In this, the third Hell, Inc. Kickstarter update, I have the best possible update – the campaign has successfully funded! It has hit the funding goal with 10 days remaining (at time of writing), which also makes it the most monetarily successful Kickstarter that I’ve run so far. So that’s pretty awesome. Thanks to all the readers who have supported it so far, and for those of you who will jump on board in the next week-and-a-bit.
The usual format for these update posts has been to include some pictures and then link to the week’s press, but there weren’t any new articles/podcasts/etc. this week. In what I imagine is a related development, it was also the slowest week so far in terms of new backers. Instead, this week I’m going to take a moment to talk about the stretch goals and our new chinchilla intern friends.
First, the stretch goals. There are three currently planned – at $3000, backers will receive physical or digital copies (or both) of the original black and white Hell, Inc. comics along with their shiny new full colour books. I think it’ll be something a bit unique, because the current iteration of Hell, Inc. is essentially a do-over. Backers will be able to read the original comics and the new books and see a side-by-side comparison of how my art, writing, and storytelling has changed over the decade between releases. Also, due to a printing error when I ordered the first issue, I ended up with 300 copies instead 100, so I have like 150 copies in my closet that I need to do SOMETHING with. They might as well go to readers!
The other stretch goals are related to a side project that started alongside those early issues, but has recently been revived and polished up – the Hell, Inc. roleplaying game. It’s a tabletop roleplaying game based on the core mechanics from a game called InSpectres, which is a heavily player-driven game that isn’t reliant on mechanics-heavy combat. At the $4000 mark, I’ll take the rules that are already written and do a full PDF with art and design. At the $5000 mark, that PDF will be printed as a physical book! I’ll likely write a much more detailed post about the game and how it works in the next few days. Click the images to check out the Kickstarter and begin the push toward unlocking the stretch goals!
I’d also like to officially welcome the two newest members of this operation. The rodent intern program has expanded, as we welcome a pair of chinchillas that have been dubbed the chinterns! They’ve been brought on board to help handle fulfillment of the Kickstarter, and then I’ll be figuring out what their ongoing role around here will be. So far it’s kicking poops out of their habitat at a prodigious rate and being impossibly soft.
This is Chinzilla. She is a force for destruction, and also has a big ol’ butt.
This is Rodant. She is very curious, and as a result tries to make a break for it and run around the kitchen on a regular basis.
They will be working alongside the guinterns to help me continue to provide the comics you have come to love (or at least like enough that you’re reading this).