It’s been just over a month since I put up the pre-launch page for Rootfolk, and I’ve been really heartened by how many people are interested in the story! I want to thank everyone who signed up or expressed their interest to me. As this is my first time marketing anything I’ve written, your support here has meant the world.

I’ve also had some questions about the campaign, what it’s for, and how to back it. For now, the page is just a place to register your interest. When the kickstarter campaign goes live, everyone who’s clicked the “notify me” button will receive an email letting them know they can now back the project. You can support the project for as low as one dollar, but the thing that will be most helpful is supporting the project on day one. That will tell the Kickstarter algorithm that there’s a lot of interest in the project and will help surface it on the front page.

One of the other questions I’ve received is: “If you’re already done with the comic, what is our support for?”

While I’ve been able to complete the art and lettering for Rootfolk out of pocket, the primary objective of this campaign will be to fund a print run so that you can actually hold a copy in your hands! A print run can be expensive, as I’ll need to order a large quantity of comics from the printer.

I’m not expecting to make any money from this campaign, but I’m hoping that enough people enjoy the comic that I can immediately begin producing issue #2. A strong campaign will ensure that Issue #2 comes right away, as opposed to months down the line. To help that, I’m offering something really fun during this campaign: Two variant covers by two incredible artists.

I’m not ready to reveal either of them fully, but this last weekend I got to see a part of how one is progressing in person! I’ve worked mostly with digital artists for Rootfolk, but this variant cover is made with traditional media—colored pencil and pastels.

The colors feel alive, like they’re growing over the page. The full reveal is coming soon, probably around launch date!

Next Up

• Rootfolk #1 campaign goes fully LIVE!
  • March 8th (Subject to change)
• I’m going to be talking about Rootfolk and how to take an idea from inception to Kickstarter at an event hosted by Notion NY. It hasn’t been fully announced yet, so subscribe to their email notifications here and you’ll be first to know. I’m deep in the Notion NY community, and these events are always a great time.
  • March 19th, New York City, Exact Location TBD
• I do some board game development, and I’ll be showing off my next prototype at a convention for unpublished board games called Unpub. That’s another really great community, and this will mark my third year attending.
  • Unpub Festival 2025, will be held March 27-30, 2025 at the BWI Airport Marriott in Linthicum, MD.

Other Things

• I launched my first Notion template on the template store. (It’s free!) It’s a really simple template that lets you click a button to open a random page in a linked database. This was made by request, but I figured I could make it available to anyone else who needed it.
• I’m working on a new screenplay! It’s my first feature length script in over a decade, and I’m really excited to be working in the medium again. It’s a sci-fi coming of age story—one of my favorite genres but the first time I’ve written one.
• We made “Dubai Chocolate” for Valentine’s Day using a recipe from the New York Times and it came out incredibly well. I can’t recommend this recipe enough for making you feel like a master chocolatier. The only tweak I’d advise is to add half the salt to start, and then add more to taste. My first batch was just a little too salty so I added some more sugar to compensate in the second batch.

That’s all for now!

-Lukas

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timestamp: 2046-03-11
boot initiated… panic
retrying…

import [childhood, education, memory]
success… success… failure…

import senses [bright, antiseptic, beeping, bitter, cold]

import [subconsciousness]
head over sky, slipping, birds belong here I do not
Sandy’s hands so soft in mine
Me, a shopping cart loaded with junk

import [consciousness]
A tube pumps oxygen into my chest port. White jacketed hands above me pass a scratched disk. The cold is where the back of my skull is open. I am scared.

Doctor [male, calm, old]: “Miles? Can you hear me? We’ve turned you on for a moment to check your diagnostics.”
Am I Miles?
Doctor: “You’ve had some memory damage and we need to clean it up.”
Where’s Sandy?
Doctor: “I just need consent to pull your memory drive. We’ll give you a temporary memory set so you don’t experience too much discomfort, okay?”
He holds up two tongue depressors.
Doctor: “Look at green to give consent and red to decline.”

fast reboot
foreign memories detected

vocalization active

Doctor: “Hello, Miles.”
“Connor. My name is Connor. Where’s Deb?”
Doctor: “Your name is Miles. Dr. Nkosi, how are we looking?”
Me: “She’ll be waiting outside. The prettiest one in the waiting room.”
Doctor: “Relax, don’t get excited, we’ll have your memories back in a jiff. Your wife’s name was Sandy.”
Dr. Nkosi: “We’re clean. Plug it in, Doc.”
“Wait! Red! I decline!”

memories not ejected properly
fast reboot

Doctor: “Miles, are you with me? You were in a car crash. I’m terribly sorry.”