Band of Warriors Kickstarter Preview
Kicking off 2021 as I mean to go on with a preview of a kickstarter project that caught my attention. Band of Warriors first crossed my twitter timeline sometime during the pre-Christmas hubbub and the first line of the pitch piqued my interest. Sadly it refreshed (curse you new twittere) before I got a chance to click on it so when writer Samuel George London – he of Milford Green reknown – contacted me I was delighted.
So what was the pitch that caught my eye?
Merging actual historical events with Celtic and Greek mythology, Band of Warriors is an epic tale of adventure, betrayal and vengeance that begins by following King Minos at the height of his reign, in the palace of Knossos, on the island of Crete. Where it will lead, only the Gods know…
I’m a sucker for a good mythological tale, especially one that weaves in, or seeks to explain, real life events. Sparked by visits to Crete and Brittany and some surprising discoveries about links between those two and Britain, Sam has spent the last few years researching both the real life events and two different mythologies to create this story. He has teamed up with Argentinian artist Federico Avila Corsini for this series and they look to make a good team.
It’s aimed at mature readers, with strong violence, mild nudity and sexual references. From the 5 preview pages that are available I got kind of a Spartacus (the blood soaked Starz series, not the movie) vibe, especially with the bare chested women in the arena crowds etc. It’s certainly ticking a lot of boxes for me so far.
The Kickstarter
6 initial issues are planned, with scope for more if the series does well. Given that it’s already a third of the way funded, with most of January left to go, I have no doubt it will pick up the following it needs. Sam is a great writer, as you’ll know if you’ve read his Milford Green series, and I have little doubt he has created an epic tale.
The kickstarter campaign is one of the most streamlined I have seen, with just a handful of pledge options, none of which will set you back more than a tenner (in the UK). There are digital only and print options, and the choice of standard or express shipping for print tiers. I think I’ll be plumping for the print tier that includes a rather beautiful enamel pin badge designed from the Ring of Theseus.
There are stretch goals planned, although the creative team are playing these close to the vest for now. I’ll be interested to see what those are, as and when the campaign reaches that stage.
You can check out the kickstarter campaign here. It runs till January 29th so make sure you don’t miss out!
