Drama Shot!

A long time ago, I supported the Kickstarter campaign for Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection. I figured I love fairy/folk tales, and I seem to like webcomics if my bookmark list is anything to go by, so, like I said I backed it.

And sometime in…June, maybe? I got the email that my .pdf version was available, so I dutifully downloaded it, but I’ve found that (despite webcomics) I don’t actually like to read .pdf comics if I can help it, so I waited for the physical version of the book.

And waited.

And waited.

Eventually they sent us an email saying they’d shipped all the books! And then 4-6 weeks later they sent one saying they’d worked out a deal with customs so the US people could get theirs (but there would still be a delay). Then 4-6 weeks later they sent out an update explaining how overseas things would be shipped, and why those were slow. AND THEN 4-6 weeks later they sent out something saying they’d sent the last round of books (and they were sorry it took so long, thanks for waiting, personal issues, you know?).

Now, I understand that kickstarter rewards often take time to process, and that every step adds to that time, and if you’re having personal issues while trying to fulfill rewards, that’s not fun at all. But I also feel like I was really jerked around by them, strung on with BS about customs delays when really they were “going through a rough spot” or something…I don’t know if I wanted them to be more professional, or more personal about the whole situation, but somewhere in the months and months of waiting, my excitement for this book soured.

I finally received my copy of the book in early October, and I found it to be…less than I wanted it to be. I mean, it’s decent, and there are some stories that I enjoyed reading, so I suspect some of my neutral feelings are at least partially caused by the waiting process. Especially since I can’t hardly think of any particular thing to talk about with the damn book itself. Just that I’m cranky it came late.

Some of the stories were really unbearably strange, and I did not care for them. And then I feel like an asshole, since these are written by a marginalized person about their marginalized culture! How DARE I wander in with my white privilege and Western story expectations and turn my nose up at what they have to offer?? Well, hey, you know what? I love what you do, it’s not for me, I’ll go eat my quinoa over here, thanks.

The stories I liked I liked, but everything was so short, it’s hard to remember specifics. And overall I’m glad that it exists, but as with the last comic anthology I backed (Love in All Forms–I don’t think I reviewed that one), it did not seem to actually fit in the niche of expectations I had for it. So I’m afraid I must conclude: Three stars. Decent read, but would probably not back again.