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A children’s book written by Pak (with art by Takeshi Miyazawa) and based on a song by Coulton was created as a stretch goal in 2013’s Code Monkey Save World comic book Kickstarter campaign and, once the final product was in the hands of readers, they headed back to the crowdfunding platform to see if there was demand for a print version.
There was — and now they’ve raised over $100,000 toward hardcovers, activity books, a Spanish-language translation and more. Pak and Coulton joined Comicbook.com this weekend to talk about the project.
Greg Pak: I had no idea before we launched the CMSW Kickstarter what the future might hold. But within a few hours of launching, I got a sense of the possible demand and thought we might have a chance to be at this for a while. It’s been a massive thrill and we hugely appreciate all our backers.
Incidentally, we owe you a special thanks, Russ. I don’t know if you know this, but you were the VERY FIRST BACKER of the Code Monkey Save World Kickstarter! So THANK YOU!
Jonathan Coulton: To the extent that we were able to imagine a successful funding process, yes. Which is to say that I think both of us were a little unsure it was going to work at all, but once it became clear that we were going to fund, I did have an idea that we were going to be working on it for a long time. We were definitely very careful to try and think through the fulfillment process so we didn’t get over our heads. Even so, the overwhelming response meant that the project got much more complicated. That said, turning this idea into a job was the whole idea, so we’re very grateful that it worked out this way!
What are the odds of seeing a follow-up to one or both of the books down the line?
Pak: I won’t be coy — we’ve been talking about it! Fingers crossed we’ll make it all work out.
Why Kickstarter for this project? With Code Monkey Save World a huge success, it seems like it would have been a little easier to sell to a publisher.
Pak: That might be true. But the Princess Who Saved Herself only exists because we were able to add it as a stretch goal to the CMSW Kickstarter. And we’d promised to deliver it digitally to CMSW backers. So we figured we’d stay true to the books origins and Kickstart the print edition.
We’d love to partner with a publisher to get it out into bookstores, of course. Without tooting our horn too much, I think the success of the Kickstarter so far shows there’s a real demand for this kind of book.
Once you’re this deep into the project, how closely involved is Jonathan?
Pak: During the actually running of the Kickstarter campaign, we’re talking and emailing and texting throughout the day, checking in and making all the various decisions the campaign requires on the fly. When we’re actually doing the creative work of making the books, Jonathan and I will usually get together a few times in person in a New York diner to talk through stuff. And then I’m constantly bouncing outlines and script drafts and art off of him as we progress. I’ll also call him up when I come up against any creative stumbling blocks. We bat it around, laugh a lot, and one of us usually says something that we suddenly realize fixes everything. Jonathan’s a fantastic collaborator and the whole thing’s been a blast.
Coulton: What Greg means is, I’m the one who came up with the farting bee joke.
Obviously The Princess Who Saved Herself is coming along at a kind of unique moment in comics. Even though the book itself isn’t a comic book, do you feel like that can only be helpful?
Pak: Sure. This is an exciting time in comics. The readership is growing in hugely exciting ways. I’ve always tried to cast my books and films diversely — it’s something that’s hugely important to me and something I’ll always do. So it’s exciting to be working at a time when readers seem to be actively looking for those kinds of books. I’m starting to like the future we’re living in!
You’ve already blown past a few stretch goals. What’s at stake right now on the Kickstarter?
Pak: So far, our wonderful backers hit the first stretch goal that will let us create a digital Princess Who Saved Herself Activity Book full of mazes, word searches, coloring pages, and writing and drawing projects. Then they hit the second stretch goal to create a digital Princess Who Saved Herself Script Book, which will contain drafts of outlines and scripts plus color commentary from yours truly about the making of the book. And by the time you read this, we’ll probably have hit our third stretch goal to create a digital Spanish language version of the book. SO THANK YOU, EVERYONE!
Our last planned stretch goal is to SUPER-SIZE the sticker strip that every backer of a physical reward gets. The original plan was to create a 3×7 strip with peel-off stickers. We’re hoping to at least double that. Stickers get super-sized if we hit $100,000, so make with the clicking and backing, y’all!
You’ve both had a variety of experiences from mainstream publishing all the way down to things you print yourself. What was the biggest thing you’ve learned from the Code Monkey/Princess project as a whole?
Pak: If you’re willing to take on responsibility for the business end of things, you can gain a lot of creative freedom. We live in a world where crowdfunding makes self-publishing much more viable. But takes a huge amount of time and work.
Coulton: Indeed. There are plenty of options out there for independent creators, and Greg and I both had some experience working this way before this project. But he’s absolutely right – being an independent creative person often involves taking on more of the business side of things than artists have traditionally done. Nobody should start a Kickstarter unless they are comfortable spending some time looking up postage and shopping for padded envelopes. You definitely have to wear a lot of hats, but the rewards are great!
What’s your quick elevator pitch for potential readers?
Pak: The Princess Who Saved Herself tells the story of an awesome kid named Gloria Cheng Epstein Takahara de la Garza Champion, who lives with her pet snake and plays rock ‘n’ roll all day to the huge annoyance of the classical guitarist witch who lives down the road. Hijinks, conflicts, and a fun reconciliation ensue, all showcasing determination, bravery, and understanding.
