blog: reader participation

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

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!

BOOK 'EM

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…

what a KILLER deal

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

The Sexy Complete Works of Arthur Conan Doyle

she's mighty mighty, lettin it all hang out in the rain without any gruel

Last Halloween I posted a comic featuring the above character, Plabecca, in costume as the Sexy Complete Works of Dickens.

This Halloween, reader Jen created her own version of this costume — with the complete works of Conan Doyle.

Here’s some shots she posted to Instagram! (1, 2)

Super cool!! Nice work, Jen!!

Myself? I was a “stalker”.

OBLIGATORY REMINDER: Four days remain on the Multi-Purpose Cards Kickstarter campaign!

I mean, you’ll be able to get them later, too… BUT WILL YOU THINK TO?? Stock up now!!

Reader-Made Bibliophibian Hats & Tiger-Homicide Tats

Here are some cool reader-made things that hit my inbox recently!

First — Marksman William R. writes:

I have been a regular reader of your Wondermark strip since 2009. I’ve also recently reached the age where some of my friends are now getting married and having children.

I mention this because one such child, born this past weekend to close friends of mine who are both avid book lovers and both completed English degrees in college (one is now in law school, the other is a substitute teacher), would be a perfect model for some clothing emblazoned with the word “bibliophibian.”

However, now having occasion to purchase the onesie that I once saw advertised by your comic, I was distraught to learn that it is now out of print and unavailable for sale at TopatoCo. (A quick search of eBay also turns up no results, though I’m not yet sure how I feel about the prospect of a garment-used-by-strangers-as-belated-baby-shower-gift.)

In addition to my engineering degrees I have also developed some skill in knitting over the past several years, and the thought crossed my mind that if I could not buy a suitable garment, perhaps I could knit something, maybe a hat at least. However, I would still owe (and indeed, feel) a debt to you for gracing our world with the amusing concept of an amateur librarian’s darling little monster.

In short, may I have your blessing to fabricate a “bibliophibian”-proclaiming garment for my friends’ infant son?

To which I answered, of course, “OF COURSE.” (Hint: this will almost always be my answer.)

And the results! (Click for bigger)

WEAR IT

Will adds: “I’m satisfied that the text is legible even if it looks like pixel type, though I may switch to embroidery whenever the next kid comes around. The white on the back is intended to be a scribbled paragraph, and I’m starting to think it would have been more recognizable as one if I’d not ‘justified’ the ‘text’ and left it ragged-right. Oh well!”

READ IT

I think it looks great, Will! Thanks very much for the pictures. I hope this baby’s head is warmed forevermore by the magic of reading.

It is true that the ‘Bibliophibian’ shirts and onesies are out of print for the moment… But I have just worked out a deal with a new venture to bring some of my older T-shirt designs back. Hopefully we’ll learn more about that in the coming weeks.

I also received this email from Mario B.:

One of the tattoos I’m looking at getting in the near future, is the tiger-soldier-chasing what appears to be a paper boy, from the Mysterious Homicides piece you made. I’m just writing to ask if it’s okay to get that needled into my back, or will I have to stab a small “copyright Dave” next to it?

Mario is referring to this poster that I made for a Law & Order-themed art show a while ago!

It is not my place to tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t get tattooed on their body. So, sure! I was happy to go along with the idea.

GOOD THING I DID:

SLASH IT

INK IT

BECAUSE IT LOOKS FRIGGIN INCREDIBLE

I thought I posted some other reader tattoos a while back, but I can’t find the post, so here they are again, or possibly for the first time!

From Denis C.: “I am a photographer, and this is my tribute to the world of film. When nuclear winter arrives, and EMP has destroyed all the robots and electronics in the world, I will be standing on top of the hill with my trusty Nikkormat 35mm in hand, capturing it all. Thank you for supporting the emulsified revolution, even if you didn’t do it intentionally.”

(Based on this design of mine)

CLICK IT

From David H.: “So, I’ve always been partial to a spot of Wondermark and, years ago, when thinking about what to get as my first tattoo, you posted the comic that inspired the t-shirt that inspired this very tattoo! I’ve have had it on my back for years, and the other day, it occurred to me that you might get some enjoyment out of it, so… well, enjoy!”

RIDE IT

I’m going to go ahead and assume that’s his shoulder blade. Still: Neat!

Also, from Daniel B., submitted without comment:

ART IT

Both are from the elephant found here and on the also-out-of-print Where Is My Elephant shirt.

Finally, I have heard a few threats to attempt this best-of-all-possible tattoos, but SO FAR:

BUPKIS

THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN LAID

English Student Halloween Comics, and Other Spooky Specials

Amazing note @Kichiru yesterday:

Click for bigger:

the best

There’s a second one too! Adorable.

I love this. I’m so pleased to have my work enter the pantheon of English-student-written comics (a genre ably represented by Dinosaur Comics and Nedroid, among others).

The comic Kichiru shared with his students was a collaboration with KC Green — I wrote it, he drew it! It’s called “Emmy & the Eggs” and we made it as a Halloween special a few years ago.

If you missed it, it’s in three parts here, here, and here.

DUN DUN DUN

BONUS LINK: Speaking of spooky specials, the Tweet Me Harder Halloween episode is still online for your podcast entertainment!

Kris and Mikey just released a Halloween episode of their Chainsawsuit podcast, as well.

Amazing Carved Dodo O’Lantern (Dodo’lantern?)

Reader @Stringerplz shared these great pictures of her carved dodo pumpkin!

finally

finally in the DARK

Modeled after, of course, the dodos with the time!

PREVIOUSLY:
• Piranhamoose-O’Lantern
• A New Piranhamoose-O’Lantern

In her tweet above, Stringerplz mentions “Halloween Keith.” Some of you older readers will no doubt remember Halloween Keith from your childhood.

I have written some more about Halloween Keith.

Some say Halloween Keith was a corn farmer who died in a drought year, through laziness or ill-management of his crop; others say he was born from the cornfields themselves, a new form of smut who took legs in an attempt to become a man. Inside his wrappings are either bony limbs hung with rotted flesh, or bulbous, fungal lumps of corn. Perhaps both, working in concert…

Once a year, on the eve of All Saints’ Day, children from the local parish used to go door-to-door collecting food donations to help the less fortunate. Because charity is most virtuous when done anonymously, the children would wear masks, or dress up in costume — sometimes as adults, but other times as monsters and evil things, as a reminder that even the demons may repent and do good works.

This presented the perfect opportunity for Halloween Keith to also disguise himself and collect food from unsuspecting families, enough to feed him for another year…

— Malkidian Geometry: The Forgotten Mythos of Halloween Keith

OBLIGATORY REMINDER: Only two days and a bit remain on the Go Away, Sea Lions shirt!