CATS: The Sketchbook is NOW LIVE on Crowdfundr!

They’re cute, cuddly little goblins who steal your food and your hearts. It’s CATS!

BEHOLD! I have put together an art book full of cat sketches I drew during the Inktober challenge of 2023!

WHY

I got the idea at Small Press Expo when someone came up to my table and spotted The Stars of Fantasyville (my 2022 Inktober sketchbook). They saw Duchess, my black cat character on the front and flipped through it. And they said, “Oh I thought the whole book was cats.”

And I said, “That’s my NEXT book!” So I made it happen.

I had been meaning to make an art book of cats for a while, anyway, and that was the signal I needed to make it happen.

HOW

With YOUR help, because I don’t have the budget to print these books on my own.

Thanks to a generous patron on Ko-fi, I DO have about $70 saved back for this project. Which is enough to cover the books getting shipped to me. Here’s a breakdown of what we still need to make this happen:

I’m not getting an ISBN or barcode for this book to keep the circulation small. As cute as the idea is, I don’t expect this book to pop up at Barnes & Noble or something similar. CATS is more of an art zine. Let it be a collector’s item!

As for shipping to backers, Crowdfundr has shipping costs as a separate line item in the budget. So I can just ask for the goal, but still get the funding needed to ship stuff because it’s handled separately! It’s kooky compared to KickStarter, but it works.

“Who’s printing the book?”

We’re going to the same folks who printed The Stars of Fantasyville to print these CATS books…MIXAM! For art books, their print and paper quality is *chef’s kiss* marvelous. Plus they’re fast and budget-friendly, and their customer service is stellar.

WHEN

This campaign is only open for ONE WEEK and ENDS on Jan 18. For reasons why it’s so short, I go into it on the campaign page.

If you can, please consider pre-ordering your own copy of CATS: A Sketchbook! We also have other rewards available, which you can pick and choose a la carte to make your own reward bundles! Many of these rewards are digital, too, so if you’re international, I have you covered.

Broke? Share this campaign far and wide! Sharing is caring and helps more than you know.

We have UNTIL Jan 18 to make this happen!

That’s all for now. Thank you for your time and support!

You. Are. Awesome.

Volume 2 of The Legend Has Been Shipped! Plus Other Crowdfunding News

In today’s serving at the Crowdfund Café, Volume 2 of The Legend of Jamie Roberts has been shipped to backers!

Let’s dive right into the main course…

THE LEGEND OF JAMIE ROBERTS, VOLUME 2

Yes! The books arrived at the studio last week, and they are now in transit to backers. Backers should have emails with tracking numbers for their packages. Send an email to kelci@fantasyvilleproductions.com if your rewards get lost or damaged.

If you would like to see early access to volume 3 of the adventure, consider supporting Kelci on Ko-fi! For $5 a month, you get early access to Volume 3’s pages, as well as exclusive zines, shop discount codes, shout-outs on YouTube, and other rewards.

So what’s next?

HOLIDAY POP-UP SHOP

The Holiday Pop-up Shop opens next week! We now have our stock ready and will be making listings this week.

Things to watch out for in the pop-up shop include:

  • Pre-orders for Kelci’s Inktober 2023 Sketchbook, Cats!
  • Art prints from Chloe Rose, including VTuber and Eizouken art.
  • Read All Over by Mel Sealy
  • Less Than Secret and What the Gnomes Know – comics anthologies from Canonwrite Productions
  • Tukk and Rol, volume 1 by Blake Mathias
  • And lots more from up-and-coming indie creators!

The Crowdfundr page is up and will open for orders on October 31. Sign up for the newsletter to get notifications and updates.

VANITA AND THE DEMON KING

The first arc of the story is now available as a comics PDF download on Ko-Fi! The Sketchbook PDFs (once available on Crowdfundr) will be coming after the Pop-Up Shop closes on December 1.

MR DINO PRIDE KEYCHAINS

Last I checked with the keychain supplier, the keychains were in production. But they haven’t been shipped yet. I’ll keep you posted as soon as I hear anything.

Be sure to stay tuned for further updates!

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

Crowdfund Café – The Printer’s Proof Has Arrived!

In today’s edition of the Crowdfund Café – the printer’s proof has arrived for…

THE LEGEND OF JAMIE ROBERTS, VOLUME 2

That’s right! Just watch the video up top to see the proof from the printer. After a little more back and forth for corrections, the book is now ready for the presses. Stay tuned for further updates!

MR. DINO PRIDE KEYCHAINS

Speaking of proofs, we just sent the approval of Mr. Dino’s proofs to the keychain printer. These will take longer to arrive, as the order is coming from overseas. If anything changes, we will keep you informed.

HOLIDAY POP-UP SHOP

We are now preparing the Crowdfundr page and promotional materials to send off to comic book shops, indie bookstores, podcasts, and other outlets. Subscribe to the newsletter for more as things develop.

IN SHORT…

Things are either printing or still being built. We’re getting things prepared, slowly but surely.

To help pass the time, be sure to subscribe to Kelci’s YouTube channel. They’re posting Inktober art daily in Shorts, and streaming live on Tuesdays and Fridays at 6 pm EST.

And if you would like to get unlimited zines, shout-outs on YouTube, and other rewards, support Kelci on Ko-fi for $5 a month.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading and watching!

You. Are. Awesome.

Pride Merch and a Pledge Drive

In this latest edition of Crowdfund Café, we’re covering Mr. Dino Pride Merch and a Pledge Drive for Members. Plus a lot more!

Let’s get right to it…

MR. DINO PRIDE KEYCHAINS

The Crowdfundr is paused (not closed, to ensure the campaign can turn into a storefront later). This means we’re not accepting further pledges at this time. We’re tallying up pre-orders now and getting them ready for the printer.

PLEDGE DRIVE

Kelci is running a pledge drive for new members to join their Ko-Fi page! Members who pledge $5 a month will get:

  • early access to webcomics, including The Legend of Jamie Roberts and Vanita and the Demon King,
  • unlimited zines delivered to their inbox,
  • bonus perks for backing a Crowdfundr and/or KickStarter campaign,
  • an exclusive supporter newsletter,
  • shout-outs on YouTube,
  • and lots more!

To get the full list of perks, and to subscribe, head over to Kelci’s Ko-Fi and click “Memberships.” You can also pledge via Fan Clubs.

You also have the option of pledging $15 a month, which will get you the above perks PLUS exclusive desktop and phone wallpapers to download.

To see what Kelci’s goals are for memberships, watch their pledge drive video.

THE LEGEND OF JAMIE ROBERTS, VOLUME 2

the printer's proof of The Legend of Jamie Roberts, volume 2, a comic by Kelci D Crawford. The cover depicts a blonde genderqueer person standing in a forest. Between the trees we see an enormous dragon with red and gold scales.

We have received the proof from the printer! Kelci will post a video on their YouTube channel before the end of the week to show it off. After reviewing the proof, we sent some corrected pages to the printer and are awaiting the digital proof. If everything looks good after that, we’ll send the approval to the printer!

HOLIDAY POP-UP SHOP

We are preparing a special Holiday Pop-Up shop to open in November! This pop-up shop will highlight independent fantasy creators from Ohio in a special online shopping event for the season. To stay tuned for creator highlights, product previews, and more, subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date.

That’s all for now. Thank you for your support!

You. Are. Awesome.

Membership Drive and Mr. Dino Pre-Orders

In today’s edition of the Crowdfund Café, we’re discussing a new membership drive and extending Mr. Dino’s pre-orders for Pride Merch.

Let’s start with…

MR. DINO PRIDE KEYCHAINS AND STICKERS

Due to the supplier being on vacation until October 5, we’re extending the pre-order window. Mr. Dino Pride Keychains and Stickers are now available UNTIL OCTOBER 6 at 11:59 pm EST.

The campaign has already hit the base goal. If the campaign can get to $244 raised, backers will receive an additional sticker from Mr. Dino’s friend, Bronto. To find out more or to support the campaign, check out the Crowdfundr.

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

Kelci D. Crawford is running a membership drive for their Ko-Fi memberships and Fan Club offerings! By supporting them for $5 a month, members get unlimited zines, early access to webcomics, shop and commission discounts, and other rewards. Check out Kelci’s Ko-Fi Page and official Fan Club page for more details.

HOLIDAY SPECIAL

Fantasyville is planning a big Holiday Pop-Up event, featuring up-and-coming indie creators! To stay tuned for updates on this offering, sign up for the email newsletter.

THE LEGEND OF JAMIE ROBERTS, VOLUME 2

The printer is still putting files together for The Legend of Jamie Roberts, Volume 2. Digital rewards have already been sent out. If you did not receive them, please email kelci@fantasyvilleproductions.com so that can get sorted right away.

In the meantime, stay tuned to Kelci’s newsletter for updates as soon as Kelci gets them.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

Crowdfunding Café: Mr. Dino’s Goal

It’s time for another serving from the Crowdfund Café! We’re talking about Mr. Dino’s Goal, exclusive treasure from The Legend, and more.

In Crowdfund Café, we’re rounding up the latest news on crowdfunding campaigns that Fantasyville Productions is running, doing fulfillment for, or otherwise has a hand in.

Without further ado, here’s the latest from the Crowdfund Café…

MR. DINO PRIDE KEYCHAINS

Mr. Dino has hit the goal! The campaign will continue running until Sept 30 for pre-orders – and I’m looking at rolling the campaign over into a dedicated shop. Crowdfundr as a platform allows for that. I’m still figuring out the details, and will give an update as soon as that’s figured out.

Until then, any support you can give the campaign is appreciated, whether that’s backing it or sharing the link with friends.

THE LEGEND OF JAMIE ROBERTS, VOLUME 2

The first 10 backers of The Legend should now have their exclusive phone wallpapers! Check your inboxes.

In the meantime, the files need one final read-through before they’re sent off to the printer. The ISBN and barcode will also need to be handled.

As that is getting worked on, digital rewards will be sent out over the next two weeks. Backers should get all their digital rewards before Sept 28. More updates will come as things get finished.

BE NOT APURRED KEYCHAINS

The financial report is coming together and should be out by next week. Tune in this Tuesday at 6 pm EDT on Kelci’s YouTube live stream. There, they will give shout-outs to everyone who backed the campaign at the top of the episode. The segment will also be made into a separate video for later viewing.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned on the email newsletter for further updates and behind-the-scenes clips!

Thank you for your support.

You. Are. Awesome.

Crowdfundr Café – Mr. Dino is NOW LIVE

It’s time for another serving from the Crowdfund Café!

In Crowdfund Café, we’re rounding up the latest news on crowdfunding campaigns that Fantasyville Productions is running, doing fulfillment for, or otherwise has a hand in.

Without further ado, here’s the latest from the Crowdfund Café…

MR. DINO PRIDE KEYCHAINS AND STICKERS

Mr. Dino LGBTQ+ Pride Merch is now live on Crowdfundr! Pre-orders for keychains and stickers of 16+ different Pride Flags will be accepted until September 30. The first 6 backers will get a limited edition Mr. Dino as Wizard mini-print.

THE LEGEND OF JAMIE ROBERTS, VOLUME 2

Volume 2 has finished raising funds on Crowdfundr. 29 backers pledged $982 to make it happen!

The files are being polished before being sent to the printer. In the meantime, orders will be tallied and cataloged. If you backed the campaign and have changed your address since moving, please email Kelci ASAP at kelci(at)fantasyvilleproductions.com.

BE NOT APURRED KEYCHAINS

A financial report is coming soon, to break down gross sales, costs, and what profit was left. In the future, financial reports will be provided for all crowdfunding campaigns once rewards are fulfilled.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more news!

Thank you for reading and for your support.

You. Are. Awesome.

2 DAYS LEFT to Get Volume 2 of The Legend!

So what happens after volume 1? Who’s the Basho twin Jamie’s been talking to? What will happen to the Chief? What’s going to happen to the orb? AND WHAT’S UP WITH THE DRAGON??

There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to get The Legend of Jamie Roberts, Volume 2.

New stretch goals have been unlocked, including exclusive stickers. PLUS, you can select rare and limited edition acrylic pins as part of your rewards!

Can we make it to 25 backers? Or even 30?? If we do, we can unlock more rewards, like zines!

You have UNTIL SEPT 1 to claim your copy.

If you’re broke, share this campaign far and wide! Sharing is caring and it helps so much.

Thank you for your support!

You. Are. Awesome.

Financial Report: Gem City Comic Con

Here’s my financial report for Gem City Comic Con.

I wanted to keep my expectations low for this show because Lewisburg Comic Con AND Boomfest 2023 were dead shows. Both of them brought in less than $80 each and were not worth the hype. I had never been to Gem City up to this point, but I didn’t want to be disappointed for a third weekend in a row.

Well…I was disappointed for the third weekend in a row.

LET’S DO A COST BREAKDOWN…

We’re going to tackle the costs first before we report on sales. 

TABLE FEE…

For Gem City, I booked the table early and paid $78.75 (after fees) for 2 days. If I had filed for a table past the early bird deadline, the cost of the table would have gone up. I do not recall the fee for post-early bird discounts.

This is not the most expensive table I have ever paid for. That honor goes to (so far) Awesome Con 2018 in DC, which was $300 for 3 days. In fairness, Awesome Con brings in 75,000+ attendees. I didn’t know the attendance numbers for Gem City. But $75 for 2 days puts it on par with 3 Rivers Comic Con, a show I did a lot when I lived closer to Pittsburgh. So honestly? I didn’t think the fee for Gem City was absurd at the time.

MILES TO AND FROM THE SHOW…

Coming out of Toledo took 145 miles on day 1, then another 145 on day 2. I crashed on a buddy’s couch for that weekend, so that added 23 miles in each direction. But by doing that, I didn’t have to pay for a hotel, which was a good thing. It’s not the farthest I’ve traveled for a show, but I do prefer a show that’s closer to home.

COST OF PRINTING…

The bad news of Lewisburg Comic Con and Boomfest worked in my favor for Gem City. I had ordered books and pins and keychains before Lewisburg Comic Con. But because that and Boomfest (the weekend after) were basically dead on arrival, I could roll over all of my stock to Gem City and not have to order any extra before the show. So my printing costs came out to $0 in the short term for Gem City.

THAT SAID… I track the cost of printing per unit of my stock in my sales spreadsheet. That way, I know how much to set aside for re-printing. That is going to factor in later in this report.

FOOD AND FUEL…

I only had to fuel up once, which cost $37.44 to do. I packed snacks ahead of time – and shout-out to my table neighbor, Jason, for the iced tea and water he generously gifted! Also shout-out to Stephen Hines, not only for the couch to crash on, but for dinner and ice cream at the end of Day 1. I did, ultimately, end up spending $18.66 for food across both days.

WHAT SALES DID I MAKE?

Keep in mind, these are gross sales. They do NOT factor in costs yet.

On day 1, I did well, selling $237 worth of work! I have definitely sold more at one-day events during 2023, such as Free Comic Book Day ($321.50) and RathaCon ($342), and HerdCon ($283). I was hopeful for Day 2.

But on Day 2, I only made $88 in sales. I’m not sure what happened. A lot of rumors flew around at the show about the organizers not putting in any effort to promote Gem City, or about other events happening the same weekend.

Regardless, after two days, I made $323.

That’s on par with Free Comic Book Day, a one-day event that I didn’t have to travel across the state for. In short, I was ultimately not impressed.

And after costs? Hold on, let’s calculate…

I mentioned earlier that I keep a spreadsheet that tracks the costs of printing versus the retail price of ALL of my stock. So, after retail minus the cost for re-prints, it comes to $197.29.

Now factor in the table fee ($75), food ($18.66), and gas ($37.44), and I made in profit…

$66.19.

I would like to reiterate that I have made more of a profit at one-day shows like RathaCon and Free Comic Book Day. But we’ll get into rant mode later.

THE TOP SELLER(S) (BY UNIT AND BY DOLLAR)…

By dollar – What The Gnomes Know: A Comics Anthology: $60. Followed by The Legend of Jamie Roberts, volume 1, which made $50. Books were still the top-selling category by dollar, at $205. The second-best sales category was keychains at $52.

By unit – Dragon Baby LGBTQ Pride keychains, which sold 4 units for a total of $20. As a category, stickers sold the most units, at 23 units. (Stickers, however, were the bottom-tier category in terms of dollars, at $29.)

IN CONCLUSION…

You know, I met cool people, and I had great table neighbors. But – I hate to say it, especially since some comics folks I knew talked about Gem City so positively – I was not impressed with Gem City Comic Con. I will not be returning next year.

As a matter of fact, having had three dud conventions and events throughout July, I’m taking a break from conventions for the rest of the year.

The only exceptions I will make are pop-up events in my current hometown of Toledo, OH that last for one day, and Small Press Expo.

Instead, I will take this time to build up new stock, make new merch, and build the business online.

I will also do a financial report for Be Not Apurred Keychains once the orders have been shipped. I will keep you posted as the campaign wraps up.

If you would like to get the first notice when I launch a new item for pre-order, get on the official newsletter. A new graphic novel will be launching in the next week or two, so keep an eye out.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

Introducing the Crowdfund Café

Today, I’m introducing Crowdfund Café – a new feature on Fantasyville Productions!

In Crowdfund Café, we’re rounding up the latest news on crowdfunding campaigns that Fantasyville Productions is running, doing fulfillment for, or otherwise has a hand in.

Without further ado, here’s the latest from the Crowdfund Café…

BE NOT APURRED Biblically Accurate Cat Angel Key Chains

This campaign got successfully funded! Payments are being processed. In the meantime, backers need to fill out their backer surveys so Kelci can get rewards tallied up.

TALES OF TOMORROW

Tales of Tomorrow is the latest sci-fi comics anthology from Brendan Hykes. These are short stories all written by Brendan, featuring indie comics artists – like Kelci! They did a short story called Destructo Girl.

preview of Destructo Girl by Brendan Hykes and Kelci D Crawford

Breandan’s funding to get the anthology in full color. And as of this writing, they’re not halfway to the goal yet, and still have two weeks to go! Back it today if you can, or share the link with your friends. Rewards include copies of the anthology and commissions drawn by the anthology artists (including Kelci).

FAILURE TO LAUNCH

This Iron Circus Comix anthology all about flubbed foretellings of the future featured a short comic story by Kelci. After a successful campaign on Backerkit, Failure to Launch is moving forward! Currently, they’re in pre-press. More updates will be available on the Iron Circus website.

COLUMBUS CARTOON COALITION’S 2023 ANTHOLOGY

The Columbus Cartoon Coalition is gathering its resources together to release a new anthology! The goal is to get it funded and printed before Cartoon Crossroads Columbus in September 2023. Stay tuned for more as the campaign develops.

TOE BEANS AND BROOMSTICKS

Toe Beans and Broomsticks premiered on Kelci’s newsletter! The game will be available to download for free on Kelci’s Ko-fi in the next week – with a Deluxe version for game masters coming soon. Watch Kelci’s blog for more updates on this.

Last, but hardly least…

THE LEGEND OF JAMIE ROBERTS, VOLUME 2

Volume 2 of The Legend of Jamie Roberts is coming to Crowdfundr around the end of July! Kelci will be detailing why the book is going to Crowdfundr and not KickStarter in an upcoming blog update. Keep an eye on that space before the end of the week.

In the meantime, Kelci is creating assets for Volume 2’s crowdfunding campaign. The book itself is 80% formatted for print.

IN CONCLUSION

It’s an exciting time here at Fantasyville Productions!

New updates in the Crowdfund Café will post each Monday as long as there is active campaign news. So come back next week for further developments.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.