Fund This! Rain of the Ghosts, Urban Death Project, In their Own Worlds, and Schoolism!

Spring is blossoming around the country and so are new funding campaigns! This week, let’s explore a new audiocast, a new way to look at death, putting authors in their own world, and accessible art education!

Happy Funding!

Rain of the Ghosts Full Cast Audioplay

Greg Weisman, creator of Gargoyles, and writer for numerous animated shows (including Star Wars Rebels) was tired of corporations determining the destiny of beloved characters so he started writing his own books. The first of his new series of novels, Rain of the Ghosts, begins the story of Rain Cacique, a young girl who lives on an island near the Bermuda Triangle and has a very special gift. Now Weisman is bringing his enthralling novel to life with a full cast and fully scored audio presentation. He assembled an all-star cast—including Ed Asner, Marina Sirtis, and Brent Spiner—and has spent $30K of his own money to record a full audio play of his first book, Rain of the Ghosts. He needs another $43K to finalize the project, which he has achieved, but backing this would get you first access to what is going to be an incredible experience of storytelling.

The Urban Death Project: Laying Our Loved Ones to Rest

Look, it’s hard to think about what happens to us when we die. I get it. My eyes were first opened to this world after death by reading Mary Roach’s spectacular book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and Caitlin Doughty’s Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory. I was also fascinated by the Bios Urn which turns human or pet ashes into a tree. What makes the Urban Death Project different is its approach. By composting whole bodies, we eliminate the impact both burial and cremation have on the environment. In fact, it contributes to a healthier environment. It also eliminates the problem some have with being cremated, especially those with religious restrictions around how they are laid to rest. I love the sensitivity of this project, the imagery of my loved ones carting me up to the top of the core like an ancient Egyptian Queen, ready to take my place in the afterlife, nourishing a lemon tree or some roses. It also brings the concept of death back into our communities as a significant rite of passage. I can only imagine that if death were once again part of community ritual, how our society could transform in thought and action.

inownworlds — Photo courtesy of JR Blackwell

In Their Own Worlds

I came across this campaign on the page of a friend, who is actually one of the authors in the stretch goals. I was immediately intrigued. Amazing photographer JR Blackwell is setting up photo shoots of authors in scenes of their creations. Full makeup, full costume, epic scenery—she is really going for it. The results will be printed as rewards and there will be an accompanying gallery show. While I love this idea in its most basic visual premise, the authors’ interacting with the environments and characters they created excites me. What will these photos reveal about the stories? The way the author perceives them? This has the potential to be simultaneously deep and delightful!

fb_profile_picture.original — Photo courtesy of Bobby Chiu

Schoolism

Founded by artist/illustrator Bobby Chiu and Imaginism Studios (which, by the way, has an amazing website that you won’t regret taking a look at), Schoolism provides an online art education. Kind of like what YogaGlo is for yoga. For a low subscription rate, you have access to all kinds of art classes, from classic to digital. As any artist knows, you never stop learning and deepening your craft, and I can see this being a very convenient and useful tool towards that end.

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