Photos of the books and shirts from the warehouse!
4 months ago – Sat, Dec 30, 2023 at 09:38:12 AM

Hello friends!

As promised in the last update, I recently took a trip to the Whalebacker warehouse to oversee the start of fulfillment of this campaign... and I got some pictures of the books and shirts! Check 'em out!

I've already sent you all photos of the bookplates... so you'll notice the one thing not pictured is the pins. It turns out that the pins were NOT in the box the pin factory said they were in when I got to Whalebacker. Argh! However, the factory apologized and air-shipped them right over... and they arrived a few hours after I left after two days at the warehouse -- of course!

However, they are there now, everything is ready, and shipping will be commencing next week after the holiday. While the delays have not been ideal, I suppose it's fitting that we'll all be getting the book from and about the founder of The Four Horsemen in 2024, though... ha-ha!

(And, yes, tracking numbers will be sent out as the products ship -- but sometimes the packages arrive before the tracking numbers depending where you live.)

For those of you who sent me a Direct Message updating your mailing address, I'll have those sent to Whalebacker and updated before the shipping starts next week too... so consider this your LAST CALL TO MESSAGE ME ANY ADDRESS UPDATES! IF YOU MOVED, SEND ME YOUR NEW ADDRESS VIA A DIRECT MESSAGE HERE IMMEDIATELY!

Thanks all! We appreciate your patience, and I can't wait for you to all see this book you helped make possible. It truly is something very special.

Finally, if you know someone who would like the book and missed the Kickstarter, they can now preorder the trade paperback on Amazon HERE or at Barnes and Noble HERE.

Again, we all appreciate you and I hope you'll all be ringing in the New Year in great spirits!

Your friend in comics,

Dirk Manning

Rejoice! The books have arrived at the warehouse!
5 months ago – Sun, Dec 17, 2023 at 09:39:59 AM

Great news! The graphic novels are at the Michigan warehouse!

Hello everyone!

It's with MASSIVE amounts of joy that I write this update to tell you that the books have all finally arrived safe and sound at the warehouse! Huzzah!

This means, as of Monday, the books will be placed in que for shipping through Whalebacker and Kickstarter packages will be going out soon!

I don't know if that means they'll be arriving in time for Christmas or not, but I'll be personally going to the warehouse this week to help oversee the beginning of fulfillment -- and I'll get some photos of the books and share them here when I do!

Thanks again for your extraordinary patience through this process, everyone, as we all had to wait through a process we were powerless to control while the books sat in customs.

I'll be in touch again soon, but in the meantime, if you have moved recently, make sure to log into your BackerKit account so that your address is current!

Photos soon!

Your friend in comics,

Dirk Manning

Quick Arn Book Update... and a new book you might enjoy!
6 months ago – Sat, Nov 11, 2023 at 08:54:43 AM

The waiting is the hardest part...

Hey all! I just wanted to drop you all a quick note to let you know that we're still waiting on ARN ANDERSON: MY LIFE AS THE ENFORCER to "get off the boat" at customs. Sometimes the process of getting through customs is quick... and sometimes it's not... and we're currently trapped in the latter with several other high-profile books. As soon as they're "released" and shipped to the warehouse our shipping partners at Whalebacker have committed to immediate fulfillment (as they demonstrated with our recent Kickstarter campaign for WRITE OR WRONG: A WRITER'S GUIDE TO CREATING COMICS), but they of course need the books to ship them. At this point they should be "released" sooner than later (have no fear -- they WILL be released -- I've seen this happen before and they're just stuck "in que"), and once they are we'll all do a happy dance together. As I've said time and time again, this is easily one of the most beautiful books I've ever had the pleasure of working on, and I'm as anxious as all of you to get it in our hands.

In the meantime... have HOPE!

Earlier this week the Kickstarter for my newest graphic novel HOPE Volume 2: "Masks" just launched on Kickstarter HERE, and if you haven't checked it out yet I encourage you to take a moment to do so! This exciting and dramatic book about what happens when a woman's superhero identity is revealed to the world passed $10,00 in pledges in under 24 hours and unlocked SIX Stretch Goals (and counting) in the process.

It's an exciting, engaging, and accessible read for people looking for a fresh take on the superhero genre, and there's a pledge level titled "I'M NEW HERE, TOO!" which will allow you to get the whole story to date at one special bundled price!

I'm exceptionally excited about this book, and if you're looking for a good graphic novel to read that is instantly accessible, beautifully illustrated, and emotionally engaging -- please check out what we're offering at www.AHeroForHope.com, treat yourself to you pledge level that speaks to you the most, and help us all unlock more Stretch Goals!

Thanks all! I'll be in touch again soon!

Your friend in comics,

Dirk Manning

All four signatures achieved!
7 months ago – Fri, Oct 06, 2023 at 09:30:07 PM

The Most "International" Signed Book Plate of our career is now complete!

First I signed the bookplates (over 600 of them for those of you keeping track at home)... then I shipped them down South to Arn.

Then Arn signed then all... and he shipped them back to Source Point Press so they could take them to Canada to be signed by artist Shawn Daley. Shawn signed them all during a convention weekend...

And from there we shipped that big ol' box of over 600 book plates to illustrator Colm Griffin in Ireland, timing their arrival for when he was back home between shoots on a movie he's involved with...

And then he got to work, signing them all too, resulting in this:

Colm has now shipped the quadruple-signed book plates back to Source Point Press headquarters, where they will be included with every Kickstarter Exclusive Hardcover copy of ARN ANDERSON: MY LIFE AS THE ENFORCER as soon as the books hit land and are delivered to the warehouse. (As of this moment they're still in transit... and I've asked the warehouse to send me photos to share with all of you as soon as they arrive!)

I've had twenty(!) graphic novels published in my career to date, and had signed bookplates offered via Kickstarter with several of them... but this is the first time I've ever been able to offer a book plate with creator signatures collected from three different countries. Thanks for making it all possible, everyone!

If you know someone who wants a copy of the book... have them order it directly from us!

Given that the book's release date has been delayed a bit due to the shipping delays, it's come to our attention that Amazon has sold-out of their per-allocated copies. While we fully anticipate that the book will be available via Amazon once the books arrive, in the meantime, if you know someone who wants to make sure they can secure a copy of the book via preorder please direct them to www.ArnComic.com where they can preorder a copy of the book directly from us!

Thanks again, everyone! For those of you attending New York Comic Con next week, I'll be stationed in Artist Alley at Table H-8 (#EmbraceTheH8) all four days of the show (Thursday to Sunday), so please swing by and say "Hello!" if you get a chance! Editor Drena Jo will be supporting me at my table most of the weekend, and  I have it on good authority that artists Shawn Daley and Colm Griffin and letterer Justin Birch will also be floating around the show... too!

For those of you who won't be at there, rest assured, I'll be in touch here again soon. The books arriving should be fairly imminent, and it's our goal to then get the packages right out to all of you!

Thanks all! We appreciate your support so much!

Your friend in comics,

Dirk Manning

Three down... one to go!
8 months ago – Tue, Sep 12, 2023 at 07:58:38 PM

Hey all!

It's September, and I just wanted to give you all a few quick (and exciting) updates:

Three Signatures Secured!

As you all know,  I signed the bookplates... and Arn signed the bookplates last month... and the bookplates recently visited Canada where they were also signed by artist Shawn Daley! As I type this the bookplates are going to Ireland where artist Colm Griffin is signing them all as well, making these free Kickstarter Exclusive bonuses to your books the most "worldly" book plates I've ever been a part of, with four signatures from three countries! Remember, these bookplates are Kickstarter Exclusive to the hardcover editions of the book, and those of you who supported this book by preordering the hardcover edition via this Kickstarter are the only ones who are getting this multi-national add-ons!

On a boat, on a boat... our books are on a boat!

I just had a big meeting with our esteemed publisher Source Point Press this evening (which is why this month's update is a little later than normal) and they confirmed that the books are indeed still en route via that big ol' barge ship. However, even though they're on the "slow boat" they are indeed moving right along (boats don't really have brakes, after all), and at this point we're in the short stretch before they'll hit the port, get unloaded, and sent to the warehouse for packing and sending!

Once the books get here fulfillment will be QUICK, and of course I'll be keeping you all posted!

As always, THANK YOU for your support -- and your patience. I still content that this book is one of the most gorgeous books I've ever had the honor of working on, and all of us are extremely excited for you to get to read it!

We'll be in touch soon! We're close!

Your friend in comics,

Dirk Manning