Today, I want to show a piece of art from a sketch to the finished piece. This time, it’s the cover art for The Legend of Jamie Roberts, volume 2. (It’s still on Crowdfundr, by the way! Get a pre-order of the book while you can.)
Here’s the initial sketch that I drew in 2015…
Here’s a redraw of the same sketch, drawn in 2020…
Here is final art I made for the cover art of Volume 2…
I can’t help it, I love this art.
In fact, I love it so much that I want to see how you color this. Here is a link to download the line art. If you color this, tag me on Instagram @kelcidcomics or Ko-fi @kelcidcrawford.
Are you a Fan Club member already? Then you’ll get a Punk Rock Thomas sticker added to your rewards bundle! If your rewards are digital-only, you’ll get him as a phone wallpaper.
If we can get to 15 backers, I’ll add the Punk Rock Jamie sticker to folks who order physical copies of volume 2!
If we can get to 20 backers, I’ll add Ranki stickers for folks who order physical copies of volume 2! (Be prepared for Ranki to be a little ~steamy~ by Ko-fi standards, wink wink).
At 25 backers, I’ll add a Punk Rock Daniel sticker to bundles!
The campaign is only two-thirds of the way to our base goal. So if you have the means, back the campaign and order your books today! Any amount, from $2 to $200, helps us reach these stretch goals. And if you’re broke, share the link! Sharing is caring and it helps a lot.
Jamie is not a boy or a girl – they’re a pirate! And they found this unfinished map with their friends, so they’re going treasure-hunting in an unexplored land. But along the way, Jamie and friends find magic, restless spirits, dragons, and a tyrant locked away for centuries, coming back to haunt the people across the land…
Volume 1 (which will be available as an add-on) collected Chapters 1 through 4 of The Legend of Jamie Roberts. What we’re asking for is funding for Volume 2, to get Chapters 5 through 8 in one shiny book – with bonus content!
WHY?
The Legend is the story I wish I had as a genderqueer teenager, trying to figure out my gender identity and my place in the world. Jamie is the protagonist my teenage self WISHES they had.
At first, I made The Legend of Jamie Roberts to fulfill my teenage wishes. Wishes for validation, magic, dragons, and adventure. And along the way, readers found The Legend – and REALLY resonated with the story. Which is how we’ve made it to 8 chapters long! And there are plans for more. But first…
If you don’t have Volume 1 yet, that’s ok – Volume 1 is available as an add-on reward for this campaign! (You can also read the webcomic version for free, but the print edition has remastered art and bonus content not available on the website).
For Volume 2, we’re also working with a different printer – Comix Well Spring! They’re giving a partner’s discount for running this campaign on Crowdfundr, which means less printing cost, and a more affordable price for you, the backer!
So if you love pirates and dragons and magic and mayhem, what are you waiting for?!
Fantasyville Productions is the official name of my business. It’s the name I use when publishing books, releasing prints, and launching KickStarter and Crowdfundr campaigns. Fantasyville focuses primarily on fantasy-themed stories, many with queer characters and/or creators who are LGBTQ+.
The name Fantasyville comes from my first webcomic ever, Johnson & Sir, which took place in the titular town! I named my business endeavor “Productions” to encompass more than just comics.
With this business, I hope to release comics, tabletop games (like Dragon’s Roost and Toe Beans & Broomsticks), pins, keychains (like Be Not Apurred, which recently got successfully funded on KickStarter), and even books by other authors, like Danse Macabre and Other Works by Sean McGavin!
Tune in on the Fantasyville official website for KickStarter news and project updates, as well as appearance and product announcements. Not just from me, but from other creators, as well!
If you would like to see updates from me specifically, like works-in-progress or personal updates, I’ll be posting more on this site and on YouTube. This is especially true since social media is…kind of on fire right now.
Find me at SPACE this weekend! That’s the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo in Columbus, OH. I’m sharing a table with Canonwrite Productions. Find us at table W26, yo.
If you’re in Columbus – I’m sending a special email to my newsletter subs. It’s about a reward for folks who can make it to SPACE. If you want to know more, get on the newsletter.
At SPACE, I’m marking down all stickers and mystery bags. Stickers are 2 for $1 (or get 1 free with a book purchase), and mystery bags are 2 for $5 (or get 1 free with a book purchase). I want to clear out all the stickers and mystery bags to make room for new things, like more keychains and pins!
I’m also bringing misprints of The Legend of Jamie Roberts, volume 1, available for $12 each. I still have a BUNCH of these, too.
Also at SPACE: original pages from my sketchbooks, a framed piece of art (this one will be pricier), and the last of my 11 x 17 prints. Again, I want to clear out a BUNCH of stuff to make room for new things.
IF TIME ALLOWS…I’ll bring along BOYZ, my Dragonball Z zine. I make no guarantees on this one, though.
There will be a newsletter sign-up sheet there, as well. Do you think I WOULDN’T talk about my new tabletop RPG, Toe Beans & Broomsticks? I mean, it’s coming out in less than 10 days, on June 17! It’s available on my newsletter first before the rest of the world gets the game. That’s why I’m bringing the sign-up sheet – so folks can sign up to get the game!
Toe Beans & Broomsticks is a game where players roleplay as magic-casting Cat Witches, Dog Warlocks, Crow Witches, and Owl Wizards. Practice magics like Neko-mancy, cast spells like Meow-maturgy or Purr-estidigitation, and fight alongside friends against the dark forces of The Madam.
If you can’t make it to SPACE, but you reeeeeeally want Toe Beans & Broomsticks – good news! You can sign up for the newsletter using this link and get the game on release date.
And with that, I must be going. I have some last-minute prep to do for the show.
BY THE WAY…
I was featured this week on the Columbus Cartoon Coalition’s YouTube channel! Check it out, yo.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you at the show!
