blog: cast card

Wondermark & Machine of Death anniversary sales, PLUS: Earn the Library Ace cast card!

June 29, 2023February 25, 2016

THREE BIG TOPICS IN THIS POST:

I. Wondermark book super sale!!
II. Machine of Death anniversary sale!!
III. How to claim the new “Library Ace” cast card, for free!

This year (come April) will mark THIRTEEN YEARS of me posting Wondermark comics on this website. This website is nearly in EIGHTH GRADE. It will soon be learning ALGEBRA.

I don’t want to wait until April to celebrate, though — we just hit comic #1200, and that’s a nice round number.

So I’m doing a special book sale for THIRTEEN DAYS, where you can get any three of my books for eighteen dollars total! It’s the THREE-’TEEN sale. That’s a terrible name for a sale. It is no longer called that.

If you’ve been meaning to complete your book collection, now’s the best chance you’ll have for a while. If you haven’t picked up a Wondermark book before, what a great time to do so! I am very proud of all my books. You can read more about all the different titles here!

All eight of the books pictured above are included in the sale — four strip collections, two themed collections, a book of drawings, and a big thick novel. (The latter two are available digitally, as well.)

I hope you take this opportunity to fill a bookshelf, or a slab of giftwrap, with some cool books!

BUT! THAT’S NOT ALL…

It’s ALSO the anniversary of Machine of Death!

The original Machine of Death comic appeared on Dinosaur Comics in December 2005.

And it was around this time of year in 2006 — a little while after the comic first ran — when Ryan, Matt, and I (along with some other folks on Ryan’s forum) first started talking about how cool it would be to put together a book of short stories.

That was ten years ago! Since then, we’ve put out two books and a card game…And you can grab any of them during this sale for JUST TEN BUCKS EACH.

The game normally retails for $35 (and the expansion set for $45), so this is a…killer deal. Get it? Because it’s called Machine of Death.

If you don’t know about Machine of Death yet, this video will summarize it for you in thirty seconds:

It’s pretty great stuff. (You can also get the MOD books digitally, if you prefer; or, here’s the entire first book in audio form as a free podcast.)

It would probably make more thematic sense to run this sale for ten days, but since the Wondermark sale is thirteen days long, we’ll call this one thirteen days as well.

You can even patronize both sales at the same time! They, and many other cool things, are all on offer together over in my TopatoCo shop.

OKAY NOW THERE’S ONE MORE THING

read all about it

Yesterday I introduced the Cast Card Subscription program, via Patreon, in which I will produce and send you a cool limited-edition plaque every single month.

In that post, I wrote “Moving forward, there will be other ways to get other Cast Cards, too” besides the subscription.

Like this, for example! Today, in addition to the Patreon subscription cards, I’m issuing a new “Library Ace” cast card, pictured above.

There are two ways you can get this card:

FIRST METHOD: If you own five or more Wondermark books, you are a Library Ace right now! You qualify to get one of these cards, for free, to commemorate your great achievement!

To claim your card, take a cool picture of your five (or more) Wondermark books. They can be any five from the picture above, or older ones that are now out of print. (I’m pretty sure I’ll recognize them.) I wanna see what you got, and show your collection to other people too!

Then: tweet your picture with #libraryace, and tag either @malki or @wondermarkfeed. (And make sure you’re following one or both of of those accounts, so I can DM you your claim instructions once I see your post!)

That’s it! Just take a picture of the books you already have, and share it with me. I’ll send you the cast card as a thank-you for being a cool person with good taste in books!

SECOND METHOD: If you don’t already have five Wondermark books, well, coincidentally we’re running a sale on books right now! I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned it recently.

If you happen to order books in this sale, and you end up with at least five books total — between the books you’re ordering, and any books you may already have at home — then congratulations, friend: you’re now a Library Ace!

You don’t have to wait until you get the books in the mail: feel free to forward me your TopatoCo order confirmation email (to dave at wondermark dot com) — and if you like, attach a picture to show any other books you’ve already got, so that everything adds up to at least five books overall.

When I get the email, I’ll share your picture on Twitter (if it’s super cool) and add you to the ACE STACK at once.

This promotion, like the others, will run for THIRTEEN DAYS! The sales, and the Library Ace claim period, will all end on MARCH 9. Beware the nines of March!!

…And of course, there are still a few days left to join the cast card subscription list in time to claim February’s Patreon-exclusive card. A few people have signed up so far, which is super great — I kinda like the idea that only those few people will get that month’s card, which makes that card super rare and thus extra cool for those folks!!

I love running sales like this when I can — I just want to get this stuff into your hands, and I know not everyone can afford to get all the things they might want right when they first come out. So I’m really happy to do discounts and promotions when I can, and I hope you take advantage of them! Hooray for books and cool books and enjoying books!!

Wondermark AND Machine of Death – Super Sales on TopatoCo

And don’t forget to tweet me your #libraryace picture!

i like making things that are shiny

Announcing the monthly Cast Card Subscription!

June 29, 2023February 24, 2016

I’ve made some new Wondermark Cast Cards!

These little commemorative plaques are neat mementos of events or moments in Wondermark history.

Folks who’ve gotten the 2016 Wondermark Calendar, or were a part of the Multi-Purpose Cards Kickstarter, have already begun seeding their collection of Wondermark Cast Cards.

And..so have a handful of my top Patreon supporters! I decided I would make a brand new one, and send it to my top supporters for the month of January. A little surprise thank-you, for the folks who’ve contributed over $20 so far.

(They’re all getting the lady in the green dress, at right in the photo above. She’s Mirabelle O’Denneghy, from Wondermark #1056. It looks like her organs haven’t exploded quite yet — bully for her!)

Today, I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be making the Cast Card rewards a monthly tradition — a new way to reward folks who want to support Wondermark and the other things I do.

I’ve added a new tier on Patreon that is the monthly Cast Card subscription.

If you’re not familiar with Patreon, it’s like tossing some change in the tip jar when you get a coffee. Lots of people giving 25¢ or $1 or $2 each month can add up to make a real difference in the life of an artist. It’ll allow me to make more fun stuff, like these cards for instance! Which I think are pretty fun.

So, if you’d like to toss in a few cents or a buck, by all means, please do! I’m grateful beyond words.

BUT, if you would like to go PREMIUM LEVEL, and receive a beautiful handmade item in your hands every single month, now there is this:

Every single month, I will send my patreonauts at this tier level a brand new monthly Cast Card, which will be exclusive to Patreon.

It’s like the world’s smallest LootCrate! (The shipping cost is included; there’s no extra charge to have one sent to you anywhere in the world.)

To make it fair, I’ll make the official count at the end of each month (when the pledges for that month are processed). So, the time is NOW to jump on board for the inaugural February offering!

Here’s this February’s card — good ol’ Bean MacBean, from Wondermark episode #1125, the “bean juice” comic! All his vital stats are on the back, of course.

Moving forward, there will be other ways to get other Cast Cards, too.

Most will be included free with various projects, or awarded for various things…In fact, soon I’ll talk about how you may already be a Library Ace. I’ll say only this for now: get your Wondermark books off the shelf, and make sure there’s film in your camera or whatever!

Until then, thanks a million for your support on Patreon, and please don’t delay if you want to claim a copy of the February card!

Wondermark Monthly Cast Card Subscription : Sign up now to get February’s card!

Some Animals From the Wondermark Calendar

June 29, 2023December 16, 2015

As I described earlier this week, this year’s edition of the Wondermark Calendar (Update: which is now sold out!) chronicles the famous around-the-world journey of Dr. Priscilla Dustbin. Here, in her own words (from the calendar’s introductory page), is her rationale for setting out on this expedition of discovery…

'tis she

It has always seemed to me that all things deserve names, and good names at that. Not Latin or Greek jaw-smashers that no person could ever say, but proper names, like Dennis or Keith or Isabella. The difference between a wild animal and a pet is simply a name, for the things we name, we come to love. I wish to love all things. So I will give them all the names they deserve, if they have none of their own.

I have booked passage on a steamer leaving Port Georgina and am bringing only my pencils, papers, and thirst for travel. Kinross at the doggery has given me a letter of introduction to a cousin of hers in Piraeus; from there, my wits will be my guide. This world is far too large for everything to have been seen, and even of those things seen, not all have yet been named. I do not know what I will find on this voyage, but already I have heard rumors of fierce-eyed beasts, lying in wait in dark jungles no person can penetrate, ready to rend me limb from limb—with flashing claws and dreadful teeth—in a ruddy instant.

See how my pen trembles here…I can barely write from the excitement! What wonders I will see…!

Each dated page of the calendar (there are 27 of them in all) recounts an anecdote from the good doctor’s journey. Whenever she encountered an unusual animal, she would illustrate it, and give it a name, as you can see:

In this way, you can follow along with her throughout the year, exploring the strange corners of the world at her side, and learning all about the curious beasts she came across on the way.

The trip takes her from Europe to North Africa; from the Middle East to the frozen Northlands; across all the various Americas; and drops in on uncharted islands in between.

I love reading travelogues, and after years of structuring the calendar as a string of disconnected goofs, I thought it would be fun to try to tell a (wee bit of a) continuous story all through the year. So this calendar does so — very loosely, I should say. (It is still replete with disconnected goofs.)

I also had a lot of fun making the animals for this calendar! I even got carried away and made too many, and had to choose which to include. So rest assured you are getting the ALL-STARS of Team Curious Animal.

I’m really proud of this year’s calendar and I hope you’ll like it too! As always, it sits on your desk in a handsome wooden backboard (optionally included — or, feel free to save a few bucks and reuse your board from a previous year!)

And, of course, this year for the FIRST TIME we are including commemorative plaques — in the form of our new Wondermark Cast Cards — free with every calendar.

YES FOR EVERYONE ONLY FOR ACES

~~As I write, there are only 37 calendars still unclaimed from our limited run! You can order yours RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. They will be shipping THIS VERY WEEK!~~ Update: They are ALL GONE!

First Look: Wondermark 2016 Calendar

June 29, 2023December 2, 2015

The 2016 Wondermark Calendar ~~is now available for pre-order!~~ UPDATE: It is now sold out!

We expect them to start shipping in mid-December. Here’s a first look at the (not final) cover…

Un-Named Beasts of the Forgotten Wilds; And, The Names I Gave Them

From the Personal Diaries of Dr Priscilla Dustbin, duly recorded on her many travels to the Shadowy Corners of the Globe;

Subsequently mislabeled in the Bodleian Library, and only recently rediscovered by Quite Surprised Researchers seeking Quite Different Things;

Presented here Whole and Entire, unexpurgated, unabridged, without redaction in Any Instance;

Even when it might have been wise to Do So, for the Safety and Well-being of the Reading Public;

All entries assumed True, or, at least, Honest Observations by the Doctor of what she Thought she Saw;

Further judgment Reserved.

As in previous years, the calendar rides through the year on a special backboard, which you may re-use from previous editions if you already have one.

New for this year, every order will ship with a miniature commemorative plaque. This ‘Cast Card’ will feature a portrait of one of the calendar’s characters, along with a full list of their vital statistics. It’s sort of like a baseball card, except not about baseball, and made of wood.

This Cast Card is unique in design to the calendar offering, and one will be included free with all orders. (For those keeping track, it is Cast Card release #2. We have also done one for the Multi-Purpose Cards Kickstarter, which is shipping to backers now!)

And another thing! The very first Wondermark calendar was released December 2007. If this will be your fifth calendar (or more), we consider you a Calendar Ace! If this describes you, then you qualify for a second unique Cast Card, celebrating your achievement. It is a free gift from us, to say thank you!

I’m big on commemorative plaques this season, friends.

More details on the calendar soon… Until then, you may feel free to ~~reserve your copy now! As always, these are strictly limited, and they sell out every year.~~ UPDATE: THEY HAVE

Here is a Mini Commemorative Plaque I Made

June 29, 2023November 3, 2015

Only a couple of days remain on the Multi-Purpose Cards Kickstarter. We’ve done so well; I’m very excited! This will be my penultimate post about it, I think.

In these last couple of days, I’ve tried to think of some other way to show my appreciation for your support, and here’s what I came up with…

Every shipment of physical goods will include a free Wondermark “Cast Card”, which will be a tiny plaque commemorating this campaign in particular. It’s a souvenir of the fun time we’ve had here, a memento emptor, and there’ll be a little kickstand included, so it can sit on your desk and bring you cheer.

The below are mockup images, but as you can tell, they will feature FANCY GOLD FOIL (click the pictures for a closer look):

There’s a whole chart of our buddy’s vital stats on the back too, but I’ll let that side remain a HIDDEN MYSTERY for now.

One card will be included FREE in every single physical goods order, and these specific cards will never be issued again, after this campaign.

If that sort of thing interests you, well, I hope you like it!!

[ Multi-Purpose Cards: 3 days remain! ]