Sherlock Holmes and The Empire Builders: Down and out In London
After the huge success of Sherlock Holmes and The Empire Builders as two acclaimed graphic novels (volume 1 and volume 2), which just won a Comic Scene Award as Best Crowdfunder, we thought it was time to offer something a little different.
So Down and Out In London is the first prose novella set in the world of the Empire Builders. Holmes has lost his house in Baker Street and is now living homeless on the streets of London. So how does he restore his reputation as the world's greatest detective? This is the perfect bridge between Conan Doyle's work and the world of the Empire Builders.
I have worked as a journalist for many decades, covering the worlds of comics, film, TV and illustration. But Sherlock Holmes and The Empire Builders was the first comic series I have written. Testing the waters with three comic shorts which ran in the print magazine Tripwire which I am editor-in-chief of, they were very well-received. So we have published two graphic novels - or volume two is being prepped with publication in June of this year.
I wrote a prose short for the first graphic novel and really enjoyed it. So here is an original 150 page prose novella which gives fans of the Empire Builders the opportunity to find out more about how Holmes found himself in his predicament at the beginning of the first graphic novel. It will be a fun and enjoyable ride.
This campaign will allow us to put this unique project out there. As well as a regular paperback, people will be able to grab a regular hardcover, a digital version and also a limited edition handsome hardcover too.
I have loved Sherlock Holmes since I was a child and this has been an opportunity to put something back into its mythos.
What We Need & What You Get
The funding here will pay for printing the books and also shipping them out as well as any perks we include here. If we don't hit our target, the money will still go towards creating the books and any extra goodies. But we feel confident we shall hit our target as we have 10 successfully funded campaigns under our belt since 2020.
The Impact
As my debut prose work, I am excited to get this out there for readers. Also, as we have already built up a loyal following thanks to the graphic novels, I know this will engage with our existing audience as well as hopefully attract a whole raft of new readers.
We are veterans of crowdfunding now and we also create books, graphic novels and magazines to very high production values and Down and out In London will be no exception.
Risks & Challenges
Of course we appreciate that there is no guarantee that projects will be funded but because this is our eleventh crowdfunding campaign, we feel confident that we can successfully fund this one. We also have the advantage of our Tripwire website and our various social media platforms to promote.
Other Ways You Can Help
If people can't support the campaign financially, then they can still spread the word on their social media or to their friends. Everything helps to get the word out.
People can use the Indiegogo tools here to spread the word too.
