Digital PDF Coming Soon!
about 1 year ago – Thu, Oct 12, 2023 at 01:19:11 PM

Hello everyone and happy October! Also, how is it October already?

Rachel has been building out a LOT of minor changes to the Volume 3 pages that wound up taking a fair bit longer than we anticipated--but the quality improvements across the whole of the book are unmistakable. Take a look at this relatively simple before and after, for example:

BEFORE

AFTER

We're excited to share the full extent of updates when the full digital PDF goes out to backers--hopefully later this week! When that goes out, I'll drop another update for folks with instructions on how to claim it on BackerKit and also how to join our community Discord :)

Thank you so much for your patience, and we're excited to get everything sent off to our printer!

Kickstarter Funds Transferred, Book Finalization and Prep!
about 1 year ago – Sat, Sep 09, 2023 at 10:16:58 AM

Hey folks! Been a few weeks so I figured Kickstarter transferring over the crowdfunds would make a good milestone to celebrate with the community!

We're going to be preparing production on the physical merchandise of course, but before the book itself is ready for prime-time Rachel wanted to take one last gander at a few long-standing art tweaks she's wanted to make to a few pages.

The brand-new, never-before-seen extras are pretty much ready to go as well. Here's a tiny teaser piece of Sigrid that Rachel did for the new section:

We'll also be getting the Backerkit Pre-Order Store set up fairly soon so folks who missed the campaign can get in on the fun.

And of course once the book file itself is ready for the printer, we'll ship off the digital rewards to folks in one go. 

As always, remember to keep an eye on the email you used for the campaign--that's where BackerKit reward notifications will go! 

Hope your September is off to a wonderful start, and we'll drop a line here soon as things continue to come together!

175% Funded! Thank you EVERYONE!
over 1 year ago – Thu, Aug 17, 2023 at 06:26:49 PM

Wow, what a ride this campaign has been! But we're beyond thrilled to say that the Volume 3 Hardcovers are not only fully funded, but we hit three stretch goals on top of that, meaning we'll have a new sticker sheet packed into all physical reward tiers, all backers will receive downloads for the digital Music of the Western Deep soundtrack, and the Janik pin is now the Janik... AND BECK pin set!

To everyone who backed our campaign, thank you SO MUCH--it's your support that allows us to stay independent and make the books and merch we want to make. We know that there are a lot of different and amazing crowdfunding projects happening all the time across multiple services, and we're just honored that you chose to support our comic. So again, from all of us on the Western Deep team: THANK YOU!

Now of course comes the part where we wait around for ~2 weeks for the money to transfer from Kickstarter to our account, where we can then start finalizing production of all the things we planned for.

We'll be sure to send updates out to you as we get them, and can't wait to get Volume 3 printed and into your waiting hands!

First Stretch Goal Down, Over Halfway to the Next!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Jul 28, 2023 at 03:19:41 PM

Since our last update one week ago, we're pleased to share that our first stretch goal--a digital version of our "Music of the Western Deep" album packed in with every pledge--has been hit! We couldn't be happier to be able to share this wonderful music with everyone!

Our next campaign stretch goal kicks in at $25,000, and nets every physical reward backer some fun pack-ins!

First, they'll receive a physical print of Kosperry's wonderfully Bluthian Volume 3 promo artwork, featuring Beck and Rook fending off a patrol of canid soldiers with swords and succulents.

Second, once we hit the stretch goal, every physical backer will receive a brand-new sticker sheet created just for the stretch goal, including a whole bunch of new Western Deep character emotes!

And of course, if we hit this stretch goal, it's just another $5K to get the amazing double pin set--definitely one of our favorite rewards in the campaign! Help us spread the word so we can hit those goals and pack in even more cool stuff for everyone! :)

And Now, Another Fun "Animals with Swords" Kickstarter Project!

We're big fans of video games here, obviously--with our own games projects bubbling away in the background--so we were pleased to see another Kickstarter title launching the very same day as ours featuring blade-wielding animal heroes venturing out on a perilous quest all their own!

 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kristala/kristala-dark-fantasy-arpg-for-pc-console 

That game is called Kristala! I'll let the devs speak for themselves here, but suffice it to say, if you like Souls-style combat and fun worldbuilding, this looks like a solid project (and there's a demo to help you decide, too!)

"Kristala is a story-driven Dark Fantasy ARPG in which you play as an agile and stealthy feline warrior who must embark on a Hero’s Journey to save your world from destruction.  

"Enjoy a mix of compact/open levels, tons of classic RPG elements, and challenging and fun Souls-like combat as you set out on an adventure to master the specialty magics of the six Sacred Kristals in hopes of becoming a Raksaka Warrior—a powerful protectors of your species and a master of all ancient magic.  

"Simultaneously, you must uncover the source of a dark curse that has transformed planet Ailur’s creatures into bloodthirsty monsters who must be defeated as part of your epic pilgrimage. Use magic, stealth, and parkour as you prowl the dark fantasy world of Ailur.  

"Support the campaign to help us unlock access to new and exciting stretch goals that will help make Kristala’s gameplay even more immersive and enthralling.  You can play the FREE demo for Kristala right now on Steam."

And that demo is available right here!  https://store.steampowered.com/app/1206410/Kristala/ 

FUNDED!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Jul 21, 2023 at 02:38:46 PM

Thanks to you--all of our INCREDIBLE supporters--we've reached our base funding goal with a full 26 days left on the clock!

With a new hardcover volume of Beyond the Western Deep now imminent, we want to turn our attention to the incredible slate of stretch goals we've got planned.

Here's the full list:

First on the docket is less than $4,000 away: the inclusion of our hot-off-the-presses Music of the Western Deep: Volume One original orchestral score for every single backer of every tier! We are incredibly proud of this music and think it'd make for a wonderful companion piece for any reader of Western Deep. Here's a sample of some of the orchestral footage:

Let's try and hit that $22K stretch goal so every backer can get the full musical experience included for free with their pledge! :)

On behalf of the Western Deep team: thank you so much for helping us hit our goal! We cannot WAIT to bring you the new hardcover. Now, let's keep the campaign momentum going as we head into the first weekend of the Kickstarter!