Who is Merk & what is this?
I am! My name is Merk and I am an artist and storyteller from middle of nowhere Canada. I've been making comics independently for upwards of a decade now with 2 self published books under my belt: "Victor's Legacy" (written by Matthew Jowett & Andrew Sookram) and "Nowadays" (written by Kurt Martell). Now I'm ready to do a book completely by me and "Season of the Dead Hours" is it. A 112 b/w graphic novel about banished sorcerers returning to this world, trying to gather power before they are ripped fro this world & sent back into their magical limbo. We follow one sorcerer, Sitchenn, as he enlists the help of a young, Irish boy named Fionn. Fionn's eyes are opened to a magic long obscured from mortal eyes. He encounters creatures hidden right before him as they make their way to one final battle with Sitchenn's foes the Janus Magus. But not all is what it seems in the world of magic.
This campaign, with your help, will make the printing of this book possible, something I can't do on my own. I am not a publishing house. I am not flush with cash (I'm an artist, remember? It's a good day if i can buy a sandwich). This whole endeavor.... is just me. I am doing EVERYTHING involved in this book from the story conception to art to this campaign to advertising to bagging up & shipping you all the awesome perks involved to your door! You have a chance to be a part of that. 90% of the work on the book is done, so now it's just that final stretch and you could have a book in your hands.... or on your table.... or by the toilet? Wherever you want to put it is cool by me. No judgement. Or hey! A Christmas gift? There is a special Xmas deal... read on!
Break it down.
Ok. The goal is $8500. That will print 2000 books & cover the perks that I'm offering which will include tshirt printing, poster printing, stickers, teleportation, and whatever else my brain will come up with to make this an awesome offer for you. This is very clear and simple. ALL the funds raised go towards that. I don't make money from this part. This covers me making the book, getting it professionally printed. I've worked with these printers before and they do beautiful work!
Ok. Now, the STUFF YOU GET! Depending on what level you contribute at, you get lots of great stuff. You can get things from: RANDOM THINGS find lying around my house (seriously, I am tons of things in my house & will put random things in. Might be a paperclip. Could be a comic trade. Might be original art. Or maybe a signed photo from a complete stranger), a personalized, SIGNED COPY OF THE BOOK, a thank you/name drop in the book (if you contribute at any level, you get a name drop in the book & a big smoochy book thank you!), MERK DESIGNED SEASON SHIRTS (designs to be revealed!), PERSONALIZED SKETCHES (you pick, I draw), I make YOU into a sorcerer/sorceress in a LIMITED EDITION POSTER PRINT (only those who contribute at that level get 'magiced' and I turn you into some sort of wielder of ancient power, with whatever input you want to give me for your look), have an AD IN THE BOOK (Do you have a business or are you an artist who wants to have your ad in the book? I travel all over North America going to conventions and so could your ad, not to mention through my website and other contributors to the campaign. HEY FELLOW COMIC ARTISTS, here's your audience. Target them.), and since I do my art 'traditionally', not digitally, there are gorgeous, ORIGINAL INKED PAGES up for grabs (those puppies will be very limited). And who knows what else I will toss into the campaign as we go along. Think about it. You go to a bookstore to buy a book. Here, you are preordering that book, dealing DIRECTLY with the creator, and getting a bunch of fantastic extra stuff along with it!! And then there's the XMAS DEAL! This book will NOT be printed before Christmas, BUT if you are purchasing it as a gift for someone for Christmas, then I will send you a Christmas Card stating that you are a &^%$ing amazing friend/family member and have ordered this book & perks for them and will receive it post haste!
I've done this before.
So I've contributed to other campaigns before.... and waited... and waited... and waited, only to have something arrive out of the blue years later or sometimes never to receive anything at all.
That will not happen.
I hate when that happens so I make sure that I never do that to others. And I've done campaigns before. Kurt & I did our 'Nowadays' graphic novel (look it up here on the ol' indiegogo) and got it printed & out to everyone within the stated timeline of a couple months from campaign completion. This book is almost completed. I don't do these fundraising campaigns until I am almost done the book. You're not paying me to work on the book. You're paying for the book. It's penciled. It's 95% inked and words are being put into their word bubble mouths & things getting set for the printer. It is tentatively scheduled to hit the printer in February so it will be in everyone's beautiful, little hands by April or May (depending on print/shipping times). You will not be waiting around for me to finish things up. I've done the VAST majority already. All I need now is you.....
So that's it. That's the idea. I love to make art and tell stories. 20 years ago, I wouldn't have been able to do it this way (and maybe not at all), but this sort of thing now is AMAZING on BOTH sides of the fence, for creators and readers. We get to connect. I get to share these things from my brain (and soul) without companies telling me what to create and what story to tell. YOU get to be a part of something that few people get to enjoy. Think about it. This isn't some international best seller that will be in every store. This is a small print run and you will have been a part of creating it. And your name will be in it!! This is a big thing for me. I've spent YEARS doing this book. And I want you to read it.
So contribute if you can. Share if you can't (or contribute AND share ... because Kenny Loggins wants you to). Sharetools, check 'em. Join me on this wacky journey. Questions, drop me line.
