Fox's Master
SOC-9
On March 11, 2011 I reached out to my long-time friend and professional artist, Rob, asking for some advice on how to build some card holders for my favorite game. When he saw the dimensions of what would prove nothing more elaborate than a box with dividers, he said, "hold on, I've got an idea." Over the next few months, we developed numerous sketches, accepted maybe 1 out of every 7 or 8 drawings, until we finally found the right look for our first few pieces.
From the beginning, we envisioned a complete set of card holders and component trays for Arkham Horror. Early-on, we had planned for the Neighborhood Display to hold all nine decks of Arkham Encounter cards. The size of the piece would prove too massive and its cost exorbitant relative to the other pieces. In time, we decided on the pieces which would comprise the original set: Mythos Fortress, Cthulhu's Caldera, Graveyard, GOO Holder, Item Deck, Player's Plate, and nine separate Neighborhood Displays, with each one holding an Arkham Encounter deck.
In October 2011, I headed-off to Arkham Nights at FFG, and met with several individuals on-staff to whom I showed the drawings and a small sculpted piece which now serves as our Business Card Holder. I had inquired about securing a Licensing Agreement and over the next two months researched the topic and presented FFG with our proposal in late January. While the Marketing Rep loved our idea they couldn't make the numbers work on their end. For us, while we didn't secure FFG's name for our items, we had their tacit acknowledgment that we would move forward.
During the month of February, I completed the forms for incorporation, creating Crafthulhu LLC. When March arrived, we were a Virginia entity and my co-owner and friend, Rob signed the paperwork in April. Over the next few weeks, I consulted with quite a few friends and relatives about how best to market our idea. We had looked at and examined CraigsList, Facebook, and many other sites, when two buddies (one an Air Force colleague and the other a life-long friend who is now pursuing his MBA) recommended Kickstarter.
Finally in May, I began the Kickstarter Project process - just when I thought I had a reasonable draft, I realized that it was only the beginning. I needed verification with Amazon.com which propelled me to get the company's finances in-order, get a checking account and write our LLC's Business Plan. Through June and July, I cleared these administrative hurdles, while Rob patiently crafted our pieces. During the last six weeks, Rob and I discussed, argued, and finally decided on the Rewards for our Contributors. Over the past few months, Rob has crafted nearly one item every 6-8 weeks with stunning detail.
On September 10th at 9:30 pm, I sent our Project for review by the Kickstarter Staff. Within 24 hours, I received confirmation that we would be cleared to "Launch" by hitting the Green Button which appeared on our Control Screen. We launched the Project on Saturday, September 15th at noon ~ within one week, we had already surpassed 35% funding or what Kickstrater experts refer to as the "Tipping Point" (90% of all successful Projects reach the "Tipping Point" in short order).
This started as a personal project because of my love for a great game which I've shared with family and friends. In time, it has become so much more because of the powerful messages of faith and hope which I've received in a number of gaming fora.
Here's the link to the Crafthulhu Goodness: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1734621563/crafthulhu-card-holders-displays-and-component-tra
Over the weekend of September 29th-30th, we showcased the pieces at a game store near Atlantic City NJ, Jester's Playhouse. Despite the fact that the store was hosting a Magic event, a number of attendees were stunned by the artistry and thought the pieces would be a great addition to many board games and even card games such as Magic ~ with the Neighborhood Displays used to hold a player's cards. Inspiration comes from many sources.
We hope you enjoy what you see and contribute to the Project.
Cheers,
Joe Pilkus
President, Crafthulhu LLC
From the beginning, we envisioned a complete set of card holders and component trays for Arkham Horror. Early-on, we had planned for the Neighborhood Display to hold all nine decks of Arkham Encounter cards. The size of the piece would prove too massive and its cost exorbitant relative to the other pieces. In time, we decided on the pieces which would comprise the original set: Mythos Fortress, Cthulhu's Caldera, Graveyard, GOO Holder, Item Deck, Player's Plate, and nine separate Neighborhood Displays, with each one holding an Arkham Encounter deck.
In October 2011, I headed-off to Arkham Nights at FFG, and met with several individuals on-staff to whom I showed the drawings and a small sculpted piece which now serves as our Business Card Holder. I had inquired about securing a Licensing Agreement and over the next two months researched the topic and presented FFG with our proposal in late January. While the Marketing Rep loved our idea they couldn't make the numbers work on their end. For us, while we didn't secure FFG's name for our items, we had their tacit acknowledgment that we would move forward.
During the month of February, I completed the forms for incorporation, creating Crafthulhu LLC. When March arrived, we were a Virginia entity and my co-owner and friend, Rob signed the paperwork in April. Over the next few weeks, I consulted with quite a few friends and relatives about how best to market our idea. We had looked at and examined CraigsList, Facebook, and many other sites, when two buddies (one an Air Force colleague and the other a life-long friend who is now pursuing his MBA) recommended Kickstarter.
Finally in May, I began the Kickstarter Project process - just when I thought I had a reasonable draft, I realized that it was only the beginning. I needed verification with Amazon.com which propelled me to get the company's finances in-order, get a checking account and write our LLC's Business Plan. Through June and July, I cleared these administrative hurdles, while Rob patiently crafted our pieces. During the last six weeks, Rob and I discussed, argued, and finally decided on the Rewards for our Contributors. Over the past few months, Rob has crafted nearly one item every 6-8 weeks with stunning detail.
On September 10th at 9:30 pm, I sent our Project for review by the Kickstarter Staff. Within 24 hours, I received confirmation that we would be cleared to "Launch" by hitting the Green Button which appeared on our Control Screen. We launched the Project on Saturday, September 15th at noon ~ within one week, we had already surpassed 35% funding or what Kickstrater experts refer to as the "Tipping Point" (90% of all successful Projects reach the "Tipping Point" in short order).
This started as a personal project because of my love for a great game which I've shared with family and friends. In time, it has become so much more because of the powerful messages of faith and hope which I've received in a number of gaming fora.
Here's the link to the Crafthulhu Goodness: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1734621563/crafthulhu-card-holders-displays-and-component-tra
Over the weekend of September 29th-30th, we showcased the pieces at a game store near Atlantic City NJ, Jester's Playhouse. Despite the fact that the store was hosting a Magic event, a number of attendees were stunned by the artistry and thought the pieces would be a great addition to many board games and even card games such as Magic ~ with the Neighborhood Displays used to hold a player's cards. Inspiration comes from many sources.
We hope you enjoy what you see and contribute to the Project.
Cheers,
Joe Pilkus
President, Crafthulhu LLC
