AARDEHN: AWAKENING, a lush oversized illustrated novella!

AARDEHN: December Progress Update
over 1 year ago – Wed, Dec 11, 2024 at 02:48:57 PM

Hello, Dear Backers!

We’re excited to share the latest progress on Aardehn: Awakening. The script is currently undergoing a substantive editorial pass, ensuring the story is as gripping, polished, and immersive as possible. This stage is vital in bringing the world of Aardehn to life and making sure the tale delivers everything you’ve been dreaming of (and more!).

Meanwhile, the incredible Eric Vedder is hard at work crafting some truly breathtaking artwork for the book. We couldn’t resist sharing a sneak peek of one of the chapter openers here...

We’re pouring everything we have into making Aardehn: Awakening an unforgettable experience!

We'll be back in 2025 with more behind-the-scenes updates, art reveals, and production milestones — till then, please have a lovely and safe holiday season!

Until next time,

The RAID Team

Writing update from SM Carter and Eric Vedder
over 1 year ago – Wed, Nov 06, 2024 at 02:56:01 PM

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to give a quick update on where the writing is at for Aardehn: Awakenings.

I just submitted draft 3.0 of the book to editorial. DING!  

This was big for me because while I’ve had ¾ of the book done for months, the last three chapters were a bit tricky as I wanted to make sure that Celeste’s first story got the twisty-yet-satisfying ending it deserves.  

I think I have that now… but I’m sure the editorial team at Raid Press of Darcy, Rob, and Maria  will (absolutely trash it) have some exceptional feedback to make it even better.

While they do that, I’ll be working on refining some of the captions and dialogue for the comic sections of the book.

Speaking of which: Eric continues to kill it with the art. He’s crushing through full page illustrations for every chapter heading… so you’re in for a treat there. Actually… you deserve a sneak peek:



****drools in cyberpunk*****

I guess all this is to say: we’re right on track schedule wise and the book is coming along great.

SM


I also wanted to give a shout out to my favorite Kickstarter that is currently running. It’s an amazing graphic novel called: Blackmouth. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing much of the behind the scenes on this book and well… that made me back it day 1 no questions asked. 

It’s got magic and murder (yes), mystery and conspiracies (Yes), plus gothic horror and witchcraft (YES!!!!).  I should add that Katie and Kyle are passionate creators that you owe yourself the pleasure of getting to know. Check it out!


 

Aardehn - October Progress Update!
over 1 year ago – Tue, Oct 15, 2024 at 07:29:03 AM

Though the campaign for Aardehn: Awakening has officially ended, the journey behind the scenes is far from over! Author Sheldon Carter's script is in it's final stages. Meanwhile, Eric Vedder is as focussed as can be in crafting the stunning artwork that will bring this premiere volume to life.

While much of Eric's art for the story revolves around pivotal, dramatic reveals (and we’re keeping those under wraps), we couldn’t resist sharing some behind-the-scenes development sketches to give you a glimpse of what’s to come. The team here is hard at work as we move steadily toward our March 2025 fulfillment, eager to share this world with you!

Meanwhile...

While Aardehn is in its production phase, we here at RAID Press are moving full steam ahead on BARADA and NIKTO, volumes 5 and 6 of our ongoing RAID Anthology series. The Kickstarter campaign launched last week on October 8th and features our 2 books, which showcase 35 stories by 50 international creators - with sizzling cover art by none other than Shawn Crystal and Mike Del Mundo!

Check out BARADA & NIKTO: A RAID COMIC ANTHOLOGY DOUBLE FEATURE NOW!

The RAID Team. 

THANK YOU for making our dream a reality!
over 1 year ago – Wed, Sep 11, 2024 at 01:39:25 PM

Thank you everyone. We did it!

Eric and I have dreamed of this day for years, and you have made that dream come true. Our first cinematic novella and book one of a long-lasting series, Aardehn: Awakening, is now a reality.

This was an incredible experience for us that spanned the entire spectrum of joy. We can't believe all the upgrades to the book, the gatefold beginning, and the inserted map of Torin. Wow!

We're full of gratitude for all of you and wanted to call out a few very important people, who helped us through this campaign:

First and foremost: Ramón Pérez. Ramón was a fantastic friend to us both, a supporter, a mentor, and our master book designer. We can't tell you how many pieces of art, mockups, ideas, promotions, and just plain hard work that Ramón put in. 

We'd like to extend a massive thanks to our artist friends, who did a killer job with their pinups for the project. Dax Gordine, Derek Laufman, Cary Nord, Joe Vriens, Mike Roberts, Karl Kerschl, Andy Belanger, and Scott Hepburn. You guys were so generous with your time, and your excitement for the project was so easy to see in your work!

We also really appreciate Rob Coughler, Maria Luigia, and Darcy Shea at Raid Press. Thanks for the late-night slacks, the page management, and for being great cheerleaders for us. And a shout out to Studio Jean-Guy, for their excellent promotional work and putting up with us in front of the camera.

We also want to call out our colleagues from Digital Extremes and The Raid Studio, who supported the book and lent all their social media muscle to this campaign.

Last, a special thanks to our families for putting up with us! Annette and Samantha were creative springboards, idea validators, and fountains of never-ending encouragement.

Again, our biggest thanks to you, the backers. We're eternally grateful for your support and enthusiasm for the project. We cannot wait for you to experience it! 

Cheers,

S. M. Carter & Eric Vedder

PS/ Kickstarter is currently processing credit card payments for your pledges, so please take a moment to double-check that your payment information is up to date and correct to avoid any issues. If there’s any problem with your payment, Kickstarter will notify you, and you'll have a window of time to correct it.

STRETCH GOALS ACHIEVED & NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS!
over 1 year ago – Tue, Sep 03, 2024 at 07:28:01 AM

PLUS... T-SHIRTS!

We're thrilled to announce the addition of a variety of Aardehn T-Shirts to the campaign! These shirts will be available in unisex sizes, with sizing details collected post-campaign. We've got a classic Aardehn Logo Tee, and Sigil Tee, plus an all-new Celeste Tee featuring Celeste on the front and a retro-80s style Aardehn logo on the back. And because we love pushing boundaries, we've also designed a full cut-and-sew print, showcasing the now-infamous Celeste poster image on the front, with Skar and a stylized Aardehn logo on the back. (Please note that the back design is still in progress, but we wanted to share this exciting news with you ASAP!)

All T-Shirts are available in the Add-Ons section of the campaign and can be added to any physical tier!

A lastly we have a new print available in the add-ons! Celeste by Fol'Klor creator Cary Nord (Conan the Barbarian, XO MAnowar, Daredevil).

We are one week away from wrapping up this campaign and we couldn't be more excited to be on this journey with you all.

Thank you all again for your continued support!

Cheers!!

Eric