New Reward Levels, New Podcast Interview!

Hello all!

We're very close to the halfway point of the Kickstarter campaign. I'm not going to lie, I'd really like us to be further than we are now. But I'm really grateful to everyone who has pledged so far. Keep sharing the link with your friends, and I'll keep sending out press releases, doing updates, and the like. You never know—sometimes it just takes that one person sharing it with the right group or right person to really kick it into high gear!

All the parts that make up the Eon Quest Series 1 figure line.

New Reward Levels

I've added two new reward levels, based on feedback. These allow you to pick more single-carded figures without having to pay for full shipping twice. The best deal is still the QUESTER LEVEL, but this gives you more options:

DOUBLE PACK - 2 carded figures (your choice) with mini-comics!

TRIPLE PACK - 3 carded figures (your choice) with mini-comics!

You can, of course, double or triple up the same figure, too, if you want to give some as a gift!

Reference drawing for Captain Wolfmoon's PirateStar.

New Podcast Interview

Finally, there is a new podcast interview with the fine folks at Moderately Geeky, up right now! 

I'll be back soon with the video update showcasing the Captain Wolfmoon figure!

Color study for the Uplink figure.

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out the Kickstarter: http://kck.st/11pkWWh

Sneak peek at Issue 4 of the mini-comics.

Uplink Figure In-Focus and Contest Winners!

Hi everyone!

I've got another video update for you, this time I focused solely on the figure focus. So click and watch to see a closer look at the Uplink figure, as well as the more refined prototype from the factory.

Also, I'm excited to announce the winners of the Eon Quest poster print contest - Luke Schmidt and Dominick Agostino! Your prints are on their way to you. If you didn't win a print, don't worry just yet. There will probably be another opportunity at some point!

Kickstarter-wise, we are farther behind that I'd hoped we might be. But there's still three weeks to go! I took part in an interview for a podcast earlier this morning, and have another one coming up later tonight. I'll post as soon as those are up. There are a few mentions and features that have gone up too. I'm hoping all that'll help get the word out - but as much as you can, please share the Kickstarter with your friends and anywhere you think people might be interested!

Here's a feature from He-man.org on how Eon Quest was influenced by Masters of the Universe:


http://www.he-man.org/news_article.php?id=4348

Also, Eon Quest was mentioned in the latest Toy Break and the Nerd City podcast!

Nerd City Podcast: http://nerdcityonline.com/2014/10/23/episode-151/

Toy Break:

And, finally, here are some pictures of the refined Uplink factory proto, which I talk about more in the video update above:

Eon Quest Poster Print Contest!

As announced earlier today in the first Video Update - we're having a contest to win an 11x 14 Eon Quest poster print! You can see a pic in the still below from the Video update. The print is on a really cool metallic/pearl photo paper. The colors look great, and the print will be sent to you right away!

To win, all you have to do is: Back the Kickstarter before Wednesday 7:30pm Central Time on October 22nd. Anyone who has pledged from the start of the Kickstarter through this date/time will be entered. Two names will be drawn at random, and I'll send you the print on Thursday.

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the very first video update for the Eon Quest Kickstarter. I'll be doing these from time to time to update you with info that's not as easily shared in non-video form along with the other blogs and updates. In this update, I talk about the status of the Kickstarter, take a more in-depth look at the Starbreaker action figure (including a look at the newest, updated factory prototype) and announce a contest!

Kickstarting... very, very soon.

Well, it's lunchtime at my day job as I write this, so we're about seven hours away from the launch of the Kickstarter! A lot of my friends have been asking me how I'm feeling. The truth is, I'm feeling a very distinct combination of joy, excitement and sheer terror. In a future blog (or blogs), I thought I'd go more in depth about the origins and development of Eon Quest. But, for now I can say that I've been working in earnest on the toy line since March. So, at the very least, today represents the culmination of seven months of work. But, in a very real way, it represent a hell of a lot more than that. Some of the characters (and the name Eon Quest) have their origins more than nineteen years ago. I'd be lying if I didn't say there isn't a lot riding on this. I've invested a fair amount dollar-wise, true, but there is definitely an emotional component as well.

"Vanguard" reference sketch. This was given to the comic artists as reference for the appearance of the ship the heroes use to fly around in. 

Whenever you're putting something you created out there, you're taking a chance on how people will react to it or perceive it. Having a background in graphic design, though, I'm used to having my work judged. You have to learn quickly to take feedback (good and bad) and use it effectively. It's very easy to let the negative stuff throw you off balance or get you down. Maybe the biggest balancing act as a creative person you have to do is to learn to recognize when negative feedback is something you should listen to and adapt your work to and when it's just a difference of opinion that you shouldn't let dissuade you from a particular path. That being said, even with the background I have, this is a slightly different animal, too. It's certainly more personal, in a way.

Deck plan of the Vanguard. This was created mostly to get the geography of the Vanguard straight from a storytelling perspective.

Thankfully, so far the overall feedback has been mostly positive or, at the very least, thoughtful or considered. I don't expect that to last forever, but I wouldn't be disappointed if it did! At the end of the day, though, I'm very prepared for some people to either not really get what the project is about or just plain ol' dislike it. I think that's only natural, and a by product of trying to do something a bit different in the current toy collector climate. One of the nice things about doing an indie toy line is that you're in the driver's seat and you CAN do something different. On this particular project, especially, there's just one guy (me) making all the choices and executing a large portion of the work. So, with no focus groups or corporate partners or strategies to adhere to, Eon Quest gets to be exactly what I wanted it to be. So whether it succeeds or fails, it's true to my vision if nothing else. I can honestly say I've put every ounce of creative effort I have into the line and the Kickstarter. Every thing I've learned about Marketing in the day job, I've tried to bring to this project.

Alchemris's Star Chariot - I designed each of the heroes was designed a personal transport that they arrive in at the start of the comic. You barely see them in the first panel of the first comic (and the Kickstarter video) but you'll probably see them again.

Very shortly, it'll mostly be out of hands. I'll still be blogging and tweeting and Facebooking and doing everything else I can to spread the word, don't you worry. But now is when the rubber meets the road. Where the proof is found in the pudding. Or not found, as the case may be. Now is when the question that has been coursing through my brain for months (Are there enough people out there who want this?) will get an answer. Now, it's up to you. And I think I'm leaving the fate of Eon Quest in good hands. And, with that thought, the little well of terror that creep in with all the good stuff pre-Kickstarter subsides greatly.

Rough digital mock-up of the packaging for the Eon Quest line.

Again, thanks in advance to everyone who checks the Kickstarter out. So this just isn't a wall of text, I've decided to pepper the blog with some of the behind the scenes stuff I've been posting since the last blog. I'll do this from time to time, just for those who maybe don't follow the daily grind.

P.S. - If I may so humbly suggest, be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you haven't yet! There will be some exclusive content in there.

Creating An Action Figure - From Page to Plastic

One of the things I've encountered a lot in the short period since I've announced Eon Quest™, are people who say they are thinking about (or have considered) creating their own toy/action figure line. Obviously, it's an impulse I understand all too well. It was really through my friendship with (and admiration for) other indie toy makers that I actually thought creating a toy line of my own was remotely feasible. Before, it seemed like too monumental of a task to take on. And, while it does take a lot of time, effort (and yes, money) it definitely is not impossible.

So, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the process of bringing one of the figures to life from the very first sketch to the factory prototypes you've seen in the pictures on the site and the upcoming Kickstarter. I chose the figure that's already become a quick favorite with people - the cyborg space pirate Captain Wolfmoon™.

Sketchy-ness

Above is the very first (and very rough) sketch of Captain Wolfmoon. I wasn't really trying to make anything too pretty, here. The main idea was just to get my thoughts down. You'll see very early on I was thinking about parts-sharing in the line. Wolfmoon came out of a couple of things. My mom has always loved wolves, and she passed that down to me. So he's something of a nod to her. He's also a bit of a nod to "The Captain" - a cyborg pirate captain from Doctor Who. I became a fan of Doctor Who when I was eight, so you'll see a few influences from there pop up from time to time.

You Turn Me Right Round

From the initial sketches for the characters, I knew I needed much more refined turnarounds so that I could send the concepts off to some factories for early quotes and also to my chosen sculptor, the very talented Simon Grell, who I found through my friend Mark and his excellent Mystic Warriors of the Ring line. The turnarounds were designed to show the proportions of the line (which were meant to be very similar to the vintage 5.5'' figures) and also the details of the figures. The basic body was sculpted first, so the first set of turnarounds focused on the body, including the belt, boots and bracers that would be shared throughout the line.

Basic Body Turnaround

Body Basics

Right from the start, the resulting body looked great. I really like Simon's sculpting style, which was both detailed but also very clean. The bulk of my notes (pun intended) was really just about beefing up the figure so it felt more like the vintage lines, while at the same time maintaining a more modern style.

Notes on the first body sculpt

The resulting sculpt (shown on the left, below) was much closer. This is where it paid to have a second pair of eyes on things, and I have to give a shout out to Jeremy Sung of Spy Monkey Creations for being that second pair of eyes early on in the life of the project. It became clear that, to feel a bit more vintage, some of the proportions needed to change more, so I made a quick Photoshop manipulation to send back to the sculptor, on the right.

Left - original sculpt, Right- Photoshop manipulation to show desired proportions.

The resulting sculpt felt just right, and a 3D print-out was made just to double-check the "feel" of the figure in-hand.

First 3D print of the basic Eon Quest body.

Wolfmoon Rising

With the basic body figured out, it was time to turn my attention towards Captain Wolfmoon specifically. The first step was taking the basic turnaround I had created and turning it into a model sheet for Simon to use while sculpting. This included some more close-up of certain areas for detail, as well as some inspiration shots.

Captain Wolfmoon Model Sheet

Using this as a guide, the sculptor started roughing out the forms of Wolfmoon. My feedback here was minimal, and mostly about the size of his hook (which I didn't want to be too big and "anime") and the fullness of his face.

Captain Wolfmoon Rough Sculpt.

Rough Sculpt Notes

It was at this stage that I realized two things. 1.) There had to be some way to get Wolfmoon into his belt/tunic combo. So, I made a clasp on the side of his belt. This will actually change for the final figure as I found a better solution, but at this stage it was just important to have a way for it to actually go on and come off! 2.) I had recently started collecting the old LJN Advanced Dungeons & Dragons line, and I liked how they incorporated holsters for the figure's swords into their belts. Their implementation was a bit strange, consisting of large hooks that let the swords flop out pretty easily. So I went with something more akin to the loops on Trap-Jaw's belt in the vintage Masters of the Universe line. The resulting sculpt was perfect. Captain Wolfmoon really came to life.

Sketch for additions of loop and closure.

Final Wolfmoon 3D.

At this point, it was time to make a 3D print-out of the full Wolfmoon figure, just to make sure everything would work as planned. Getting Wolfmoon into his tunic was kind of a pain, as the plastic from Shapeways is a LITTLE flexible, but not much! And the fit of the tunic is purposefully made to be tight on the body.

Wolfmoon 3D print out.

Comparison to vintage figure.

At this point, very pleased with the print out, it was a matter of delivering the files to the factory so the prototypes could be made. However, the factory prototypes were meant to be "looks like, works like" models, which meant one final thing had to be prepared—a color key for the figure. You'll often see manufacturers give a factory a paint master, where a 3D cast is painted up in the correct colors. I experimented with just digitally painting the 3D sculpt here and sending Pantone codes in the hope of saving a bit of time and money in the process. I'm not sure if it'd work for everyone, but I was really pleased with the results.

Color breakdown for figure.

Thus, the first factory prototypes were created for the line, which is what was photographed for the web site and the Kickstarter! The factory added in the final means of articulation as well. I was really all around pleased with Wolfmoon. The metallic gold paint really pops well, and a subtle airbrush on his skin helps it look more fur-like in comparison to the colors elsewhere and on other figures.

Final factory produced hand-made prototype.

I hope you've found this little look behind the scenes interesting! The Kickstarter for Eon Quest is launching October 15. I hope you'll help me in making Captain Wolfmoon (and the other four figures in Series 1) a reality.

The Quest Begins!

Welcome to the Eon Quest blog! My plan, with the blog, is to dive in a little deeper than you can on Facebook, Twitter, Kickstarter and so on. From time to time, I'll give you some insight into the creation of the line, and where it all began. There may be some other "stuff" in there, too. We shall see how it evolves. But I want to start off by giving a huge thanks to everyone who has been so supportive already of the project. It's been great seeing how excited people on various forums and social media are about the reveals.

When I decided to give a go at making this dream come true earlier this year, I had to believe that figures like this were something other people would get into. It's the only way I could have invested the time and money I have into getting the line this far. But, in the back of my mind lurked... Shark Tank. Have you seen Shark Tank? If not, basically it's a show where people pitch their businesses/ideas to a group of investors. Sometimes the products and businesses are great. Sometimes.. not so much. And, the thing is... the people pitching the "not so much" ones believed in those products, too. So, basically, even though I believed in this line and I believed that other people would respond to it, there's always this fear that I'm just being delusional!

But, seeing the reaction to the figures even before the Kickstarter launches have allayed this fear, somewhat. The real test will be the Kickstarter, of course. Are there enough people out there to make the Kickstarter happen? That is, of course, the great unknown. Either way, I'm glad I am giving this a shot. Sometimes, you only get one shot to make a dream happen, and I'd have always regretted it if I didn't try. So, before the whirlwind that will be the next month starts... well, whirling... I just wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who took the time to check the project out, whether they end up backing it or not.

Feeling: Excited
Listening To: iamwhoiamwhoami - blue blue