If that doesn’t sound like enough, there’s the Library Comic Completist Set is for you. It includes all of the patches in the Complete Set except this one includes both the READERS and LIBRARY rockers + all the patches available now + all the patches from stretch goals that are met (including your choice of a rank badge, if we hit that stretch goal) + a hoodie + all Library Comic merchandise from our previous Kickstarter campaigns: the card catalog and book drop library LEGO kits, all six enamel pins, a deck of Library Tarot cards. I’ll also throw in awesome things from my garage, filling whatever space is left in the box. You like books right? I have a ton of those, plus assorted bits of weirdness. Tell me what you like and I’ll surprise you. All for an amazing price: $150. (Ships to the US only.)
And if that all sounds like too much you can grab individual badges or this:
Other Combinations of stuff: If you want a combination of patches, shirts, and hoodies that’s not listed as a set, please go ahead and pledge for the most expensive of them now.
If you want to help reach the stretch goals, you can add the cost of a patch or two to a single patch without adding to shipping.
In other cases it gets a little complicated — you can the cost of a T-shirt, hoodie, or a bunch of other patches to any order, but you may have to pay a bit more for shipping later. (Sorry, Kickstarter isn’t very robust about this, and I don’t want to have a million sets.)
You will have the chance to add more patches and merchandise using Backerkit after the campaign ends, when you give me your address. (See add-ons section below.)
READER / LIBRARY rocker patches
Reading Skeleton patch
READ TO LIVE / LIVE TO READ patch
READ FREE OR DIE patch
“Book Club” patch
1st Amendment patch
Unchained Book patch
A note on attaching patches: All patches will have an iron-on backing, which works pretty well for denim and cotton, though you should never, ever put a garment in the dryer after you iron your patches on! I recommend sewing them on, especially if your jacket/vest/book bag is a synthetic fabric or leather. There are a number of special glues and adhesive sheets on the market, too. (A friend told me Fabri-Tac glue is great but reviews vary. Buy glue locally so you can check that it’s not dried up. Let me know if you have a recommendation.)
Patches may have slight variations due to the nature of embroidery, though the samples I have now look perfect (and exactly like the concept art).
When pledges reach $10,000 a Winged Book patch will be included with the Back of the Jacket and Complete sets. These will then also be available as add-ons later via Backerkit.
When pledges reach $15,000, “Rank” Badges for each club will be available to as add-ons after the campaign, in Backerkit, for $3 each. Badges like these are often worn on the front of a jacket or vest, but put them wherever you’d like. Ranks are intended for READERS or LIBRARY book club members as shown, but you’ll be able to order whichever you like even if it doesn’t make sense to me. You can even order extras for problem patrons and your library’s friends, because those folks should all be labeled.
When pledges reach $20,000, a Book Cart patch will be included with the Back of the Jacket set and Complete set. These will then also be available as add-ons later via Backerkit.
When pledges reach $30,000, a Spread Eagle patch will be included with the Back of the Jacket set and Complete set. These will then also be available as add-ons later via Backerkit.
Reading Skeleton T-shirt — $20. These will also be available as add-ons after the campaign.
Reading Skeleton Hoodie — $32. These will also be available as add-ons after the campaign.
You may go ahead and add the price of an extra patch or two to your pledge now, based on the cost of that reward, if you want to help the campaign reach its stretch goals. That won’t increase your shipping cost. Adding a hoodie or T-shirt or a bunch of patches to your order may mean you owe a little more money for shipping later, depending on where you live.
If you need clarity on any of this, wait to consider add-ons when you’re filling out your Backerkit survey — it will all be clear. (Backerkit surveys will be sent out after the campaign. This is how you tell me your shipping address, even if you don’t want more stuff.)
Here are the basics:
Rewards and add-ons ship in envelopes, mailers, or boxes via USPS First Class or Priority Mail, depending on the final size and weight of the packages.
Want your rewards shipped to a country that’s not currently listed? Message me via Kickstarter or just email me which country and the pledge level you’re considering.
— Other Questions? Just want to say hello? Contact Gene. —
I’m Gene Ambaum, a librarian and an avid reader who writes comics, too. I’m currently working on Library Comic, Barbarian Girl: The Burning Blade of the Badlands , and a few other projects with Willow Payne, the artist who designed these patches. (Check out her Tumblr — she’s been drawing monsters all October, and they are fabulous.) I also used to make a comic called Unshelved with Bill Barnes.
Thanks to my buddy Mike F, my wife Silver, and our daughter Beatrice for their willingness to model for me.
Nov 30, 2019: Kickstarter ends.
~ Dec. 2 — Backerkit Surveys sent: This is your chance to add additional patches. Answer your survey by Dec. 15th to insure you get the add-ons that you want. Quantities of patches, shirts, and hoodies in this campaign will be limited after that.
Dec. 16th — I order the goods.
Late Dec.: Approve proofs. Manufacturing starts. See new Star Wars movie.
Dec. – Jan.: Nervous waiting. Stress eating. Give up giving up caffeine. Reorganize the Library Comic “warehouse” (my garage) for shipping. Order supplies. Print T-shirts and hoodies. Try not to panic.
Late Jan. (best case scenario) or sometime in Feb. (less than ideal case), patches arrive in Seattle.
Start and finish shipping ASAP. Unshipped packages make my brain itch. I’ll work long days listening to audiobooks and podcasts. My cats will wonder where I’ve gone.
Mid-Feb: In the ideal scenario, I’m done shipping now. I treat myself to a bottle of expensive Scotch to celebrate.
Feb. 26: See you at the Public Library Association conference in Nashville, TN.
Mid-March: In the less than ideal scenario, shipping is completed now. I buy myself an adequate bottle of Scotch to celebrate.
March 24th — See you at the Texas Library Association conference in Houston.
April 2020: In the worst case shipping scenario that does not involve fire, flood, or a devastating Seattle earthquake, shipping is completed now. No Scotch for me.
I have designed and fulfilled several Kickstarters for Unshelved and Library Comic, including the patch heavy Library Rangers campaign way back in 2019.
I have proofs of the largest, most complicated patches in hand already, and I’m working with a company that I’ve used before that has a great record of quality control.
The stated fulfillment date of April 2020 is close to a worst case scenario. (See the timeline at the bottom of the campaign for more details.) I try to fulfill Kickstarter campaigns earlier than promised, and I’m hoping to do that again. Timing could be impacted by needing to make corrections after seeing proofs and by other things beyond my control: labor strikes, trade wars, the big earthquake Seattle has been waiting for, damage to the patches in transit, global pandemics, and etc. It’s unlikely that any of this will happen, but I build extra time into my Kickstarter campaigns to deal with the unexpected, and I’m being transparent about that in my timeline.
Throughout production and fulfillment, I promise to keep Backers informed about any issues that will affect timing, and to share details every step of the way.