It's upon us, or myself rather. The official release of Everison is Wednesday and still a go. The only issue at present is a cover reset on the paperback version* (as of 3/23 the paperback version is still on hold for print. Our apologies for the delay but the digital and hard back are unaffected.) We are hoping this will get fixed before the day of release, or if not, there will be a slight delay with that version. We're working with B&N to get the issue resolved or the information updated to return the status to a green light.
EVERISON is available for preorder still.
If preorder is not your thing then the wait is almost over! Everison may or may not have brand merchandise available. It really depends on the reception. Folk Utopia is always looking for new opportunities for print options and vending expansion. With that in mind, we are still very much in support of the Redbubble Folk Utopia store. New concept art and prints will be available through this year; some retired as well. So get to buying those pieces that may have been collecting dust digitally and fall into that category. Feel free to contact us for more information.
Something Old and Something New
M. E. Wise and Folk Utopia love to stay busy, even at home. The titles to be focused on this year are Tales of Reign : Chimera, Falseland Fantasy, and The Witness : Devotion. These stories have been in development for some time now, each in different states of working toward being a complete thing. In all honesty I haven't set any deadlines on any of these titles as a year of COVID froze a great deal of our plans with the rest of the world. But no worries! We regroup and move forward, fortunate enough to do so.
Tales of Reign : Chimera picks up not too long after the events of Dominion, at least so far. ;)
The Witness : Devotion is connected to the original setting of The Witness Compendium yet something new and all it's own.
The Falseland Fantasy ran into a few genre hang-ups when developing the story but I have resolved to avoid those pressures and venture forward, rules be damned. I'm not a genre purist by any means. The story matters more.
It's funny, as an aside here, when publishing a book, through publisher or indie, they request categories to be selected for a story to fall under. This is all mostly as a marketing thing but it really gets complicated when I see this pigeon-holed identities game I am supposed to attach my work too and or work under. I think that leaves some of my titles in that aforementioned limbo according to marketability. When Folk Utopia was at our last event before COVID, I found myself describing my work through examples of popular related material that I enjoyed growing up. That didn't set well with me for a few weeks. I would sit up late and think about how I, the creator of these new properties, wanted to be my own thing. How does that happen? What light do I need to use to find my way out of so many shadows? Part of that thought process led to writing Everison. I skipped into a new setting and told a story that was more straight forward and stand alone. Nothing experimental about it, just wrote it while the inspiration was there.
Now with Everison literally becoming available in a pretty short period of time I feel that I've found my stride and this entire thing is now mine to pilot with enough identifiers to call it our brand. I say ours because I have also begun accepting help which was a difficult thing to do. Mostly help in the sense that I let go of total ownership and produce work because it is what I love and also my job. For any young up-and-comer, or even the fast-tracking people above, tell your story! If anything the ridiculous attention garnered by the Snyder-Cut of Justice League has taught us in the entertainment world, it is that no matter your style, insane reasoning for holding to that when it doesn't seem to work, you gain support in amounts you never realize until it comes together and carries you forward and upward. I should be so lucky. Maybe it starts today-who am I kidding, we're grinding uphill people and loving it!
Updates will come if need be! Until then, thank you all. EXCELSIOR! Miss you Stan!
Mw