Hi everyone,
We’re officially into the final 48 hours of the Kickstarter for Tales from the Neighborhood: Chicago – Volume 1, and I wanted to personally thank everyone who has supported, shared, and encouraged this project over the past week.
When I launched the campaign last Monday, my goal was simple: fund the first print run.
Instead, thanks to all of you, the campaign reached its goal in under six hours and has now surpassed 200% funding.
That support has allowed me to add a few extras along the way, including a free Al Capone Mobimal vinyl sticker for every physical book backer.
But what excites me most isn’t the funding—it’s the book itself.
This project grew out of a presentation I gave for the Forest Park Historical Society. While preparing that talk, I realized there were so many fascinating stories that didn’t fit into a three-panel comic. That led to the creation of Neighborhood Notes—brand-new sections that pair the comics with historical essays, archival photographs, vintage advertisements, and the real stories behind them.
The finished book includes:
📖 64 full-color pages
✏️ 45 true-story comics
📝 13 pages of Neighborhood Notes
📸 Archival photographs and historical ephemera
🐗 The debut of my Al Capone Mobimal
Nearly half of the book consists of brand-new or substantially revised material created specifically for this collection.
If you’ve enjoyed my Based on a True Story comics over the years, I think you’ll find this is the most complete version of that concept yet—bringing together humor, history, and research into one volume.
👉 If you’ve been thinking about backing the project, now is the time. Once the campaign closes, this first Kickstarter edition—and several of the campaign-exclusive rewards—will no longer be available through Kickstarter.
👉 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bretjuliano/tales-from-the-neighborhood-chicago-volume-1/
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to exhibit at Webcomicon in Ferndale, Michigan, and it was a fantastic experience. One of my favorite parts of attending shows is meeting people who share an interest in comics, history, and the strange-but-true stories that inspire my work.
I also had some memorable conversations—including meeting a retired FBI agent who worked on the Jimmy Hoffa investigation and several attendees with personal connections to Chicago organized crime history. Those kinds of interactions continually remind me that there are still incredible stories waiting to be uncovered.
A special welcome to everyone who joined this newsletter after meeting me at the show! I hope you’ll enjoy following along as this book heads to the printer and future projects continue to grow.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bretjuliano/tales-from-the-neighborhood-chicago-volume-1/
Thank you again for your support, and I hope you’ll join me for the final stretch of the campaign.
— Bret Juliano
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