A dim-witted sasquatch bumbles his way into a series of woodland adventures in this award-winning comic series by Karl Kerschl.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Production Update!
almost 3 years ago
– Mon, Aug 02, 2021 at 01:11:27 AM
Hi, all! It's been a couple of weeks since the campaign ended but I've been busy getting things in order for the eventual shipping of the books and all of the Kickstarter Add-Ons. Here's where we are right now:
Missed the Campaign?
You may have noticed the large banner at the top of the Abominable Kickstarter page with the big Pre-Order button. This will take you to an online store where anyone who missed the 30-day funding campaign will still be able to purchase the books. Most of the Kickstarter Add-Ons are there as well (no Sketch Editions–sorry), so if you missed out before or have any friends who missed it, point them here! This is a Pre-Order, so all purchased items will ship at the same time as the other orders!
Upgrades!
Some of you messaged me saying that you wanted to upgrade to the Hardcover Edition of Book 3 but were too late. Not a problem!! When we get closer to the shipping date I'll send out a survey to all backers; you'll be able to review your pledge level and, if you like, upgrade your book to the hardcover! You can even add-on other items if you want. Expect these survey emails sometime in the next few weeks!
Book Progress...
All of the strips for Abominable Book 3 are already finished, but there were a few that hadn't been coloured yet, so I'm going to be finishing those up. There are also some little chapter illustrations to do, write-ups for the foreword and bio, and table of contents. All pretty straightforward. It all has to be done before early September when I have to send the final files off to the printer.
The Pins and Patches
Approved and ordered! I sent the artwork to the manufacturer and after a bit of design back-and-forth, I approved production. The embroidered patches are already en route (I'll post pictures of them when they arive) and the enamel pins are currently being made. I'm excited to see these!
As you can see, there are TWO pins on the back to prevent it from rotating (and getting lost).
Back to Work!
That's it for now! I'll update you again when there's more to show. In the meantime, you can follow me on social media for more real-time updates and other cool stuff I'm working on.
Thanks again for supporting The Abominable Charles Christopher and I'll talk to you soon!
WE DID IT!!
almost 3 years ago
– Thu, Jul 15, 2021 at 11:35:34 PM
Successfully Funded!
We were successfully funded on DAY ONE, but the REAL success is being able to produce these new books in the formats they deserve. I'm so happy to have made the Deluxe Hardcover option available and that is entirely due to your passion and support, so THANK YOU again for making this all possible!
I took a video of the final moments of the campaign. Wait for the confetti fireworks...
We also crushed the $125K Stretch Goal, which means that EVERY physical backer gets a FREE Charles Christopher Enamel Pin! He's silently screaming along with me at the incredible success of this campaign.
These are mock-ups, but I'm already working on the final design for production!
The Campaign is Over! Long Live the Campaign!
So what now?? The funding portion of the Abominable Charles Christopher Kickstarter campaign has ended with fireworks, and now the next part begins: PRODUCTION!
I've got quotes in to printers and suppliers, so now it's time to actually GET ALL THIS STUFF MADE! I'm going to keep you all updated with my progress here, and I'll share pictures of prototypes, mock-ups, etc. so you can see how it's all going.
Missed Out?
I've already received several messages from people who either missed the campaign or want to add on extra books. While I can't accept further pledges here on Kickstarter, I WILL be opening a PRE-ORDER shop where people can get the books, pins, calendars, etc. that they might have missed. I've set up an account with BACKERKIT (a company that helps with crowdfunding organization and fulfilment) and when it's ready I'll put a button at the top of this page that takes you to the store. Coming Soon!
Backer Surveys!
The next step is sending out Backer Surveys to all of you. I'll do this closer to shipping time, but essentially it's just a quick survey to confirm your address, etc. I want to make sure no one's package gets lost or sent to an invalid address. You'll also be able to add stuff on to your order at this time if you like. Expect this survey sometime in September!
I'd Like To Thank...
Everyone! All of you, obviously, for backing this project, from the smallest amount to the largest; every little bit helped to bring these books closer to being a reality and I'm grateful for each one of you! I honestly didn't expect people to turn out in numbers like this. The Abominable Charles Christopher is the most personal work I've ever done and I'm always humbled at readers' affection for my idiot sasquatch and his friends.
REMEMBER: You can read all of the comics online while you're waiting for the books to arrive! They're not going anywhere and I'm still updating the site with new comics, so stay connected!
I'd also like to thank some of the amazing people who helped me out with this campaign:
My brothers-in-arms at Lethal Comics, Andy Belanger, Cary Nord, and Masao Kobayashi. They helped me plan the campaign and gave me level-headed advice when I had difficult decisions to make.
My pal Sam Noir at Toronto's RAID Studio, who acted as both my strategist and therapist as I muddled my way through my first Kickstarter campaign.
My father-in-law Michael Cooper, who sat beside me with a spreadsheet and updated me daily with information when I had my head down working.
Oriana Leckert, Kickstarter's comics outreach liaison, who guided me in crafting the campaign and helped support it internally.
And finally, all of my family and friends who not only shared the campaign with their family and friends, but also had to look at my dozens of daily social media posts. Sorry, guys (I would do it all again)!
That's It For Now!
I'll be back again with more updates, but for now please know that I'm still reeling from the outpouring of love and support. I'll do my best to make these the books you've all been waiting for.
Thanks a million times,
Before You Go...
This is really cool. In one of my previous updates I told you about Winterhaven Woods, a great-looking card game that I recently backed on Kickstarter. Its creator, Joel, had planned to include a sasquatch character in the game and asked me if he could use Charles Christopher on the card.
I'm really excited about this game and if you like my comic I urge you to give it a look. Joel even included free wallpapers in his latest update, so if you want this Charles Christopher image on your phone you can get it here!
ALSO:
Fellow comic book creator Jeremy Haun is Kickstarting his awesome horror anthology comic, HAUNTHOLOGY right now! It's a 144-page black & white book full of short horror stories. I love ghost and occult stories, so this is right up my alley.
My friend Dave Kellett's new volume of his sci-fi humour comic DRIVE is now on Kickstarter! You may already know Dave from his webcomics Sheldon and Drive, from his documentary film STRIPPED!, or from his spot-on Tom Hanks impersonation. His new book is a collection of the third act of his space epic and it's being published in a gorgeous hardcover edition.
24 HOURS LEFT!!
almost 3 years ago
– Tue, Jul 13, 2021 at 09:43:36 PM
WE'RE IN THE HOME STRETCH!!!
I'm doing everything I can to promote the campaign on this last day of funding! Here are some FINAL DAYREWARD BONUSES!
$125,000 STRETCH GOAL: ENAMEL PIN!
I've wanted to make a Charles Christopher pin for a while now and this seems like the best excuse to do it. If the campaign hits $125,000 (which is roughly $100k USD), EVERY physical backer gets this cute Charles Christopher enamel pin FOR FREE! Is Charles happy? Anxious? In pain? WHO KNOWS!
I'm calling it 'Silent Scream' because that's what I'm doing right now...
This is a mock-up. Final pin may look a bit different.
TELL YOUR FRIENDS!
Hitting this goal in the last 24 Hours seems like a longshot, but I think we can make it happen! Tell your family, friends, enemies and pets!
NEW GUEST PRINT!
I'm also unveiling the last Guest Artist print today! This one is by my long-time friend, Eric Vedder!
Eric is the Lead Concept Artist at Digital Extremes (developer of the game WARFRAME) and author of the fantasy comic Aardehn, which you can read all about HERE.
This piece is epic. It really puts the emphasis on all of the demigod characters in The Abominable Charles Christopher. I kind of want to make a temporary tattoo out of it. :)
As always, this print will be added to ALL physical Reward Tiers and will also be in the digital tiers as a digital print/wallpaper!
SKETCH EDITIONS ARE ALMOST GONE!
I think there are less than 10 available now, so if you want an animal drawing and signature on the title page of your book, grab one before they're gone! Otherwise you have to find me at a show somewhere and who knows when that could be...
This Abominable Book Belongs To...
LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO GO!
The campaign ends tomorrow at 10:00 AM EST. I'll be all over social media promoting it until then, so join me in Re-Tweeting, Re-Posting, Re-Facebooking, or whatever Re-Iterating you can do!
THANKS AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN for making this campaign such a success! I'll see you soon!
1000+ Backers and NEW ART!
almost 3 years ago
– Tue, Jul 13, 2021 at 02:55:35 PM
More than 1000 Backers!
That number is staggering to me, but what's truly amazing about it is that Kickstarter has not only made crowd-funding this book a possibility, it's ALSO brought in a lot of new readers who are only discovering The Abominable Charles Christopher for the first time!
That's amazing and it's something I couldn't have done on my own! It really strengthens my belief in webcomics and the idea of putting your work out there for free, forever. Some of this content is 14 years old, but it's always new for someone. So, thank you everyone for helping to spread the word!
NEW ORIGINAL ART!
I did four more pieces of art this week to offer as Add-Ons! More animals drawn in pen & ink with a watercolour wash. I filmed the process so when I get some time to edit the video I'll post it for you all to see.
Here are the new pieces...
Arctic Fox
Canada Lynx
Scarlet Tanager
Peregrine Falcon
These are all one-of-a-kind, original pieces of art, so once they're gone they're gone! You can Add-On an art piece by clicking 'Manage My Pledge' and Adding it on to your order.
6 More Days to Go!
Almost finished campaigning! Then it's time to shift gears into Production Mode! I already booked a slot with the printer and verified the book specs, so we're all set to go. First, though, I have a few other things to announce. Stay tuned, and thanks again for making this a reality!
Check This Out!
Before you go, have a look at this! Jake Parker made a process video of his beautiful Charles Christopher & Townsen guest art piece. I love seeing other artists' process and this one is doubly special because Jake busts out an airbrush to work directly on the art board. It's a joy to watch. This piece is included in all of the digital and physical print tiers, but watching this will give you a whole new appreciation for what goes into making these things.
Thanks again, Jake!!! You're the best!
48 Hours Left! New Add-Ons!
almost 3 years ago
– Tue, Jul 13, 2021 at 09:32:02 AM
Hi, all! We've got less than 48 Hours to go before the end of the campaign and I just wanted to update you on how things are going!
ALMOST 1200 BACKERS!
1190 as of this writing, which is incredible! That's a lot of new readers who are going to experience The Abominable Charles Christopher for the first time! It's also a LOT of boxes to ship out, but I'm getting everything prepared to hopefully minimize the confusion. :)
The contract is signed with the printer and I have a hard deadline in September to get them the final files, so we're locked and loaded!
NEW ADD-ON! The 2022 ABOMINABLE CALENDAR
The original art Add-Ons went REALLY quickly. Like, within seconds. And a lot of you sent me messages to ask about more art. So what I thought I'd do for everyone who missed the original pieces is collect them all into a really nice calendar (since there are 12 of them)!
But instead of just making a disposable calendar, I'm going to print it on a premium matte paper, with a perforation down the centre to make removing the prints easy and convenient for framing!
So EVERYONE can get all 12 of these pieces in print form at a much lower cost.
AND I'm going to sign and number each calendar. They'll be limited to however many sell through this campaign and that'll be it.
ALL 12 ORIGINAL ART PIECES FROM THE KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN
PRINTED ON PREMIUM PAPER STOCK
GLUE BINDING FOR EASY PEEL-OFF
PERFORATED TO MAKE CONVENIENT 5 X 7 PRINTS
SIGNED AND NUMBERED ONLY FOR THIS CAMPAIGN
NO ADDITIONAL SHIPPING COST!
All 12 pieces of Campaign-Exclusive art are perforated to be easily removed and framed as 5X7" prints (frames not included).
If you'd like one of these Limited 2022 Calendars, they're available in the Add-Ons section of your Pledge Management.
SKETCH EDITIONS
There are currently 15 of the 200 Sketch Editions remaining in the Sketch Edition Tier! I increased this from 100 to 200 after they sold out on Day One of the campaign, and they're almost gone again, so if you'd like an original animal sketch and signature inside your book, grab one now!
DELUXE HARDCOVER UPGRADES
The Deluxe Hardcover Edition of Abominable Book 3 has been an overwhelming success. I'm thrilled that I was finally able to announce it as an option for fans of the book, especially those of you who have the first two volumes in hardcover format!
Just a reminder that the Volume 2 Hardcover is also available in the Add-Ons section, so if you're looking to complete that set of fuzzy hardbound volumes, you can add it to your pledge. Volume 1 is currently sold out, but I plan to REPRINT IT SOON!
ADD-ON INSTRUCTIONS
It's confusing. I know. Here are detailed instructions that should help you add stuff onto your pledge, upgrade to Hardcover Editions, etc...
Log into your Kickstarter Account and go to the Abominable Book 3 Campaign
Click the green 'Manage Your Pledge' button (upper right of the screen on desktops)
Click 'Change Your Pledge'
Select the Pledge Tier you'd like (probably the same one you already have chosen, but you can change it to whichever you want) and confirm it by clicking the green Pledge $$ button
You'll be taken to a 'Configure Reward' screen where you can choose from a list of Add-Ons. Choose whatever you'd like (Calendar, Extra Books, etc) and click 'ADD'.
Click Continue at the bottom of the screen to confirm your changes
That should be it!
THANKS AGAIN!
The first 30 days is almost over and I'm excited to actually get this book put together and off to the printer! Message me if you have questions!! I'm here to help, and I'm trying to personally answer everyone! And if you can, please share the Abominable campaign with your friends and on social media! These last couple of days are critical!
Thanks again, and see you soon!!
MOTHER TRUCKER MILESTONES!
My pal and studio mate Andy Belanger is part way through his own Kickstarter campaign now for his fun space-wrestling comic MOTHER TRUCKER!
He's hit some really cool stretch goals for it which means that my variant cover will now be shiny and glossy. :) The books he printed for his first campaign turned out beautifully, so I can't wait to see this one.
