Hey gang, Sylphy here with another quick update for you!
We're fast approaching the final deadline to get your survey submitted for shipping! June 3rd is the very last day we're accepting surveys! Please make sure that you are doing so ASAP if you haven't already or submit an email to [email protected] if you're encountering some kind of funky error when trying to update!
We're still getting emails for this daily, so please do so right now if you can, as we need to get final counts in to make sure everybody gets everything! If you don't get your surveys in, we're not going to be able to get your physical rewards out to you!
Happy Monday everybody! Sylphy here! I hope everyone was able to catch a glimpse of the northern lights in their area if they were awake! (I wasn't 😅)
Hopefully you're all in a mood to enjoy a bit of the outdoors once we get your copies of Rigsby, WI Volume 1 in your hands!
A few updates about Rigsby are coming your way as well as a huge THANK YOU!!
All thanks to you! Truly, thank you for your support!
We funded completely within 12 hours of the Backerkit launching, and finished off the end of funding with our first stretch goal of a glossy cover detail! A total of 562 backers are helping us bring this awesome webcomic to print!
If you've been on this trip before-- wow, welcome back!! THANK YOU! You seriously rock and we appreciate your support! If this is your first time backing with us, welcome aboard and we're lucky and excited to have you here with us! 🚉
It really does make the difference....
As we start to finalize the details of pages, we'll be periodically sending updates here to get you all excited. Some of the pages will be having detail updates as SE Case sees fit, and you'll be able to see samples of them here before they are released in the book!
And as the final release date approaches, I will be announcing when you should all be checking your mail for your books as well, so stay tuned!
Have a good week everybody!
Don't forget to pick up trash you see out on your walks!
The Terminator is almost here! We've got just 4 hours left in the campaign before the T-800 is set in motion on its inevitable mission. To celebrate the incredible fan response we've had, we are pleased to announce that we are going to include an autographed tip-in bookplate by Mel Rubi - the artist of The Terminator: The Dark Years mini-series - in each set of graphic novels purchased! So whether you bought the trade paperbacks, the hardcovers, or the metal cover books - as long as you purchase a set at the special Backerkit discounted price - you will get the autograph for your collection! These are exclusive to fans who supported directly! Our additional way of thanking you.
We worked really hard to make sure these books were an incredible value for our Backerkit supporters. If you purchase the trade sets each volume is only $30 but they are $39.99 retail and the hardcovers are $40 each in the sets but they are $49.99 retail. You're saving $30 by ordering the sets in this project over waiting for the retail release next year in 2025. That's all part of our special thank you to backers who have helped to make this project happen.
Please help us to spread the word so as many Terminator fans can get in on the special value before time runs out. Thank you!
Time for another full status report. This one is mostly about shipping posters.
TL:DR:
We’re about half way through shipping out the posters that are being mailed in tubes. Then we’ll have a pause while we wait for the Maxims books to be delivered from the printer. Your next status report will be the week of May 27-31.
We’ve still got 62 backers who haven’t filled out their surveys. If you’ve lost your link you can click here to login and finish your survey. I can’t ship your items until I know where to mail them!
Shipping in progress!
We’ve shipped out 811 orders. Many of those were “digital only” or orders that became “digital only” because physical items were combined with Mandatory Failure. We’ve also shipped out orders that were posters only, posters + pocket reference, and posters + M70 fobs.
This week we’re working on orders that contained both rolled posters and books. We’ll be sending out 277 posters in tubes over the next week. The books and other items will ship out once we have books in hand.
The remaining 688 packages will start shipping as soon as we have books.
If you have questions about the status of your particular package, I’m happy to answer them, just email [email protected].
If your order contained only posters, pocket reference, and M70 fobs then it is already in the mail.
Deliverable Progress
Seventy Maxims Reprint – At the printer! I was told “at least six weeks” That suggests we’ll have books either the last week of May or the first week of June.
Pocket Reference – DONE! Shipping in progress.
Blue Poster (1 column) – DONE! Shipping of posters-in-tubes happening now.
Brown Poster (2 column) – DONE! Shipping of posters-in-tubes happening now.
Illustrated Maxims digital images – DONE! You can collect these now by logging in via your Backerkit survey link.
Seventy Maxims PDF – DONE! You can collect yours by logging in via your Backerkit survey link. Survey must be complete.
Poster PDFs – DONE! You can collect these now by logging in via your Backerkit survey link.
Details
The shipping management on this project was far more complex than originally anticipated. Hopefully I managed to prevent too much confusion for all of you. We had a manual process of changing orders to combine shipping with Mandatory Failure. We’ve also got orders that will split shipping because rolled posters have to ship in tubes while books have to ship in boxes. Fortunately Backerkit’s fulfillment system is completely up to the task. Everything is going smoothly.
We’re keeping the shipping crew pretty small for this portion of the fulfillment process. It is just me, my warehouse manager Aidan, and one additional worker who gets called in when we have more than 75 packages to go out that day. There are 277 more packages to ship (posters in tubes) before we hit a pause and have to wait for the books to arrive. I expect a couple of weeks wait time. We’ll use those to do general warehouse clean up and to prep the Random Merch bundles and the Random Art Bundles. We’ve got some nice surprises to go into both.
The first task of prepping for poster shipping is to put caps on one end of all of the tubes.
At first we were using a mallet to get them into place, but then we discovered that the caps are flexible enough that we can press them in using our thumbs. That sped up the process considerably. (The old tubes required a mallet.)
I didn’t get any pictures of the poster rolling because Aidan handled all of that on a day when I didn’t go to the warehouse at all. It is really lovely to be able to just assign work and have it happen when I’m not looking! (I spent my day working on Structuring Life to Support Creativity instead.)
Then we have a day where we put in packing slips, any other items, and put labels on the outside of the poster tubes.
A quirk of these particular labels and tubes is that if left to themselves, the labels will slowly disengage from the poster tubes. We’ve solved this problem with an application of packing tape along the edges of the labels. The packing tape has no problem sticking to the cardboard tubes.
Once everything is in place, we push caps into the ends of the tubes and they’re ready to be hauled to the post office for mailing. Hauled along with them are the regular store orders that Aidan packs at the regular shipping station.
We’ve already begun assembling boxes for the Random Merch bundles. We’ll get started on filling those as soon as we’ve got all the poster tubes into the mail.
Progress on all aspects of this project are nearing completion with the only question mark being exactly when the books will arrive. I am traveling during the first two weeks of June, so I’m REALLY hoping that we can get delivery of books before I take off. But if they do arrive while I’m gone, that is exactly what I’ve hired Aidan for, to manage my warehouse in my absence.
Thank you so much for backing our project! Your next update will be the week of May 27-31.
We have been working very hard to come up with a solution to one of the big requests backers have had. Many buyers of The Terminator Hardcover sets have expressed that they want an option for buying the slipcase to house their three volume sets. This presented a challenge in finding a manufacturer that could supply the slipcases at a price that was palatable to add to orders. We were really struggling with multiple manufacturers coming in at upwards of $60 to supply these.
Though it took a while longer, we did find an option that allows us to get these slipcases to backers who want them for $25. If we are being completely transparent here - it's put us in a very challenging position, because if anything changes to the supply chain over the next six months, we are likely going to lose money on every order. But like everyone else we are crossing our fingers and hoping that the world is stable and that we can still get you these slipcases at this reasonable rate.
One last reminder - the slipcase is built for the oversized books. That means they will not fit the trade paperback editions. They are sized to hold the three oversized volumes of either the hardcovers or the metal editions.
We appreciate The Terminator fan community who have been instrumental in the development of these beautiful books. Thank you for supporting and offering your thoughts on how to make the project better. Please share this project with family and friends over the next few days as we are coming up on the close of the project. Thank you!
The time has nearly come for the first chapter of THE AMORY WARS: GOOD APOLLO, I’M BURNING STAR IV, VOL. II: NO WORLD FOR TOMORROW to make its way into the world. Issue #1 will be in fine comic shops around the world on Wednesday, May 8th and on that same day you’ll receive your free digital edition in your inbox via BackerKit.
In the meantime, if you haven’t seen it yet, make sure you check out the first look of the opening chapter on our website. While you are there, you can also check out the selection of awesome variant covers available at stores including the two main covers by Gianluca Gugliotta, Jonathan Wayshak, and Tula Lotay.
And while those of you who reserved the BOOM! Direct Reserve exclusive editions will begin receiving them this December, you can find physical copies of these widely available covers at your local comic shop or comic book stores that offer online ordering options. To find a comic store near you and support a small local business, head to our list of dedicated partners or use the Comic Shop Locator Service.
For more exclusives, don't miss the chance to visit the BOOM! Direct Reservewebstore on May 8th and secure your copy of this stunning exclusive cover by Gianluca Gugliotta. This incredibly rare cover is limited to just 250 copies!
Artwork by Gianluca Gugliotta
Speaking of the BOOM! Direct Reserve exclusive editions, we’re thrilled to show off the next one by Riccardo Latina for THE AMORY WARS: GOOD APOLLO, I’M BURNING STAR IV, VOL. II: NO WORLD FOR TOMORROW #5.
Artwork by Riccardo Latina
What do you think of this epic cover? Let us know in the comments below!
Lastly, a number of you (over 660!) still have not completed your surveys. In order to deliver your reserved order on time, we need you to complete your survey now!
In the meantime, if you have any questions or need assistance with reserving your order, drop us a line at [email protected] for the fastest response.
Just a really quick update as I scramble to pack for some overseas travel --
ALL ITEMS HAVE REACHED THE FULFILLMENT WAREHOUSE.
They hope to have the Stretch Goal bundles and such assembled next week and if all goes according to schedule, they hope to start shipping orders either by the end of the week or (more likely) the week after.
As mentioned above, I'm heading out of the country for a much-needed overdue holiday, taking off tomorrow for 12 days abroad. I don't know what my connectivity will be, but if I can report in while gone, I certainly will. Otherwise, I should return to confirm the good news that orders have gone out. 😊
If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, Chris and Mitch will be able to respond to comments and questions, or you can email [email protected] for technical issues.
Thanks, everyone! See you shortly! (Hopefully our trip won't be as thrilling as this...!)
It's done! You all made it happen! The first issue of KTW: Runa is funded, and will be put to print!
Next Steps
The comic is basically done! I'll send out a survey when shipping is just about ready, so that everyone can put their address in. It'll also ask what email you want the PDF sent to.
As soon as everything is finished, you'll know.
Thank you again, and I truly hope you love the start of this story as much as I do.
We have a very special announcement for everyone today! Because so many backers have been supportive and helpful as we move into the final week and a half of The Terminator graphic novels campaign, we wanted to offer a big thank you back to everyone. Earlier in the week we announced that the hardcover editions and the limited-edition metals would be upgraded to oversized editions when we exceeded the $200k level of funding.
But today, we're happy to tell you that we are not waiting to get there and are unlocking that upgrade right now despite not reaching the goal level yet. This is a special thank you to all of The Terminator fans out there who have been with us since the launch a few weeks back.
We are evaluating either adjusting the stretch goals, or changing them to add ons. Right now, we are evaluating our costs and options in the hopes of updating the new revised goals on Monday. We want everyone who has participated in this project to be as excited as we are about the Terminator 40th Anniversary collections and the new upcoming comic series!
We're so appreciative of every backer that joined the resistance and got us to this point so quickly. We've listened to your input and while we can't do everything requested, we have done our best to provide you with changes that make as many people as possible happy. Thank you for helping us make this project the best it can be.
And as a quick update - we are actively working with the factory to figure out the options to allow backers to purchase the slipcase as an add on for the HC sets. We have not been happy with the pricing to date and are trying to get better pricing. As soon as we have that information, we will get it out to everyone ASAP. We appreciate your patience while we get the answers figured out.
Hello to our valued club members and thank you for your continued patience as we go careening through April! As you can see, our estimated release date for books has just whipped past us.
This is the biggest crowdfund that Iron Circus and White Squirrel, our indie comic distributor in the Pacific Northwest, has ever fulfilled. We are preparing to ship some 30,000+ Lackadaisy books to you all. This is immense for us. We are so grateful! But also, it's a logistical challenge!
You may have noticed that people who pre-ordered Lackadaisy Volume 1 from Amazon are already receiving their books, and we felt we ought to explain to you why this is the case. As soon as books arrived from the printer, Amazon was able to grab all of the copies they had reserved in one fell swoop and ship them in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, White Squirrel, who is fulfilling the book orders for the BackerKit crowdfund, is operating with a small staff and limited warehouse space. They've been a great and reliable distributor for Iron Circus comics in the past, and they are moving as fast as they can, but they simply can't keep pace with a behemoth corporation like Amazon. So, we ask for a little bit more of your patience on that front.
All three are in house at this point! Soon they'll be going home.
Also, we do want to assure you that you will be receiving all books you pledged for in one package -- Lackadaisy Volume 1, Lackadaisy Volume 2, and the Lackadaisy Essentials art book included. The latter two books are not slated for public release until late in 2024 and early 2025, so you will have them long before anyone is able to get their hands on them from Amazon or any other book retailers.
As a reminder, if you pledged for any physical Lackadaisy books, you also get the corresponding ebook! These are currently available for you to download in your digital rewards here on BackerKit. Click on your account PFP in the upper right corner of BackerKit > Your Pledges & Surveys > View Pledge > Under Survey, click View order > Get Your Digital Downloads
We've got a few other updates for you as well while you are here: firstly the Zib Plush!! (5/5 stealth edit: Sylphy has fixed the images, dunno why those were broken. Weird! Thank you for commenting!)
personally, I think the bend to the cig here adds character.
"he's right behind me isn't he?"
This is just a prototype for now, but we thought he was looking dapper enough (smoking habits aside) to show you how he's shaping up.
You can't see it from this angle but the 1 side is a club!
We've also been busy prototyping the Lackadaisy Card Game!
We still have some minor things to iron out here, like what material will be best to print the cards on (right now, we're testing vinyl), but it's getting close!
