Absolutely! Here are some ways you can support more Lackadaisy production:

Itch.io - you can purchase the original script, soundtrack, animatic, and a HD-resolution download of the full, 27-minute Lackadaisy pilot at https://iron-circus.itch.io

PayPal - you can tip the production via Paypal at the [email protected] email address. (But fair warning, you won’t get any backer rewards that way!)

Patreon - you can join the Lackadaisy Patreon to see extra art, livestreams, and behind the scenes work on the comics and animation. https://patreon.com/Lackadaisy

And if none of that works for you, even just sharing a link to the Lackadaisy YouTube Channel - YouTube.com/LackadaisyComic - or telling a friend about it makes a difference for us! Indie productions live and die by word-of-mouth support.

Last updated: July 19, 2023 15:46

These are good concerns to have! Let’s go into detail on this.

We are not members of the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers). That is the body that SAG-AFTRA (The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and the WGA (Writers Guild of America) are on strike against. We are also not a theatrical production (which the strikes are explicitly targeting), and so are not subject to the strikes. We negotiate our contracts with our crew members directly, not through AMPTP. Those AMPTP contracts are what SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are objecting to, and we do not use those objectionable contracts.

We wholeheartedly support the current labor actions, and hope labor is able to achieve every single one of their demands and more! There is no art without artists, and art is labor. SOLIDARITY FOREVER!

Last updated: July 30, 2023 04:48

Unfortunately not. We’re so sorry about that, but we have no control over shipping costs; we have to charge what we’ll be charged. Each of our shipping estimates comes directly from the UPS and USPS websites.

Last updated: July 25, 2023 11:23

That depends on a number of factors, the biggest of which is how much support we can garner here. With a bigger budget, we can stack episode production with an ‘A team’ and ‘B team’ who can work on different episodes simultaneously. In that situation, we’ll be able to release episodes more regularly. If we have funding just enough for a single team, we’ll still move ahead, but likely at a slower clip until we can find more production resources. Either way, we are heading into this with a goal of debuting episode 1 in 2024.

Last updated: July 19, 2023 15:59

Presently, our plan is to release episodes to the Lackadaisy YouTube Channel as we complete them.

Last updated: July 19, 2023 15:30

Part of the reason is that when making multiple episodes, you can be more efficient with asset usage between episodes. This cuts down on total design time and cost. The other reason is that, given our goal is fulltime crew, you have less idle time between tasks. The work flows continuously on an elongated schedule to finish out the season instead of on a staggered basis where you might have to pause between episodes to keep fundraising.

A more long term production schedule also helps guarantee that the animators and other crew can remain dedicated to working on the project for the duration instead of needing to fill gaps between episode production with myriad other jobs. It’s a sort of stability, in other words, that lets everyone remain focused.

In addition, each episode smooths over the pipeline and refines it until it becomes a better oiled machine. Any production takes time to hit its stride, and a season’s worth of material ensures that. It’s trickier to reach that point when you’re working in starts and stops.

Last updated: July 19, 2023 15:40

For the most part it will tread along the same path as the comic, but we’re planning to approach some aspects of the story rather differently. We’re looking at rearranging the timeline a bit and diving a bit deeper into character backstories, for instance. We’d also very much like to introduce some jazzy musical numbers (not because this intended to be a musical - it’s not - but because you can’t run a proper speakeasy without live music)! At its heart, it will all be the same story, just altered by the lens of a different medium.

Last updated: July 19, 2023 15:51

Without going into too much detail: the release of the original animated pilot garnered us a LOT of attention from those studios and networks, which was very exciting! We had a number of meetings with interested parties. But at the end of the day, the only way we could be fully confident further episodes of Lackadaisy would be produced without executive interference, surrendering creator IP, jettisoning our current team/VA cast, or risking being shelved/vaulted for a tax write-off was by staying independent and self-funded.

Last updated: July 19, 2023 14:01

The original pilot was originally pitched as 12-to-15 minutes in length; it wound up being 27 minutes in length. The Kickstarter goal does not reflect what the original film ultimately cost.

We now have three years of animation experience under our belts, and a very good idea of what Lackadaisy-quality animation REALLY costs! Please refer to the pie chart on our project homepage for more information on the budget.

Last updated: July 19, 2023 14:13

Right now, we’re anticipating fulfilling the listed rewards in March or April of 2024. However, that date is subject to change! An ETA is an estimate, not a guarantee. Things like manufacturer and shipping delays can happen, and when they do, they’re typically outside of our control. All we can do is wait them out and keep backers informed of the situation.

However, Iron Circus has never failed to fulfill a crowdfunding project. You can back this project with full confidence!

Last updated: July 19, 2023 15:53

Thanks for your interest! We’ll put out calls for portfolio, animation reel, or voice reel submissions whenever we’re looking to fill positions! If you’d like to be notified when we have openings, you can keep an eye on our social media at the following places:

Twitter: @fablepaint, @LackadaisyCats, @LackadaisyFilm, @IronCircusComix Tumblr: @fablepaint, @LackadaisyCats BlueSky: ironcircuscomics.bsky.social | lackadaisy.bsky.social | fablepaint.bsky.social

Last updated: July 19, 2023 13:59

We’re actively working on it! We couldn’t start making a making-of book until we finished the animated pilot!

Last updated: July 19, 2023 14:14

If you don’t have it already? In the mail!

No, really!

Our friends at White Squirrel (our third-party fulfillment partners) have been diligently mailing backer copies of Lackadaisy Essentials, and you should check your email for the notice of shipping confirmation. We cannot predict exact ETAs due to the nature of the USPS and UPS, but you should have a tracking number attached to your order. That should take out some guesswork.

Please consult the latest Kickstarter update for more details, INCLUDING what to do if you have yet to fill out your backer survey!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ironspike/lackadaisy-the-animated-short-film/posts/3857595

Last updated: July 19, 2023 14:15

It will ship after Kickstarter backers receive their copies! Kickstarter backers come first.

Please consult the latest Kickstarter update for more details!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ironspike/lackadaisy-the-animated-short-film/posts/3857595

Last updated: July 19, 2023 14:37

In production! The backer cards are ready, the molds are done. We’re just waiting for the manufacturer to add the gold plating and enamel.

We’ll be very vociferous about it on social media as soon as we have them in hand, and are ready to ship them. When your pins do ship, you should automatically receive an email with tracking information. Thank you for your patience!

Last updated: July 19, 2023 14:34

Tracy here!

This’ll be a bit lengthy (sorry), but here’s what happened, and what’s going on now.

Back in 2020, we raised a pretty respectable budget for the Lackadaisy animated short film (aka the Pilot). Still, money was tight because making cartoons is extremely labor intensive, so all hands were needed on deck. My time during production went toward fulfilling the pledge rewards that included a lot of custom artwork, re-editing the books, making a whole new book, and helping out with the production whenever and however I could. That left zero extra hours in the day (and in the night) for anything else. That is the reason for the long pause on the comic.

Then we released the Pilot, and it met with some success! Surprising success! Very surprising success! We all thought we’d wrap work on it, and that’d be the end of it. Instead, the crew and I found ourselves staring at an open opportunity to continue making more animated Lackadaisy.

So now I have two options:

1) Say goodbye and thanks for all the fish to everyone who worked on the Pilot, in spite of its success, and return to the dual full time jobs of producing the comic and trying to fill in the income gaps that leaves with copious amounts of freelance illustration. (If you ever wonder why webcomic creators are unreliable updaters, well, that’s a big part of it.)

2) Or, grab onto the animation momentum we have and try to leverage that into series production. Going ahead with that idea means taking some more time to lay the groundwork on the business side of things (hence this crowdfund), writing the episode scripts and doing all of the other preparation required of me to keep this little production engine chugging along.

I still want to and plan to resume making comics. That itch never subsides. The second half of Volume 3 awaits. What’s more, the comic now has a much bigger audience than before as a direct result of the Pilot! I don’t want that to go to waste either! But I also know which of those two options would haunt me on my deathbed if I relinquished it now. What’s more, I feel I owe it to the Pilot’s crew to explore what might lie ahead. It’s because of their hard work that we even have that option.

And if my time must be divided in either scenario, I’d rather it be divided between Lackadaisy comics and animation than between multitudes of small freelance gigs with comic-making slotted in-between. The choice seems clear.

So here we are!

Last updated: July 19, 2023 14:57

Please take note of the estimated shipping charges listed with the backer level you’ve selected, and understand shipping charges may change between the project and fulfillment. 

During the fulfillment process, Backerkit will calculate any shipping that may be required when you fill out your delivery address. Shipping costs will not be assessed and billed until then! Iron Circus Comics and BackerKit are not responsible for any VAT, duty, or customs charges any packages may incur.

Last updated: December 19, 2023 20:33