IMPOSSIBLE JONES!

The Shipping News
11 days ago – Sat, Oct 12, 2024 at 09:04:02 AM

173 IMPOSSIBLE JONES Packages: Out the Door!

I didn't have as much time to work this week as I normally would because my wife Myrna was out of town, working herself, so I had solo kid-care. Meaning come 2:30 in the afternoon, comics-work ended and dad-work started. Still, that's about 24% of the total number of IMP packages, so not a bad start.

I loaded all those boxes into my trusty Subaru Baja (the back end AND the back seat!) then trucked them over to the local post office, where a very nice postal employee helped us (my daughter Eliza was lending a hand, too) transfer all those boxes to a huge bin in the loading area behind the building.

I should've taken a picture— but in all the excitement, I forgot. Instead, I'll give you a peak inside the PANICKED FULFILLMENT CENTER OPERATION. Normally a closely-guarded secret— but I can trust you, right?

FIRST: I export all the Backer info from BackerKit, filtering out anyone getting only digital rewards, since I don't need to pack those. This data is already formatted to group together people getting the same items.

SECOND: I edit out extraneous information-columns like the exact time you made your pledge, or how much you paid. I don't need either of those things to send you your stuff.

THIRD: I sort each group of simialr orders by country, reverse-alphabetically. This puts all the United States orders on top, and groups all the foreign orders at the bottom. This makes it easy for me to see where in the world IMP is going— something I find interesting, at least.

FOURTH: I move the various columns so they'll sync with PirateShip's import template. (Fascinating, I know!)

FIFTH: I create and print out a stripped down version of this file— my FULFILLMENT CHEAT SHEET. This tells me what each group is getting, and who's in that group. This time around, the Cheat Sheet is 41 pages long. Here are some examples:

I assign each group a LETTER, and pack up all (or a lot) of that letter-group at the same time, writing the letter on each package. If someone is getting something special and singular— like one of David's amazing SKETCHES— I write the correct person's NAME on their box. (At least, I hope I write the correct name!) I then weight a package or two from each group to get it's WEIGHT, and write that down on the Cheat Sheet. 

Once I print out a person's MAILING LABEL, I check off their name on the left side of the Cheat Sheet.

Now, to print out that Mailing Label, I go back to the spreadsheet that matches PirateShip's formatting.

The area in GRAY is what I am currently copying, to paste into the PirateShip template. I upload that the PirateShip, then modify the package's size and weight to fit that group. Once the mailing labels have been printed out and the names checked off the Cheat Sheet, I turn that Gray area to GREEN, to show it's been taken care of.

The it's just a lot of peel-and-stick. A LOT of peel-and-stick!

This doesn't cover how I organize the PANIC ROOM to get you package put together as quickly and efficiently as possible, but I figure if you're still awake after reading my thrilling description of data-organization, I shouldn't push my luck.

I listen to a lot of music or podcasts while doing all this. NPR POLITICS, Adam Roche's dazzling SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD, Todd DeZago's wonderful RANDOM ACTS OF COMICS, and most recently HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE SET, where the cast and crew of the amazing 90's TV series HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET are interviewed.

With Myrna back home (Yaaa!) I hope to get the vast majority of the remaining packages out the door NEXT WEEK! Just in time for…

IMPOSSIBLE TO LOVE Launches OCTOBER 29TH!

IMP finds herself drawn towards bad-boy DEMOLITION, the Man With the Atomic Touch! Too bad as a newly deputized officer of the law, she's been asked to bring him in!

This is a 60-page comic by the usual suspects, sporting alternate covers by TERRY DODSON and TY TEMPLETON. With any Stretch-Goal luck we'll have Chibi Stickers, guest-artists pin-ups, and a very special back-up story by… someone that may surprise you.

The best way to get in on all this goodness? Sign up on the PRE-LAUNCH PAGE— NOW! That way, you'll know the INSTANT it goes live, giving you access to EARLY BACKER BONUSES and LIMITED ITEMS such as David's always-amazing SKETCHES and— for one lucky person— the COVER'S ORIGINAL ART!

You can get to that PRE-LAUNCH PAGE by clicking HERE.

ELSEWHERE ON KICKSTARTER…

BIXBY GRANT: FANGS AND BRIMSTONE

He's a HARD-BOILED MUMMY DETECTIVE who will solve your case even if it costs him an arm or a leg— which it often does!

PATRICK COYLE has created (and writes and letters!) a delightfully deranged series that is equal parts gumshoes and ghouls, femme fatales and freaks, mobsters and monsters— ably assisted by artist GONZALO MARTINEZ and colorist ARTHUR HESLI. If you enjoy IMPOSSIBLE JONES (which I hope you do— or you wouldn't be getting this update!) I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy the BIXBY GRANT series. Give it a look RIGHT HERE.

But do it SOON. The case file (and Kickstarter campaign) for this one closes OCTOBER 17, 7 AM PDT.

THE BOOKS ARE HERE!
27 days ago – Thu, Sep 26, 2024 at 08:20:15 AM

Early on Wednesday, September 25th, I was thrilled to receive a pallet of 60 boxes (and a smaller pallet with 5 boxes), each box containing 12 copies of IMPOSSIBLE JONES: ULTRA-COOL COLLECTORS EDITION Vol 2!

BUT WAIT— THERE'S MORE!

I also received a SECOND pallet with 60 MORE BOXES! 125 boxes, total!

Each box weighed 14.1 KG, which my wonderful wife Myrna calculated to be a hair over 31 pounds. Meaning the whole shipment weights 3875 POUNDS— almost 2 TONS!

And I had to move them all by myself.

3 times.

TIME 1 from the sidewalk into the back of my ever-reliable Subaru Baja pick-up, 1/4 of the shipment at a time, which I then backed up my driveway. (You can't see it here, but my driveway was built in such a way that pallets like these can NOT be transported up it by the deliverymen. Sad but true.)

TIME 2 from the back of my Baja to a hand-truck, 8 boxes at a time, which I then rolled to my back door.

TIME 3 from my back door, down into the specially designed PANIC ROOM FULFILLMENT CENTER, 1 box at a time, where they now are…

…silent cardboard sentinels, waiting to be opened, repackaged with Swag Bags, Sketches, and/or other books, and sent out into the world once again— to people like YOU!

SO— WHEN DO THE BOOKS GO OUT?

I'm aiming to put packages together starting OCTOBER 1st, with the first batch(es) going out by the end of that week. I have a few other things to do first— replace the light switch in our kitchen, replace the front door latch, get my car's passenger window fixed (it stopped working and FELL INSIDE THE DOOR 2 days ago!)— y'know, LIFE stuff.

But then, i'll be trapped in the dungeon… er, I mean WORKING IN THE FULFILLMENT CENTER full time until everyone has their books!

BUT I CAN'T SEND YOU YOUR STUFF IF YOU HAVEN'T FILLED OUT YOUR SURVEY!

32 PEOPLE HAVE NOT FILLED OUT THEIR SURVEY!

The very-misleadingly-named "survey" from BackerKit is how I get your mailing address and collect any postage fees that are still needed— both essential to send you your IMP stuff!

MINUTES AGO I re-sent reminders to the 32 people I'm still waiting to hear from. Please check your email, especially your spam folder, to see if you're one of these people! The thing is, you might THINK you've answered the survey but, just like Clint Eastwood, sometimes in all the excitement you kinda lose track. So take a quick look. Just to be sure.

You want your book— I want you to get your book! Together we can make this happen!

I leave you with a preview of the next IMP project…

This is the UNFINISHED COVER. As you can tell, it's an homage to classic Love Comics, so it's missing the mandatory angst-filled thought balloons. Comicraft is hard at work on those now.

IMPOSSIBLE TO LOVE is already fully written, and as of this week David has pencilled exactly half of it's 42 pages (with inks and colors close behind). I'm looking to launch it in mid/late October. 

Pre-Launch Page: coming soon!

(More) Shipping News
about 1 month ago – Wed, Sep 11, 2024 at 10:21:06 AM

SAM AT PRINTLORE JUST EMAILED ME:

"Unfortunately, I have some not great news. The container our product is in has now been placed on an "intensive exam" hold. This is where customs will actually open the container and inspect contents. I've only had x-ray exams of product, so this is definitely a first. My freight forwarder estimates this will take an additional 7-10 days. I am so sorry for any inconvenience this may cause."

That's the BAD NEWS. The GOOD NEWS is I wasn't going to be able to start sending out books until I got back from the BALTIMORE COMIC CON, anyway, so this 10-day-delay will only really hold up fulfillment for 3 or 4 days. Assuming there are no other delays!

That's Right— I'll be at the BALTIMORE COMIC CON!

You hadn't heard?

Now you have!

In fact, I can show you EXACTLY where I'll be:

Ignore all booths shown on the map in gray. They will be filled mostly by people who write or draw BATMAN and X-MEN— two franchises I did very little work on. In other words: Unimportant. Forgettable.

I will be sharing my booth— MY booth!— with some guy named RON RANDALL. No idea why he's making the TREK to Baltimore. I hear he has a REBEL HEART, but that's probably just so he sounds cool. Please have MERCY on him.

I was hoping to debut the IMP ULTRA-COOL Volume 2 Hardcover at Baltimore— but that ain't gonna happen. I'm thinking up some other special little thing to take its place— a freebie to hand out to one and all. Luckily, I have lots of time to—

Oh, $#!+! I Only have ONE WEEK!

OK. Gotta get to work. I leave you with this glimpse of David's pencils to the cover for IMPOSSIBLE TO LOVE:

The (Latest) Shipping News
about 2 months ago – Fri, Sep 06, 2024 at 06:50:50 AM

According to Samantha, our person at PrintLore…

…the boat with our IMP books docked in Tacoma Tuesday, September 4, and the container "was discharged from the vessel… and is pending a customs X-Ray Exam (our container got randomly pulled for this). I don't think this will affect the estimated schedule at all. I will let you know once we have clearance."

MEANING: I'm still expecting the IMP ULTRA-COOL books to be at my door on the 16th or 17th. And I will start shipping them out right away!

After I get back from the BALTIMORE CON.

Yeah, I fly out the 19th, and getting ready for the trip… I'll be doing a different kind of packing, packaging and panicking.

BUT AS SOON AS I GET BACK— !

I'm tempted to say if you're going to be in Baltimore, I'll bring your book and hand-deliver it to you. BUT I don't know for sure the book will be here by then. Plus, there are a lot of moving pieces with fulfillment— who gets what swag and which add-ons, etc.— and just thinking about keeping that straight and getting it all across country without it getting damaged or lost makes my head hurt.

So I may have IMP ULTRA-COOL books with me, but I won't have YOUR book. Sorry.

But if you supported this campaign and are at the Baltimore show, PLEASE stop by and see me. I'll have a little special something-something for you to make it worth your while.

SPEAKING OF CONVENTIONS…

…I'll be at ROSE CITY COMIC CON this weekend! As in: TODAY! And TOMORROW! Please stop by and say hello, if you're in the area. I will have my advanced copy of the IMP ULTRA-COOL book with me, and you are welcome to flip through it.

IMPORTANT! Next Day Update!
2 months ago – Tue, Aug 20, 2024 at 07:14:48 AM

IMP Books: 

ETA Port Tacoma, August 28.

ETA Panic Central (aka My House): September 10.

"Barring unexpected delays." (< Brrr! Hate those words!)

I told you I'd tell you when I knew. And now I know. And now you know.

This means the books will NOT be debuting at ROSE CITY COMIC CON (Booo!) but I will be safely ensconced in RCCC's Artist's Alley (Friday and Saturday only; family obligations on Sunday), so come by to see me and the beautiful ADVANCED COPY of the book the printer sent me!

ON MY END: everything is in place to begin sending stuff out the instant the books are in the legendary PANIC ROOM FULFILLMENT CENTER (my basement).

ON YOUR END: If you want your IMPOSSIBLE GOODIES ASAP, please make sure you:

FILL OUT YOUR BACKERKIT SURVEY!

These went out long ago, but there are still 38 PEOPLE who have NOT filled out their survey. Remember: this is how I get your MAILING ADDRESS! Without your mailing address, I cannot mail you anything!

I am sending out a survey reminder email RIGHT NOW. If you receive it— might need to check your SPAM folder—  please respond NOW, before life gets in the way and you forget.

If you aren't sure if you've filled out your survey, ask me. I'll check and let you know.

ONCE YOU'VE FILLED OUT YOUR SURVEY…

…your credit card will be charged for any extra swag you may have added to your order, and any postage costs (if applicable). IF YOUR CARD IS DECLINED— hey, it happens. It's happened to me. BackerKit will send you an email alert, and give you time to resolve the problem.

If there's STILL a problem, please let me know. There are workarounds.

Before I go, I need to share this…

It's from the upcoming IMPOSSIBLE TO LOVE one-shot/prologue. Probably launching in mid/late September— "barring unexpected delays" (those words again!) getting your IMP ULTRA-COOL COLLECTOR'S EDITION out!