COMET: JOURNEY THROUGH THE COSMOS

Mid-November Update: Survey Reminder, A Special Request, & Art Print Sneak Peek 👀
4 days ago – Sat, Nov 16, 2024 at 10:06:50 PM

Hello cosmic travelers! 

Happy mid-November! Spiced apple cider and cozy sweater season has officially begun in our home, and I hope that wherever you are in the universe that things are cozy for you, too. We are getting closer to the end of the month and I have a few updates to share with you, along with a special request :)

Survey update

Thank you to all who have filled out the surveys which were sent to all backers earlier this month via BackerKit. We currently have 82% of surveys completed, which is a fantastic start! Hooray!

This is also a reminder that if you haven't filled out your survey yet, please do so as soon as you can. I've extended the deadline to November 27th to give those who haven't filled out the survey a bit more time to submit your information. 

A special request

Now that we are over the 80% mark for Kickstarter backer responses and you've had first picks of the limited add-ons available, I'd like to share links to the BackerKit pre-order store for Comet widely. And for this, I would love your help!

Please let friends, family, neighbors, and maybe even your local friendly game shop know that Comet is up for pre-order -  this way, anyone who missed out on backing during the campaign can secure a copy for themselves (and if you know a retailer, feel free to point them in my direction for more info). So if you know anyone who'd like to join in the fun of exploring the universe as a comet, please send them to the BackerKit store to pre-order their copy. Any boosts will be greatly appreciated!

Art print sneak peek 👀

One of the early Kickstarter stretch goals for the game was for a full-page linocut illustration for the booklet, and a later stretch goal was to have a 5x7 print of this illustration included in the Stretch Goal bundle for backers of the physical rewards tiers. We streaked past those stretch goals during the campaign, and I am so excited to share a few process photos of the illustration, from concept sketch, to carving the linocut plate, to final printed version!

Pictured below:

Concept rough sketch/linocut plate/final sketch -> carving the linocut plate -> test prints -> finalized art and print proof!

In the photo above, you can see the initial sketch on the left side and a modified/finalized version of the sketch on the right side. The comet went through a change when I was working on the design, as I wanted a brighter comet with a starburst design to fill in more of the negative space. In the middle is the linocut plate with the final design sketched in pencil and ink.

After the design has been drawn on the linocut plate, I add a wash of blue ink to the plate so I can see my carving lines in better detail. This photo shows the carving process - the comet is complete and most of the sword has been carved, and all that is left is the final details on the sword itself along with background and environmental details.

Test prints of the linocut! I had a few good prints out of this batch to work with, and determined I needed to add in a few additional background details, such as more trees and textural elements on the cliffs behind the sword. Once I added these to the linocut plate, I printed a few more to get the final-final design:

From the start, I'd wanted to add an illustration to the booklet where we glimpse a comet streaking above a far-away planet, and a giant, time-worn sword jutting from the landscape. (I am an author of fantasy novels and I adore lost civilizations and ancient swords, in case you couldn't tell how much I love the genre.) In your game, you might encounter a planet similar to this one along your epic journey ☄️🗡️

I'm very happy with how this illustration turned out! I can't wait to share more photos of the prints once they arrive from the printer. 

For now, please help spread the word about Comet! Thank you for all of your support ☄️✨

Shana

November Update - Surveys Sent!
20 days ago – Fri, Nov 01, 2024 at 03:25:42 PM

Happy November, everyone!

I hope everyone had a stellar Halloween, for those who celebrate! I adore October and am always sad to see the month come to a close - it always seems to speed by too fast. I do love that Halloween is on the final day of the month. It's the most wonderful way to celebrate the end of October and send it off with a bang (or a shriek, if your Halloween was particularly eerie).

Now, November is here! What better way to celebrate the start of a new month than to send out ALL the surveys for Comet: Journey Through the Cosmos? 😉

Surveys have been sent through BackerKit!

An email with a special link to your BackerKit survey should arrive in your inbox soon (if it hasn't already)! It’s important to respond to your survey as quickly as you can as we will need this information to fulfill your rewards. 

Helpful info from BackerKit:

You won’t need to create a BackerKit account to fill out your survey. When you receive the email with the survey, click the survey link to respond. Answer the questions about your reward preferences, provide shipping information, and purchase add-on items if you desire. 

After you respond to your survey, you can go back later and change your responses at any time before we close the surveys and get our final counts. We are aiming to close the surveys by November 20, 2024, so please fill your survey out as soon as you can.

If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://comet-journey-through-the-cosmos.backerkit.com

If you used your Facebook credentials to log into your account, the BackerKit survey will be sent to the email address you use for your Facebook account. If you have another email address that you'd prefer to use, please contact support at https://comet-journey-through-the-cosmos.backerkit.com/faq

Bookmarks have arrived!

The bookmarks arrived this week and I'm thrilled with how they turned out! This is the first time one of my linocut pieces has been produced in print-form, and I couldn't be happier with the result. The bookmarks are printed on 130# silk-coated paper and measure 2" x 8" - the perfect size to slip into your journal or into your current read to keep your place (and remind you of the wonders that zoom above us in the universe)! 

Here's a peek at the bookmark, which will be included as a Kickstarter reward in all of the physical edition tiers:

Front side of the bookmark featuring Shana's linocut art.

Back side of the bookmark featuring a quote from the Kickstarter campaign & game.

If you missed out on pledging during the Kickstarter or backed at a digital tier and want to add a bookmark to your order, the bookmark is available as an add-on option in BackerKit!

The front of the bookmark features my original linocut art, Comet. It was important to me to make this reproduction of the artwork as close to the original print as possible, including all the variations that hand-printing with ink entails. This is why there are small white flecks in the artwork which were not removed/touched up when getting the files ready for printing. These variations are part of the printing process, and I love that these small marks show that the print was originally done by hand. 

I applied the same hand-printed background from the Comet print to the backside of the bookmark so both sides have the same visual quality. On the back, the text reads "You witness the birth of stars, the forming of planets, and gather the secrets of the universe along your vast journey - COMET: JOURNEY THROUGH THE COSMOS, A journaling game." 

This quote first appeared on the Kickstarter campaign page. Since it perfectly captures the tone of the game, I decided to use it on the bookmarks as a celebration to you, my fabulous bakers, for helping to bring this game into the universe ☄️💙

More updates soon!

Shana

October Update - BackerKit surveys are coming soon!
26 days ago – Fri, Oct 25, 2024 at 07:57:18 PM

Hello everyone, and happy October!

I'm excited to share that all pledges have been transferred to the pledge management tool, BackerKit!

Soon the smoke test will begin for select backers through BackerKit. The smoke test is when a small batch of surveys are sent to random backers at each tier level. If you are one of the few who receive an email with a special link to your BackerKit survey for the Comet: Journey Through the Cosmos Kickstarter, please take a moment to submit the info requested. This is how my fulfilment team and I make sure everything is set up correctly and that you don't experience any errors when confirming or changing your shipping address, or when checking out. 

Once we make sure everything is as it should be, the rest of the surveys will be sent out to all backers at all tiers! It’s important to respond to your survey as quickly as you can since we need this information to fulfill your rewards.

Some general info provided by BackerKit:
You don’t need to create a BackerKit account to fill out your survey. When you receive the email with the survey, click the survey link to respond. Answer the questions about your reward preferences, provide shipping information, and purchase add-on items if you'd like. You don’t have access to this survey link yet, but it will be available soon via email!

After you respond to your survey, you can go back later and change your responses at any time before we close the surveys and get our final counts. We are aiming to close the surveys in late November once everything is ready to be shipped out.

If you used your Facebook credentials to log in to your account, the BackerKit survey will be sent to the email address you use for your Facebook account. If you have another email address that you'd prefer to use, please contact support at https://comet-journey-through-the-cosmos.backerkit.com/faq.

After the smoke test has been sent and we receive responses, and once we confirm that everything is progressing smoothly, the rest of the surveys will be sent to backers. This will also be when we open the pre-order store, so anyone who missed out on pledging during the Kickstarter campaign can order a copy of the game as well as add-ons from select stretch goals and other fun, comet-themed items!

We are getting closer and closer to the finish line! It has been an exciting few months weaving all of the elements of the Kickstarter campaign together, and I couldn't have done it without your support. Thank you, thank you! I can't wait to send Comet into the world!

More soon!

Shana

September Update
about 2 months ago – Fri, Sep 27, 2024 at 03:07:36 PM

September Update!

I'm happy to report that all of the elements for the Comet: Journey Through The Cosmos Kickstarter are coming together steadily, and as of now we are still on track for a November fulfilment. 

Here's an update of where we are at:

• The revisions are complete and everything has been handed over to the layout designer!

Now comes the fun part, where the entire game is set up in booklet form and images are added to the spreads. This is also when we get an idea of how many pages the game booklet will end up being - it has grown quite a bit from the initial version!

• The coin designs have been finalized! 

I'm so excited about the coin design and can't wait for the samples to arrive from the factory. The coins will be around 1.5" in diameter and made of silver-toned metal. Each side of the coin is based on historic coins - the "heads" side is based on an ancient Roman Imperial coin and the "tails" side is based on a German coin from the 1600's. Once the coin samples arrive I will post an update with images.

• The soundtrack compositions are in progress and the tracks I've heard so far are stunning!

Eric's music is heart-pounding and soulful, and I cannot wait for the entire soundtrack to be ready for everyone to enjoy. 

• The bookmarks are being finalized and will be sent to the printer soon!

I've carved a new linocut to use for the bookmarks and have been working on test prints. The next step is to choose the best print out of the batch, finalize the full design, then send it to the printer. 

As we get closer to the ship date there will be more updates for this Kickstarter, including surveys to make sure we have your correct email address and/or shipping address (if your pledge includes physical items). Keep an eye on your inbox for more news!

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) now visible in our skies!

And now for real-life comet news! Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is now visible in our skies!

Comet A3 is a long-period comet originating from the Oort Cloud. This special comet visits our inner solar system approximately every 80,000 years, so catching a glimpse of it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event! The comet was discovered in January 2023 by astronomers at China’s Tsuchinshan Observatory and later identified by South Africa’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System telescope, hence the signifier Tsuchinshan-ATLAS.

Comet A3 will reach its perihelion on Friday, Sept. 27 when it will be at its brightest just before sunrise in the Northern Hemisphere. The observing window will continue through Wednesday, Oct. 2. However, every day it will sink closer to the horizon, making it more difficult to spot. There is a possibility it will be viewable again around October 12th-30th, when it can be viewed in the west around dusk. 

Thank you for your support!
Shana

June/July update - COMET game news!
4 months ago – Fri, Jul 19, 2024 at 12:59:43 PM

Hello everyone!

June passed by in a whirlwind and July has been hot on its heels. I missed updating you all in June as we had an aggressive illness overtake our little family near the end of the month and unfortunately it is still ongoing (we are getting better, thankfully). Apologies for the delay! With a new flurry of doctor visits and medical appointments, finding time to catch up has been difficult. But! We are all on the mend and things are still progressing with COMET. Happily, I have a few new updates to share :)

Game Coin Design

The coin design has been decided upon and the images have been shared with my friendly neighborhood designer, who will be getting the files ready for manufacturing! I'm so excited about these special edition game coins - each side will feature images from historical coins (one image is from the 1600's and the other is far older). I can't wait to have these coins manufactured and share the final product with you all. 

Linocut Comet Art

The special linocut illustrations for the booklet are still in progress! While most of the images for the game booklet have been sourced from public domain (special shout-out to The Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology; The Internet Archive and University of California Libraries; and the Library of Congress, to name a few sources), there are two illustrations which have been created specifically for the game, including the Comet Orbit Map. 

Here are the tools I use to create linocuts (along with a sneaky peek at the corner of the Comet Orbit Map from before I started carving it 👀):

These are Pfeil palm tools, which are my favorite to use as they fit perfectly in my hand and are the most comfortable carving tools I've worked with. The size I use most is the 11/.5, which is for superfine details (pictured on the far left), and the 12/1, which carves really lovely, crisp lines. These tools have been getting a workout with all the linocuts I'm carving!

Speaking of illustrations, I thought you might like to see a few pages from my sketchbook, featuring the different comet styles I played around with for the illustrations:

These were all sketched in pen and ink in a Daler-Rowney 8.5" x 11" hardbound sketchbook. I won't be using all of these sketches, but there are a couple elements that are making an appearance in the final illustrations😉

Do you have a favorite comet amongst these sketches? 

Thank you for all your support!
Shana