Proofs arriving, t-shirts, pins and more!
over 5 years ago – Tue, Nov 13, 2018 at 11:30:29 PM

I just received an update from the printer and - according to UPS tracking - the book proofs will be arriving on Friday! I'll share photos when they arrive. :) If they look good, I'll be placing the larger order for books that day and - at this point, begin shipping in December! Fingers crossed!

The t-shirts arrived and turned out great! I'll share a photo later this week as well.

In Patreon news, the Quimp golden crest pins are in and I love how they look! The silver versions are now available from my site here: https://steveconley.com/product/the-middle-age-logo-pin/

I was able to get some extra golden pins created and will be making them available to Patreon supporters this month. So, if you missed out on last month's Special Offer, you have a second chance! Sign up now at the $5 level to receive a golden pin! Each pin is 1.5-inches wide and made of die-struck, solid metal. And I can save on shipping by including the pin with your Kickstarter loot. :)

Thank you again for your kindness and support and look for another update on Friday with the book proofs! So excited to see them! :)

-- Steve

The Final Cover! And the Waddlebottom button mockup!
over 5 years ago – Thu, Oct 25, 2018 at 01:17:10 AM

I hope I'm not posting too many updates. There's just so much exciting stuff to share. :)

First up, here's a look at the final cover. The very wide margins around the sides will be part of the casewrap for the hardcover and will get tucked around.

I shared a video on Youtube showing the cover's coloring process if you're into that sort of thing. :)

And here's a look at the button mockups provided by the manufacturer...

Thanks again for your amazing support!

-- Steve

And BIG BIG thanks to my new Patreon supporters! Click here to see how you can help support new episodes of The Middle Age: patreon.com/steveconley

New Cover Art! T Shirts, Sketchbooks Ordered!
over 5 years ago – Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 11:37:25 PM

The book order will be placed this week! I've redrawn the final art for The Middle Age Volume One hardcover to make the art a bit bigger. (I say final but it's likely get a couple more tweaks between now and when the files go to the printer). You can see the new B&W linework here.

The art is VERY similar to what you've seen on the downloadable PDF and on the Kickstarter campaign's page, but I made a lot of little tweaks. I've recorded a video of the coloring process so if you're into the shop-talk side of things, I'm compressing the 4-hour video down to 10 minutes and will be making that available on social media and on my Patreon and Drip pages.

T-Shirts Have been Ordered!

Here's a look at the latest mockup from the manufacturer. I'll share photos when the shipment arrives!

We Only Need Nine More Patrons!

We now have 91 Patreon supporters! Big thanks to the latest backers,: Alexander, Betty and Evil Len! When we reach 100, I'll be able to update The Middle Age twice a week!

You can learn more and become a Patreon supporter here.

Look for an update later this week with the final cover layout! :)

Thanks again! :)

-- Steve

Final t-shirt graphic, production news, and Drip...
over 5 years ago – Tue, Oct 16, 2018 at 12:57:53 AM

Hi! I just wanted to share a look at a mockup of the final t-shirt graphic. The shirt color will be royal blue - which seems appropriate. I love the worn texture (thanks to Spoon Graphics for their great 'washed and worn' textures.). If that's not enough texture and you want your shirt torn like Sir Quimps' you'll have to take care of that yourself. :)

I'm on track to place the pin order this week as well! As soon as I receive the digital mockup, I'll share it here. :)

We also now have a ISBN and UPC code for the hardcover book. This is the 13-digit International Standard Book Number and the matching bar code which pretty much every book needs. It's a clostly but necessary step to get the book printed. The final retail price of the book will be $30. All backers saved at least $5 off the full price!

The PDF downloads seem to be going really well with 145 copies downloaded so far. I really appreciate all the feedback. Thanks to a comment from backer Henry, I was able to remove the address requirement from the digital downloads! That simplified the  checkout process for everyone who followed and it still allowed the system to properly watermark each book!

Patreon update

Big, big thanks to this week's NINE new Patreon supporters DesignOTG, Jeffrey, Joanna, Michael, Eugene, Kristi, Marcos, Thrudd, and Dan! This means 17 new supporters in October alone! You can learn more about my Patreon page here.

What about Drip? And what is it?

Drip is Kickstarter's alternative to Patreon. So far, Drip is invitation-only for creators and I was kindly invited to join. I just launched the brand-new page here:  d.rip.com/steveconley

Patreon has been around longer and has more features and integrations (like, I can easily send a welcome video to each new Patreon backer and create Patreon-only sections of my Wordpress site). While Patreon has more going for it at the moment, I want supporters to be able to have as many options as possible to support my goofy comics and you should be able to choose the service you prefer.  Again, you can check out the new Drip page here: d.rip/steveconley

I'm making the final touches on the high-res cover for the hardcover book. I'll share the final when it's available. :)

Thanks again for your amazing support!

-- Steve

Episode 112 of The Middle Age was posted earlier today.

Reminders, Manufacturing and Backerkit surveys locked!
over 5 years ago – Tue, Oct 09, 2018 at 11:23:41 PM

Sorry if this is too many updates - it's been a flurry as the survey responses have rolled in. :)

The surveys are in and now the book, button, print, and shirt manufacturing orders are getting placed this week! I still haven't heard back from two backers who have purchased t-shirts.I've e-mailed them directly, sent reminders via Backerkit, and messaged them through Kickstarter's system with no luck but it's time to place the shirt orders. (I really hope you're both okay and I really realllllly hope you like large-size t-shirts.)

For those who have responded to the survey, thank you! For those who haven't, please do ASAP! <3

Last call for Patreon Bonus Offer...

There's less than 24 hours to go on the Patreon Special Offer for a solid-metal pin of Sir Quimp crest. If you were thinking about supporting me and The Middle Age on Patreon, now's the best time! (I was asked, and yep, the gold-color metal pin will only be available through Patreon.) Here's the URL: https://www.patreon.com/steveconley

Big, big thanks to all my new Patreon supporters!

The PDF Edition...

The Middle Age Volume One PDF/Digital Edition delivery is going great. More than 100 of you have already downloaded the PDF. (I was a little afraid the server might blow up). I'd be very interested in getting your feedback on the delivery process. You can let me know by responding to this post, messaging me through Kickstarter's system, or popping me an e-mail at [email protected]

Thanks again for your kind support!

-- Steve