Comics
[Give It A Kickstart] 44 Flood Launches ‘TOME 2: MELANCHOLIA’
Last year, 44 FLOOD, a new company started by Ben Templesmith, menton3, Kasra Ghanbari, and Nick Idell, launched a Kickstarter campaign for their first annual edition of their anthology series “TOME”. The first volume focused on the theme of vampirism and was crowd funded in under 24 hours. The product was a beast of an art book featuring work from some of the best artists in the world. It truly is a magnificent sight to behold and it is a testament of the passion these guys put into their projects.
The gang at 44 FLOOD has just launched the Kickstarter for “TOME 2: MELANCHOLIA”, and it’s already well on it’s way to being successfully funded. The book is planned to be 12×18″ and 200 pages with an inserted music CD. The list of artists involved is just insane (see it on their campaign page). As always, the backing options are wicked including original artwork and prints from the artists involved.
From the Kickstarter:
TOME is a biennial anthology in an oversized format showcasing world-class and emerging artists from diverse disciplines as they explore a single, esoteric theme. TOME is made by artists with artists for the artist within us all.
The book is a massive 12×18″ and 200 pages with an inserted music CD! This large format lets the art be presented and experienced in a way that would be almost impossible outside of standing in front of the original work itself.
For TOME Volume 2, we will focus on the theme of MELANCHOLIA, the condition more akin to the alchemical phases the psyche passes through for our individuation and evolution…aka NOT depression or mourning, but something far more essential and ultimately beneficial to us all. The artist is born into a state of inspired MELANCHOLIA and exists within it. They bring back their experiences to us, providing those images, symbols, and light posts for our collective benefit, so that we may learn and not have to go through what it is that they have gone through. Our belief is that this influences the collective in a deeply meaningful and critical way, that this determines a society and culture’s ultimate health, well-being, growth, and relevance.
Featured Artists in TOME 2 will each have 6-8 pages to present to us their “Hero’s Journey” taken on our collective behalf. The works presented in TOME 2 will be a meticulous selection of pieces by artists leading up to a current piece or pieces that they’re working on, completing a compressed arc in an attempt to at least in part represent their individual journey, discoveries, and resolutions to date.
And as part of each Featured Artist’s contribution, they’ll have an interview or discussion with another artist to continue the articulation of their artistic exploration as related to the theme.
Our goal at 44FLOOD is to get you involved through this Kickstarter campaign to help make TOME 2 a reality, just like you did so incredibly with TOME Volume 1! We’re asking for your support through pre-ordering TOME 2 and it’s companion book EXPLICITUS EST LIBER 2 at a big discount to their retail price, as well as purchasing the offered art and prints, selecting from the special rewards offered, or even making a donation.
Thank you so much for your time, consideration, and support!
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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