New Pain 2-In-1: NPC JUMP #1-2 and THE NEW PAIN HANDBOOK!.

Quick update including Stretch Goals
3 months ago – Tue, Sep 10, 2024 at 12:26:05 PM

New Painiacs!

Hope everyone has been well the last couple of weeks. Wanted to shoot you all an update on the latest goings on regarding the New Pain Two-In-One.

First off, thanks to those of you that corrected your errored pledges. We were concerned that the final tally would be below the benchmarks established to be able to produce the stretch goals. We're happy to say that we'll still be able to include the 8-page back up story in the printed edition of NPC JUMP #2. However, the campaign fell short of including the 4 extra Handbook entries in either the digital or print versions. So the Official Handbook will remain at its original page count although if I get time, I intend to finish the one extra entry that was started and slip it into the digital Handbook as a little extra. 

The files for both the Handbook and NPC JUMP #2 were finalized last week. The back up story has been laid out and lettered. The intention was to have the entire story finished by the 10th (today!). Unfortunately, the artist's mother passed away last week and he won't be able to resume work until next week. We'll be feeding inked pages to Rich Stahnke to color as they come in and it will likely be another couple of weeks before the story is completed.

In the meantime, we intend to send out Backerkit surveys next week so that literally the day the back up story is completed, we can upload the files to the printer and get these books to all of you. We anticipate delivery in late September/early October, depending on the fulfillment team's schedule. 

If you've been following along with these updates over the course of the 2-In-1 campaign, you'll know that this campaign presented a lot of unexpected shenanigans, particularly from the scammer that wreaked havoc on us. I would imagine if our next project, the first issue of P.U.N.C.H., were to also have such a jinxed journey through its crowdfunding phase that we'll have to reevaluate future publishing plans. One step at a time though.

We'll send you another update when the good 'ol surveys are ready to drop.

Thanks for everything, gang!

Keith Champagne 

A reminder about errored pledges
3 months ago – Wed, Aug 28, 2024 at 07:19:57 AM

Good morning, New Painiacs!

Currently, we still have $1010 in errored pledges. If one of those pledges belongs to you, Kickstarter will continue prompting you to fix your payment method until Friday, after which it will be too late. 

Errored pledges happen after every campaign but to basically lose 1/5th of pledges raised is an unusually large dollar amount for a small campaign to weather. After deducting the errored pledges and Kickstarter's platform fees, the 2-in-1 campaign will net an amount far below the threshold that made producing stretch goals viable. It is unlikely at this point that some or all of the stretch goal material will be included in the final books. 

If you have the means to correct your errored pledge, please do so by Friday morning or contact us at [email protected] for additional assistance. 

Kelsey (the New Pain intern)

You guys!
3 months ago – Fri, Aug 23, 2024 at 03:32:02 PM

New Painiacs!

Well, it's over. The fat lady has sung. This (incredibly stressful) campaign has ended. There were some final morning hijinx from F.U. (whom you'll recall is the scammer that targeted this campaign), who canceled a suspicious $400 No-Reward pledge with about 90 minutes to go. Luckily, a rally pulled us across the finish line with the 8-page back up story still intact for print and digital versions. Only the digital version of the Handbook will contain the four extra entries but you know what? If you're like me, you never even look at the digital rewards and wait for the print. Now we'll all have a reason to check them out.

BUT...

At the moment, there are over $1300 in errored pledges from 12 legitimate backers. By 'legitimate,' we mean backers we recognize from previous campaigns so we know you're real, not more F.U. identities. If those of you whose pledges couldn't be processed could follow Kickstarter's instructions and bring your accounts current over the next couple of days, we'd be really grateful. Dropped pledges of this magnitude will severely impact our ability to fulfill the stretch goals of this campaign, as well as production of the next issue of NPC JUMP (which is 3/4 written, by the way). Thanks in advance for bringing your cards up to date, fellas.

Several of you added our last minute variant cover to your carts this morning. Thanks for that extra boost, guys! "Rascally" Rich Stahnke sent the colors in earlier this afternoon so here's what you've got coming your way...

And most importantly, we want to thank you guys for making NPC JUMP #2 and THE OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE NEW PAIN UNIVERSE possible. If you've been reading the updates along the way, you know this has been a capital 'T' Tough campaign. Your support and belief in our little company means the world. We try to pay you back by making comics of the highest order. Honest to God, the Handbook is all kinds of fun and you're in for a surprise with the direction NPC JUMP #2 takes. Can't wait to hear your theories for how the story will continue into #3!

You can expect surveys in approximately 3 weeks time from Backerkit. More updates from the NP compound soon!

Your grateful bestie,

Keith Champagne

PS- our next campaign takes a pretty big swing...

Final Add On revealed!
3 months ago – Fri, Aug 23, 2024 at 05:52:56 AM

New Painiacs! 

Just a few hours to go, this campaign ends at 12:01 PM EST. The campaign was extended 24 hours by Kickstarter; none of us understand why but we're rolling with it!

Currently, we've unlocked the stretch goals to include the 8-page back up story by 'Atomic' Tommy Denesen and Keith Haugen (included in both digital and print versions of the book), and 4 more Handbook entry pages, which will so far be included in the digital version of the Handbook. We're about $300 dollars away from being able to include them in the print version of the same.

To help push us a little bit further, we're adding one final variant cover (drawn by me) as an add-on this morning. It's still being colored which is my fault, COVID has taken the wind out of my sails this week and it took me longer to finish the black and white art than anticipated. The original plan was to debut the colored cover yesterday but I screwed it up, sorry.

We're only going to print as many of these covers as are ordered so if only one of you adds one to your bundles, you'll have the only one in the world. If 10 of you do, you'll have the only 10. If 20 of you do, same and we'll hit our final stretch goal.

Let's make some noise this morning on social media, guys. Just 3 hours and some spare change left. Rock and roll!

Your bestie,

Keith Champagne 

And then there were 2...
4 months ago – Tue, Aug 20, 2024 at 06:21:35 AM

2 Days left, New Painiacs!

48 hours remaining in this crazy campaign and when I say I'll be relieved at the end of this thing, believe you me, that's no lie. Right now, we've unlocked the stretch goal for the 8-page back up story by Tommy Denesen and Keith Haugen but thanks to Kelsey (our plucky sometime-intern), we've found some more behind-the-screens manipulation from our favorite scammer, whom we've nicknamed F.U. 

We fully expect at least another $400 in cancels before Thursday at noon, like a pledge bomb waiting to go off but F.U.? All your various identities and email addresses have been reported to Kickstarter. They're going to deal with you so...F.U., F.U. Enjoy all the attention you seem to so badly crave.

Anyway, happier thoughts.

If you get our Substack newsletter, you'll already know this but New Pain Pro had a really successful time setting up at Terrificon this past weekend. We met several of you backers at the show, thanks so much for coming by! It was a good experience for our little team and who knows? As we move forward, maybe the New Pain table will come to a show near you next. And if you don't get our Substack newsletter...honestly, you're not missing much but you can decide for yourself at NEW PAIN PRO. 

If you see any of our posts on social media the next couple of days, now's a great time to share them to your circles. BLAKE ZAWADSKI, we see you out there spreading the word and don't think we don't appreciate it. Be like Blake, guys! We'd love to get three new backers today to bring us to an even 100. There might be something extra in it for all of you if we do...

I've gotta cut this update a little short (thank god, right?) and zip out of here but thanks for everything, guys. We're fully funded and almost to the finish line. You know who else is almost to the finish line (at least as far as his funding goal)? "Jestful" Joe St Pierre, that's who! Joe was nice enough to do a pop up signing for us at the New Pain booth, he's a good friend AND that guy can make a comic book sing! I was lucky to see all the original art for New Zodiax Pisces #1 last weekend and MAN! It's a great looking book!!!. 

Joe is about 70% to his funding goal after one week. If you'd like to help him get the rest of the way, check out NEW ZODIAX HERE! And don't forget, those of you that back BOTH our campaigns need to leave the comment, "NEW PAINIAX" to get the free print and digital downloads of New Zodiax Aquarius #1 and our book, Microscopic #1. 

Your bestie, 

Keith Champagne

PS-And don't forget THE LITTLEST GIRAFFE, which ends tomorrow!