IT'S OFFICIAL
TO ARMS!
IS NOW 100% FUNDED
Last night TO ARMS! officially broke through our £2000 funding goal! So we'd like to take a moment to thank some very special people.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this project so far (and to all the people you might still contribute).
Thanks to all the people who helped spread the word about the book, without you I don't think we'd have raised half the money.
And of course a big thank you to our amazing team of artists and writers, who have done such amazing work in such a short amount of time. Can't wait to see their stuff in print.
In our minds you're all war heroes in the fight to get this book made. We salute you.
DON'T FORGET THE CAMPAIGN CONTINUES BELOW...
(Cover Artist: Tim Hassan)
OUR PROJECT...
This August marks the centenary of the outbreak of WW1, a conflict that claimed 16 million lives, yet will soon slip from living memory.
TO ARMS! resurrects the stories of the fallen, bringing them to life in an evocative contemporary format that will appeal to the comic book fan, the history buff, and everyone in-between.
We've asked over twenty writers and artists to create incredible and compelling stories and illustrations, that seek to provide alternative perspectives of WW1. A vision of this conflict that elevates its retelling above the traditional depictions already available.
The result is an anthology that blends both humour and heroism, reality and the surreal, into a unique experience you won’t get anywhere else. Believe us when we say you've never encountered a WW1 comic quite like TO ARMS!
Your support of TO ARMS! will also be providing several of the creators involved with their first opportunity to see their work published professionally. This is something that we are immensely proud of, as debuting amazing new talent is a big part of what this project is all about.
WHO WE ARE...
We are an international collection of artists, writers and comic book enthusiasts, who have banded together to produce work that is both exciting and thought provoking.
Coming from a range of different entertainment and media backgrounds, which include the likes of TV, film, design and publishing, we believe that we have a pretty deep talent pool, something that should no doubt be reflected in the quality of the work we aim to produce.
Spearheading this project is the marvellous Matthew Duncan, visionary publisher of the indie comic book anthology Ye Olde Axe. Joining him is Matt's guy friday, Karim Iskander Flint, screenwriter, fanboy and all around affable sort of chap. Put it this way, if we were a WW1 based TV show we'd definitely be BLACK ADDER. And yes... we do have a cunning plan.
For more about our project, or to contact us directly, feel free to check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TOARMSANTHOLOGY
Also please check out the links below to some of existing work of our amazing contributors...
http://www.backwardsburd.com
http://mikemedaglia.com
http://oi.thecomicseries.com/comics/first/
http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk
http://timhassanart.tumblr.com
http://www.songlinepress.com
http://www.keithmcdougall.com
http://www.owenpomery.com
(Artist: James Hickman / Writer: Karim Iskander Flint)
WHAT DO WE NEED...
Thanks to the tireless work of our contributors so far we already have 75% of the content we hope to print, and our aim is to produce an 80+ page book, that will be printed in both colour and black & white.
We have budgeted this project at £2000, of which all funds will be going towards our printing, shipping and marketing costs. Any monies raised from the sales of our books (fingers crossed) will then be distributed amongst our collaborators.
Below is a brief rundown of the costs we expect to incur...
Printing Costs: £1000
We plan on an initial run of 500 copies. Those that aren't sent to our Indiegogo supporters will be distributed both here in the UK and abroad, in conjunction this year's WW1 Centenary celebrations.
Shipping: £500
We want this book to be distributed as widely as possible, which is why we've been careful to factor in enough funds to cover both shipping here in the UK and abroad. So whether you live in Toronto or Timbuktu, we'll get you your copy.
Marketing & Incidentals: £500
As you can see in our Perks section there is a lot of great stuff we want to give you guys for supporting this campaign. This, along with any Indiegogo admin costs we need to pay, will also be covered in our budget.
What happens if we fail to hit our funding goal?
Well first and foremost our number one priority is to get this book published, and get copies to all you nice people who have supported us here on Indiegogo. If we dramatically fall short then we most likely be forced to reduce our initial printing run, but we do have contingencies in place if this is the case. However the more money we raise, the more money we can put into this and future projects.
What happens if we exceed our funding goal?
If all you good people dig deep, and help us exceed our fundraising goal, then we intend to take this show on the road. That means promoting the book at small press fairs
and comic expos, which in turn will contribute to the ever burgeoning small press scene both here in the UK and abroad. So any additional funds will go towards covering table costs for these events.
Wherever possible we also want to give back to the creatives involved in this project. They've truly pulled out all the stops to produce truly amazing stories and art for us, without any expectation of financial reward, and we hope to continue to work with as many of them as possible on future projects.
WHAT DO YOU GET...
Check out below a sneak peek at some of work that will feature in the finished book.
(Artist / Writer: Michael Lightfoot)
(Artist / Writer: Milo Shore)
(Artist: Daniel de Sosa / Writer: Karim Iskander Flint)
(Artist / Writer: Matt Duncan)
EXCERPT FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH PAT MILLS...
As part of our preparation for this project our man Matt sat down with Pat "the godfather of British comics" Mills, writer of the acclaimed WW1 comic book Charley's War. The full and illustrated version of this interview will feature as part of TO ARMS!
Matt: You’re writing
a new story about the First World War. Can you tell us anything about your new
story?
Pat: I’ve only just
started on it and it’s just doing the rounds of publishers. It features a
soldier from 1914 and his
relationship with soldiers from other countries – his “Brothers in Arms”, The
theme is “The World is My Country.
Matt: Why revisit
the subject? Is there more you want to say on the subject, or have your views
changed since Charley’s War?
Pat: There’s so much
more to say. Firstly, chronologically, CW started in 1916. Brothers starts in
1914 so I get to cover Mons, Loos etc.
But amongst the many things not covered in detail in Charlie's War featured here:
Drugs. Burroughs Welcome “Forced March”
tablets of cocaine and caffeine, probably drunk with rum, were given to the
troops. Germans similar. This has been largely hushed up. Establishment historians didn’t report
it, but it’s a fact. Why not? Because their histories exist to reinforce the
status quo and this raises too many embarrassing questions.
Matt: What’s the
difference between doing a WWI story in 2013, and 1979, in terms of the
audience you’re addressing? Is it a more informed or savvy one?
Pat: Less savvy today
because the establishment historians have been white washing murderers like
Haig and spreading the lie of the noble sacrifice again. That’s not
co-incidence, that’s a deliberate and disturbing trend. Look at docs like “The Somme – from
defeat to victory”. A doc like that couldn’t have appeared in 1979. No, it was a much sharper time back in
1979. I’m not sure audiences today question as much as people did back then.
Matt: Our view of
WWI these days is of a pretty grim experience all round, for very little gain,
if any. Presumably, the anti-propaganda machine has been quite effective in
countering the ‘official’ version of that war, would you agree?
Pat: Instinctively, we
all know it was “organised murder” to quote the last Tommy who died
recently. And if that’s true, and
not a meaningless phrase, then
Haig, Lloyd George and the rest should have faced a war crimes tribunal after the
war. But the establishment
does its best to fight back, and I think they’re winning.
They often quote and trash Black Adder for
criticising Haig. A Sandhurst
historian thought CW was “Vietnam generation” thinking. All of them
loathe Oh, What a Lovely War, which
they wrongly think was some kind of comment on the Vietnam War. That’s how desperate they are to defend
the indefensible.
Matt: Charley’s War showed British society during WWI as being riddled
with class prejudice. Has class prejudice disappeared from Britain?
Pat: No. It continued in WW2 and I touch upon this in the final volume of CW. And it continues today. Only now
there is an underclass, the spirit of the working class is broken, much of
their ideology has gone, and they can be legitimately trashed as chavs. So
you have websites like Chavtown, and TV dramas like Shameless, where the middle
classes can go to the zoo and laugh at them.
It’s why in Brothers, I make a point of dramatizing the story of working
class heroine and martyr Alice Wheeldon who fought against the war. We need
working class heroes and heroines.
Matt: Did all those men in the First World War die for nothing? Did any good
come out of that war?
Pat: That’s an interesting question. In macro political and social terms – no.
If we remember and honor the achievements and courage of ordinary soldiers – yes. I say ordinary, because despite
the sacrifices of the officer class, in ultimate terms this was a class war
with the working class sacrificed for the objectives of the upper classes
(colonies, trade, power).
OUR LONG TERM VISION...
Of course we have great faith in this endeavour, especially as it enables us to introduce so many new readers to the amazing work of the highly talented team of artists and writers we've gathered together.
Our long term vision for TO ARMS! is that it will be just the beginning! By supporting this project, you are also supporting small press comic creators across the UK and beyond and helping to create artistic networks that will endure far beyond a single collaboration.
Which is why we welcome you to get in touch with us via https://www.facebook.com/TOARMSANTHOLOGY for any more information about this book, or future projects on our slate.
And if you've made it all the way to the bottom of this page then thank you so much for taking the time to check out our campaign. We hope we count on your support.
CAMPAIGN UPDATES...
HA HA HA!
Owen Pomery's powerful story Last Laugh is a welcome addition to the TO ARMS! fold.
Check out more of Owen's work here http://owenpomery.blogspot.co.uk
With just 5 days left to go on the campaign I can't wait for you guys to see this story, and many others like it, in full.
A TIME TO KILL.
This is an incredible work in progress from the supremely talented artist Tim Hassan. A brilliant example of the diverse range of material that will be featured in this anthology.
Tim is also the man behind the incredible cover art for TO ARMS! and you can find more of his work at http://timhassanart.tumblr.com/
DOWN UNDER'S GREATEST COMIC BOOK CREATOR... EVER!
A few panels from the TO ARMS! story by Australian artist Keith McDougall, which explores the artistic avant garde during WW1. One of our favourite entries so far.
You can find more of Keith's brilliant comics at http://www.keithmcdougall.com.
STOP THE PRESSES!
The guys over at Broken Frontier, your one-stop guide of the comic's universe, have very kindly agreed the to turn their Small Press Spotlight... on the best WW1 book you're likely to read this year.
If you want to check out the awesome Andy Oliver's interview with Matt and Karim, the editors of TO ARMS!,then follow the link below.
http://www.brokenfrontier.com/small-press-spotlight-on-first-world-war-anthology-to-arms-with-matt-duncan-and-karim-iskander-flint/
I WAS A BOY.
Here's the beautiful first page from the Matt Boyer story that will be featured in the finished TO ARMS! anthology.
Honestly one of my favourite pieces in the book so far. You can find more of Matt's work here http://www.dark-matter.co.uk/blog/matt-boyer-artist/.
THE BUSIEST MAN IN COMICS.This amazing page of art is from the crazily talented Tim Hassan. You'll probably recognise him as being the same artist behind our stunning TO ARMS! cover.
Tim will also be doing the back cover the book, and producing a special bookplate to be given away at launch party at GOSH! COMICS.
You're welcome to come and join us at the launch party, and you can find more of Tim's work at http://timhassanart.tumblr.com.
IT'S PARTY TIME!
The secret origin story of TO ARMS! can be traced back to a very special comic book discussion group called PROCESS (https://twitter.com/ProcessComics).
This gathering of artists, writers and creative reprobates assembles on the first Wednesday of every month at the London's premier purveyor of sequential artwork,GOSH! (http://www.goshlondon.com).
Now the amazing people at our favourite comic book store have once again stepped up, and agreed to host the TO ARMS! launch party.
So clear a window in your schedule and come join us at 19:00pm Friday the 12th of September.
You'll be able to have a drink with creative team behind this amazing project, pick up a copy of the book for your friends and loved ones (we'll assume you already got yours via Indiegogo), and have what we know will be a fun filled night.
More details about this event will follow soon.
SONGBIRDS OF WAR.
We now have inked pages from the wonderful Jess Milton. Her work is so beautiful, and I know this is going to be a great story for TO ARMS!
Take a look at more of Jess' amazing art at http://www.jessicamilton.co.uk/, or follow her on twitter https://twitter.com/jezbelizia.
ONCE MORE INTO THE BREACH.
Take a look at this amazing piece of artwork by the always astounding Nick Jobbings.
Nick has kindly donated the original of this piece, which will be given away as one of WAR HERO level perks.
So if you want this, or other equally beautiful works, dig deep and contribute to the campaign.
And be sure to check out Nick's other comic related stuff at nickcomicart.tumblr.com.
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRS.
A work in progress yet still Sajan Rai's beautiful page for TO ARMS! stands out.
Check out this and more of Sajan's amazing work at http://www.backwardsburd.com.
BIRDS EYE VIEW.
The very talented Alex Potts (The Comix Reader, Lost Shoe Comics) has very graciously contributed an amazing piece of work for TO ARMS!
Check out the first page of this story, and find a link to more of Alex's work, listed below.
http://www.alexanderpotts.com
TO ARMS!
COMING AUGUST 2014