Like Zombies and Werewolves? Then check out Eternal Autumn!

If you the reader have ever enjoyed anything I have written, you owe some thanks to Chris Delloiacono and Daron Kappauff.   Chris has been a close friend and writing partner since we met over 15 years ago working at K-B Toys.  Chris ended up doing some writing at 411mania, so I followed the site regularly, though I was annoyed at the time by their lack of coverage for Crossgen.  So I sent an email to the editor, Daron Kappauff, and he basically told me, “If you like Crossgen so much, write up a sample review and I’ll put you in charge of writing for Crossgen.”  I basically had never done a review before, but I gave it a shot, and Daron clearly saw something in me as he hired me.  And I’ve been writing about comics ever since.  Chris ended up at Critical Blast, and as usual, I eventually tagged along and that is how I got here.

Chris and Daron are not just my close friends, but also two talented sons of bitches.  A few months ago, they started sending me samples of their new project Eternal Autumn, which launched on Kickstarter yesterday with the extremely modest goal of $4,000.

So what’s it about?

Eternal Autumn is the story of a post-human world, where the human race has been hunted to near extinction by the creatures that haunt our dreams and nightmares. Near the turn of the 21st century, tensions between the Werewolf Nation and the Vampire Kingdom exploded, and the centuries long feud became an all out war. For years this war was carried out in secret, but when the Vampire Kingdom unleashed a zombie horde on the unsuspecting werewolves, the war spilled into man's world. Mankind, unfortunately, was unprepared and subsequently wiped out.

Our story picks up decades later. The Werewolf Nation and Vampire Kingdom have splintered into various factions that are constantly at war, both internally and externally, as they vie for power, territory, and control of the earth's last natural resource: humans. The story follows a group of survivors making their way across the barren wasteland of the former United States, as they look for other survivors and a fabled human city that has not only survived but flourished.

Eternal Autumn is being drawn by Iwan Nazif.  I don’t know his work all that well, but if these samples are any example, he is a huge talent:

While I typically support Kickstarters to help get projects I want to see on the shelves, this one also has some really cool incentives:

-          $17 will get you signed and personalized copy of the script in addition to the comic itself. If you are a fan of seeing how the sausage is made (I AM!) you can’t beat this one.

-          $20 will get you a Kickstarter exclusive covers, each limited to 50 copies.

-          For comic shops. $20 will get you 5 copies and you can have your shop’s name listed as a supporter.

-          $75, you can have Ian Dorian draw a Variant sketch cover for you.

-          $100 – Ross A Campbell will do a digital process sketch for you, and give you all the files showing your sketch in process.

-          $150 – Get drawn into the comic as a zombie!!!!

-          $200 – Sketch from Phil Hester (who is doing the cover for Eternal Autumn)

-          $200 – Original pages from Eternal Autumn #1

-          $250 – Appear in the book in a speaking role!

-          $350 – Recurring role in the book as a werewolf antagonist

-          $400 – Full color sketch from comic legend Todd Nauck (one of my personal favorites.  Young Justice for Life!)

Chris and Daron?  Do you have anything to add?

Chris: You laid everything out so nicely, Mike.  Plus, I loved the trip down memory lane!

As for my thoughts, we hope to really excite fans with our drawn-in rewards.  If you've ever wanted to be in a comic, this is your chance!  I know it was something that I dreamed about a lot as a kid.  Hell, even as an adult!  Like you mentioned, you can be a zombie, a werewolf, or even an ongoing cast members that will navigate our horrific world for as long as they can survive!  We thought this was a pretty amazing way to thank supporters of Eternal Autumn.

There are also tons of other sketch rewards that might not get you in the comic, but they'll bring you some pretty terrific pieces of art to hang on your wall. Plus, we have several variant covers that are extremely limited (I'm talking 50 copies!) and these won't ever be printed again.  

In the end, we tried to make the rewards special, rare, and cool for the backers!

Daron: Thanks, Mike. Like Chris said, you pretty well explained everything.

I just want to add that we’re really trying to do something different with the horror genre with this project. We’ve come up with some original takes on the classic movie monsters, and we’ve brought them all together in a way, I know I’ve never seen before. At the end of the day, Chris and I are story tellers, and that’s what we want to do. And the best part is, if you help us get the story to print, you’ll not only get to read, you’ll also have access to some pretty awesome Kickstarter exclusive swag.

We hope you all like what you see of the project, and we can’t thank those who have already backed us enough!