Two science-fiction tales from the celebrated, visionary graphic novelist presented in gallery-quality hardcover and slipcase.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Shipping is complete! Int'l Slipcase Bookplate Replacement info, and MAGNETIC-CON!
almost 2 years ago
– Sun, Jul 17, 2022 at 07:21:58 AM
Hello everyone!
Happy Saturday! It has been an absolutely insane couple of weeks, and we've been hard at work on so many things. First and foremost, we've been able to confirm with Quartermaster that Spiral Galaxy has completed all order shipments! That means that ALL SHIPPING IS NOW COMPLETE! (whew!) The international portion took much longer than expected (for the many varied reasons recounted along the way), but we are confident that such a long delay between domestic and international order fulfillment will be much quicker, avoiding the numerous pitfalls that unfortunately besieged this particular project.
If you haven't received your pledge or at the very least tracking info, please message us and we'll look into it for you. Chances are you may have completed your survey late (or haven't completed it at all). We will begin a second wave of late-survey shipments in the weeks ahead.
For International backers who did not receive a numbered bookplate with your slipcase:
After much back and forth with both Quartermaster and Spiral Galaxy, we've come to the discovery that in the confusion of numerous other campaigns and freight shipments being transferred and received, the numbered bookplates were incorrectly assumed to have been pre-tipped-into the box sets rather than separate items. They have been located at QML and are now on their way to Spiral Galaxy.
AU/NZ backers - while your bookplates were indeed lost in transit, we are also sending a portion to Aetherworks for replacement to you as well.
To get your replacement bookplate, we need you to please fill out the replacement request form at this link:
We will then verify your order so that a replacement can be sent to you.
DEADLINE FOR REQUESTING A REPLACEMENT IS AUGUST 15th.
The missing bookplates are being shipped to their respective hubs with the OGRE GODS/ARSENE LUPIN/ADRASTEA inventory in the next two weeks, and they will be able to ship out to you at the same time as those orders are fulfilled.
If you also pledged to any of the following campaigns, we will have your replacement bookplate added to that packagewhen it ships:
THE OGRE GODS SAGA
ARSENE LUPIN, GENTLEMAN THIEF
ADRASTEA
GIANTESS
TRAPPED ON ZARKASS / BLACK WATER LILIES
If you did not pledge or pre-order any of those books, please indicate that in the request form, and it will be sent separately.
A handful of you have messaged us directly with a replacement request, and we have collected those into a list, but if you can please also fill out the form, that will help ensure that the request is processed with the rest.
In the meantime, we'd like to invite you to...
MAGNETIC-CON 2022!
If you're wondering what we've been so hard at work on these past few weeks, we are excited to pull back the curtain! Next week we are launching a very unique new Kickstarter campaign for a cool art book and VIP loot box under the guise of a virtual convention booth. Get ready for...
Can't make it to San Diego Comic-Con next week? No problem! While we won't have a booth at that show this year, we are instead launching a VIRTUAL Convention Booth on Kickstarter! Not only will we be offering the premiere edition of the MAGNETIC-CON Comic Art Book filled with some amazing talent, but you'll also have a crack at one of only 500 VIP Loot Boxes filled with TWO new books and a huge haul of exclusive collectibles!
The first 1000 copies will include a FREE Magnetic-Con lanyard and PVC badge... just like attending a live convention!
Each of the 500 VIP Loot Boxes will include TWO new books selected around 5 different themes to choose from. A $125 value for only $60!
But the most exciting part for our supportive and regular Kickstarter followers is what awaits in Backerkit after the 10-day Kickstarter campaign is done...
OVER 120 BOOKS and COLLECTIBLE ITEMS will be available as Backerkit Add-ons for you to supplement your order, covering a wide range of product categories!
Missed out on some collectible stretch goal items from previous Kickstarter campaigns? We’ve collected the rare remainders so that you can have one more crack at them! Maximize your shipping by loading up on a list of books you've had your eye on!
Categories will include:
Selected new and backlist Magnetic Press book releases
Limited Edition linen cardstock prints by hot artists including Peach Momoko and Karl Kerschl. Less than 100 of these are available!
Rare Bonus Sketchbooks for titles such as PARIS 2119, ASTER OF PAN, SMALL WORLD, and SHANGRI-LA. Very limited quantities left!
Past campaign Challenge Coins – yes, you read that right! We’ve got a few dozen coins left over from some of our previous campaigns… now’s your chance to complete your collection!
Rare remaining soundtrack vinyl singles from ASTER OF PAN, SMALL WORLD, and SHANGRI-LA
Plus an assortment of other previous campaign stretch goal items, including lapel pins, patches, postcards, and bookmarks!
Pre-register your pledge TODAY to get a two-sided mini-poster with artwork by Tony Sandoval and Chaiko added to your pledge for FREE!
We are really looking forward to launching this (non-)Con virtual convention booth experiment on Tuesday at 10am CST, and hope you'll join us! If it takes off, we'd love to make it an annual event (maybe even with actual convention stuff like online panels with creators, contests, and more)!
So please pre-register today and join us on Tuesday! We hope to see you there! 🤩
An overdue update (particularly for our UK/EU friends)
almost 2 years ago
– Mon, Jun 27, 2022 at 06:27:10 PM
Hi everyone,
We hope you're doing well, and we really hope that those of you in the UK and EU are finally starting to receive your orders. Spiral Galaxy has been rolling orders out the door in a steady stream for the past week or so, and we are told that stream will continue until the rest have been sent. As of today's report via QML, they expect to wrap up next week, but please note that's just speculation until it is finished -- just as the past 6 weeks have hit them with a parade of challenges, we can only hope the next 7-10 days remain clear.
I know that's not much of an update and not very concrete, which is why we haven't posted any earlier updates here -- without solid news, we don't really know what to say that won't accidentally misinform or set expectations without confirmed merit. But, as a backer recently pointed out in the comments section elsewhere, silence isn't any better. And although 90+% of you have already received your pledges, including about half of the UK/EU orders, I'd like to share some thoughts for our friends in those regions who are unfortunately still waiting for their items...
(Some of this is cut-and-pasted/modified from our reply to that comment thread elsewhere, but we thought it was worth sharing here, too,since not everyone follows the comment threads...)
We certainly understand your frustration and will understand if you choose not to consider supporting our future campaigns due to the unfortunate route this one took. It has certainly been an oddity in our otherwise excellent track record of successful fulfillment over the years, and for what it's worth, this particular delay has only been an issue for the UK/EU backers, about half of which have finally gone out (albeit frustratingly later than the rest of the world's orders).
Being from the US, getting items to distant places such as Hungary introduces so many more hurdles and opportunities for complications and delays, as we've seen illustrated perfectly here. The cost of shipping products overseas has been increasingly expensive and time-consuming, and I will admit there are times when we ask ourselves if it is even worth offering our products to International backers. The cost of postage is going up and the congestion in the supply chain is causing huge delays getting items to the international hubs. In some cases, we risk losing money to support certain regions. It seems that most (if not all) of our headaches have been over International complications.
But over these last 20 campaigns, we've gathered such an excellent, supportive, and growing community of fans with almost 30% of our mailing list living abroad, that it simply doesn't feel right "building a wall" over the mere risk of frustration. The choice to pledge or not should belong to the individual regardless of where they live. Hopefully, the extra challenges faced delivering items to distant regions will be minimal and understood. And certainly, we hope that they won't face delays as mindboggling as we have faced on this one project. But the world remains unpredictable, so we can only do our best to face those challenges with wisdom and patience.
We ourselves have backed nearly 200 projects, and I would say we've maybe received half of them. And of those that we have received, only a third have been within 12 months of those campaigns being completed. It is kind of the nature of Kickstarter -- it is a contract of faith and trust that (unfortunately) isn't always reciprocated. So we sometimes pat ourselves on the back for our "better-than-most" CV, but that doesn't mean there isn't still plenty of room for improvement! And right now our #1 priority is making sure that our UK/EU pipeline is fixed with three more campaigns headed in that direction (to ship together) this month. Both QML and Spiral are acutely aware of the issues, and together we are all working to make sure this process is back on the proper track, as it had been before this snafu.
This is not the only fulfillment project that has been delayed through this shared pipeline. The causes are affecting an entire queue of projects. But improvements are already getting things back to "normal." It's like a traffic jam -- the congestion and delay may be felt long after the accident has been cleared, but things should soon be flowing at a usual speed. 😊
Okay, stepping down from the pulpit -- to the rest of you who have received their items: we hope you're loving them! 😍 Please let us know (by message, preferably) if you have any questions or concerns. We have heard from some of you from the UK/EU that your slipcases may not include bookplates. We're looking into this with QML and Spiral now (as well as folding in a few similar claims from AU/NZ backers via Aetherworks). We should hopefully have some answers to report very shortly.
Beyond that, they have FOUR more campaigns on deck to start shipping next month while we put the finishing touches on our next Kickstarter project to be revealed in a few weeks... it's something pretty different for us, but we think it'll be pretty cool! Stay tuned! 😎
EU/UK orders -- out the door (?) and TOMORROW'S BIG EVENT
almost 2 years ago
– Tue, May 17, 2022 at 03:04:50 PM
Hi everyone!
Hope you had a great weekend -- and hopefully those of you in the UK and EU have received address verification messages (and possibly even tracking info) from Spiral Galaxy for your shipment! We heard from a handful of backers who have gotten the former, and were told by QML last week that Sprial expected to have everything out by the weekend, but we haven't gotten confirmation yet... hopefully they have gotten things out the door, and hopefully we'll get confirmation of such asap! (That's a lot of hoping, but that's all we can do these days...)
We also wanted to share this link from Mattieu for another limited-edition CARBON & SILICON vinyl release, this one produced by the one and only TOXIC AVENGER!
Printed on white vinyl, this EP includes 5 original tracks by Toxic and will only be available in limited release. I don't even know how many are left, but I just heard about it myself...
If you are a collector or fan of Toxic Avenger's music, check it out! It certainly looks slick...! And if we get any other purchase links or information on where to listen to it, we'll let you know!
Presenting a double-feature of cinematic thrillers illustrated by Eisner Award-nominee DIDIER CASSEGRAIN! Two out of this world graphic novel adaptations of two celebrated novels -- one a mind-bending murder mystery and the other a gonzo sci-fi action-adventure -- both brought to vivid life by the incomparable illustrative style of the amazing Didier Cassegrain!
BLACK WATER LILIES is a thrilling murder mystery with a brain-breaking twist based on the best-selling novel by Michel Bussi. Three women are tied to a murder in the quaint village of Giverney, where Monet painted his legendary Water LIlies, and the truth behind the killing goes much further than anyone can suspect...
TRAPPED ON ZARKASS is a wild interplanetary romp through the alien wilderness of a faraway planet, following two Earth agents as they deal with the indigenous alien population in search of answers to questions that each may be hiding from the other. Based on the classic 1957 sci-fi novel by Stefan Wul, this blockbuster ride is described as "APOCALYPSE NOW through the jungles of AVATAR'S PANDORA."
As usual, we have a pre-registration page open now where you can sign up to receive a FREE BONUS linen cardstock print by Didier Cassegrain with your pledge, and a SECOND BONUS print if you pledge on Day-1 (TOMORROW)! Please check it out and sign up -- we're hoping for another strong turnout tomorrow, and it's totally up to YOU to help us get there!
While these are admittedly two very different books -- one a taut and engrossing murder mystery, the other a wise-cracking and action-packed sci-fi adventure -- they both complement each other due to Didier's unique and stunningly original art style and talent.
Both books stand completely on their own, and you can simply order one or the other, or get both at a bundled discount tier!
Of course, we have a lot of nifty stretch goals planned and we're also offering a handful of similar Add-ons to supplement your order, so please check out the campaign when it launches at 10am CST TOMORROW!
International shipping update -- progress...!
almost 2 years ago
– Fri, Apr 29, 2022 at 01:02:07 AM
Hi everyone!
We've finally received some word back from the Australia and UK shipping hubs as to the status of those orders. It has indeed taken a lot longer than anyone expected, so we're happy to report that solid progress is finally being made. For what it's worth, it seems that all fulfillment hubs in every region have been feeling the pressure of ongoing COVID-related staff shortages and their ripple effects, if not in their own warehouses then somewhere along the supply chain getting the goods to and from them. We're told that projects ahead of us were delayed for those global reasons, and those delays had an equal effect on following projects, including ours. They're trying to get caught up, but it is a bit of an uphill climb with so many Kickstarter campaigns to fulfill these days...
That said, here's what we learned from Quartermaster this morning:
Australia/New Zealand orders have shipped! It sounds like most of them might have even hit the post yesterday morning, so if you are in that region, keep a look out. We assume you should have received notification from Aetherworks directly, but that's another point of confirmation we're waiting on...
We will add tracking numbers to your Backerkit orders once we have received them from QML/Aetherworks/Spiral, but frankly, you may receive those numbers (or even your items) directly from those hubs before we even get those numbers!
We really do appreciate your patience. We've all had to deal with unprecedented shipping challenges this year, but we're muscling through them...
Thank you!
Overdue update on the slow-moving AU/UK/EU freight
about 2 years ago
– Tue, Apr 05, 2022 at 03:42:26 AM
Hi everyone,
I hope you are all doing well and starting a nice weekend. I must start by first apologizing to the international backers for the lack of news these past few weeks as orders seemed to crawl to their respective hubs in Australia and the UK. I've been hounding Quartermaster almost daily for the past month for updates, particularly these past two weeks when the freight was originally estimated to have arrived at their individual ports, but even QML has trouble getting updates through the ongoing shipping chaos. I've been reluctant to post a "no news" update, repeatedly hoping to have actual news a day or two later, but the lack of news from AU and the UK has been deafening...
...until now. We finally received word yesterday that the freight has finally reached Aetherworks in Australia, and the Spiral Galaxy shipment has apparently cleared customs in the UK. I only hope and pray that message wasn't an April Fool's Joke...! (I'm 99% sure it's not...)
Quartermaster will get more news from Spiral and Aetherworks after the weekend, but if those arrival reports are accurate, that should mean those internationalorders couldhit the local mail within the next two weeks or so. We'll post more accurate info if/when we can get it from those hubs or QML.
Asia orders have already left the hub at VFI, so those are now in the hands of their regional postal carriers or game stores. We're told Japan and Singapore tend to move the fastest, so those orders should probably arrive in the next couple of weeks. Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines might take a few weeks longer in the hands of their local post, as we're told there are more local checkpoints in those regions.
Thanks to all of you wonderful supporters abroad for your patience. We know it has been a long wait for your stuff, particularly with the domestic orders reaching backers' hands months ago. Nobody wants to be late for a party, but maybe we can look at this as the start of a SECOND party: The Overseas Edition as all of you finally receive your stuff! 😊 We look forward to hearing your squeals of satisfaction!
Please know that we are constantly working with QML and monitoring all of our international shipping options on a weekly basis. If there were anything we could do to speed up the process, we would, and we certainly will do whatever we can as we move forward with other campaign fulfillment. The global situation is stressful on all parts of the industry, from both directions (with incoming goods being further delayed from the factory to our own warehouse again lately).
Here's hoping and praying that things get better soon. Not just for the crass commercial benefit of lower gas prices and faster shipping, but for the health and well-being of so many people suffering unimaginable hardship these days. As much as we may become focused on the frustrations of having to wait for our books to arrive, that's nothing compared to the millions who are currently forced to leave their homes, families, and possessions behind. We encourage everyone who can give to please consider any one of these many verified charities. We are all one people, and we all benefit when we stand together in support of each other. Even when a particular crisis is half-a-world away, there are undoubtedly those in need right around every corner.
