Welcome to the Big Times, Folks

We are speeding towards the finish line of our Kickstarter campaign for the first full issue of our comic. Only three days left! And as of right this second we still need $1804. I think we can do it, especially if one of you out there has ever wanted to appear in a comic book.

You didn't know that was something we offered? It certainly is, though there are an extremely limited number of opportunities. In today's Reward Spotlight, you can find out how. Let's take a closer look at the last three pledge levels and the thank you gifts attached to them.

The "I Want it All!" Pack

This is the first of our three big reward levels. For a donation pledge of $100 dollars you will receive pretty much All Of The Things. Specifically, that includes-

• One copy each of the three 11" x 17" art prints
• One copy of the printed Variant Edition (cover art by Rebecca Silver)
• One copy of the printed standard edition (cover art by Kelsea Jewell)
• Both print copies will be signed by author T. Perran Mitchell
• A PDF copy of the comic to read on your digital devices
• A public thank you
• The secret High-Five code; use it when you see Mr. Mitchell at a convention (or most public places really) to receive "a big old High-Five"
• BONUS! Three button pins

The Letterer Special

Besides being the writer of our comics, Mr. Mitchell is also the letterer. When you select The Letterer Special reward you get to use that particular skill to your advantage. For a pledge of $250 or more, you get-

• T. Perran Mitchell will letter your comic or project, up to 32 pages
• All three of the art prints
• The variant edition of the printed comic
• The standard edition of the printed comic
• Mr. Mitchell will sign both copies
• A PDF copy of the comic to read digitally
• A heartfelt thank you
• The High Five code
• BONUS! Three buttons

The Super Fan Pack

This right here is where YOU have the opportunity to appear in a comic book. Only four of these packages are available. For a pledge of $500- 

• You will be featured as a character in issue two of The Chronicles of the Tal Nor!

You will also get lots of cool things-

• All three art prints
• The printed Variant Edition
• The printed standard edition
• Both comics will be signed by author T. Perran Mitchell
• A PDF copy of the comic
• Our deepest, greatest, and most heartfelt gratitude shouted to the skies (along with a thank you printed somewhere)
• The secret High-Five Code
• BONUS! Three button pins

I will be the first to admit that these pledge levels are no chump change. To put in in perspective though, it's quite a lot of value for the money. Having Mr. Mitchell letter for you costs a minimum of $10 a page. If your project is as long as our comic is, that covers the entirety of your pledge right there. To actually be in a comic isn't an opportunity that comes along very often. And many of these items will never be available again after 7pm EDT on Monday.

They're big, but I hope you consider it. If it's still a bit much, anything you can spare would be deeply appreciated. We're so excited to share all of the work that we've done. You can help that happen, and we are so grateful for it.

Thank you.

So What Is it About?

Whenever you tell someone you're working on any sort of writing project, the first question they usually ask is, "So what's it about?" I know that in our Kickstarter video we said it's a secret. However, I'm going to be a little naughty and share.

At its most basic, The Chronicles of the Tal Nor is a fantasy police procedural.* That means something happens, the audience follows the investigators as they investigate, the incident gets resolved and everyone goes home. Rinse and repeat.

If you watch television at all, the procedural is a familiar format. Law & Order, CSI and Dragnet all follow it. (Arguments could also be made for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) Our comic takes place in a fantasy setting, though, so we have less Kevlar and more chainmail.

While we're on the subject of fantasy, you should know that this world is not another Tolkien-based setting. You won't find any elves, dwarves, or orcs here. There's no one species that is Always Chaotic Evil.** Some Kallethax are the bad guys in issue one, but if some Kallethaxian civilian gets hit by an arrow while walking down the street, you better believe our lawfolk are going to find out who did it.

Oh, and in issue three, there just might be a cloud city of talking squirrels.

That's the basics of what this comic series is about. As for issue one itself I will say this: some townspeople go missing, our investigator gets overconfident, and the situation quickly goes sideways. The fastest way to find out what happens would be to donate to our Kickstarter over at www.tal-nor.com/ks - Otherwise, there will be a bit of a wait.

This has been a Letter From Your Editor.

Thanks.

footnotes-

* Saying "fantasy police procedural" always makes me think of a strange fantasy sports league that has tv characters for players. Like, "I really wanted Kate Beckett and Lester Freamon to round out my team this year, but jeez, the draft was not kind to me."

** TvTropes is an unparalleled time-sink. Enter at your own risk.

An Introduction to Kickstarter

While promoting our comic's fundraiser, it's come to our attention that not everyone is familiar with how Kickstarter works. So let's introduce everyone to the wonderful world of Kickstarter.

Kickstarter is like an online version of your local Public Broadcasting Station's pledge drive. Each project has a fundraising goal and donors pledge whatever amount of money they wish towards that goal. In return, backers receive thank you gifts (also known as rewards.)

The biggest difference is that Kickstarter funding is all-or-nothing.

If our project reaches its funding goal, all backers' credit cards are charged when time expires. If the project falls short, no one is charged.

This means that if you want to support our project, you don't have to have the money on hand right this second. You will only need it when the project ends on the evening of Monday, August 17.

You can get more information on how Kickstarter works on its FAQ page: https://www.kickstarter.com/help/faq/Kickstarter%20Basics

If you have any additional questions, please contact us at TalNorComics@gmail.com

The Smudge Report '15

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of exhibiting at the Smudge Comic Art Expo 2015. Thank you to everyone who braved the rain and navigated past the marathon. running a few blocks away, to come to the show. It was great meeting everyone and getting to talk about the book. I met so many amazing people. It was getting to meet one young fan however, that made the long drive from Pennsylvania to Virginia worth it. She was there with her family and could not been any older than nine. We got to talk about my book and then while she looked through the book her mom and dad told me about how much their daughter wants to make comics. Being able to encourage the next generation of creators is such a thrill.  I told them to keep her drawing and when she gets older to have her start going to life drawling classes and bone up on anatomy. I also recommended all of Scott McCloud's books on comics. You can find them here and they will give you a great foundation in what you need to know to make great comics.

I had an eerily similar conversation with a man in his fifties who loved comics and always dreamed of making them. I could see that it was something that he wanted to do, but had been discouraged from doing so to the point where he really didn't believe he was good enough to write comics. I hope that by talking about what it takes to make comics and how with the web, no one can stop you, that I was able to start to turn that ship around. He definitely seemed more inspired and confident when he left.

I love comics, I love reading them and I love making them. And I love that the indie comic's community is so open and welcoming. That we don't see each other as competition but that we are all in the struggle together to make the best comics we can. If you have passion to make comics that you should never let anyone tell you no.

I'm certainly not going to. Each day we get closer to being able to show you the fruits of those efforts.  Kelsea is hard at work inking the comic. I have started putting in the preliminary lettering. Everything is looking so good and I can't wait to show you.

T.