March 22, 2013: Crowdfunding Focus: The Dresden Codak

I should first point out that the actual title of this Kickstarter is The Tomorrow Girl: Dresden Codak Volume 1. The name in the headline, "Dresden Codak," is the title of the webcomic by Aaron Diaz; the Kickstarter is to let him publish a book and do other amazing Stuff. I supported this project at a rather high level. I have been a fan of Dresden Codak for years, savoring the artistic quality of the too-rare updates and wincing at the tribulations of Kimiko Ross, whose earnest, geeky adolescence makes my own look like a walk in the park. As this will demonstrate.

Diaz is doing very well with this project. He's at something like 13 times his original funding request now. My concern is that he's committing himself to about 13 times as much work as he originally expected. I would know something about this problem; yes, yes, I would. But does that stop me from supporting him, or encouraging you to support? Not at all! If you are familiar with Dresden Codak, I hope you have already signed on to back his project. If not . . . Well, if you like the things I do, or at least the things I recommend, you will very probably enjoy the strip, as well as the in-world posters that he sells online (and that are involved in the Kickstarter). And there's very little time left, so go look now! (We are still a long, long way from the level at which he'll update the strip weekly. But that would be marvelous, unless his head exploded.)

I understand from Diaz' interlineations that he is not (or at least was not as of a few years ago) a tabletop RPG-er. That did not stop him from creating this strip. You don't have to be familiar with the characters to enjoy it. You do have to know a bit about roleplaying and a bit about philosophy; I trust this will be no obstacle to you, O Gentle Readers.

-- Steve Jackson

PS: Aaron Diaz also draws paleontologically accurate dinosaurs. I had been a fan of his for years before I found that out. But it makes him that much more awesome, and dinosaurs are involved in his Kickstarter too.