Kristin is the owner of Cake Golem Productions, as well as an experienced interactive marketing specialist and artist with a B.A. in Digital Media Design and a M.A. in Media Management. She loves the color yellow, owns too many LARP costumes, and talks to her cat like she's a person.
A dangerous werewolf is on the loose in WereWolf Run, an indie 4 issue horror comic book series written and drawn by Daniel Leister with help from horror genre fans.
WereWolf Run is a gruesome horror story that will take you back to 1981 classic film The Howling. The story follows two friends on their way home, lost in the winding hills of West Virginia. Along the way they encounter a werewolf that has escaped on its way to a mysterious and unknown lab.
“Werewolves were the first monsters that scared me as a kid,” said writer and artist Daniel Leister. “I’ve wanted to tell a story of my own with that in mind for a long time.”
Issues #1 and 2 of WereWolf Run are currently completed, with the final 100 page book scheduled to be finished and printed by May 2017. The coloring is done by Eagle Child and lettering by Michael Dolce. The book will be available in both soft and hardcover editions, and can be pre-ordered now on Kickstarter until Halloween night.
To learn more, visit the WereWolf Run Kickstarter page: www.kickstarter.com/projects/613830066/werewolf-run
About the Artist/Writer
Daniel Leister is the artist and writer of WereWolf Run, and a professional comic book artist. He has his B.F.A. from Ohio State University, and got his first break in a talent contest by Marvel at a convention. He came in second place and was offered work by the company After Hours Press. Since then he has been working in the industry for over 10 years working on such books as Hack/Slash, Army of Darkness vs. Hack/Ash, the Wonderland series, and the recently Kickstarter funded Lord of Gore. WereWolf Run isn’t the first comic book that Leister has done, but it is the first comic that he has completely written and illustrated himself.
To learn more, visit the Daniel Leister Illustrations Facebook page www.facebook.com/DanielLeisterComics.
I started college as a computer science major. I was literally the only woman student in the department, and beyond the first 101 level class I was the only woman in my major classes. At the time I was also a guild leader in vanilla WoW, a Magic: The Gathering player, and a World of Darkness tabletop player. I considered myself to be an avid gamer, and in almost all my activities I was predominantly surrounded by men.
It wasn’t until I started LARPing in 2009 that I found a geeky hobby where women not only flourished—they were the people leading the group.
Out of all the geeky things I’m into, LARPing is—to me—one of the most woman-friendly. Women own LARP chapters, run games, write plotlines, play leading PCs and NPCs, exist in abundant numbers, and are some of the leading advocates for quality games in the world.
The truth is, women LARPers are the leaders of LARP. Just look at such women as LARP Girl, Stephanie Twilley, Taversia, and Sarah Bowman. LARP women are a dangerous mix of high intelligence, creativity, and the willingness to live adventurously. While there are many women in other geek cultures who can boast brains—we LARPers have a regular lesson in confidence and crushing our self-doubt. We boast brains, brawn, and an environment that allows us to thrive.
My own personal experience as a woman LARPer has been extremely positive.
As a woman LARPer I have run games. I’ve been a staff member and I’ve been invited to work on new game systems. I’ve played memorable characters. Larping.org hosts my own vlog about LARPing. I’ve started my own fictional webseries about LARPers called Basic Adventuring 101, which is the only LARP series out there produced, written and starring women LARPers, and it has just launched its campaign for Season 1. These are not opportunities I readily had in MTG or WoW, and most of these came about because I have proven myself to be a hardworking and talented member of the LARP community. No one questions whether or not I’m good at LARP, and especially not because I’m a woman.
I’ve started my own fictional webseries about LARPers called Basic Adventuring 101, which is the only LARP series out there produced, written and starring women LARPers, and it has just launched its campaign for Season 1
I showed up all alone to my very first LARP event and I was greeted by a group of people who wanted me to be involved—not because of my gender, but because this is a hobby filled with people who are passionate about sharing what they love. And not only this, but I felt safe. I was faced with goblins and monsters and thieves, but out-of-game I didn’t feel threatened or uncomfortable. It was a good environment. One where I felt in control.
That isn’t to say I’ve never felt unsafe at a LARP since then. I have to be honest. I’ve known women who have been raped at events. There was one instance while I was at Conquest in 2013 when I felt like the in-game and out-of-game lines had blurred and I was no longer certain if the obscene gestures and lewd, drunken words weren’t dangerously close to becoming actions. I’ve had creepy guys follow me around. I’ve had guys fawn over me and go out of their way to give me magic items and protect me as though I couldn’t do it myself.
“Women LARPers” is a short video about the women in Basic Adventuring 101.
Disrespecting and harming women, regardless of it being physical or emotional or sexual, is unacceptable. But I would still say that despite these rare instances, LARPing has given me the power to create characters that won’t stand for it.
Kristin—the real-life person—would not have handled those vulgar men at Conquest well. Iris—the character I was playing—could. Iris has seen and survived awful things, and when those men in Germany started harassing a younger, much smaller woman, Iris looked them in the eyes and didn’t allow them to make her feel small. She removed herself and the other endangered woman from the situation in a way that was powerful and uncompromising. I can’t say that if that happened in an everyday situation that I could do it without somehow channeling that part of myself. It’s a part of me that I only discovered because I LARP.
I am 100% positive that LARP has changed me for the better. It has allowed me to experiment and to discover myself, and it’s become an essential social activity that helps me to fight my own depression and anxiety. I’ve met some of my best friends and I’ve strengthened relationships through LARPing. It’s helped me to become physically stronger and healthier than I’ve ever been in my adult life.
And in the end, I hope that I can serve as an example for other women who are looking for a geeky hobby that will accept them with open arms.
We are breeding a whole new type of woman here: we are breeding the LARP woman. Hear us roar.
A murderous Archangel is on the loose in Sin, a modern slasher film being produced by Nathan Seals Productions with help from horror genre fans.
Sin is a slasher horror film that will slice, chop, and burn its way into your mind. The story follows a sheriff who is trying to uncover the murder of a young woman in a small farm town, only to discover that the town is hiding a terrifying secret. This is a town driven by religion, where a woman is struggling to return home and a murderous priest is seeking to cleanse the world of evil.
“I want to make a modern slasher, like those 80’s slasher movies,” said writer and director Nathan Seals. “I’m in love with this particular type of film and I consider Sin to be my loving addition to the genre.”
Filming will take place in several locations in Indiana, including the abandoned City Methodist Church in Gary, Ind., where scenes from Nightmare on Elm Street were filmed. A lot of the costuming, gore, and makeup have been collected, but additional funds are needed to begin filming in early February.
To raise these funds, Nathan Seals Productions asks fans to contribute to the Indiegogo campaign, which launches on Dec. 11 and runs until Jan. 6.
To learn more, visit the Sin: A horror movie Facebook page.
An Indiana based production company, Nathan Seals Productions, is currently filming the first fan film in their new DC Cinematic Webiverse which will be released March 2015 with help from DC-Universe fans.
Green Arrow: Night of Sorrow is a 45 minute short film that centers around Oliver Queen, a vigilante superhero who primarily fights crime using archery. He has lost his entire fortune and is suffering from a personal crisis all while he is confronted by a horrifying terrorist.
“We really wanted to spotlight a genuinely cool hero who has not gotten enough credit in the comic realm,” said director and producer Nathan Seals. “We are intending on using Green Arrow: Night of Sorrow to launch into a series of short films that tie together into a unified DC Cinematic Webiverse.”
Compared to the CW’s series, Arrow, this fanfilm will be truer to the comic book version of Oliver Queen. Green Arrow: Night of Sorrow will include more humor, epic scale action, and an ‘action hero’ take on Oliver’s re-discovery of why he’s a hero in the first place.
Filming will take place in various locations, including Chicago, Indianapolis, and Muncie, Ind. About a fourth of the fan film is already filmed, but additional funds are needed to continue production.
To raise these funds, Nathan Seals Productions and their marketing partner Cake Golem Productions, asks other DC-Universe fans to contribute to their Indiegogo campaign, which launches on Nov. 11 and runs until Dec. 8.
To learn more, visit the DC Cinematic Webiverse Indiegogo Campaign www.indiegogo.com/projects/green-arrow-night-of-sorrow.
NSP Productions is an independently owned multi-media company that deals in a variety of entertainment media from film, to writing, to comics, to gaming.
Created back in 2005 by Nathan Seals, NSP Productions has gone through a series of evolutions throughout the years in order to become what is has become today. Looking towards the future, with the help of the community, NSP hopes to reach and entertain a worldwide audience and help to support and assist young artists and talented individuals achieve their dreams.
To learn more, visit the Nathan Seals Productions Facebook page www.facebook.com/NspProductions.
[nimbus_info_box font_color=”000000″ top_color=”FBEFF5″ bottom_color=”E2A9F3″ mid_color=”ECCEF5″ border_color=”F7819F”]If you are planning to run your own Indiegogo campaign, consider contacting Cake Golem Productions to assist you in the planning and management. It’s always easier having someone experienced along for the exhausting ride that is crowdfunding–and it’s something I love doing. Contact me for a free 1-hour consultation, and we can talk about ways to make sure you get the money you need to do what you love. [/nimbus_info_box]
In April 2013 I managed a successful Kickstarter campaign for the pilot episode of my webseries, Basic Adventuring 101. We raised over $6500, exceeding our goal in only 27 days. There are few lessons from last year I will be remembering and using again.
Do NOT go into a Kickstarter campaign without first creating a plan. You need to know what it is you’re selling, why people should care, and how you plan on marketing the entire thing. Rewards need to be decided upon and properly budgeted, and you need to come up with a goal amount that will cover your necessary costs for your project, the costs associated with the rewards, AND the fees to Kickstarter and Amazon payments.
As part of your campaign, you need to spend a lot of time on your video pitch. Make it good. Redo it if you’re unsure of its quality. THIS is what people will rely on to decide if they want to support your project…especially if you’re doing something video related. You need to prove to your audience that you have what it takes to actually accomplish your project. They need to trust you by fully understanding what your project is, what the process will be to finish it, and how their support will be important. Also be sure not to use words that make it sound like their pledge is charity. Kickstarter and Indiegogo ARE NOT CHARITY SITES. There are other crowdsources for that. Use words like “pledge” and “support,” but do not use words like “help” and “donate.”
Give your backers rewards that make them feel like they’re actually getting something out of supporting you. Pick things that are related to your project, that you can feasibly create and distribute, and that won’t kill your budget. Also try to limit the amount of pledging tiers to no more than 5-7. Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) applies. Don’t ever make me think as a backer. Give it to me quick, simple, and with little thinking as possible. Otherwise you risk losing them altogether.
In the middle of your campaign you aren’t going to get a lot of pledges. That’s just the way it is. If you can manage to get at least a 25-30% of it funded in the first few days, statistically you’ll be fine. Most of the funding comes at the beginning and the end of a campaign. So, plan a lot of your marketing for this slow middle period to keep pushing the pledges. Offer incentives (stretch goals) for reaching 50% of your funding half way through the campaign. Get out there talking on podcasts or vlogs or blogging sites. Keep updating your current backers and reaching out to people on Facebook. Most of your pledges are going to come from friends of your friends (usually NOT your close friends or family)—who only find out about this through your friends who need to start sharing your project in the first place. Keep pushing. It may start to look bleak, but this is the time to work harder. (Also…consider hosting a campaign no more than 30 days. You’re likely not to gain any more pledges than you would from one month because of this middle stretch of “nothingness.”)
Update your backers and be open about things with them. People want to be part of something, and by keeping people “in the loop,” you are including them. Update frequently (at least once a week) through the campaign, letting people know how things are going and what you’ve been working on in the meantime related to the project. When the project is funded, be certain to continue doing the same. Kickstarter allows you to update people—sending emails directly to all your backers!—and you should take advantage of it.
If you are planning to run your own Kickstarter campaign, consider contacting Cake Golem Productions to assist you in the planning and management. It’s always easier having someone experienced along for the exhausting ride that is crowdfunding–and it’s something I love doing. Contact me for a free 1-hour consultation, and we can talk about ways to make sure you get the money you need to do what you love.