2018 is almost here and with the new year will come lots of new Die Kitty Die comics!
My Die Kitty Die co-creator, Dan Parent, and I are soon going to be starting work on our next Die Kitty Die arc, Die Kitty Die Heaven & Hell. As with our previous DKD series, we are going to be producing a four issue mini-series and then collecting all four issues into a hardcover volume featuring bonus exclusive material. Once again, we’ll be launching a Kickstarter campaign in order to make this possible.
I’ve discussed our need for our Kickstarter campaigns before, but this recently came up on the Fans Of Astrocomix page on Facebook so I’d like to explain again. Some of our fans have the impression that because we are being published and distributed by Chapterhouse Publishing, that we are being funded by Chapterhouse. This isn’t the case. Ours is a partnership with Chapterhouse. Dan and I produce Die Kitty Die almost entirely on our own and thus, we fund it all on our own. We have to pay for our inker, our colorists, and our letterers out of our own pockets. All extra artwork like the many pin-ups, J Bone’s beautiful spreads, and our hardcover covers are all paid for by us. The printing of our books is paid for by us. This all takes a good deal of money and that’s why we turn to Kickstarter. We essentially provide Chapterhouse with a complete product. Chapterhouse in turn assists us with proofreading, production and printing. They also handle our distribution making sure DKD is in as many stores as possible. We are fortunate to do very well with our Kickstarters but please keep in mind almost everything we raise goes back into Die Kitty Die. Not only do we have to finance the production of the actual books, but Kickstarters campaigns themselves also require some funding. All those prints, pins, bookmarks, and other reward items all have to be paid for. Then of course there is the shipping of all of the reward packages to our Kickstarter backers. Nobody ever thinks about the shipping when they talk about Kickstarters. Let me tell you! Shipping ain’t cheap!
Our plan so far is to launch our Die Kitty Die Heaven & Hell Kickstarter Campaign in May 2018. We’ll certainly be talking about it prior to launching and we’ll welcome and appreciate any and all support! As I said, we’ve been very fortunate with our Kickstarter campaigns and that is due to the incredible support shown by our very loyal, passionate fans. I can’t state that enough. We couldn’t do Die Kitty Die without you and for that, you have our undying appreciation. Thank you!
Back to our 2018 Die Kitty Die plans…
We’re very excited to announce that once again, in conjunction with Chapterhouse Publishing, we will be releasing the 2018 Free Comic Book Day Special, Die Kitty Die : I Love You To Death! Unlike many FCBD specials, this will feature all new original material being written and drawn by Dan Parent and myself. In fact, as I type this, Dan and I are in the process of producing this book right now! The story takes place right in between the shocking cliffhanger of this year’s Die Kitty Die Hollywood Or Bust and next year’s Die Kitty Die: Heaven & Hell. Not only will this special be a bridge between the two series, but it is being written as a perfect introduction for brand new readers looking to give DKD a try! Free Comic Book Day, as usual, will be the first Saturday in May, which in 2018, falls on May 5th. Make sure your local comic shop orders plenty of copies of this very special issue!
Posted above is the cover to the FCBD special. It was done by both Dan and myself. Dan drew Kitty and the background. I drew the surrounding mourners… except for that little green guy. He’s all Dan! Dan also colored this one himself and provided the cover lettering. Here is my end of the black and white artwork as I drew it. As you can see, Dan had to rearrange a few things for the final composition.
We’re also hoping to do at least one more DKD special in 2018. We’ve been talking about doing something for Halloween and this idea seems to be pretty popular. We’ll see about firming up this plan as we get closer to Kickstarter time. We’ve also have been talking about a couple of other DKD surprises.
What other Die Kitty Die items would you like to see? Please let us know in the Comments section below!
Thanks, Everybody!
