Starting this week, I have decided to write a weekly column updating readers on the “Voyage Universe,” as well as give readers a lighter, more casual insight into our company. And in the process, you get to know me a little bit better, the guy who tries to steer this ship in the right direction and keep it on course.
This column is a call-back to Stan’s Soapbox, a much beloved part of Marvel Comics for many years, where Stan Lee would “get on his soapbox” and give his perspective, while also responding to reader’s questions. The name itself might also bring to mind Star Trek’s infamous Captain’s Log, typically relayed by Captain Kirk.
Anyway, this past week we concluded a self-hosted crowdfunding campaign for the first issue of The Phantom Phoenix. Normally we would have turned to Kickstarter or Indiegogo, but this time we wanted to try one for ourselves. The results were great! Through our own efforts we were able to raise most of what we needed to complete production on this first issue. It was a learning experience and not everyone was thrilled with it. There were a few people who thought I was running a scam, trying to raise money for my own personal needs and were reluctant to place their pre-order. It was also confusing to others, who were worried that if we didn’t make our goal, that they would essentially lose their money and wouldn’t see a product. Trust is always a tricky issue, especially when it comes to creating products for a “digital” audience. Most of you don’t know me and I don’t have “celebrity” status, nor do I have a big company behind me. For all you know I could be a Russian spy, trying to mine information. Or I could be a “pirate,” trying to pillage and sell your information to the highest bidder. That’s the weird thing about the internet. You don’t know me and I don’t know you and somehow you are supposed to trust me! Anyway, the good news is that The Phantom Phoenix is currently being worked on by our talented artists and as long as we don’t run into any storms, we will have the first issue ready by May 2021!
Some of you have been asking me when Finnian Issue 5 will be ready. I am writing the script for that issue right now and hope to have it completed within the next few weeks. One dream of mine is that our tiny, little company can produce issues at a much faster pace. Right now we only have the capacity to produce roughly 2-4 comic books in a year. This is because we don’t have the financial backing of a major investor. It’s why we turn to crowdfunding for each of our comics. Each of our comics costs roughly $10,000 – $13,000 to produce. The reason why it is so expensive is because we hire top-tier artists, many of whom have worked for Marvel and DC Comics and others are simply talented individuals. It would be great if we could churn out multiple titles each week like the Big Guys, but we can’t right now. Hopefully someday we will have the capacity to compete with the Big Guys. The main problem for us is exposure. We do what we can to get our comics out there in people’s hands, but again, people don’t know if they can trust us! I don’t have the charisma of a Fr. Mike Schmitz, or the popularity of a Mark Wahlberg. Most of you still think I am a Russian spy! (I mean, I do have a suspicious last name!) We also don’t have much of a marketing budget, as most of our money is poured into new products. It’s probably not a good business model, but, you know, we are “creators” and our focus is on crafting fantastical worlds that inspire the next generation.
For those of you who are still reading this (I know, probably most of you clocked-out after the first sentence), but if you are still with me, I wanted to invite you to send in your questions or letters. You can do this through our Contact Page, or through an old-fashioned letter. I don’t often get physical letters, but it is always a treat, especially when it is written by an 8-year old boy who is pumped about Finnian and the Seven Mountains. Also, I just posted our physical mailing address on the Contact Page. Hopefully that proves that we aren’t based in someone’s basement in Rus–(Ok, you get it).
That’s it for this week. The column turned out much longer than I expected, but I hope you read past the first few lines. And don’t forget! Send me your questions!
Until next week,
Philip Kosloski (The weird guy who isn’t a Russian spy)
Philip Kosloski
Philip Kosloski is the founder of Voyage Comics & Publishing and the writer and creator of the comic book series, Finnian and the Seven Mountains.