Hilda and Richie launch next week on Kickstarter!

 Hilda & Richie is nearly ready to go.  In about one week from now on Wednesday January 6, the Kickstarter will launch!

A shortened link for me to use (courtesy of Bit.ly) is ready and I'll be sharing this with fans, contacts, the press and my inner circle.

Go to the Hilda & Richie Kickstarter page now and sign up to be notified of our launch on Jan. 6!

Second Draft Page 28

 

And so we come to the final page of the second draft of Hilda and Richie!  That's all!

Watch for our Kickstarter launch on January 6!

The Funding Game of Kickstarter

 

The pre-launch Kickstarter page for Hilda & Richie is up so make sure you sign up to be notified when we launch.

Anyway, as I've established before, the goal of the Kickstarter is to raise a sum of US$3,000 to print and distribute copies of Hilda & Richie, my first picture book.  From the launch in the early morning hours of Wednesday January 6, 2021 to its end late Friday night on February 5, 2021, we must meet or beat that goal.

There are some milestones that need to be achieved in order to increase the success rate of getting the Kickstarter funded.

By about 10PM Central Time on launch day January 6, it is imperative that we hit at least 5% funded, which is $150.

By about 10PM Central Time on Friday January 8, it is vital to hit at least 10% funded, which is $300.

By about 10PM Central Time on Saturday January 16 (about ten days into the campaign), we must get to one-third funding, about 33%, which would be roughly $990.

According to my Kickstarter notes, the higher the funding we get, the higher the chances are of meeting our final goal of $3,000.

To that end, I've got a number of rewards planned to entice backers as well as a strategy I'm still outlining to promote the Kickstarter heavily.  Again, that is starting now with these blog posts and the sharing of the project's pre-launch link.

Stay tuned to this blog for more news.

Sign up for the pre-launch page on Kickstarter to be notified when we launch Hilda & Richie!  We kick off Wednesday morning January 6, 2021!

Kickstarter is go!

 I have excellent news!  Just this morning, the Hilda & Richie Kickstarter was approved by the Kickstarter staff.  This means we are set to go!

The pre-launch page is up.  By tomorrow, I will have a shortened link (courtesy of Bit.ly) and Google Analytics information running on the page.

Make sure you subscribe to the pre-launch page now so you can be notified upon the project launch.

We are set to launch early Wednesday morning on January 6, 2021!  Get ready!

Kickstarter is nearly done!

 I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

While all of you were sitting around the Christmas tree, opening your presents, enjoying your Christmas dinners and indulging in cheer, I was working to get the planned Hilda & Richie picture book Kickstarter finished.

That picture you see is of the core pledge to the campaign.  For a pledge of US$15, you (the backer) get a paperback copy of Hilda & Richie shipped out to you anywhere in the world!  Plus you get a digital PDF copy of the book AND you'll be getting bonus material!  I'll share early drafts, concept sketches and various notes.

Anyway, all that remains (at the time of this writing) is to hammer out the timeline, finish the project image and then submit it for approval to the Kickstarter staff.  I expect to do this by tomorrow but if all goes well, I may even submit it tonight!

Approval shouldn't take long.  While the website claims it takes from 1 to 3 business days to approve, I've had mine only take a few hours at most.

I will discuss more of the Kickstarter rewards later and my plans for funding too.  Stay tuned!

Second Draft Page 27

 

Hilda has to lay down the law as Richie's legal guardian.  But she can be more understanding too than a parent.

Second Draft Page 26

 

I like how this turned out!  I felt with the body language, I genuinely made Richie look sad.

Second Draft page 25

 

It was around here that I was advised by an editor to make some changes to the ending.  You'll find out about those later.

Meet Richie Sutter

 

Richard Sutter, known better as "Richie", is the co-star of my picture book.

He is a red fox, 8 years old and lives with Hilda in her mansion.  Richie is just like any other little boy; he plays sports, goes to school, loves video games and just being rambunctious.

Hilda is Richie's legal guardian.  Because Hilda has so much money, Richie can (theoretically) have anything he wants like all kinds of toys, the latest electronic gadgets, the best clothes, luxury vacations and so on.  Of course, Hilda makes sure he isn't spoiled and will lay down the law if Richie gets too greedy or if he breaks any rules.

Being a fox pup, Richie is the audience surrogate as the 5-8 year old demographic (the target of my picture book).  Young readers are meant to identify with him.

Watch for more posts soon.  I aim to show more of the second draft, talk about the characters' homeland and discuss my Kickstarter more in detail.

Meet Hilda Breckendorf

I think it is time we meet our protagonists.  So without further ado...

This is Hilda Breckendorf, one of our two protagonists.  She is a red fox, 20 years old and resides in a luxurious mansion in Foxburgh, the capital and largest city of the European microstate known as Foxland.

Hilda comes from an old family that can trace their lineage back to the 1500s; they were once a well-respected clan of knights serving Medieval Europe.  While their knight status has largely faded away, their name and money is still very present in the minds of the Foxland populace.

Speaking of money, this is what Hilda is really known for.  Hilda Breckendorf is a very rich woman.  How rich is she?  While I don't know the exact details of her fortune, she has a lot of money!  She has investments in stocks, bonds, and so on, making her independently wealthy and not needing any job.

As you may have noticed, Hilda is Richie's legal guardian.  While she is technically an adult and holds authority over Richie, her youth still gives her a sense of fun and adventure.  Hilda's personality is more like a big sister or even a friend to Richie as opposed to a mother or an aunt.  In spite of this, she will pull rank on Richie and does have to be a disciplinarian sometimes.

Her mansion is big and has all kinds of amenities...but that is a topic for another day.

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I introduce Richie! 

Kickstarter Progress Report 12/11/2020

 As it currently stands, progress continues on the construction of the Hilda & Richie Kickstarter.

The video is being put together for the Kickstarter and I expect to finish it tomorrow.

The goal is to finish the Kickstarter project, complete with page, project image and video by Tuesday night December 15 and to submit it for approval to the Kickstarter staff.  Given the fact that the holidays are upon us, I don't want to get stuck waiting for a project approval.

Tomorrow on Saturday and Sunday, there will be more posts as well as pages next week to more of the second draft.

Stay tuned!

Second Draft Page 23 and 24

 Play it again!  Onto our next pages!  

My, my...Hilda and Richie have to get all cleaned up from that bubble gum mess.

Wonder what'll happen now?  Watch for more pages and updates!

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Yikes!  Hilda and Richie got themselves into a quite a mess, didn't they?

Watch for more pages on Thursday!

Hilda and Richie Official Trailer!

This is it!  The official trailer for Hilda & Richie!  Watch for us on Jan. 6, 2021 on Kickstarter!!

https://youtu.be/QhNsP8HYNw8

Why am I creating a children's book?

 So I'll bet a lot of you out there are wondering why am I doing this.  Why in the world would I create, draw and write a picture book for children?

First, I have two qualities from the cartoons I draw (my comics) that make me PERFECT for doing a children's book - I communicate an idea instantly and I draw funny.  Children's literature have always required that drawings be "read" and understood quickly plus they need to hold the children's interest.  I know I can do this; my simple line art lends itself well to children's books and I feel it can work.

Second, this is a personal mission - I have something I want to share with the world plus it is important for children to learn how to read.  In fact, tomorrow, I want to talk more about the importance of children learning how to read.

Most importantly...this could be my big break.  While I am making some money from my comics, producing a children's book could be the stepping stone I need to a full-time paying livelihood.

Before anyone starts accusing me of delusions of grandeur, I will make something clear - I am being realistic.  Short of a miracle, I will NOT become rich off one picture book, let alone make a living wage.

My point is that I'm not betting the farm on just one book.  More books with Hilda & Richie are planned!  At the time of this writing, story treatments exist for two more books with these two foxes.  Notes have been written for at least four more books.  Plus if all goes well, there's also foreign markets, licensing (toys, bedsheets, clothes, etc) and even an adaptation to another medium such as animation!

This very well could be the big one for me.  And I aim to make this happen.

Don't forget that Hilda & Richie launches on Kickstarter on January 6, 2021!

If you like my work, buy me a Ko-Fi!

Second Draft Page 21

 

This was what we were building up to - sooner or later, Richie learns the hard way that bubble gum bubbles burst!

Don't forget that Hilda & Richie launches on Kickstarter on January 6, 2021!

If you like my work, buy me a Ko-Fi!

About myself and my creation

 Today, I thought I'd talk about myself some more.

As you know, I draw under the professional name of Max West.  My focus has been on comics.  My creations include Sunnyville Stories; its spin-off Dominic & Claire; the webcomic Tiffany & Corey; and more recently, the webcomic Poison Ivy Gulch.

I was born and raised in New York City but now live in North Dakota.

Besides having a lot of drawing experience under my belt (as I've been drawing comics for a long time), I've had many successes on Kickstarter before.  I've raised over US$2,000 on past Kickstarters, counting my two recent ones - Dominic & Claire Fun Size and Dominic & Claire Circus.

This upcoming Kickstarter I'm organizing is going to have a larger goal than those.  The projected goal is US$3,000.  While that is three times the amount from last time, I am confident I can do this.

Maybe you are wondering why I am doing this - why am I creating a children's book?  That answer will have to wait until next time.

Don't forget that Hilda & Richie launches on Kickstarter on January 6, 2021!

If you like my work, buy me a Ko-Fi!

Second Draft Page 20

 

Hilda and Richie's bubble gum blowing contest is getting intense.  

Richie caught on quickly and has become good at bubble gum blowing.  Maybe too good...

Remember that the Hilda & Richie Kickstarter launches on JANUARY 6, 2021!

If you like my work, buy me a Ko-Fi!

December: Countdown to January!

 It is December!  It is not only the end of the year but the FINAL MONTH BEFORE THE LAUNCH OF THE HILDA & RICHIE KICKSTARTER!!!!

As a reminder, the Hilda & Richie picture book Kickstarter officially launches in the early morning hours of Wednesday January 6, 2021.  This month, my mailing list will get regular weekly updates on Friday mornings about the Kickstarter and its progress.  (Sign up please for my mailing list if you didn't already.)

Besides the last pages of the second draft, I will share a handful of art from the third draft as well as my plans for the Kickstarter such as my strategy, promotion tactics and outreach to help get it noticed.

I have a tool kit ready to get this Kickstarter promoted and to ultimately get it funded.  But I can't do that alone - I will need your help.  Mark your calendars for the planned launch date of January 6, 2021 and make sure you tell many people out there.  Hilda and Richie is a very cute, entertaining children's book and I aim to share it with the world.

If you like my work, buy me a Ko-Fi!