Heirs of Isildur
Following a lull around the holidays, two publishers of steampunk comics are back on Kickstarter with new projects, while author Jessica Lucci is funding a forthcoming steampunk novella set in the 18th century.
More Perilous Prospects from Knowles and Cannon
Insymmetry Creations launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new installment in Heirs of Isildur, the publisher’s steampunk comic book series. This one will fund Book 4 of The Perilous Prospects, the latest story arc in the series. This will be the next-to-last installment in the five-book story.
The series is the brainchild of Matt Knowles, who is based in Florida, and Steph Cannon, who works from California. They describe it as an “apocalyptic sci-fi story set in a steampunk world, with time travel and fantasy elements at its core.”
The central character is Professor Mykal Isildur, who has gained access to an abandoned laboratory filled with gadgets that open portals to other times and places. But dark energy enters his world, corrupting some inhabitants, giving superpowers to others, and ultimately leading to “an explosive apocalyptic event.”
Pledges begin at US$6 for a PDF and $15 for the 44-page perfect-bound paperback edition. They estimate delivery in April. Rewards also include themed apparel and collectibles associated with the series.
The campaign launched Jan. 14 and has reached about two-thirds of its $3,500 funding goal. It runs through Jan. 20. See the Kickstarter page for more info.
New Adventures for Cager Dobbin
Another long-running steampunk comic is also on Kickstarter, as Inverse Press is funding a new issue in its Last Ride of the 4 Horsemen series.
The series tells the story of gunslinger Cager Dobbin, who defends the town of Promise from the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It is now in its third story arc, entitled Last Ride of the 4 Horsemen: Tribulation.
This campaign will fund the second issue of the new story. Here, Dobbin has become the Horseman Death, and leads his own band of horsemen against the monsters who brought on the original apocalypse.
Pledges begin at US$4 for a digital issue and $8 for a print edition. The publisher estimates delivery in February.
The campaign launched Jan. 12 and is well past its $1,000 funding goal. It runs through Jan. 26. See the Kickstarter page for more info.
Steampunk Revolution
Jessica Lucci launched a Kickstarter campaign for Rivets and Revolution, a steampunk novella set in the days leading up to the American Revolutionary War. She promises “steampunk, American Revolution, hunky George Washington, clever contraptions, and of course, lesbians.”
As conflict brews between the colonies and Britain, two lovers are caught in the middle: “Liberty, the local print shop expert, and Georgia, daughter of the new British governor in the colony of Massachusetts. Will the threat of war separate these two women from each other? Can their love persist even as the colonies resist Britain?”
She plans to use funds from the campaign to cover expenses for a cover design, proofreading, editing, printing, and marketing.
Pledges begin at US$10 for the e-book, to be delivered in April; $25 for a signed paperback; and $100 for a limited-edition signed hardcover and other rewards. The print editions are slated to ship in September and will be available only to backers in the U.S. If all goes according to plan, the e-book release will be timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the war’s beginning.
On Wednesday, the campaign listed only the e-book tier, but she said this was a mistake and later added the other tiers.
The campaign launched Jan. 14 and seeks US$2,500 by Feb. 13. See the Kickstarter page for more info.
