CHAOTIC NEUTRAL by Mark Sable and Chris Anderson

Update: Playtesting, Chris Anderson's "Spectral" and more
over 2 years ago – Tue, Jun 07, 2022 at 10:29:17 PM

Hello Everyone,

First, thank you all for the kind remarks regarding my health.  Although I suffered a minor setback involving the flu, I'm much better and on the road to recovery.

Meanwhile, progress on CHAOTIC NEUTRAL continues.  The comic itself has been done since before we launched, and as we shared last time Ryan Browne's hilarious "Chick Tract" parody comic is completed as well.

I'm continuing to revise the adventure module based on playtesting.  

Chris and I have been playtesting it with our weekly D&D group for about five 2 hour sessions so far, I'd estimate takes us through about 1/2 to 2/3rds through the adventure, depending on the choices the players make (and whether their characters survive:).  I'm pleased with the length of the adventure in terms of bang for your buck,  and the feedback I'm getting is invaluable.

I'll update when the first round of playtesting has been completed, and I hope to get at least another round of playtesting with a different group (possibly with someone else acting as Dungeon Master).  

We've also ordered the dice, one of the main physical rewards.  As soon as they arrive we'll share pictures of them.

In the meantime, CHAOTIC NEUTRAL artist/co-creator Chris Anderson just launched a Kickstarter for his new book, "Spectral".

Written by Dave Accompo (who did the design work for CHAOTIC NEUTRAL, giving it that old-school D&D feel), it's a comic horror anthology collecting 6 short stories in the vein of TALES FROM THE CRYPT.  I've read the stories and I highly encourage you to check out Chris Kickstarter here.

As for me, on Wednesday June 8th, I have a new sci-fi horror series from Aftershock Comics called WHERE STARSHIPS GO TO DIE coming out:

A mix between James Cameron's THE ABYSS, John Carpenter's THE THING and Ridley Scott's ALIEN, it's about a salvage crew trying to recover the humankind's first starship from the bottom of "Point Nemo", earth's real-life spaceship graveyard.  There, they discover a secret history of doomed space missions...along with the entity responsible for their demise.

It's illustrated and co-created by Alberto Locatelli, with colors by Juancho, letters by Rob Steen, and covers by the MISKATONIC team of Jeremy Haun and Nick Filardi (with a special variant cover by GODKILLERS artist Maan House).  Jeremy and Maan also contributed some of my favorite pieces of art for CHAOTIC NEUTRAL's monster cards.

WHERE STARSHIPS GO TO DIE was written before CHAOTIC NEUTRAL (as is my next Aftershock book, which will be out in November), so I've been and will continue to be able to prioritize CHAOTIC NEUTRAL this summer. 

Finally, if you're in the LA area, I'll be doing a signing for WHERE STARSHIPS GO TO DIE at Collector's Paradise in Pasadena this Wednesday, June 8th from 5-7 PM Pacific Time.  If you're able to make it, please stop by and say hi...I'm happy to sign any and all books and, of course, chat CHAOTIC NEUTRAL in person.

Again, I can't thank you all enough for your continued patience, support and understanding.  Back to work! 

Best,

Mark  

Update on Chaotic Neutral
over 2 years ago – Wed, Apr 13, 2022 at 03:16:08 PM

Hey Everyone,

When Chris and I launched this Kickstarter in October, we felt  confident we could deliver the book to you by this April.  The comic was completely done, with most of the module written.

Unfortunately, since then I've gone through one of the more difficult periods in my life.  I had to fly to New York to help my mom recover from major surgery, which took over a month.  Upon my return, I became seriously ill myself and only in the past few weeks have I been able to return to work on CHAOTIC NEUTRAL.  As a result, there's going to be a delay it getting the book to all of you.

I don't usually feel comfortable sharing new about my health or my family, but those are literally the only things that would have stopped me from getting the book out on time.  I also wanted to make clear that the responsibility lies entirely with me.  I held off on updates until I had a better sense of my condition.

The good news is that the my health is much improved, and Chaotic Neutral is very much back on track.  Ryan Browne has completed the Chick Tract parody backup story, which is better than I imagined.  Here's a sneak peak at just one of his pages:

I've also gotten the module to the point where it's ready to playtest, and last week started running it with my weekly D&D group.

Despite this progress, I don't want to promise a new delivery date.  There's still quite a bit to do, printing and shipping are seeing delays due to world events, and while my prognosis is good, I've learned not to take my health for granted as a variable.

What I can promise are more frequent updates - I'm going to shoot for once a month.

In the meantime, I can't thank you enough for your generosity, patience and support.

Mark

Mini character standees & more!!!
almost 3 years ago – Mon, Feb 07, 2022 at 04:28:34 PM

Hey all you dungeon crawlers,

Chris here. Just wanted to drop into your emails real quick to share with you some of the progress I’ve had with the art of Chaotic Neutral. As you know, the pages of the book were already complete. But you all supported us so hard that we hit the Character Standee goal. Those I had to design after the campaign. Well, without further ado, here it is! We’ll send these to the printer along with everything else and get it on a single sheet of cardstock. Then all you have to do is cut, fold and glue for a perfect mini figure of your character for the game.

In other news, I’m part of another great Kickstarter right now that I think you’ll love. G.H.O.S.T. Agents is a Spy-Fi adventure comic in the vein of Man from U.N.C.L.E. And agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that is written entirely by my friend Rocko Jerome with art by a ton of great creators. Issue 2 is kicking right now! If you missed issue 1, which I also have a story in, you can still get it through the campaign. Get it before it self destructs!

You are all the best. We can’t wait to get Chaotic Neutral in your hands.

Best,

Chris Anderson

First Update of 2022!
almost 3 years ago – Sat, Jan 08, 2022 at 11:10:15 PM

Hello CHAOTIC NEUTRAL backers, and Happy New Year!

With the holidays over, I thought I'd update you all on where we are with CHAOTIC NEUTRAL, and what our plans are going forward.

The comic is already 100% written, illustrated and lettered and has been since before we launched the Kickstarter.

Here's what we need to do over the next few months:

-Set up Backerkit.  This will allow us to collect your shipping information, and also allow you to purchase add-ons that you may have missed during the Kickstarter.  If you know of anyone who wasn't able to back the Kickstarter but would still like CHAOTIC NEUTRAL, you can let them know they will be able to purchase copies this way.  Kickstarter exclusives, early bird specials etc. will remain exclusive to the KS campaign, though.

-Edit and playtest the adventure module.  The module is almost entirely written, but needs editing and more importantly playtesting. 

-Layout, cartography and art for the module.  Between the comic, monster art and the concept art we have a great deal of pre-existing art for the module, but Chris may add some illustrations, depending on the needs of the adventure and space constraints.  Rough maps exist but we want them to be professional quality, easy to use and evocative of old school fantasy role playing.

-Conversion of the Module to D&D 5E (and playtesting to make sure it holds up in 5E).

-Illustration of the satiric "Chick Tract" by Ryan Browne.

-Creation of the Bonus Material PDF with the script, concept art etc.

-Printing of the book, monster cards and paper cut-and-fold "miniatures"

-Fulfillment and shipping

-That's a lot, but we seem to be on track for all of the above.  Still, I don't want to put any specific dates to these benchmarks due to the Omnicron surge, global shipping delays etc.  But I'm continuing to work largely without interruption.

Chris and I are excited to get the comic and module in your hands.  As soon as we have more to share, we'll update again.

In the meantime, THANK YOU once again.

Hope this finds you and your loved ones safe.
Best,

Mark and Chris

P.S.  There's an upcoming Kickstarter by friends of ours that you might want to check out.  It's a graphic novel based on the cult classic KOLCHAK: The NIGHT STALKER.  Of particular interest is a Kickstarter exclusive story called "Satanic Panic: 88" which definitely sounds up my alley.

Description below, and you can sign up to be notified at launch here.

On Tuesday, January 11, 1972, KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER terrified and delighted audiences on ABC. The TV movie — written by horror legend Richard Christian Matheson (I Am Legend) and based on an unpublished novel by Jeff Rice — was the highest-rated TV movie in U.S. history. It subsequently spawned both a second TV movie, THE NIGHT STRANGLER, and a cult TV series that ran for just one season, but inspired a generation of storytellers, notably including X-Files creator Chris Carter.

In 2022, Moonstone Books will celebrate this pop culture milestone with a Kickstarter campaign for KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER 50TH ANNIVERSARY GRAPHIC NOVEL, edited by James Aquilone (Classic Monsters Unleashed). This all-new, 100+ page, full-color graphic novel will feature 10 startling stories chronicling the life of monster-hunting reporter Carl Kolchak. The stories are written by such master storytellers as David Avallone (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark), Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia), James Chambers (Kolchak the Night Stalker: The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe), Nancy Collins (Swamp Thing), Peter David (The Incredible Hulk), Kim Newman (Anno Dracula), Jonathan Maberry (V-Wars), R.C. Matheson (Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks), Tim Waggoner (Temple of the Dragonslayer), and Aquilone, and illustrated by such amazing artists as Jonathan Marks Barravecchia (Scarlet Witch), Marco Finnegan (Lizard in a Zoot Suit), Warwick Johnson-Cadwell (Mr. Higgins Comes Home), Paul McCaffrey (Anno Dracula), Clara Meath (Midnight Vista), Julius Ohta (Iron Man), Tom Rogers (Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla), J.K. Woodward (Star Trek), and Colton Worley (The Shadow).

THE NIGHT STALKER 50TH ANNIVERSARY GRAPHIC NOVEL features covers by Colton Worley, Jerry Ordway (The Power of Shazam!), and J.K. Woodward as well as lettering by Thomas Napolitano, coloring by Zac Atkinson, and text design by Shawn T. King.

KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER 50TH ANNIVERSARY GRAPHIC NOVEL also includes an introduction by Richard Christian Matheson, the bestselling horror author/screenwriter/producer and son of THE NIGHT STRANGLER and THE NIGHT STRANGLER writer Richard Matheson, an essay on the 50th anniversary by Mark Dawidziak, the author of The Nightstalker Companion, and a retrospective of Moonstone Book's Kolchak publication history by publisher Joe Gentile.

The KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER 50TH ANNIVERSARY GRAPHIC NOVEL ANTHOLOGY will be available in limited-edition softcover and hardcover editions, both with variant covers. In addition Moonstone Books is creating a special 40-page standalone comic for the Kickstarter, featuring the story "Satanic Panic '88," written by James Aquilone and illustrated by Colton Worley, featuring a cover by Dan Brereton.

“It’s been half a century since Carl Kolchak made his first appearance on TV and it seems the fandom for the character is stronger than ever,” said editor James Aquilone. “I wanted to create something very special for the anniversary: a look at the life of my favorite monster hunter, from his childhood to his last case…the ultimate Kolchak story, full of creatures, frights, and the reporter’s iconic wit.”

"Carl Kolchak is one of the great horror genre characters of the 1970s,” said Kim Newman.

“KOLCHAK changed my life,” said Killadelphia writer Rodney Barnes. “The story we're telling brings the character into some wholly unexpected places and it’s a genuine thrill to be a part of this incredible anthology.”

Thank You!!!!
about 3 years ago – Fri, Oct 29, 2021 at 09:13:42 PM

We did it!  CHAOTIC NEUTRAL is not only funded, we smashed through multiple stretch goals and you gave us more than twice what we asked for.  That means we're able to give you not just the comic, adventure module and Ryan Browne's Chick Tract parody, but a behind the scenes PDF, a conversion of the module to Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons, and for those of you that backed the print book a sheet of fold-up, cardboard minis based on our characters.

None of this would have happened without you.

So to all of you that backed, shared or otherwise support this - THANK YOU!

Once the money clears through Kickstarter, we'll follow up with an update in the next month or so with a timeline of next steps.  We also plan to be updating you regularly, not only with progress reports but with behind-the-scenes looks at our work.  If there are things you'd like to see in these updates, feel free to send us suggestions.

But for now, I want to use this opportunity to say thank you to just some of the people who were involved in making CHAOTIC NEUTRAL happen.

First, a big thank you to the artists who were provided art to the monster cards.  Dan Panosian, Jeff Johnson, Jeremy Haun, Jim Rugg, Kyle Strahm, Max Dunbar, Maan House, Tim Seeley, and Tom Neeley.  You each brought both classic and original monsters to such original life and were a huge part of the draw for this project.  As a comics writer I know that artist's work is much more time consuming and the fact so generously gave of your time to do some of your best work means the world to us.

Ryan Browne not only is doing a tremendous job with his parody "Chick Tract", but along with Jeremy Haun gave Chris and I invaluable advice on the Kickstarter based on their own smashing success.  You are both a testament to how supportive the comics community can be.

Dave Accampo is not listed as a collaborator but is very much one.  A brilliant creator in his own right, he is the designer for the book, and perfectly captured the aesthetic of old school roleplaying games.  Mira Lark painted the cover further giving CHAOTIC NEUTRAL the feel of an artifact from the 80s, and both are responsible for so much of the appeal of this book.

You haven't seen Thomas Mauer's letters yet because we've been trying to keep the story-spoiler free.  But when you do, you're going to be thrilled with his work.  He's lettered nearly all of my creator-owned work and I consider him my good luck charm - but really that's hard work on his part making my writing flow on the page and preventing it from covering up the gorgeous art.

You likely would not heard of CHAOTIC NEUTRAL if not for David Hyde and Hanna Bahedry of Superfan PR.  They not only killed themselves getting the word out, they guided us through the Kickstarter process.

Speaking of Kickstarter, thanks to everyone there for being so supportive, not least of which is Orianna Leckert.

Finally, since I'm the one writing this update I get to thank Chris Anderson.  Amazing artist and collaborator and even better friend.

To everyone - thanks for believing in us.  This is just the start of the journey to bringing CHAOTIC NEUTRAL to you, and we can't wait to get the book in your hands.

Mark