Orders are locked down
over 1 year ago
– Mon, Dec 05, 2022 at 04:13:54 AM
Just a quick one to say orders are now locked. That means if you ordered anything extra beyond the Kickstarter your card has now been charged. Four folks had errors on their card and I’ve emailed them all personally, so if you don’t have a email from me assume you’re fine.
The print orders are shipping in January so if you’re planning to move before then, or your address has changed since you filled out the survey last month, then you’ve got 2 days to update your address inside your own Backerkit survey. After that the addresses are locked.
In 48hrs I’ll take all that info and segment it all into different lists for different rewards, and use those lists to send out the digital rewards first of all (apart from issue 6 which will be sent a few weeks later).
My back’s already feeling much better too. I was even able to play a bit of Just Dance with Wee Nero over the weekend (it was her birthday). I top scored 😂
All the best
Monty
2 days to go till survey deadline
over 1 year ago
– Mon, Nov 28, 2022 at 10:46:03 PM
Yes, we’re nearly at the end of the month. That means that I’ll start shipping all the digital files soon, in early December, apart from issue 6 which I’m still working on. Issue 6 will get sent out in January, along with the print orders, with my apologies that they’re a little late.
I’m going to have to be strict with the cutoff date this time, so I can get on and ship everything promptly.
I’ve been working on the final sequence of the graphic novel, and I’m excited by how it’s turning out. It’s a thrilling ending and sets up things perfectly for the darker direction of the next book.
I’ve been working really hard on it and was hoping to catch up a bit. Unfortunately the ending involves scenes with thousands and thousands of people. Now, it’s no secret that to draw thousands of people you maybe draw a hundred with the rest slightly obscured or in the distance behind them. But drawing 100’s of people per panel still takes a lot of time. It’s a lot more intensive than doing an action scene between two people, or a group arguing.
I’m not interested in skimping on anything and drawing hundreds of little people running around from all kinds of angles takes maybe twice as long per page. It’s actually one of favourite things to draw, and it looks pretty cool, so it’s absorbing to work on. But that’s why I haven’t been able to catch up. The quality will be worth it when you read it, I hope.
The only downside is I’m frikkin’ freezing as I work. Like a lot of folks we can’t afford to put the heating on for more than a couple of hours a day, the prices are just mental these days. So I’m wrapping myself in an electric blanket and just drawing for ten hours a day to get this finished off. Electric blanket is my top heating tip - it’s 6p an hour instead of 60p an hour to put the central heating on. Hell of a difference!
I’ll be in touch soon with the links to all the digital files (apart from issue 6)
All the best
Monty
Please fill out your surveys!
over 1 year ago
– Fri, Nov 11, 2022 at 06:40:23 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
2nd update of the month
over 1 year ago
– Thu, Oct 27, 2022 at 05:34:07 AM
Hey there, I hope you're doing well?
This week, I am busy working on the surveys ahead of sending those out as planned in early November. I'll update again then, to remind everyone to fill them out.
Also, like a lot of folks in the UK I've been a little freaked out by the threat of steeply rising mortgage rates and insane energy costs after our glorious PM's "fiscal event" blew up the economy a few weeks back. Consequently I've been offered three weeks work drawing a comic strip, well paid, so I've taken it on as a one-off. I plan to work weekends and evenings to minimise the affect on Death Sentence and I thought it best to let you know straight away.
Honestly, I feel pretty bad about it. Multiple times every year I turn down good work to focus on DS - I'm an art before commerce person. But this time as a family we're all pretty worried about what 2023 will bring and, after discussing it with my wife, I just couldn't in good conscience turn this one down. The reason being it's a good page-rate coupled with a really small time commitment, pretty unique, which means I can put some extra funds in the bank and then get back onto Death Sentence Liberty 6 with minimal delay.
Everything else is going to plan in terms of printing and production, and I even noted this week the printer owes me money which is a first. Rest assured too that all DS Kickstarter funds are kept in a separate bank account from my own personal account, so there's nothing our glorious PM or the economy can do to stop the printing and distribution of Death Sentence Liberty 6 and all associated books and rewards. In an uncertain landscape, DS is an absolute certainty.
One reason I love working on Death Sentence is it feels like part of my life I can control and guarantee, and make special. In that sense it's a real solace, mentally and practically.
I think that's why a lot of folks write and draw: creating a little bubble of magic in a troubled world.
More from me soon
All the best
Monty
Everything is on target
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Oct 11, 2022 at 12:43:49 AM
Hey there
Just checking in with an update on Death Sentence Liberty 6. I've been working hard on the art, colouring and lettering of the remaining pages. It's pretty intensive, but satisfying, to be lost in the world and characters of Death Sentence Liberty for the final time. Even though the script has been written for a long time there's still leeway to tweak things a little this way or that, and adjust details in the balance between wrapping this story up and setting up threads for the next book. So as I work I've been rereading the whole series, revisiting some of my favourite scenes, and admiring the amazing art of Martin Simmonds and Mike Dowling as I do so. I want to make it the best finale possible while also tying things in smoothly with the script for the next series where, as previously teased, the series takes a darker turn.
I've learnt over the years that things go better and faster if I concentrate on one part of the process at a time. That means finishing all the art, colouring, and lettering, then doing the surveys, then all the printing, then all the shipping - all in turn. It's a lot more efficient, and everyone gets their stuff at the same time which is the fairest approach. So I'll be sending out the surveys at the start of November, ahead of sending out the digital and printed comics on time in December.
More updates soon.
All the best
Monty
