Good for an adventurous someone of any age, “Naiya and the Foxdragon” explores the magic of leaving childhood behind, and that of when you finally start to realize the world around you is more intertwined than you first thought.
Naiya is a young teen who has been hiding from her past and her unkind uncle most of her life until she befriends a foxdragon named Aru. When the last of the magic orbs that once powered their city is depleted, she faces her fears and embarks on an unexpected journey into the heart of the jungle to save her home.
Along the way, Naiya discovers her own self-worth as she and her foxdragon friend navigate the treacherous jungle and learn about her own relationship with the world’s magic.
Naiya – An independent young teen of 14 years, Naiya loves to spend her time outside. She finds freedom in climbing rooftops and hidden passageways on her errands within the city as a house servant to a spice merchant. Always curious about the greater world, she enjoys learning through books. Naiya has a soft spot for animals, caring for those she finds abandoned in the city.
Aru – A young foxdragon brought to the trade city of Ora, Aru has no recollection of his past. His curiosity and fondness for food can, at times, get him into a bit of trouble. Aru is a loyal friend & companion.
While Naiya and Aru’s story can stand on words alone, the illustrations throughout the book add glimpses into their world for a more immersive experience.
Each chapter begins with a unique full-page textile pattern, and the following spreads contain a variety of vignette, half and full-page spread illustrations to complement the text.
The book is a standard comic book size at 6.625 x 10.5 inches, chosen for comfortable chapter reading as well as an immersion into imagery that flows from page to page. “Naiya and the Foxdragon” is 282 pages long, 24 chapters and 78,000 words.
About Naomi VanDoren: I am a visual artist and author based in Northern California. For the past six years, I have been working independently as an artist on creator-owned projects like my yearly art books, which I have Kickstarted in the past.
In my storytelling, I strive to capture the adventures of my youth in the jungles of Indonesia and pay homage to the beautiful culture in which I spent over 14 years. “Naiya and the Foxdragon,” and the tropical world of Antarah in which it takes place, was born out of a desire to fully dive into storytelling and create an immersive world using inspiration from where I grew up. It also was born from a love of the fantasy genre, epic quests that sweep you off your feet and endearing characters you feel a deep connection with.
If you’re curious about my writing style I encourage you to check out the first chapter of “Naiya and the Foxdragon” which takes place 10 years before the rest of the book, when Naiya is still a young child.
Why an illustrated novel? I’ve loved reading and writing just as much as I love art. Rather than create a book that was art-focused, or heavily writing focused I decided I wanted a book that celebrated both in a way that allowed a reader to escape deeper into the world that I’ve created.
This project is going to print as soon as the Kickstarter campaign ends!
I’ve spent the last 2+ years working on this project so that I can bring you something that is nearly complete and ready for print. As a Kickstarter backer myself, I appreciate creators that are transparent about the status of their projects. In that spirit, here is what has been done with “Naiya and the Foxdragon”, what is being wrapped up, timelines for printing etc.
Writing: All of the writing from outlines through the final draft of the book are complete. I’ve worked with a professional developmental editor twice to perfect the story, run the project through beta readers and had a copy editor proof the book. The only thing that I plan to do in regards to the text is one final round of quick copy editing (1/2 way through already) for that last look as well as adding any words I find to complete the appendix page.
Illustrations: All of the illustrations have been designed and are in their final form linework-wise. This involved reference gathering, some 3D designs for some of the locations, character design, and lots of time for the composition and inking process – all of which are now complete. I’m going through the bulk of each illustration and adding the final touches of color to each (1/2 way through this process at this point). I estimate this to take 2 weeks while the campaign is live. Check-in on the status here.
Design: The full book has been designed from a rough draft to the final draft. While I have a background in graphic design, this book is being handled by a designer that has publishing experience. The only thing that remains in this stage of the project is to typeset the file and export it for print.
Printing: I’m working with a printer currently and finalizing files once the campaign is over. I’ve received a blank sample copy of the paper that will be used with the book along with the cloth for the Special Edition.
Timeline after the campaign ends: The timeline for the book production begins after this Kickstarter campaign is complete and I receive the Kickstarter payment from the campaign to make the order (which is usually 2 weeks after it ends, on or around the first week in April). Once I receive it, I am able to move ahead with printing. The estimated time for printing is 3 months from handing files over to the printer in April until books being physically at my door in July. I’m allowing a month for shipping your rewards out with the exception of books with remarque sketches which I have allowed for additional time to complete. I will be preparing shipping materials as well as any additional rewards during the waiting period for the books to arrive.
Shipping: Will be collected after the project is complete and the books are printed and ready to ship in or around June or July. Please see more about shipping in the “Shipping” section at the bottom of this project page.
Shipping for this project will be collected after the project is complete and the books are ready to ship. In order to give you the best price for shipping, I’ve decided to handle shipping after the campaign and through Backerkit. This allows me to better estimate how much shipping will be with a physical sample book as well as not inflate the Kickstarter funding goal which is for printing.
Here is a shipping table to help you estimate what shipping may cost. I ship artwork internationally frequently however it is impossible to get exact shipping estimates without a finished sample book in-hand.
*All original paintings will be shipped insured.
This will be the third Kickstarter that I’ve run. My previous two were designed similarly with a project that was already complete and both were delivered before their estimated due dates. This project is, however, a much larger project. I’ve done my best to simplify some aspects of it and thought ahead in regards to printing timeline, shipping, packaging etc. I have added some padding in the fulfillment timeline to be able to stay on target. While there are many things I can plan out ahead of time I realize there are always unforeseen circumstances that may arise in regards to working with such a large order of books that are out of my control. I plan to be transparent about the status of the project along the way so backers will be the first to know if anything comes up. In order to keep backers up to date on the project, I’ve included the “project status” as well for extra transparency.