From Parts Unknown is LIVE!
We're here. It's launch day.
If you haven't backed From Parts Unknown yet: now is the time.
This is Issue #1 of a 5 part series, so you're getting in on the ground floor. It's always important to launch really strong, and even more so when you're talking about a series. The first issue sets the tone for the whole thing.
The Origin Known
I usually find it's a bit of a bad sign when you have someone who's had an idea for over 20 years and they've struggled to make it work. There’s usually a reason for it.
You may have heard me say somewhere that I’ve had this idea in the back of my mind for a long time, but it’s not in the way you think. It wasn’t this idea specifically.
From Parts Unknown has gone through many iterations. Originally, it was going to be about zombies. I had a hard time coming up with something other than some cool ideas for fight scenes. The plot was pretty stagnant.
It was through telling the story to someone close to me, over and over, that I finally realized the theme.
From Parts Unknown is a story about brothers. Yes, it's a horror. Yes, it's about pro wrestling, but realistically it's about two brothers who are there for each other through thick and thin, even when they want to wring each other's necks.
On The Road
My brother, David, and I used to have season tickets for the Detroit Red Wings.
That doesn’t make us special in any way, but kind of is when you realize that we're actually from Toronto. We did the four hour each way drive multiple times in one season. Mind you, they weren't full season tickets, but when you're driving four hours each way, even a partial season feels like a lot. (We still make the drive every year at least once.)
As you can imagine, with that much free time and being stuck in a car with someone like me who can't take silences very well, you end up talking quite a bit.
My brother became my sounding board for all of the stories I would one day do when I finally get brave enough to actually follow through with my writing. One of the many stories I would tell is this one, the one that became From Parts Unknown.
If not for my brother, this whole thing doesn't happen.
Why Wrestling?
David's one of my two brothers.
Our brother, Mathew, is still very much into wrestling. (You just have to see his Instagram drawings to figure that out real quick).
It was the one time that the three of us were as close as we would be. All sitting together in front of the TV watching Monday Night Raw or SmackDown. Going to the shows together in Toronto, Buffalo and New Jersey were always a highlight. We’d try to bring others into it, but it was always more for us three.
I appreciate the times that pro wrestling gave us together as a family.
But it's not just a sentimental thing. I mean, wrestling itself is storytelling to the max. It's the most aggressive form of soap opera. It's the forever middle act.
There's a reason why comics always seems to translate to wrestling so well. They're pretty much the same structure. Rarely is there a story that has a true and definitive end, even when they tell you it does.
When it seems like all is lost and there's no way to come back from this, there's still a show next week, so you know that things will reset to some degree.
Not to mention wrestling comics in particular have finally been hitting a crazy stride. Have you been reading some of the wrestling comics out there? They are truly incredible.
From Do a Power Bomb by Daniel Warren Johnson to Tap or Die by Anthony Stokes to The Gimmick by Joanne Starer and Elena Gogou. There's been some really good, good wrestling comics in just the past few years.
My goal is to add From Parts Unknown to that list.
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What is From Parts Unknown Anyway?
I don't want to spoil the twist that's in the first issue.
Broadly, this comic is a pro wrestling horror comic. As I mentioned, zombies don't make the cut in this one, but there are some other mystical beings that you can find that are really wreaking havoc in the small town that brothers Bruno and Pietro find themselves in.
They meet some interesting characters along the way, including Cindy, a waitress with a heart of gold and a dangerous secret. There's also the mysterious promoter that runs the whole show, Big Jim D’Orso, and his star wrestler, Golden Boy.
We're keeping the cast relatively small here so that you can really get into the story of these brothers and how they're going to get out of this predicament they find themselves in.
What To Expect From the Campaign
As I mentioned last week, we're not going as hardcore with the variant covers. Instead, we’re going with one variant cover by artist Roberto Viacava and one joke cover by Luke Marrone.
All with the amazing interior art by Daniel Caval and JP Jordan - who also put together the main cover.
Each issue is 24 pages long. Full color.
And the good news is, you won't be waiting long for the next issue. We're already halfway through issue 3. That means Issue 2 is just waiting to be released once this campaign's done. By mid next year, you should have the whole story in your hands.
As always, we're going to have bundle deals, so if you want to pick up all of the covers, you'll save some money that way.
If you are new to Pesto Comics and want to pick up our back catalog, you can get some great deals with starter packs and all-in bundles.
And of course, everything you order stacks, so if you get the physical copy, you're getting a digital copy with it.
Why Not Just Wait to Get It on pestocomics.com or Amazon?
You could do that. That's fine. In fact, I'll probably make more money that way.
However, I reserve certain deals for the Kickstarter.
That means that you're not getting the all of the stretch goals, extras or even the discounts you get with bundling that you do during the Kickstarter.
Plus, Kickstarter is the only way to get DRM-free copies - which are included at nearly every tier. (More on that below.)
Anything Else I Need to Know?
Early backers rewards are only available through August, so if you're going to back From Parts Unknown - I recommend doing it as soon as possible. With that, you're going to get 3 digital comics from other great creators.
If you do happen to miss the early backers rewards, that's OK, you'll still have until September 19th to back this campaign.
We're being a little more transparent with shipping this time around. We've separated the shipping and the cost of the comic once again.
That said, the price you see at checkout is the price you pay, so there won't be any extra shipping unless you add to your order when you get to the Backerkit survey.
Launching big is always make or break for Kickstarter, so if you are hoping to support us, I really hope you do soon!
You Don’t Read Comics?
That’s a shame, but I’m happy to have you here!
For those that just want to support and don't necessarily want the comic, I understand that, so I always like to offer something less expensive to those backers.
The magnet for Crazy Latte Thing Called Love was so cool that I'm doing the same thing for From Parts Unknown.
If you want to support and you don't necessarily read comics, I still appreciate your help. The backer count alone makes a huge difference in how the campaign gets to other other backers.
Anything is appreciated. And I'd love to give you something in return for your support.
And that's it for this week. I'll be deep in the campaign, but you can feel free to reach me on any of the socials. Let me know if you back the campaign in the comments.
See you next Wednesday.
Upcoming Posts
September 4
Con Journal: Let's Go to the (Fan) Expo (Canada)
The weekend at the biggest Comic Convention in Canada
September 11
Pumpkin Spice Season
It’s about comics. I swear.
September 18
You Can Take the Kid Out of Film School...
My history with the Toronto International Film Festival
New Campaign! Hailing From Parts Unknown