Kickstarter Weekends: My Gimpy Life (S2), MMPR, Time Crash

Normally I would have waited untill posting one more blog before even considering a Kickstarter Weekend but thing are going bad for my ability to go to the cinema these days and thus my movie reviews are suffering. So I figured I might as well do this while the getting’s good. So anyway we have three new Kickstarter projects but before that let’s check out the ones from last month.

Emily and the Strangers: Funding Successful!

Final Earnings: $64,749

I was getting worried about it but close to the end it ended up making it. So the legend of Emily the Strange will continue to grow. It didn’t break the bank so, unless I’m mistaken, I don’t think we’ll be getting a full EP but perhaps that will come later. What I’ve heard of the song so far seems like it should be a pretty good video.

Code Monkey Save World: Funding Successful!

Final Earnings: $340,270

So yeah, this made nearly ten times its goal. I knew it would do well but damn! The stretch goals that were met ended up including a children’s book based on the Jonathan Coulton song “The Princess Who Saved Herself”, which is pretty cool. Apparently Greg Pak underestimated how well they’d end up doing. That just shows you how awesome JoCo’s music is.

The Return: Funding Pending

Final Earnings: TBA

This was my acquaintance from college Katie Dickinson’s project with her APT Theater group. Now as of this writing the campaign is still underway and, I’m sad to say, probably not doing as well as it could be. Since Katie was a friend of mine I would like to do everything I can to help her out with this. Please check out the project if you haven’t yet and even if you can’t pledge please spread the world. Right this second they need a bit under $7,000 to succeed (though it's Indiegogo so if they don't don't reach the goal they could still collect what they have, I just don't know if they will or not). There’s still time but they seriously need help. [Link]

Three new projects after the jump.

My Gimpy Life Season Two 

Don't mess with her; I've seen how she wields a lightsaber

Goal: $50,000

Deadline: 6:00am EDT, 6/14/13

The last two years I’ve gotten really into web shows. The creative freedom, beyond the meddling reach of out of touch Hollywood executives, usually more than balances out issues where funding was tight. One of my favorite web series from the last year was My Gimpy Life, a show created and starring Teal Sherer. Based on her own experiences the show follows a disabled actress as she deals with the various challenges of working in Hollywood in wheelchair, be it going to auditions that aren’t handicap accessible or dealing with ignorant preconceived notions. Oh yeah, it’s a comedy. Of course it is.

Now Sherer is on Kickstarter looking to fund a second season. The first season was hilarious and thoughtful and I think we could all stand to see more of that. So far it’s been doing pretty good but the campaign hasn’t been a smash hit or anything. As of this writing they have about two weeks left so there’s time enough for anything to happen. Check out Season One and if you, like me, find it  enjoyable think about pledging to this project.

Visit My Gimpy Life’s Kickstarter Page.

MMPR 

Um, Zedd? Your, uh, face seems to have fallen off. Again

 Goal: $18,500

Deadline: 11:59pm EDT, 6/28/13

I again debated whether or not I should include this entry since its goal was already reached. However I decided that I really, really wanted to talk about it but I didn’t feel like writing four entries today. So, possibly against my better judgment, I want to discuss MMPR. MMPR is a non-profit fan-made film based on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, because we live in an age where Power Rangers is old enough that the kids watching it back then are now professional adults and have access to filmmaking technology. The filmmakers promise MMPR to be essentially a dark, adult aimed reimagining of the concept of Power Rangers. They managed to recruit Robert Axelrod and David Feliding, the original voices of Lord Zedd and Zordon respectively, and Ron Wasserman, the composer behind all that awesome music from the show. That’s a pretty big deal for fans of the original.

They don’t have much available to see yet, mostly just a teaser trailer, but what they do have is impressive. It reminds me of the awesome Mortal Kombat: Rebirth short film from a few years ago. Like I said it already reached its goal so it doesn’t need money as much as the other projects today but like any crowd funding campaign the more it makes the better things get. In this case the creators have said for around every twenty grand they raise they’ll produce an additional episode. So if you’re the type of person who likes Power Rangers, or at least Super Sentai in general, but you don’t really like how it’s aimed primarily for children than you might want to support their endeavors. The better this film does the more likely future things in the same vein will come of it.

Visit MMPR’s Kickstarter page.

Time Crash 

I think I'd prefer Tom Baker in that image, but it serves its purpose

Goal: $5,000 

Deadline: 11:31pm EDT, 6/20/13 

Time Crash is a Chicago based trock band, apparently America’s first trock band. What’s trock, you ask? Why “Time Lord Rock”, of course. Time Lord as in “Doctor Who”. Yes that’s right; this is a band themed after the long running British TV show that I myself have talked about repeatedly. The band has been around for a short while but they’re looking to use Kickstarter to fund their first album. They have an EP, though it feels more like a demo, which can be found here. Having come across their KS page I found myself hunting every piece of music, video and info on the band. They might not be my usual taste of music but I am at least a little obsessed. 

I should mention that part of this is because I feel like they might be kindred spirits. They’re a nerdy Chicago-based band? Hell, I’m the frontman of a nerdy Chicago-based! (Remember?) Perhaps this is partly a karma thing and partly me wanting to see more nerd bands succeed but regardless I’m eager for this project to do as well as it can. Check out their page and also their EP; if you like what you hear and would like to hear more you should consider pledging. If you’re a Doctor Who fan, and really why the hell wouldn’t you be, you may want to at least listen to their music. 

And hey, on the off chance they see this I totally know this anti-zombie rock band that is super good at opening shows. 

Visit Time Crash’s Kickstarter page.