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secure Transfer-Encoding: chunked tag:www.kickstarter.com,2009-05-04:/blog 2015-0-
-20T14:20:00-05:00 tag:www.kickstarter.com,2009-05-04:BlogPost/1572 2015-02-20T14:20:00-05:00
2015-02-20T15:08:22-05:00 pYou may have heard that some award show called The Academy
Awards is happening this Sunday. This is, needless to say, always a big thing for film, but it's also a
big thing for us. Every year since 2011, at least one Kickstarter-funded film has been nominated for
an Oscar, and this year is no different. Congrats to iFinding Vivian Maier /ifor its nomination for best
documentary feature! /ppTo get prepped for the event, we gathered all of the previous nominees in
one place along with the trailers for those films. You can head over to our a
href="http://www.kickstarter.com/watch" target="_blank"Watch Now/a page and get them all in
before Sunday night if you start now./ph1 ia
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/800508197/finding-vivian-maier-a-feature-length-docum
entary" target="_blank"Finding Vivian Maier/a/i (nominated for best documentary feature
2015)/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-href="http://youtu.be/er-
-Vq__cRE" iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/er8-
Vq__cRE?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen/iframe /div h1
ia href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/noujaimfilms/the-square-a-film-about-the-eg-
ptian-revolution" target="_blank"The Square/a /i(nominated for best documentary feature
2014)/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/twB2zAOzsKE" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/twB2zAOzsKE?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen/iframe /div h1 ia
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1131717127/inocente-homeless-creative-unstoppable"
target="_blank"Inocente/a/i (winner, best documentary short 2013)/h1div class="template oembed"
contenteditable="false" data-href="http://youtu.be/008ZofyIRHo" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/008ZofyIRHo?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sarigilman/kings-point-documentary-film"
target="_blank"Kings Point/a/i (nominated for best documentary short 2013)/h1div class="template
oembed" contenteditable="false" data-href="http://youtu.be/Z8SbmPhavhs" iframe width="560"
height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z8SbmPhavhs?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/455421787/buzkashi-boys" target="_blank"Buzkashi
Boys/a/i (nominated for best live-action short 2013)/h1div class="template oembed"

contenteditable="false" data-href="http://youtu.be/dBLgI0sUW_E" iframe width="560"
height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dBLgI0sUW_E?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1941167757/incident-in-new-baghdad-oscar-qualifying-l
a-releas" target="_blank"Incident in New Baghdad/a/i (nominated for best documentary short
2012)/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/lOh_dfQChF0" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lOh_dfQChF0?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1654032104/the-barber-of-birmingham-the-movie"
target="_blank"The Barber of Birmingham/a/i (nominated for best documentary short 2012)/h1div
class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-href="http://youtu.be/xxMfA3_oZYA" iframe
width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xxMfA3_oZYA?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bigredbarn/sun-come-up" target="_blank"Sun Come
Up/a/i (nominated for best documentary short 2011)/h1div class="template oembed"
contenteditable="false" data-href="http://youtu.be/3broZl8sl_g" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3broZl8sl_g?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen/iframe /div Sam Hockley-Smith
https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/1250323841 tag:www.kickstarter.com,2009-0-
-04:BlogPost/1571 2015-02-20T10:59:00-05:00 2015-02-20T11:02:58-05:00 pJournalism may be one
of Kickstarter's a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/introducing-two-new-categor-
es-journalism-and-crafts" target="_blank"newest categories/a, but writers, editors, and publishers
are already launching great work into the world. From conflict reporting to new storytelling
platforms, here are some of the most exciting journalism projects live on our site right now./ph1a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/708019921/globalpost-senior-conflict-correspondent"
target="_blank"GlobalPost Senior Conflict Correspondent/a/h1div class="template video"
contenteditable="false" data-href="/projects/708019921/globalpost-senior-conflict-correspondent"
data-id="1546534" div class="player" div class="video-player" data-
dimensions='"width":480,"height":360' data-image="https://ks-
-ugc.imgix.net/projects/1546534/phot-
-
original.jpg?v=1424197392amp;w=560amp;h=420amp;fit=cropamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=0
2837261e528a09e07ebcfd3e6c23a54" data-video-track-
r-
url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/708019921/globalpost-senior-conflict-correspondent/vide
o/plays" data-video-url="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1546534/video-498-
07-h264_high.mp4" data-
video='"id":498207,"status":"successful","high":"https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/154
6534/video-49820-
-
h264_high.mp4?2015","base":"https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1546534/video-49820
7-h264_base.mp4?2015","webm":"https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1546534/vide-
-49820-
-
webm.webm?2015","width":640,"height":480,"frame":"https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projec
ts/1546534/video-498207-h264_base.jpg?2015"' video class="has_webm landscape" preload="none"
source src="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1546534/video-498207-h264_high.mp4"
type='video/mp4; codecs="avc1.64001E, mp4a.40.2"'/source source

src="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1546534/video-498207-h264_base.mp4"
type='video/mp4; codecs="avc1.42E01E, mp4a.40.2"'/source source
src="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1546534/video-498207-webm.webm"
type="video/webm"/source You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content. /video img
alt="GlobalPost Senior Conflict Correspondent's video poster" class="has_played_hide poster
landscape" src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/projects/1546534/phot-
-
2837261e528a09e07ebcfd3e6c23a54" div aria-label="Play video" class="play_button_big
play_button_dark absolute-center rounded has_played_hide" role="button" tabindex="0" span
class="ss-icon ss-play"/span Play /div div class="player_controls clearfix absolute-bottom mb2
rounded white bg-green-dark forces-video-controls_hide" div class="left" button class="no-margin
button button_icon button_dark playpause play mr1" span class="play ss-icon ss-play"/span span
class="pause ss-icon ss-pause"/span /button time class="time current_time h12 left"00:00/time /div
div class="right" time class="time total_time h12 left mr1"00:00/time button class="no-margin left
button button_icon button_icon_white volume" span class="ss-icon ss-volume
icon_volume_nudge"/span span class="ss-icon ss-highvolume"/span /button div
class="volume_container left" div class="progress_bar progress_bar_dark progress_bg" div
class="progress_bar_bg"/div div class="progress progress_bar_progress"/div div aria-
label="Volume" class="progress_handle progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div
/div button aria-label="Fullscreen" class="no-margin left button button_icon button_icon_white
fullscreen" span class="ss-icon ss-expand"/span span class="ss-icon ss-delete"/span /button /div div
class="clip" div class="progress_container pr1 pl1" div class="progress_bar progress_bar_dark
progress_bg" div class="progress_bar_bg"/div div class="buffer progress_bar_buffer"/div div
class="progress progress_bar_progress"/div div aria-label="Played" class="progress_handle
progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div /div /div /div /div /div /div pAward-winning
GlobalPost is behind some of the most important and dangerous journalistic work out there, creating
a fearless team to continue telling human stories in violent conflicts all around the world./ph1a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/75282118/the-riveter-magazine-longform-storytel-
ing-by-wome?ref=category_popular" target="_blank"The Riveter Magazine: Longform Storytelling
by Women/a/h1div class="template video" contenteditable="false" data-
href="/projects/75282118/the-riveter-magazine-longform-storytelling-by-wome" data-id="1659432"
div class="player" div class="video-player" data-dimensions='"width":480,"height":360' data-
image="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/projects/1659432/phot-
-
original.png?v=1423647812amp;w=560amp;h=420amp;fit=cropamp;auto=formatamp;lossless=true
amp;s=9f6698971d22f590f8a834a068e89551" data-video-track-
r-url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/75282118/th-
-riveter-magazine-longform-storytelling-by-wome/video/plays" data-vide-
-url="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1659432/video-497029-h264_high.mp4" data-
9432/video-49702-
-
-49702-
-

alt="The Riveter Magazine: Longform Storytelling by Women's video poster"
class="has_played_hide poster landscape" src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/projects/1659432/phot-
-
amp;s=9f6698971d22f590f8a834a068e89551" div aria-label="Play video" class="play_button_big
progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div /div /div /div /div /div /div pThe Riveter -- a
women's longform lifestyle magazine in print and online -- has sold out of every copy they've printed.
Now, they're ready to go steady and make it a quarterly publication, bringing more women's voices
into the media./ph1a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/870712911/national-observe-
-reports-from-the-energy-battlegr?ref=category_popular" target="_blank"Reports from the Energy
Battlegrounds/a/h1div class="template video" contenteditable="false" data-
href="/projects/870712911/national-observer-reports-from-the-energy-battlegr" data-id="1640344"
div class="player" div class="video-player" data-dimensions='"width":480,"height":360' data-
image="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/projects/1640344/phot-
-
70dda8425c71e033fb7102be0075b13" data-video-track-
r-
url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/870712911/national-observer-reports-from-the-energy-bat
tlegr/video/plays" data-video-url="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1640344/vid-
o-493743-h264_high.mp4" data-
0344/video-49374-
-
-49374-
-

alt="Reports from the Energy Battlegrounds's video poster" class="has_played_hide poster
-
70dda8425c71e033fb7102be0075b13" div aria-label="Play video" class="play_button_big
progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div /div /div /div /div /div /div pLast year, the
Vancouver Observer ran a project to report on the a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1207098285/tar-sands-reporting-project"
target="_blank"tar sands/a in Canada. Their new project is taking it national, launching a new
publication focused on tackling energy politics and the environment. /ph1a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/femsplain/femsplain-feminism-full-time"
target="_blank"Femsplain: Feminism Full-Time/a/h1div class="template video"
contenteditable="false" data-href="/projects/femsplain/femsplain-feminism-full-time" data-
id="1524048" div class="player" div class="video-player" data-
-
amp;s=f77682a4f06631485a51be57fc8f6a0d" data-video-track-
r-url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/femsplain/femsplain-feminism-full-time/video/plays"
data-video-url="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1524048/video-491-
4048/video-49190-
-
-49190-
-

alt="Femsplain: Feminism Full-Time's video poster" class="has_played_hide poster landscape"
src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/projects/1524048/phot-
-
amp;s=f77682a4f06631485a51be57fc8f6a0d" div aria-label="Play video" class="play_button_big
progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div /div /div /div /div /div /div pFemsplain is a
space for anyone female-identified to share experiences, connect and learn together. In order to
continue elevating important and diverse conversations, they're now looking to pay their
contributors./ph1a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nbrianna/massively-
overpowered?ref=category_popular" target="_blank"Massively Overpowered/a/h1div
class="template video" contenteditable="false" data-href="/projects/nbrianna/massivel-
-overpowered" data-id="1632863" div class="player" div class="video-player" data-
-
amp;s=ffde9d57cefc2e9d1fc2746462d151e2" data-video-track-
r-url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nbrianna/massively-overpowered/video/plays" data-
video-url="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1632863/video-494939-h264_high.mp4"
data-
2863/video-49493-
-
-49493-
-

alt="Massively Overpowered's video poster" class="has_played_hide poster landscape"
src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/projects/1632863/phot-
-
amp;s=ffde9d57cefc2e9d1fc2746462d151e2" div aria-label="Play video" class="play_button_big
progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div /div /div /div /div /div /div pa
href="http://Massively.com" target="_blank"Massively.com/a recently lost their corporate
sponsorship, but no matter: they're now turning to their fans and readers to create a new
independent site to continue delivering news and editorials about the massively multiplayer online
roleplaying game (MMORPG) genre. /p Nicole He https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/nicole
tag:www.kickstarter.com,2009-05-04:BlogPost/1573 2015-02-19T21:29:00-05:00 2015-0-
-19T21:40:57-05:00 div class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-
edit_url="/blog/exploding-kittens-is-the-most-backed-project-of-all-time/assets/3312014/edit" data-
id="3312014" figure img alt="" class="fit" src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/312/014/af9095d403701c14e49f9394d77af050_original.png?v=142439452
3amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;lossless=trueamp;s=7dd68066f3b543c4bd4
3ea4cf631d6cc" /figure /div pTonight a project called bExploding Kittens/b made Kickstarter
history./ppWith b219,382/b backers, it became the most-backed Kickstarter project of all time! It
imore than doubled/i the previous record of 105,857, held by Reading Rainbow since last summer.
Wondering what the backings leaderboard looks like?/ppbThe Most-Backed Kickstarter Projects of
All Time/b/pp1. a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/elanlee/exploding-kittens"
target="_blank"Exploding Kittens/a - 219,382 backersbr2. a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/readingrainbow/bring-reading-rainbow-back-for-every-c
hild-everywh" target="_blank"Bring Reading Rainbow Back for Every Child, Everywhere!/a - 105,857
backersbr3. a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/559914737/the-veronica-mars-mo-
ie-project" target="_blank"The Veronica Mars Movie Project/a - 91,585 backersbr4. a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doublefine/double-fine-adventure"
target="_blank"Double Fine Adventure/a - 87,142 backersbr5. a

href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/torment-tides-of-numenera"
target="_blank"Torment: Tides of Numenera/a - 74,405 backersbr6. a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity" target="_blank"Project
Eternity/a - 73,986 backersbr7. a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble--
-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android" target="_blank"Pebble: E-Paper Watch for iPhone and
Android/a - 68,929 backersbr8. a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mightyno9/mighty-n-
-9" target="_blank"Mighty No. 9/a - 67,226 backersbr9. a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ouya/ouya-a-new-kind-of-video-game-console"
target="_blank"OUYA: A New Kind of Video Game Console/a - 63,416 backersbr10. a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryangrepper/coolest-cooler-21st-cent-
ry-cooler-thats-actually" target="_blank"COOLEST COOLER: 21st Century Cooler that's Actually
Cooler/a - 62,642 backersbr11. a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wasteland-2"
target="_blank"Wasteland 2/a - 61,290 backers/ppExploding Kittens isn't only the most-backed
project, it's also the most-funded a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/games"
target="_blank"Games/a project ever, raising b$8,782,571/b. That makes it the third-most-funded
project in Kickstarter history. Not bad for a humble card game, huh?/ppEarlier this week, the
Exploding Kittens team (Elan Lee, Shane Small, and a href="http://theoatmeal.com/"
target="_blank"The Oatmeal's/a Matthew Inman) shared a thoughtful a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/elanlee/exploding-kittens/posts/1137509"
target="_blank"update/a with their backers. Here's what they had to say:/pp"We've never seen
anything like you guys, and neither has the planet. You have proven beyond any doubt that you are
unstoppable. There's nothing we can put in front of you that you can't do. There is nothing too great,
nothing too hard, nothing too outrageous that you incredible group of incredible people can't
accomplish as a community."/ppWe'd like to extend a sincere congratulations to Exploding Kittens,
and every one of you 219,382 amazing humans that made it happen./pplt;3/ppKickstarter/p
Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/kickstarter tag:www.kickstarter.com,2009-0-
-04:BlogPost/1556 2015-02-19T12:17:00-05:00 2015-02-19T12:38:08-05:00 div class="template
asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/ornament-is-crime-an-interview-w-
th-don-moyer/assets/3234365/edit" data-id="3234365" figure img alt="" class="fit" src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/234/365/26a01594f4f7873069f73656d88304a3_original.png?v=142307872
5amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;lossless=trueamp;s=8e8866adc871e093479
e3104ade1d876" /figure /div pAt first glance, Don Moyer's plate designs look like something you've
seen before: classic prints in classic colors. But then you look closer and notice the details. Each of
his plates depicts different destructive monsters on classic blue-and-white china. Recently he's also
gotten into head wear, making bandanas covered with rage-filled paisley designs and (his current
project) a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/159974695/badbandana-2-pixels--
n-a-rampage" target="_blank"rogue pixels/a. We asked Moyer a few questions about his work, life,
and the inspiration behind the angry little things that he designs./ppbHow did you get into making
classic blue-and-white china with disaster pictures on it, anyway?/b/ppI was trained as a graphic
designer and have worked in that role for more than 40 years. Drawing has always been an
important part of my job. I've gotten into the habit of drawing a little every day and posting my
drawings on Flickr./ppIn 2011, I inherited a traditional blue a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_pattern" target="_blank"Willow-pattern/a plate that
belonged to my mother's grandmother back in Ireland. I had an urge to redraw that plate and crank
up the level of excitement. I added a pterodactyl./ppAs I drew additional plates that were spiced up
with different calamities, and posted those drawings on Flickr, people kept saying they'd like to have
real plates. In 2013, I launched a Kickstarter project to see if enough people wanted plates to
support a production run./ppKickstarter is a great tool for artists because it allows wacky ideas to
find sponsors. By simply describing a half-realized dream, Kickstarter allows supporters to add the
momentum of a crowd to let the dream take flight. Everyone wins. The artist gets to make things
that previously would have been impossible. And the sponsors get to enjoy things that previously

would never have existed. Sweet./pdiv class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-
edit_url="/blog/ornament-is-crime-an-interview-with-don-moyer/assets/3234399/edit" data-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/234/399/8bfd9505518e9357a1a78a6e860252c3_original.jpg?v=142307919
2amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=73dbb58b3a76c40ced5f69e39e
e4d9f9" /figure /div pbWhy do you think people love dinnerware with disasters?/b/ppThis is easy to
answer because Kickstarter allows my sponsors to tell me what they are thinking. I get messages
that are very specific about what people are doing with their Calamityware plates. What they like is
the element of surprise. A seemingly boring, traditional plate, rewards closer scrutiny by revealing
something unexpected. This thrill-of-discovery idea pops up in almost all my fan mail. Some people
talk about watching dinner guests clear their plates and make the discovery. There's talk of
astonishing grandchildren. /ppA few sponsors talk about the plates as a filter--guests who don't
notice the plates will not be invited back./ppSome people think it is fun to mock grandma's plates.
And others are in love with robots, monsters, or UFOS./ppIn general, I'd say that my sponsors enjoy
laughing and stand a little closer to the fringe rather than the center of the distribution curve./pdiv
class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/ornament-is-crime-an-inte-
view-with-don-moyer/assets/3309365/edit" data-id="3309365" figure img alt="" class="fit"
src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/309/365/699002ed3701fa8d9dac4cbe87b045a1_original.png?v=142436405
0amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;lossless=trueamp;s=6dced9a0b2ce1196d80
a840023cff377" /figure /div pbDescribe your workspace and your process./b/ppI wish I could tell you
about a magical process with fairies or astounding technology, but my process is actually pretty
mundane:/pul liIn my Moleskine notebook, I start with a drawing of the whole plate, or the plate
center, to see if the calamity will make me laugh. A plague of frogs was funny. A snowstorm was
not. /li liNext I audition elements of the design by drawing them several times in my notebook. For
example, if I need a shrub, tree, or fence, I draw 10 or 20 and pick the best. /li liI scan these
elements and bring them into Adobe Illustrator to make a composition. In Illustrator, I can draw
additional elements like bridges and pagodas, which are more crisp and mechanical looking./li
liThen, I invent borders. Instead of copying a specific traditional design, I look at some old plates
and then make a new design that captures some of the spirit of old plates and mixes it with the spirit
of my notebook drawings. /li liI hang printouts of my designs on my dining room wall and try to see
them fresh each day. Over a period of several weeks, this allows flaws to become visible--too dark,
too light, too thick, too thin, etc. I fix the flaws. /li liIf the Kickstarter project is funded, the ceramics
workshop that supports me produces transfers and then applies my drawing to blank porcelain
plates with vitreous inks and fires them./li /ulpFor me, there are two parts of this process that are
great fun: the original drawing in my notebook is a treat, especially when it makes me laugh.
Building the gaudy borders is also fun because it deals with excess. My training as a graphic
designer was all about "less is more." We were taught that ornament is crime. Willow-pattern plate
borders would earn you a life sentence with the Modernists. To me, that adds another layer to the
joke./pdiv class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/ornament-is-crim-
-an-interview-with-don-moyer/assets/3309392/edit" data-id="3309392" figure img alt="" class="fit"
src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/309/392/f003eb6a2dc4f30ca97b0a24d24df2aa_original.JPG?v=1424364265
amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=ef34934c3ad169f241aa355ed4c
5c6b0" /figure /div pbHave you found or made any surprising connections with people as a result of
your projects?/b/ppI like this question because it recognizes that often, the greatest benefit of a
project will be something that wasn't within the scope of the project. I think of this as the Columbus
Effect. His project was to find a short route to China, but he opened up something even better./ppMy
series of Calamityware Kickstarter projects has helped me make some unexpected connections. I
found a superb coffee roaster in South Dakota. I formed a strong bond with two friends who came to
my rescue with improved business systems. I met someone who makes jewelry out of broken plate

fragments. I've met entrepreneurs doing their own projects who have offered advice to help me cope
with rough spots. I've been invited to exhibit my drawings. I met one of my favorite iNew Yorker/i
cartoonists. And I've corresponded with dozens of charming, kind, and funny people who were
strangers to me before. /ppIt's also possible that many more connections are germinating and will
bear fruit months or even years later. You just never know./ppbWhat's the weirdest or most
interesting thing that has happened as a result of Calamityware?/b/ppHere's one odd angle I didn't
know anything about before I started the Calamityware projects: brbrSeveral archeologists have told
me that shards from broken transferware plates are a valuable tool to date historic sites. I'm told
that all sites in North America have broken china and that experts can date the site by scrutinizing
the fragments. By looking at porcelain type, colors, and images, it is possible to calculate when
people arrived at a site and even where they might have come from. Long-gone global trade routes
can be sussed from the broken bits./ppI'm told that archeologists have timelines that show when
changes in the technology of porcelain occurred. By matching the shards from a site to the time line,
they can determine when the site was occupied. Archeology students are trained to match samples
to these time lines. To mess with the kids, teachers are now including a few shards of Calamityware
among the old pieces. I love the idea of a student trying to understand why the shard they are
studying has flying monkeys on it./ppThen I project the idea forward another thousand years.
Imagine the robotic archeologists of the future sifting through the rubble and trying to make sense
of a piece of Calamityware. I like to picture them good and truly mystified./p Niina Pollari
https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/niina tag:www.kickstarter.com,2009-05-04:BlogPost/1568 2015-
02-18T12:26:00-05:00 2015-02-18T12:27:28-05:00 div class="template asset"
contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/libraries-are-everywhere/assets/3281244/edit" data-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/281/244/0b5ff24fb5f3897788c2227661ab6b6a_original.jpg?v=1423859283
amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=9fc35340cf63051fc4360150283c
e7e5" /figure /div pThe word "library" used to conjure an image of a big brick building full of books
where you had to be quiet all the time, but thanks to the internet, it's now a whole lot less specific.
Take, for example, the a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?ref=nav_searchamp;term=little+free+library
" target="_blank"Little Free Libraries/a that are springing up in neighborhoods all over the world.
Anyone can download plans for a Little Free Library, build it, and fill it with books they want to
share with their community. We've collected a few such projects on a
href="https://mapsengine.google.com/map/u/0/viewer?mid=z4HnWvWeLye0.kBEVoJP9T1JM"
target="_blank"this map/a./ppResources distributed by a library now extend far beyond books too. a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1076439878/seedfolks-seed-library"
target="_blank"Seed libraries/a store, catalogue, and share seeds, while a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1661546233/aurora-st-antho-
y-peace-garden-shed-tool-lending-l" target="_blank"tool libraries/a lend tools and other equipment
out to members of the community. And some libraries have no physical presence whatsoever, such
as a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bjjaszcz/the-medieval-weapons-sound-eff-
cts-library" target="_blank"sound libraries/a, which compile and share digital archives. Tons more
examples of outstanding libraries are viewable using our a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?tag_id=46amp;sort=magic"
target="_blank"Library/a tag./ppWe wanted an update on the state of libraries, so we spoke to a few
creators who have firsthand experience creating or managing them./p pbKauser Razvi/b looked at
the vacant lots in Cleveland, where she resides with her family, and saw an opportunity. She started
a program called a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/literarylots/literary-lots-2014"
target="_blank"Literary Lots/a, which transforms those lots into interactive educational spaces for
children, in an effort to bring books off the page./ppAt his first architecture job after finishing
school, bEdward Boatman/b had trouble locating visual communication assets for his projects. That
inspired him to co-found a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tnp/building-a-free-collect-

on-of-our-worlds-visual-sy" target="_blank"The Noun Project/a, a crowdsourced visual dictionary of
over 100,000 symbols and icons./ppbLeslie Davol/b co-founded and runs a nonprofit called a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/uni/the-uni-a-portable-open-air-reading-room-for-publi"
target="_blank"The Uni Project/a with her husband, Sam. The Uni is a portable reading room,
intended to instantaneously transform nearly any public space into a library./ppThe Henry Miller
Library in Big Sur, California, was founded in 1981, and Assistant Director bMike Scutari/b has
worked there for the past five years. The Library is a nonprofit arts center and book store, and hosts
all manner of community-centric events in their a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/henrymillerlibrary/the-henry-miller-library-in-big-sur-is-
building-a" target="_blank"outdoor amphitheater/a./pdiv class="template asset"
id="3303977" figure img alt="The Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, California. Photo credit: Terry
Way" class="fit" src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/303/977/0c33e1976f0b7e1508f2c2d71afe0058_original.jpg?v=1424280185
amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=9625aef6be2feb562d3b563433a
26d7e" figcaptionThe Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, California. Photo credit: Terry Way/figcaption
/figure /div pbWhat is a library? How would you define it?/b/ppMike: We'd consider a library a
collection of books -- that's the baseline. But a library can also reflect the spirit of the community it
serves or exude a particular sense of experience, depending on how it's curated./ppEdward: A
library is a resource to help humans find, locate, and ultimately use different types of
media./ppKauser: A library is a place for communities to gather, where you can learn, seek
information, gain knowledge, and seek access to things there aren't available from another
source./ppLeslie: Public libraries do so many things these days: cultural programming, social
services, maker spaces, tool shares, cafes. And, of course, Internet access. Sometimes they still have
books too./ppbWhat's so important about libraries?/b/ppLeslie: Libraries embed some of our most
cherished values in an actual place--a place that you can enter without having to pay, alongside
people from all walks of life, where you can learn something and improve yourself. Try this: imagine
deleting all libraries from the city. What remaining places would offer this combination of real
services and symbolic importance? Without libraries, our society feels dramatically
diminished./ppMike: They provide a sense of stillness and reflection in an ever-busy world. They
provide a unique aesthetic experience where it's cool to simply sit down, read a book, and hang out
for hours on end. There are no expectations or commercial demands beyond simply utilizing the
space, and that's a rare thing. Lastly, public libraries provide excellent programming that
supplements in-school learning and give kids a place to go after school./pdiv class="template asset"
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/281/861/d6a619b515f41230e3cb4da56a027b71_original.jpg?v=142386602
9amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=58e472c341336547ec8252f9e5
4ca229" /figure /div pbWhat do all good libraries have in common?/b/ppKauser: Great
librarians. Great librarians can open your eyes to new books and ideas, and help lead you to things
you might not have otherwise be able to find./ppLeslie: Libraries are nothing special, I think, without
people behind them--not just to answer your reference questions but to act as hosts of these
important spaces./ppMike: In an age of automated customer service and unsolicited "cold texts," it's
difficult to find places where you can talk to a real-live human, face to face, without a paralyzing
sense of urgency. It's refreshing./pdiv class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-
edit_url="/blog/libraries-are-everywhere/assets/3300281/edit" data-id="3300281" figure img
alt="The Noun Project, a digital symbol and icon library." class="fit" src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/300/281/c98845332c5684fd0c5bd84f17203253_original.png?v=142420984
0amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;lossless=trueamp;s=bf003c28435e499d61f
a7bd0faaebe6e" figcaptionThe Noun Project, a digital symbol and icon library./figcaption /figure /div
pbThe year is 2050. What are libraries like in the future?/b/ppEdward: I recently tried the Oculus

virtual reality headset, it was hands down the most powerful technological experience I've ever had,
and I can't imagine that libraries won't use this technology in the future. Imagine browsing through
the Library of Congress in your living room./ppKauser: I think in 2050, when I'm really old lady,
people will feel the need to get out of their digital world/pods and the library can be a place where
so many ideas and mediums mix./ppMike: Libraries will fully embrace their role as a community
gathering space. /ppLeslie: I have no idea! Ours will still have real books with pages you can turn, I
can promise you that. Our little institution lives or dies by our ability to attract people's attention,
engage them, and delight them in a world that is saturated with screens. We have great pop-up
books./ppbWhat advice do you have for people that want to create a library of their
own?/b/ppKauser: It's the ideas of collection and bringing together that are so important for a
library./ppLeslie: Build a collection of great books. Share. /ppMike: Don't be intimidated by new
technology trends or keeping up with the Joneses. Rather, embrace your strengths -- things like your
connections to community organizations, individuals, and your area's history./ppEdward: Build
around you a community of like-minded passionate people that share your vision. Then empower this
community to help collect, curate, and share the content within your library. You'll find as this
community grows, so will your library. /pdiv class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-
edit_url="/blog/libraries-are-everywhere/assets/3303987/edit" data-id="3303987" figure img alt=""
class="fit" src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/303/987/39242b9b5b733b8ff96b79e5d52f07ad_original.jpg?v=142428029
2amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=07cca9fca9329cb83abafd3be1c
e982f" /figure /div Michael C. Stewart https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/michael
-17T14:27:34-05:00 pThere's nothing more fun than being a fan and connecting with people who
share your obsessions. It's even better when you can create your own art based on fandom, and
allow like-minded people to share in your celebration. Here are a few of our favorite publishing
projects that celebrate the best of pop culture./ph1 a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/406738078/encyclopedia-madonnica-20th-anniversary-e
dition?ref=nav_search" target="_blank"Encyclopedia Madonnica/a /h1div class="template video"
contenteditable="false" data-href="/projects/406738078/encyclopedia-madonnica-20th-anniver-
ary-edition" data-id="1248477" div class="player" div class="video-player" data-
-
original.JPG?v=1410130013amp;w=560amp;h=420amp;fit=cropamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=
c048ac30352b79861da611b97823a575" data-video-track-
r-
url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/406738078/encyclopedia-madonnica-20th-anniversary-edi
tion/video/plays" data-video-url="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1248477/vid-
8477/video-43731-
-
-43731-
-

alt="quot;Encyclopedia Madonnicaquot; 20th Anniversary Edition!'s video poster"
-
original.JPG?v=1410130013amp;w=560amp;h=420amp;fit=cropamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=
c048ac30352b79861da611b97823a575" div aria-label="Play video" class="play_button_big
progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div /div /div /div /div /div /div pThe
comprehensive reference book for die-hard Madge fans, the 20th anniversary edition of Matthew
Rettenmund's iEncyclopedia Madonnica/i (originally published in 1995 by St. Martin's) has been
updated to include new never-before seen photos and other Madonnabilia./ph1 a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/calk/sixteenbynine-a-new-magaz-
ne-about-tv?ref=nav_search" target="_blank"sixteenbynine/a /h1div class="template video"
contenteditable="false" data-href="/projects/calk/sixteenbynine-a-new-magazine-about-tv" data-
id="484355" div class="player" div class="video-player" data-
-
original.jpg?v=1405425672amp;w=560amp;h=420amp;fit=cropamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=c
4381aeb668763f4eda3b1758797e7e5" data-video-track-
r-
url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/calk/sixteenbynine-a-new-magazine-about-tv/video/plays"
data-video-url="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/484355/video-421-
355/video-42109-
-
-h264_base.mp4?2014","webm":"https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/484355/vide-
-42109-
-

alt="sixteenbynine - A New Magazine About TV's video poster" class="has_played_hide poster
-
4381aeb668763f4eda3b1758797e7e5" div aria-label="Play video" class="play_button_big
progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div /div /div /div /div /div /div pA gorgeously
designed must-have magazine for TV aficionados featuring original art and tons of great features
and reviews (not to mention a recurring feature by a "Secret TV Exec.") /ph1 a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1214951246/barbra-memories?ref=nav_search"
target="_blank"Barbra Memories/a /h1div class="template video" contenteditable="false" data-
href="/projects/1214951246/barbra-memories" data-id="160112" div class="player" div
class="video-player" data-dimensions='"width":480,"height":360' data-image="https://ks-
-
original.jpg?v=1397780194amp;w=560amp;h=420amp;fit=cropamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=f
d1deffa123f27c83b373570e141dbcf" data-video-track-
r-url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1214951246/barbra-memories/video/plays" data-vide-
-url="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/160112/video-103611-h264_high.mp4" data-
112/video-10361-
-
-
h264_base.mp4?2012","width":560,"height":420,"frame":"https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/pro
jects/160112/video-103611-h264_base.jpg?2012"' video class="landscape" preload="none" source
src="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/160112/video-103611-h264_high.mp4"
type='video/mp4; codecs="avc1.42E01E, mp4a.40.2"'/source You'll need an HTML5 capable browser
to see this content. /video img alt="Barbra Memories's video poster" class="has_played_hide poster

-
original.jpg?v=1397780194amp;w=560amp;h=420amp;fit=cropamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=f
d1deffa123f27c83b373570e141dbcf" div aria-label="Play video" class="play_button_big
progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div /div /div /div /div /div /div pA coffee table
book tribute to the one and only Babs, with stories gathered from her most passionate fans./ph1a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1601657943/for-your-eyes-only-the-book-f-
om-the-secret-life-o?ref=nav_search" target="_blank"For Your Eyes Only /a/h1div class="template
video" contenteditable="false" data-href="/projects/1601657943/for-your-eyes-only-the-bo-
k-from-the-secret-life-o" data-id="1475894" div class="player" div class="video-player" data-
-
930ab2aaae61c19880fe8a1386dc0da" data-video-track-
r-
url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1601657943/for-your-eyes-only-the-book-from-the-secret-l
ife-o/video/plays" data-video-url="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1475894/vid-
5894/video-48867-
-
-48867-
-
alt="For Your Eyes Only: the graphic book from Greg Guillemin's video poster"

-
930ab2aaae61c19880fe8a1386dc0da" div aria-label="Play video" class="play_button_big
progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div /div /div /div /div /div /div pWhat do your
favorite superheroes do when they're just hanging out? Illustrator Grégoire Guillemin attempts to
answer that question in iThe Secret Life of Heroes,/i a graphic anthology featuring many beloved
characters as you've never ever seen them before./ph1a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andreakalfas/damn-fine-coffee-a-twin-peaks-fan-zine?ref
=nav_search" target="_blank"Damn Fine Coffee/a/h1div class="template video"
contenteditable="false" data-href="/projects/andreakalfas/damn-fine-coffee-a-twin-peaks-fan-zine"
data-id="268956" div class="player" div class="video-player" data-
-
e73f696483e0be4eff1a5f3b8aeb4e4" data-video-track-
r-
url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andreakalfas/damn-fine-coffee-a-twin-peaks-fan-zine/vide
o/plays" data-video-url="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/268956/video-147-
956/video-14773-
-
-
h264_base.mp4?2012","width":640,"height":480,"frame":"https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/pro
jects/268956/video-147735-h264_base.jpg?2012"' video class="landscape" preload="none" source
src="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/268956/video-147735-h264_high.mp4"
type='video/mp4; codecs="avc1.42E01E, mp4a.40.2"'/source You'll need an HTML5 capable browser
to see this content. /video img alt="Damn Fine Coffee! A Twin Peaks Fan Zine's video poster"
-

e73f696483e0be4eff1a5f3b8aeb4e4" div aria-label="Play video" class="play_button_big
progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div /div /div /div /div /div /div piTwin Peaks /iis
really having a moment lately. iDamn Fine Coffee /iis an art zine that celebrates the 1990-1991 serial
crime drama -- and it's pie and coffee-loving hero -- just in time for the show's return for a limited
season run in 2016./ph1a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mattbusch/hollywood-is-de-
d-coffee-table-art-book?ref=nav_search" target="_blank"Hollywood Is Dead/a/h1div class="template
video" contenteditable="false" data-href="/projects/mattbusch/hollywood-is-dead-coffee-tab-
e-art-book" data-id="715798" div class="player" div class="video-player" data-
-
1205847a51b9a41eb0f588e11d50afe" data-video-track-
r-
url="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mattbusch/hollywood-is-dead-coffee-table-art-book/video/
plays" data-video-url="https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/715798/video-308-
798/video-30886-
-
-h264_base.mp4?2013","webm":"https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/715798/vide-
-30886-
-
alt="HOLLYWOOD IS DEAD Coffee Table Art Book's video poster" class="has_played_hide poster

-
1205847a51b9a41eb0f588e11d50afe" div aria-label="Play video" class="play_button_big
progress_bar_handle" role="slider" tabindex="0"/div /div /div /div /div /div /div /div pA book that
captures the undead in many of our most celebrated films, iHollywood Is Dead/i gives zombie
makeovers to a variety of iconic movie posters. /p maris kreizman
https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/mariskreizman tag:www.kickstarter.com,2009-0-
-04:BlogPost/1553 2015-02-17T13:22:00-05:00 2015-02-17T13:23:36-05:00 pOver the past five
years, more than 200,000 creators have shared their projects with the team at Kickstarter. We work
with creators to provide advice and support, and to review whether their projects align with our
focus on bringing creative projects to life. Last year we made an a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/introducing-launch-now-and-simplified-rules-0"
target="_blank"important change/a to our review process. Today we'd like to update you on what's
happened since./ppIt's important to note that every project on Kickstarter is reviewed -- first by an
algorithm and then, if needed, by a member of our team. How does the algorithm work? It analyzes
thousands of attributes in a project and looks at how our team has handled similar projects. If the
algorithm gives a green light, the creator can launch their project immediately, or get personal
feedback from a member of our team first. If the algorithm puts up a red light, the project is
manually reviewed by our team to make sure it meets our rules. Simple as that. /ppHere's how this
has played out since we finished rolling out a new version of the system in June:/pdiv
class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/how-projects-launc-
-on-kickstarter/assets/3299095/edit" data-id="3299095" figure img alt="" class="fit"
src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/299/095/bee2f397add0b082701ecc022db4ceb6_original.jpg?v=142419682
3amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=08ca1b86ef724ea7afdba50f7d0
c1d52" /figure /div p As you can see, 31% of projects chose to launch on their own, 9% asked for
additional help from our team, and 60% were manually reviewed by a team member. /ppThis new
process is a big improvement in three important ways: it creates a fast track for projects that have
historically been simple approvals; it makes our team even more available to creators who want
additional support; and it gives us more time to make informed decisions about the projects we need
to review. As more projects come in, we'll continue to refine the algorithm and process to help more
creators share their creative projects with the world. /ppWhy do we put so much attention into
reviewing projects? Because it's our job to make sure we're fostering a healthy community -- one
where everybody's clear on how things work, people can trust one another, and projects of all
shapes and sizes can succeed. We have a few simple rules, built to make sure that happens. A

healthy Kickstarter means being diligent about making sure new projects fit those guidelines -- and
taking the time to talk with anyone who could use a little help. /ppHave a project of your own you'd
like to share with the Kickstarter community? Get started a
href="https://www.kickstarter.com/start" target="_blank"here/a. We look forward to working with
you -- as much or as little as you need. /pdiv/div Yancey Strickler
https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/yancey tag:www.kickstarter.com,2009-05-04:BlogPost/1562
2015-02-13T13:18:00-05:00 2015-02-13T13:18:45-05:00 pHappy Valentine's Day--or not! Maybe it's
not your thing, and that is totally cool. In the grand scheme of holidays, it's a pretty divisive one.
Whatever your stance, though, there are plenty of movies that celebrate, disparage, explore, grapple
with, and examine the concept of love and relationships. We combed through our very own a
href="http://www.kickstarter.com/watch" target="_blank"Watch Now/a page to pick a few, which
you can preview below, and watch a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/watch"
target="_blank"here/a. /ph1a
href="https://itunes.apple.com/movie/id885581815?amp;at=1l3v7Loamp;ct=watch"
target="_blank"Obvious Child/a/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/r2GN3wdfqbA" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r2GN3wdfqbA?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen/iframe /div h1a
target="_blank"Lust for Love/a/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/w_fy3efQCaE" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w_fy3efQCaE?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
target="_blank"I Used to Be Darker/a/h1 div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/ccvdxHHhnb8" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ccvdxHHhnb8?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
target="_blank"Daylight Savings/a/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/0YqVAMtokeI" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0YqVAMtokeI?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
target="_blank"Barmy/a/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/sRYzTPfdTzg" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sRYzTPfdTzg?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
target="_blank"Good Night/a/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/sf3YEo45nCs" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sf3YEo45nCs?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
target="_blank"Newlyweeds/a/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/HNwxdka5kJM" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HNwxdka5kJM?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
target="_blank"Wish I Was Here/a/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/aCponfeWNOI" iframe width="560" height="315"

src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aCponfeWNOI?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
target="_blank"Seeking Asian Female/a/h1 div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false"
data-href="http://youtu.be/3kbGrQe17cU" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3kbGrQe17cU?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
target="_blank"Bridegroom/a/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/wMUk1Qn6hFE" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wMUk1Qn6hFE?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
target="_blank"I Do /a/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/XOdmm9EYw6g" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XOdmm9EYw6g?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
target="_blank"Keep The Lights On/a/h1div class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-
href="http://youtu.be/i_RNbeCpMsM" iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i_RNbeCpMsM?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen/iframe /div Sam Hockley-Smith
https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/1250323841 tag:www.kickstarter.com,2009-0-
-04:BlogPost/1559 2015-02-12T14:13:00-05:00 2015-02-12T14:13:57-05:00 piEric Mersmann has
just completed his Kickstarter project for Valentine's Day cards featuring an amorous octopus,
dubbed the a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/agbulleteric/cephalovepod-letterpres-
-valentines-card-sbpxphine" target="_blank"Cephalovepod/a. This past fall he ran a/ii project to
create a limited run of a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/agbulleteric/cthulhu-
letterpress-printed-and-foil-stamped-holid" target="_blank"Cthulhu holiday cards/a. Mersmann
clearly knows his way around a letterpress, so we asked him to walk us through the process./i/pdiv
class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/the-proce-
s-letterpress/assets/3257211/edit" data-id="3257211" figure img alt="" class="fit" src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/257/211/bf3d1a59c3964c464cfe9f291b360fb5_original.jpg?v=1423499602
amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=69ed8b63a7cbbc2abc798b5e53
1aba44" /figure /div h1bPre-press/b/h1pMost of my work begins life as digital files. There are some
great letterpress outfits who work with movable type, but that's not feasible for something like
Cephalovepod. With Cephalovepod, most of the pre-press work was done by the original artist, a
href="http://octophant.us/" target="_blank"Phineas X. Jones/a, who had originally designed the work
as a a href="http://octophant.us/store/cephalovepod-open-edition" target="_blank"screen print/a.
/pdiv class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/the-proce-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/257/212/4f7b5d37adb94ee3ee01a304dbdb30ca_original.jpg?v=142349962
7amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=c8622d8b2ba9ff989a3cf097be
78af3f" /figure /div pI had to make a few adjustments to prepare the work for letterpress printing,
and then I sent the files off to a href="https://www.boxcarpress.com/" target="_blank"Boxcar/a to
have photopolymer plates made. About 95% of what I print is from photopolymer, a highly malleable
plastic that cures when exposed to UV light./pdiv class="template asset" contenteditable="false"
data-edit_url="/blog/the-process-letterpress/assets/3257214/edit" data-id="3257214" figure img
alt="" class="fit" src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/257/214/e2939abfe18d0a053071e0f3a0008cba_original.jpg?v=1423499660
amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=9373ee732e24afba9b9f0d89efa4

dc59" /figure /div pWhile I wait for the plates to arrive (usually 3-5 days) I make sure that my paper
stock is in order and ready to go. For Cephalovepod, I was using the same stock that I used for my
previous project, so this time around it was mostly a matter of ordering more matching envelopes
from a href="http://www.frenchpaper.com/" target="_blank"French Paper Company/a, a great,
family-owned mill out of Niles, Michigan./ph1bOn Press/b/h1pOnce the photopolymer plates have
arrived (and funding on the project was completed) I head into the printshop to make the cards. For
Cephalovepod, I printed at a href="http://www.thearmnyc.com/" target="_blank"The Arm/a, a
public-access letterpress shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Presses are huge and I live in a fifth-floor
walkup, so it's not feasible for me to own my own press; having access to a place like The Arm is a
lifesaver for me./pdiv class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/th-
-process-letterpress/assets/3257220/edit" data-id="3257220" figure img alt="" class="fit"
src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/257/220/7b8ab4f277c75d3e45ff498de99488df_original.jpg?v=1423499717
amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=c683a899656d273c36550e4aa8f
d3789" /figure /div pThe printing presses at The Arm are a mix of motorized and hand-powered. For
Cephalovepod, I was fortunate to be able to use the Vandercook Universal III, a 2350-pound beast
with a powered carriage return which saved me from having to pace the floor for seven days./pdiv
class="template oembed" contenteditable="false" data-href="http://youtu.be/HqvM_45Xs9E" iframe
width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HqvM_45Xs9E?feature=oembedamp;wmode=transparent"
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen/iframe /div pI averaged around 150 impressions per hour (which is
pretty good for me) so the whole process of printing the Cephalovepod cards took about 55 hours
over the course of two weeks, printing the colors in a certain order to make sure the overprinting
worked the right way--Pink, Yellow, Red, Grey, Black./pdiv class="template asset"
contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/the-process-letterpress/assets/3257236/edit" data-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/257/236/d9d03f09ae0c5218a95d9a0e3374a1d5_original.jpg?v=142349989
5amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=ea0806fcffee86bc6eeb2f753a3
e3f81" /figure /div h1Post-Press/h1pOnce everything is printed, I do a quality check to make sure
everything is perfect. The Vandercook presses are great at getting precise registration, but mistakes
do happen. /pdiv class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/the-proce-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/257/245/63daf9d4ad44da488347b8d2c5ef49c0_original.jpg?v=142349999
0amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=490ab6d86cde5139152173405
b2c3ef5" /figure /div pI typically estimate 10% waste per color, and then am consistently pleasantly
surprised when I manage less than that. On Cephalovepod, I did have some extras, which I was able
to offer to folks who missed out on the 800-count edition for my backers./ppThen it's into envelopes
and out the door! Post-press on this project including QC and fulfillment took about five days. I was
a little more rushed than I would have liked because I knew my backers would want the cards with
plenty of time before Valentine's Day, so I made sure to get everything out the door with plenty of
time to spare./pdiv class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/the-proce-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/257/355/f8dd66c47b6eaa90d5b98be92473ea34_original.jpg?v=142350111
4amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=53aec09b4529e48505ed2f0fe8
e082c3" /figure /div Michael C. Stewart https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/michael
-12T15:04:15-05:00 div class="template asset" contenteditable="false" data-edit_url="/blog/ope-
-sourcing-the-code-from-our-2013-year-in-review-and-the-whit/assets/3272016/edit" data-
id="3272016" figure img alt="Top: a president. Bottom: a co-worker." class="fit" src="https://ksr-
ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/272/016/2ff14b3e3f7c9497b1f238f5213146d6_original.jpg?v=1423706431
amp;w=700amp;h=amp;fit=maxamp;auto=formatamp;q=92amp;s=3f3edeb40f22790a3523b058dcb

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