Release of the Storybooks

 I know, I've been talking about this for years. Well I needs to be happening soon, for various reasons. We have begun working on the remaining art and although we are starting out slow, things will pick up there. The fact that we are moving forward with more artwork gives us a clearer picture of what is possible with releasing the books.

A very early shot of the puppet shop being set-up. 

More recent puppet activity is focused the Parade Float requirements

and constructing Stop-Action Puppets for some old-world filmmaking.

The skin to fit over the skull on the three foot chassis.
I think this is Zebby.

Our Constable Warren Garden Gnome

We inventory about a half a dozen or so of these concrete Garden Gnomes.

Well, release of the books has taken a new turn. The Hand-Stitched Books will initially only be available through IMS and in the Boxed Set Collections. The reason is primarily due to the quantity limitations placed on distributing the Hand-Stitched Books. I love the hand-stitching, everybody loves the hand-stitching, but they take a lot more time and cost quite a bit more to implement.  So I've decided that the Hand-Stitched Books will be Limited Editions, by special order. This may change if I can get production quantities up to speed. If we have booksellers who request the Hand-Stitched Books, we will meet those orders, but delivery times will not be committed to, unless we are pulling those Hand-Stitched Books from inventory.  I have been setting up the production line, but the tooling is not yet finished, so I cannot determine an absolute minimum assembly time yet. I do expect to inventory about 500 of each book with the Hand-Stitched Covers, depending upon the demand. The cost of the hand-stitched books is about one third higher than the machine bound books.

The Initial Flyer that was developed to market the product line.
A new plan for manufacturing and distribution is being developed
with the machine bound books being widely distributed, while
 the Hand-Stitched Book will remain Limited Editions and custom orders.

The Pricing on this order form is for the Hand-Stitched Limited Edition Books
These prices are subject to change.
 A new pricing schedule is under development for the Machine Bound Books
although the MSRP will remain the same for the Hand-Stitched Books.

So, as the Printer's Layout is locked in for the entire collection, we will begin to inventory the books. The previous discussions regarding the publication of Book One, gave a good overview of the process, but after Book One was completed, it became necessary to conform the entire collection of Seven Books and Three Volumes, in both Hand-Stitched and Machine Bound Books. This was far more complicated than I ever imagined. But it is literally days away from completion and once that it absolutely finished then production line details can be confirmed, giving us accurate delivery times and other details. I say all this to inform those who have been "watching and waiting". I won't go into the design alterations that have taken place in this effort to conform all the books one to another, but I will say that they are significant.

I'm looking forward to getting the new artwork finished and installed.

That's all for now.  AG

Access via a new Hot Spot

 Zach Finds himself in a real pickle.

 I'm experimenting with a new method of accessing this blog, so here is a shot from Book Two, We have begun working on the remaining illustrations, since the publishing layouts are very nearly finished.

I do hope we open up new channels for distributing these books and I invite business people involved in marketing and distribution to touch base in that regard. For my part, I hope to be moving more actively into constructing the Parade Float and the Little Theatre Puppetry components, as I need a break from the work that I have been doing for many years in regard to publishing. I have many other Studio items that need tending to, so I am most interested in handing the ball off to some degree. I will, however, be building inventory of the book products, for obvious reasons.

AG