Some Questions for Myst Comic Readers

Feb 15, 20133 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Feb 15, 2013

4.1K Views

Hey guys,

Almost exactly a year ago, I started posting the first pages of the Myst Comic. Today, I posted page 128, which marks the end of Chapter 5. It has taken a tremendous amount of time and effort. I'm very proud that I've made it this far. I couldn't have done it without all your supportive comments, likes, shares and tweets.

I am excited to announce that a new friend, Michaël, has taken the initiative to translate the comic into French! Myst: le livre d'Atrus! He's started posting the pages here: myst-livre-datrus.webcomics.fr…. The comic is now publicly available in three languages. The Russian translation, by Dagnarus, is still going strong here: a-comics.ru/comics/myst-book-o…. I'm so happy that so many people get a chance to read the story!

We've reached the end of Chapter 5. I'm pumped to start working on Chapter 6. Atrus and Gehn travel to D'ni! What will they encounter along the way? Is Gehn going to be angry-pants the whole time? I need to write and thumbnail the chapter before I can start producing and posting pages, which might take a few weeks (though hopefully not months, like last time).

In addition to working on Chapter 6, I'd like to work on a plan for publishing "Volume One: Chapters 1-5" of the Myst Comic in real-world, tactile, pulped-tree form. I am in contact with Cyan Worlds, Inc (copyright holders of the original Myst book) and we are working out the details about how to publish and sell the book. A portion of any profits will go to them.

At the moment, I'm exploring publishing options. What printer to use? Print on Demand? Take pre-orders, bulk order, and ship from my place with little goodies inside?

Many of you have recommended starting a Kickstarter campaign to produce the first batch and raise support for the project. I'm keen to give it a try, though, I understand running a campaign is not easy. One of the first things I'd have to do is make a budget and come up with a reasonable goal.

This is what I imagine a hypothetical Kickstarter campaign might look like: If I knew X number of people definitely wanted a book, and books were valued at $Y including shipping, then I could set the goal at minimum X times Y. I know Kickstarter is not just about purchasing products but more importantly about supporting projects you care about and getting unique prizes. For those willing to contribute less than a book price, there would be smaller prizes like a PDF of the whole book. For higher tiers, there would be other cool prizes. For example, two other talented Myst fans have said they would be willing to contribute prizes. More than anything, that last point makes me excited to do a Kickstarter campaign. How cool would that be? Creative Myst Fans Raise Money Together To Make Cool Things!

So the question for me is: how many people are interested in a copy of the Myst Comic: Volume 1? I've made a quick survey and if you fill it out, it would help me a lot with making a plan.

GO TO SURVEY: mystcomic.smackjeeves.com/surv…

I said a lot of words. Thanks again for reading guys. I'll keep you posted about progress on Chapter 6 and publishing Volume 1.

Best,

Heather