lee, Art by Josh Adams, Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg

Lettering by Shawn Lee
Edited by Denton J. Tipton

48 pages • $7.99

Two covers are available, the regular Cover A (seen above, with a background and one Doctor and the TARDIS by me, and other Doctors by Mitch, Dan, and Josh), and Cover RI, the retailer incentive photo cover.

Check this out - I've seen this book (a digital proof anyway) and it's REALLY good. Everyone brought their A-game. Even if you're not a huge fan of the Eleventh Doctor, this is still, at its core, filled with pure DOCTOR WHO stories. Skip this at your peril.

I, of course, am especially proud of my own piece in this, as it's the first time I've colored my own work in such a mainstream title (save for my pinups in Afterburn, The Guild, and my Cover B to Doctor Who #9 from last year). And I really like how this whole thing turned out. Lessons I learned working on that book went in to the effort I'm applying to my current work.

So check that out tomorrow, and let me know what you think!

Cheers,

~Blair

PS - If you want to get a copy of that book, I'm making a few available via my Kickstarter campaign for my creator-owned comic, The Raptor: FPS. Go there to check it out, and if you pledge that amount (and the campaign is successful) you'll have a signed copy of the Doctor Who annual (and a sketch) sent to your door!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #18-#19

Updates abound! Check them out here --> [CLICKY]



While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #17

We're 36% of the way there, hoping for 50% by midday today (Saturday)! For more info, plus an opportunity to see me screencast the digital inking of the page below, click here --> [CLICKY]



While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #12-16

We're 35% of the way there! Lots of missed updates over at THE RAPTOR: FPS Kickstarter campaign. Things you may have missed; new incentives, nice write-ups, a Backers Only post, and even a podcast interview. Click here for all the action! --> [CLICKY]



While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #11

We're 30% of the way there! There's an time lapse video update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS! --> [CLICKY]



While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #10

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]



While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #9

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]



While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #7 & #8

Two new updates on the Kickstarter; one, for Backers Only, has artwork from some VERY early versions of Raptor, and the opening three-page sequence of the book, and the update for everyone else has something completely different. --> [CLICKY]



Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #6

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]



Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #5

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]



Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #4

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]



Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #3

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]



Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #2

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]



While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS IS LIVE!

The Kickstarter campaign for THE RAPTOR: FPS is live and in progress.

Click here --> [CLICKY] <-- to see the campaign and incentives.

Or you can click here --> [CLICKY] <-- to read my previous blog post on it.

Spread the word!

Thanks!

Special Preview: THE RAPTOR: FPS

Here it is, the debut of my creator-owned comic book, THE RAPTOR: FPS.

Unfortunately, due to a bunch of mishaps, I can't intro this the way I wanted - on Kickstarter, where I hope to raise the funds.

So what I'm doing here is to give you a sneak peek at the book before the project goes up on Kickstarter. That way, y'all can get a jump on telling your friends. ;)

So here we go. Click on the video below for a rundown of the project (this video will eventually be on the Kickstarter page);


_______

THE RAPTOR: FPS is a 49-page, full-color, one-shot comic, written, drawn, colored, and lettered by comic book artist Blair D. Shedd.

_______


A missing video camera, the Russian Mob, and the masked vigilante known as The Raptor come into play in THE RAPTOR: FPS.

Journalism student Kathy Walsh and her boyfriend Paul Clemens have been found dead, their video camera missing.  Finding they have a personal connection to the victims, detectives Jason Hawking and Willow Barnes of the NYPD Special Crimes Squad take the case.

As the detectives scramble to solve the murder, they discover that not only might their suspects be part of the Russian Mob, but that The Raptor may have a private stake in the case as well.

_______








_______

What is Kickstarter?

Kickstarter (to borrow from Wikipedia);

"...is an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects… [they have] funded a diverse array of endeavors ranging from indie film and music, to journalism, solar energy technology, and food-related projects."

And, in my case, comics books.

(I'll let you hit their website --> [CLICKY] <-- for the specifics.)

Let me break it down on a personal level, as it relates to my project.

I'm going to launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of my comic, THE RAPTOR:FPS;

"Some of the funds raised will pay [me] a small page rate as artist, in order to keep [my] family in mac and cheese during the [completion] of the book. [I'm] taking no page rate as writer, colorist, or letterer.  The rest of the funds will be used to pay the fees related to the Kickstarter campaign, print the first limited-run of copies [of the comic], go towards promotion of the comic (flyers, prints, cards, trade show banners, possible travel expenses to conventions, etc), and produce and ship incentives to the backers.

When complete, the comic will be shopped around to various publishers, in hopes of further adventures told to an even wider audience."

Get that part? That's what I need the money for.

But this isn't just me with a hat out - no, backers get something for their money.

Based on how much you donate, you can get one of a bunch of different incentives/rewards. While I'll wait until launch to reveal all the specifics, minimum pledge is $1, and for that you get access to "Backers Only" updates (which could be anything from work in progress, to a finished page to peek at), but it gets good starting at a $5 pledge (you'll get a thank you and mention on The Raptor website when it launches).

Between there and the top pledge are digital versions of the comic, signed print comics, prints, sketch cover editions, special commissions, possible cameo appearances in the comic itself (that's right: YOU CAN BE IN THE COMIC), on up to the big pledge, $3000, which gets you everything, and your name on the credits page as PUBLISHER.

Starting to dig now?

Kickstarter is a really amazing platform and idea, and while I've had problems getting set up, that's mostly because of things that Kickstarter doesn't have control over.

But I digress.

Above is the basics you need to know - the specifics will happen when I officially launch (which, I will of course mention here).

I hope you can help spread the word when it's time (you don't have to spread the word about this blog entry - I can't accept pledges until the Kickstarter is live), but I really hope you'll consider pledging.

There's some great stuff to get your hands on, many things I'll offer no where else,

And you seriously, honestly, will be helping me make one of my dreams come true. The Raptor has been with me for a while, and this is a story I've really longed to tell properly.

With your support, I'll be able to do it.

I hope you enjoy the previews.

Thank you.

8.1.11 -- I guess not.

So, you'll notice there was no Kickstarter.com related announcement yesterday.

First, it was delayed because I didn't realize you had to get your proposal approved before you could even set up your project. The way it was worded, I thought it was an instant part of the whole setup process. Only AFTER beginning setup did I find that wasn't the case.

No biggie - it was approved yesterday afternoon.

Next, I had to spend a few hours uploading a video. Hours, you ask? Well, yes. My ISP, Fairpoint Communications, is famous for dropping the ball (g'wan, Google them), and I'm getting near dial-up speeds. They're apparently "backlogged" and the last time I called them to fix this, they offered me compensation. What I'd like for compensation is my internet speeds back to the level I pay for.

That's also lead me to delay working on certain clients' jobs, where downloading large files has become important.

Next, I had to spend an hour re-coloring and changing the layout of my "project image" for Kickstarter. I couldn't find dimensions in their FAQ, so I winged it - unfortunately, I was off enough my image didn't work.

But I finally got through all that.

Well, save for one thing; Amazon Payments. You MUST be approved with Amazon Payments, and you go through the whole deal (to those who are familiar with similar setups at PayPal and the like) of waiting for them to deposit a few cents into your bank account, and then you tell them how much they deposited, and then you're good to go.

Everyone has to go through that, right?

Well, I ALREADY DID. Last year, I had a commissioner who insisted they pay me via Amazon Payments. So I already setup my account for such. Except, Amazon has no record, so I have to put off launching my Kickstarter for another week because they dropped the ball. It doesn't build confidence in Amazon Payments, let me tell you.

So that's where we are. I have a really cool project to share with you, but really don't want to say much until I can show you everything I want to - and all of that is already on Kickstarter waiting to share.

But it's stuck there until this Series of Unfortunate Events That Piss Blair Off is resolved.

So please, bear with me, while I headdesk for a bit.

Something cool is a'comin', but for now, it's stuck at the airport.