Writing Horror Convo, New Stretch Goals, Bonuses, and Add-Ons!
2 months ago
– Fri, Oct 18, 2024 at 04:31:00 PM
Hello Team Monster!
As we roll into the weekend, I wanted to let you know we are getting very close to hitting our first stretch goal of 9K! That goal's bonuses are all about really fun and free cryptids and monster content for all of you! I also wanted to share two additional stretch goals for a total of four.
We are also creeping toward another backer bonus. This book is by Matt Harry whose novel Time Travel for Beginners is on Kickstarter. Super Kid is an endearing story about a big brother who doesn't really want a baby sister until he realizes she has super powers. Great for kids who might not be too thrilled about a new arrival!
For all your creators out there and for everyone interested in horror writing, I'm participating in a Writing Horror live stream tonight on The Creative Cranium hosted by Timothy Fling.
Deformed characters. Ominous settings. Ancient curses whispered at midnight! Join this week's Creative Cranium panel as we reveal... Techniques for Making Scarier Stories!
It’s a cool group and I’m excited about it. It’s live, so join us if you desire this Friday night (tonight) at 7 PM PST/10 PM EST. If you are a writer or comic creator, come shout out your projects and join the convo. Hopefully, we all get a little bit scarier.
I've added three Monster School ceramic mugs to the add-on section. We all need a mug that lets people know we're monsters at heart. We have a brand new one featuring the "Ew. People." design from the first day backer sticker illustrated by Cammry Lapka (Black Market Heroine).
Finally, I want to shout out a comic series that I really dig and have backed. You all are receiving the first issue in digital form when the campaign concludes as the 150 backers bonus. There are still four more days left of the campaign for the fourth and final issue of the Ex-Wives of Frankenstein by Richard Fairgray. It's weird, original, and involves Frankenstein and monsters so you know I'm in. This comic series is for the grown-ups, and so great.
The Ex-Wives of Frankenstein 1-4 (Series Finale)
What's it like when your ex is a monster, but also popular online?
Please continue to share the campaign with like-minded monster lovers, be kind to each other, and have an awesomely spooky weekend!
Jessica
We Funded and Hit 200 Backers! First Round of Stretch Goals Announced!
2 months ago
– Wed, Oct 16, 2024 at 09:32:40 AM
Hello Monster Backers!
WE FUNDED, and it's all because of you! Thank you so much to you wonderful readers who have joined our misfit school. We love making these graphic novels with you and wouldn't want to do it any other way!
It is time to express our gratitude not just with words but with some bonuses!
Every backer will now receive a premium vinyl sticker of Eino, the Firefox from The Killing Stone! This gorgeous sticker includes an illustration of Eino done by Anna Wieszczyk and the logo designed by Metal Ninja Studios. Michael Judd, my co-publisher, put them all together for this magical sticker.
We also unlocked the 200 backer bonus when we funded! So fun to hit two goals with one backer! Thank you lucky 200! Every backer will now receive the Nightmare Theater Vol. 1 Premium Preview PDF.
With each new backer or order, we are now moving toward unlocking our stretch goals! We unlock a new goodie with each stretch goal we hit which means more bonuses for everyone!
Here are the first 2!
9K – Receive George Smith Paranormal Investigator of the Pacific Northwest PDF comic from Cammry Lapka and Adria Lapka and a Year Paid Subscription to my Monster of the Week Substack.
10K - Include Forever Home short comic by Anna Wieszczyk and Jessica Maison, letters by Joel Rodriguez in the Hardcover GN printing of The Killing Stone. This short was the first time Shel, Frank, and Necro were seen in the wild, first published in the Cthulhu is Hard to Spell: Battle Royale anthology.
Add-On Spotlight:
I want to take a moment to share one of my favorite add-ons. It's the Holiday School for Monster Gift. If you need a gift for that special lover of monsters and magic in your life, then search no further. This is the only reward/add-on that is going out this year in December 2024. We have all of these enchanted items and will make sure the gift bundle arrives in time for the holidays. To add in on, simply click manage your pledge and add it to your order. We will do the rest!
Featured Campaign:
Finally, I want to shout-out a campaign that I have backed and am very excited about by comics creator and screenwriter Rylend Grant. This one's for grown-up readers who like bad guy redemption stories.
Here's the pitch:
THE BREACH is a gritty small town crime drama... you know, if there was a portal to another time/dimension about to open up in said small town... if there was a massive futuristic army about to kick it's way through and lay waste to said small town... in the end though, it's a redemption song, written about the local hoods and smugglers who end up tasked with stopping armageddon.
Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for making this series a success!
Stay Spooky!
Jessica
200 Backer Bonus and Rare White Kitsune Enamel Pin Add-On
2 months ago
– Mon, Oct 14, 2024 at 08:15:44 AM
Hello beasties!
I did manage to decorate my house this weekend which was a minor Halloween miracle. Hope you were also able to do something in the spirit of the spooky season this weekend.
I have good news to chase away some of the Monday blues. We are very close to hitting our 200 backer goal which means more goodies for you!
When we hit that goal, all backers will receive a special preview of the Nightmare Theater Anthology Vol 1. My story with Mark Mactal, KEEPER, will be included in the preview. I'm super excited to share this with you. I adore this anthology put together by Clay Adams and D.E. Schrader. Mark Mactal and I also have a story in the 3-D final volume that will be in readers hands very, very soon.
The Rare White Kitsune Glow-in-the-Dark enamel pin add-on has just been added to the shop. We are only making 100 of this version of the Kistune pin, and you can reserve yours now.
Both the white and blue pins are different representations of Mae or Tamamo-no-Mae in her fox form. Mae is the deadly nine-tailed kitsune that Shel and Frank accidentally trapped in The Killing Stone. She's now out for revenge.
The gorgeous Blue Kitsune Enamel Pin that came with the Special Thanks and Collector Tiers is also available as an add-on for all tiers.
I'd love to hear which one you like best in the comments!
Finally, over the weekend, I had a great Kickstarter conversation with the creator of Boston Metaphysical Society, Madeleine Holly-Rosing. She had some great insights to share. The conversation was part of a series of comics chats hosted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) for its members.
Madeleine also has an incredible graphic novel project live on Kickstarter right now. I've backed it and have been a huge fan of the series for a while now. Definitely check out her campaign if you are a fan of paranormal, historical fiction and/or alternate history.
Boston Metaphysical Society: Vol. 2 Special Edition Hardback
Hope you all are surviving the horror of Monday!
Stay spooky!
Jessica
Day Four and Backer Bonuses!
2 months ago
– Fri, Oct 11, 2024 at 07:08:25 AM
Hello monster students,
We hit 150 backers and unlocked the Ex-Wives of Frankenstein and are so close to 175. When we hit 175 backers another backer bonus unlocks. Every backer will receive Issue #1 of the Night Wolf comic series by Rob Multari. Rob is coming back to Kickstarter next week with the Night Wolf series, and we have a really fun cross promo sticker featuring Shel and Night Wolf designed by Mark Mactal that I can't wait to share with you!
Weekend Appearances:
I will be on the Back of the Cereal Box streaming show early Saturday morning discussing my favorite cereal and the cartoon Scooby Doo & Batman and the Bold! This should just be nerdy and fun. Join us if you so desire.
Also, one of my volunteer gigs is the Comics Chair over at Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA). We host monthly Comics Chats. Below is the info for our Saturday Meet-up - Please join us if you are a SFWA member.
Comics Committee Meetup: Kickstarter Comics Chat
October 12, 2024 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Join SFWA members Madeleine Holly-Rosing (Boston Metaphysical Society) and Jessica Maison (Mary Shelley’s School for Monsters) to discuss Kickstarter best practices. (Madeleine has run 13 successful Kickstarter campaigns, and Jessica has run three.)
If you are a sci-fi or fantasy writer and are interested in SFWA, you can always message me. Happy to answer any question.
Finally, I want to tell you about another cool project I backed this week. I know and really dig multiple creators involved in this project. POTS & PANELSis a collection of fifty short comic book stories centered around food, spanning multiple genres. Additionally, each creator is sharing a recipe which as someone who cooks and relates to people through food, makes me super happy.
Pots & Panels: A Comic Book Anthology and Cookbook
A 440 Page food-themed graphic novel anthology featuring stories and recipes from over 80 of your favorite comic creators!
I hope you have a chance to celebrate spooky season this weekend whether it be a haunt, a favorite treat, a scary movie or book, or carving pumpkins. Share pics!
I will be decorating my house tonight with the fam. I am officially ten days late doing so am super excited to finally get to it. And of course, watching scary movies.
Enjoy the October nights!
Jessica
Day 3! New Add-Ons and Bonuses!
2 months ago
– Thu, Oct 10, 2024 at 09:44:10 AM
Hello Groovy Ghouls!
We are off to a great Day 3. We are only three backers away from unlocking another digital bonus for all of you - The Ex-Wives of Frankenstein Issue #1. I am a big fan of this series. The story is weird in the best way, and I love the art. This comic is for the grown-up readers. Its fourth and final comic in series is on Kickstarter right now. I'm thrilled to be able to share the first issues with you for free as a bonus for backing The Killing Stone.
If you know someone who would love The Killing Stone, please consider sharing this campaign with them. The more people that pledge, the more bonuses we get to unlock together.
One question that has been asked is about the stories from the comics Origins #1 and Origins #2. The Origins comics were collector comic editions of the prologues of the hardcover books. So, if you have the two hardcovers ordered, La Llorona in the Machine and The Killing Stone, you have the complete story up until this point. You are set.
Another question that has been asked is why aren't the Origins comics being offered as add-ons. I do know some of you like to have the whole collection so if you missed the campaigns for those comics, I just put the Origins comics up as add ons. I have only a few Origins #1 available outside of the collector tier so please go add them now if you want one.
Finally, an amazing creator, Steven Prince, makes a very cool kaiju series and has a killer campaign that ends today. I backed this campaign and have backed previous ones. It's truly a delight.
MONSTER MATADOR: ONCE UPON SOME MONSTERS IN MEXICO #1-4
Final issue! Action! Adventure! Betrayal! KAIJU! The Monster Matador returns to fight!
Take me to Monster Matador.
Our next backer bonus will be when we hit 175 backers, and I"ll announce it in the next update.
As always, thank you so much for joining the school and supporting these graphic novels. We couldn't and wouldn't want to do it without you!
Stay Spooky!
Jessica
