Update #4: We Did It!
about 4 years ago – Thu, Sep 03, 2020 at 11:42:01 PM

 
This is now officially our biggest single issue campaign! None of this would be possible if you had not shown up en masse for this campaign. 

Fulfillment

 We are now going to shift our focus to fulfillment as quickly and seamlessly as possible. Here's the plan:

•  Digital Rewards: We will release the digital issues early next week. Expect them Monday or Tuesday. 
•  BackerKit Surveys: Once the funds have cleared Kickstarter, we will send out BackerKit surveys. Expect surveys in about two weeks.
•  Book Printing: We will be ordering print copies next week, expecting a three week turnaround from print to shipment to our offices. 
•  Fulfillment: If all goes to plan, we anticipate beginning shipping four weeks from now. We will do our best to fulfill shipment within the first two weeks of October. 

 Rest of the Year 

We would like to try to run one more campaign before the close of the year - the trade hardcover for Glow #1-4. Whether or not we do so will be contingent upon how quickly we're able to close out fulfillment on this campaign. 

For now, we'll keep our heads down and keep grinding towards the next milestone. 

Thank you again, and until next time!

- Ray and Vince
 

Number 3!
about 4 years ago – Sat, Aug 29, 2020 at 11:07:20 PM

Hey Folks! 

Happy Saturday! These days Saturdays feel like almost any other day, don't they? Nonetheless, let's get into it! 

Artist Spotlight: Cristian Docolomansky

Today we'd like to introduce the member of the crew with the hardest to spell name: hailing from Chile, South America, the one the only .... Cristian Docolomansky! 

Want to know how to detect a true hardcore comic fan? Ask them about lettering! 

The naked art. In front of your eyes but most of the time you don't see, just read. The role of the letter is that of the invisible eye, the hand that guides.  Low key, CDC is the most important member of our production process. That is because he is the one that often has to deal with the ramifications of delays, setbacks, and struggles of communication.

Picture the scenario... we've announced to our fans that the next Kickstarter is going to launch in three weeks. We just finished the colors, and now we need to make sure that within those three weeks, we have a completed issue ready. Who do you call?

CDC! Cool as a cucumber under the pressure. The anchor leg. The one who holds the beacon last. The one we depend on to finish strong. 

Cheers to you, Docolomansky! 

Community 

I also wanted to spend some time today to talk about communities. The ones we're apart of, and the ones we're fostering. 

First, if you've been around our comics, campaigns, and convention appearances: thank you. We know we are extremely lucky. There's no doubt about it. We were struck by lightning our first Kickstarter campaign, and since then you great fans have managed to keep that train rolling. 

So much of what we do can be attributed to chance or randomness. We've had our fair share of ups and downs, but the one thing we have been is persistent. We've never quit. We've kept on going. No matter how long it takes, we keep the wheels churning, in large part because you give us to the fuel to continue. 

The world can often seem like a dark and terrible place. We're bombarded every day with news about how things are falling apart. Disease, unrest, injustice. These are the signs of the times, and perhaps of all times. 

We don't have an answer on how to fix everything. I don't know if anyone does. But what we have learned is that given the chance, people want to build communities. To work, collaborate, and support one another. But to do so requires a belief in the work and a stubbornness to see things through. 

To create things that didn't exist before. To make things better. 

We've seen it with our artists. We've seen it with our fans. We see it on Kickstarter, and in our day jobs managing one of the largest restaurants in London and teaching students skills beyond the classroom. Wherever people gather together, we depend on each other to support one another. 

Thank you for your generosity and support of this community. Thank you for fostering comics as a medium, and your belief in the new, exciting, and emerging.  Thank you for supporting independent comics and independent voices! 

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Four more days until the end of the campaign! 

Let's finish strong, aye?

- Ray and Vince 

Los Weekly Update
over 4 years ago – Thu, Aug 20, 2020 at 12:16:47 AM

Welcome to your week two Skies of Fire update! 

Artist Spotlight: Bryan Valenza

If you've been following comics closely lately, you've probably heard Bryan's name bandied  because Bryan is a superstar.

Recently, Bryan announced that he's doing work for DC Comics, Heavy Metal, and The Darkness. At this point he's pretty much worked with every large North American Publisher sans Marvel. 

 Back in 2014, Bryan contacted us about Skies of Fire after seeing one of our job postings on Deviant Art. 

Ever since, we've owed a debt of gratitude to him and his immense contributions to almost all of our projects.

Bryan is a machine. What separates him from others is not only is immaculate execution, but professional communication and strict adherence to deadlines. If you want a job done right, you go to Bryan. 

He's a Professional. 

House of Mouse, what are you waiting for? Hit him up! 

Recent Happenings of Creativity 

Work update! Here's what we've been up to the past few weeks: 

• Glow #6 and #7, including new design sheets for creatures, cities, and all sorts of fun stuff. We're planning on doing these two issues together as one Kickstarter after seeing the success Curtis Clow's wonderful Beastlands had with that model.
• Inventory! We've been counting our stock in anticipation of this next fulfillment cycle. This week we'll be finalizing the print ready files and hopefully order the books for this KS by the end of the week. 
• Meetings! Secret new projects. Collaborations. Things cooking in the kitchen. Hopefully stuff we can announce soon!
• Mailing Congress! As a bonafide corporation, Mythopoeia is doing their part to save the US Postal Service. We're sending physical letters to each and every member of Congress' regional offices advocating for the saving of the Postal Service. This amounts to over physical 1,100 letters! We're doing this to advocate for action and to support the USPS financially - 1,100 letters comes out to roughly $600 in stamps! We're calling this initiative Project Penpal. 

How many drafts does it take? 

To write an issue of Skies of Fire? 

Too many! Which I guess is kind of ironic given the visual-forward, minimal dialogue aesthetic we have going on. 

Nonetheless, we believe that creativity is the process of reinvention. Here's a rough count: 

• 5 Screenplay Drafts from 2013-2015
• At least 3 Comic Book drafts per issue. 
• Countless revisions of thumbnails between Pablo and us.
• At least 3 lettering passes to finagle the dialogue.

So yeah, a lot. Never ends. Never satisfied! We hope to always get better. We think we have gotten better with time. The thing about being a creative is that once your work is out there, it's sort of just there for everyone to react. You really have no control over how people will see the work. 

The only thing that you can control is the work itself.  So that's what we try to focus on. Give it our all and let the chips fall where they may fall. 

--------------------------------------------

Have I gotten to two thousand words yet? I sincerely doubt it. Never been one for maximizing them word counts. In any case, if you'd like to hear more of our ramblings, you can over on our website where we blog, Instagram where we post pretty pictures, and sometimes on Twitter  where we .... I don't know, despair? 

It's a cold world out there. Thanks for making it a little warmer by supporting the arts! 

Till next time,

Ray and Vince 

Update!
over 4 years ago – Thu, Aug 13, 2020 at 11:52:09 PM

Hey Everyone! 

One week update.  We doing this? Heck yeah, we're doing this! 

Artist Spotlight: Pablo Peppino

What can we say about Pablo Peppino that his art does not? 

We knew Pablo was right from the project the moment he submitted. He was also the first to respond. 

Coincidence? Fate! Correlation equals causation?!? 

He's a cinematic guy. 

We're cinematic storytellers.

Over the years it's been a journey seeing Pablo learn, evolve and grow, just as I'm sure we have to him. He is without a doubt one of the most talented people we've ever had the pleasure of collaborating with. 

We trust and rely on his ability to make Skies of Fire what it is.

And c'mon folks. Who are we kidding?  Just look at it. 

He's one of the greats! 

Pablo Peppino.

Did you know: 100% of Original Art proceeds go to the Artist!

Pick up your one of a kind original while you still can today!

 @pablopop_

Logistics Brainstorm

Alright team, so we have a problem. Shipping is getting crazy. We want to see what alternatives are out there, specifically for Australia and Canada. 

Right now, the going rate for a single comic to Australia is $26. The price to Canada fluctuates between $20-30 AFAIK in the last week. Shipping rates have been crazy volatile for the past year or so. 

We always use cardboard and bubble. Otherwise books get damaged. Heck, they still get damaged but that's the lowest hit rate we've found so far! 

• Do you know Creators who have managed shipping to AU and CA?
• Canadians! What's the rate to US right now? 
• Australians! We need to know too! 
• Any experience yourself? 
• Distribution? 

That's what we're looking for right now! And you know what else is really cool? 

The Postal Service. 

Great songs.  

Don't forget to save! 

- Ray and Vince 

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They will see us waving from such great heights
Come down now, they'll say...

<3
over 4 years ago – Thu, Aug 06, 2020 at 11:05:11 PM

Hey Everyone,

We just want to take a moment to express our eternal gratitude. You have all shown up to make this Kickstarter among our biggest and fastest ever. You're the greatest fans in the world. 

For allowing us to play in this sandbox and learning more about the world, its characters, and conflict. For making our dreams come true, time and time again. For validating what we do and giving us the courage to continue forth and create.  

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. 

Ray and Vince