(Cross-posted as an update on the Year Two Kickstarter.)

With the origin of the Dark Everett in full swing, Cura is reaching a number of crazy, incredible milestones. Five hundred pages? Check. Three years in existence? Check. Very tired artist and writer? That’s a distinct possibility as well!

By my calculations (typing noises) we will hit page 514, the end of the third year, on April 5th. Soon after, we will attempt to Kickstart a third volume. What does that mean for you?

Well, it means I need your input, honestly. Here is the general takeaway from our last Kickstarter:

1) People want hardcover options.

2) People want the high quality paper.

3) WOW, you people are awesome.

It’s really that simple, aside from months and months of work, but that’s what we live to do, make comics, so no biggie. The reason I bring this up is because I want to make sure that our version of the takeaway matches with yours, because our initial plans are ambitious, and we want to make sure that you guys are eager to be ambitious with us, so we need your opinions on things we’re considering:

-Our current plan is to have hardcovers and great paper right from the start. It will bump our target goal up a bit, but we’re thinking that putting faith in you all hasn’t led us astray. We will continue the limited hardcovers (as supplies last), including a new run of 50 for Year Three, but we also want to introduce unlimited hardcovers. These will cost less than the limited hardcovers, but lack sketches and have inscriptions from me.

-If you bought a limited run hardcover last time, we will match your number (out of fifty) if you purchase a new one in the Year Three Kickstarter. We kept track.

-For the exclusive backup material, Dex and I are planning on previewing a new comic we’re working on together called The Domain. It’ll be the first and only place you can get a look at the work in progress for a while, and we think you’ll dig it.

-We’re also maintaining most of the tiers we had in the last Kickstarter (sketches, dedication, etc), but adding a new one, where you can get a piece of original art with the purchase of hardcovers. There may be a cameo option.

-We are planning on shooting for a late April/Early May start, and a July/August delivery for trades.

-Our target is looking to be around $8,000, where our stretch goals for hardcovers and better paper were last year.

We are curious about your experience with the last Kickstarter. Did you like the postcards? The buttons? The bookmarks? The sketches? Are there any ways we could improve, or are there things you’d like to see we’re not doing? Any comments, really, are welcome. Anyone who wants to email me can at neal@nealbailey.com, and we encourage you to be frank, as this book will not come to pass without you, and we want it to please you when it comes along.

Thanks again for your support last year, and I look forward to earning your faith again in the next few months!

Neal