i've been dieselpunk'd!

After participating in a variety of events today, I came home to... my reward postcard!!!
Such a beauty it is, n'est-ce pas?

Tome Wilson inscribed it:
Dear Faustina,
Today we are the shapers of the world of tomorrow.
For the future!
Tome

Marvelous words!!!
Less than two months ago, I had supported the "Dieselpunks Will Not Fall" project on kickstarter. I had mentioned here two other projects from my past which could be classified under the umbrella of "dieselpunk".
Silly me.
I have actually supported quite a few others which I had not known to inhabit that same realm! Goodness, in the category occupied by Cthulhu, I have helped birth four creative progeny! The first was not derived from kickstarter, but was a locally "crowd-sourced" fundraising event. There was art! There were readings! There was even music! I walked away with a mask of Cthulhu (for me!) and many items which traveled to waiting hands in El Cerrito. A very fine two-evening event!
Then, in 2011, my stepdad died and I found myself enriched with free money left over from my mother's retirement account. I set aside a grand to enrich the world with new creations and searched kickstarter for inspiration. I found wrapping paper with Cthulhu images! What a treat for my dear friend JinHi! What a nice way to show my appreciation for having been part of her Lovecrafted fundraiser!
Then I was off and running! On a single evening in June of 2012, I found two more projects related to the world of Lovecraft. The first was a new play, created by Boom Bat Gesture. Perhaps the term "performance art" is more relevant than "play"... yes, definitely! When the DVD recording of the finished theatrical piece arrived six months later, I was quite pleased!
The other project backed on that summer eve has not yet found its way to completion. That is through no fault of its creator, Ezra Claverie. He has written the play and the two short stories, as promised, and forwarded them to me in PDF style. However, the hardcover version of his work, which I have awaited for more than two years, may never exist. No worries! I have recently printed the volume and hope to soon find time to read and review. Stay tuned to read all about it!
Meanwhile, I hope to spend a some time exploring the website I helped sustain.
Later, y'all!

shadows out of providence heading for savannah

Ezra Claverie's original works are finally seeing the light of day!
Well, in PDF version, at least.
He's been having serious issues with a ne'er-do-well shyster who has taken the funds designated for the printing of the book...and skated off into the darkness with them.
What a sad and frustrating story for a creative spirit.
(Although it should be noted that I have a sad story from a backer's side.)
True to his oath to provide rewards to his faithful supporters on kickstarter, Ezra sent his tome, via email, out into the world.
That was back in late September.
Now, I've printed the book for myself.
Isn't it a beauty?
Of course, I still look forward to one day having the book, as he had intended it to be, in my hands.
For now, this will do.
I'll try to read it during the winter break from school...

the android's astrological companion

Yes, I have already completed the categories for "Art", "Comics", and "Literature". Those pieces of my kickstarter backer "pie" were completed quite a while back, multiple times.
But I couldn't resist!
You see, I like the name, too. It reminds me of Tanith Lee's "The Silver Metal Lover" and Isaac Asimov's robot novels that I so enjoyed in my younger years.
This art book of short stories promises to be quite lovely and will be right at home beside my copy of "Speculative Relationships", wouldn't you agree? I think they will be a most winning couple!
I do so appreciate Cody Vrosh providing me an opportunity to help bring this project to life. Honestly, I don't know that he really needs to utilize the services of kickstarter to advance his work. He already has his own bookpress and screenprinting workshop, known as Binary Winter.
Perhaps he's simply wanting to spread the gospel, too.
That dieselpunk-flavored, modern creed with comic coloration.
One NOVA-sized cup for me, please!
That means my paltry forty-three dollars will gain the PDF, the signed hardback copy of the book, AND a signed print - of my choice! I'll make sure my "Kickstarter Rewards Wall" has a waiting space beside the cover print from "Speculative Relationships".
Together on the wall AND on the bookshelf!
That's for sure, too. This is another project I'm joining late, as its active time ends tomorrow. This is also another project which has well outstripped its funding goal. The creator has chosen to expand the rewards into additional levels as "stretch goals" are reached.
In fact, I'll not only receive the NOVA package, but also an additional book! This one is titled "The Zodiac of Teeth" and should make friends easily on the bookshelf with "Creature disComforts".
Very nice perk!

dieselpunks will not fall

Woohoo! I'm on my way to restoring my backer stats!
What better way to begin than to merge old and new in the realm of dieselpunks? To quote the dieselpunkencyclopedia website, the movement combines the look and feel of the 1920's to 1950's with "postmodern sensibilities from a counter-cultural viewpoint" to create "a distinct style of visual art, music, motion pictures, fiction, and engineering".
This is hardly the first project I have backed with these elements. Even though the two other projects weren't specified as "dieselpunk", they most assuredly are.
(They were both local, too, which is another plus in my book.)
In September of 2011, "The Flight" was not yet off the ground, but I went ahead and bought my ticket to ride! A beautifully crafted film eventually emerged, with definite dieselpunk aspects in the story, costumes, and cinematography.
Then, in January of 2012, another project caught my eye, promising to make Education come ALIVE! They made good on that promise, too. Inspired by the works of Nice One, a Chicago artist, students helped create a blend of art-deco-colored wall murals which featured modernistic, goggle-clad explorers. Children and dieselpunk - now, that's a way to start a revolution!
For all I know, the artists who created those two projects are followers of the online magazine and social network devoted to the dieselpunk art movement. First created in 2009 by Emmy-winning artist Tome Wilson, the site is now in danger of shutting down.
Why?
Lack of money.
The overhead for maintaining the five-year archive of art, music, and history is $3500.
That payment is due next month.
So, the funding goal for the project was set for that amount, not one penny more nor less.
In return, the creator pledges to help expand the site, encouraging the creation of new artists and new books and films and music.
Get the picture?
The creator wants to help spread the gospel, as well as maintain the place of worship.
Amen, I say!
He has even already surpassed his humble goal. My funds certainly aren't going to be the "make or break" addition to the success of the project.
Still, I wanted to be in on this.
Even if fifteen bucks isn't much these days, back in the 1920's, that sum held true worth. It's also 50% more than the minimum needed to receive a "handwritten dieselpunk postcard" from Mr. Wilson.
I'll be looking forward to that piece of mail.