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Mahogany Vista Media, Raleigh, NC (2024)

09/21/2022

Hey! We’re 100% funded!!! The campaign hasn’t stopped though. There are still nine days left to pledge. Every dollar received will go towards the production costs of this issue. Please continue to spread the word & let’s reach the $2000 mark. A stretch goal of stickers & magnets will be added to the campaign soon. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thefamilybonds1/the-family-bonds-1. Remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯 -Chi-chi

09/19/2022

Full Cover Reveal! It’s here! The principle cover to issue #1 of The Family Bonds. Penciled, inked, and colored by .nissi with production layout by .lettering. We’re about $150 away from our goal with 11 days left in the campaign. Who will be the backer that pushes us over the line? I know we can do it. Thank you all for the support thus far and let’s get this book to the finish line. Remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯 - B

09/18/2022

Made enough chili to feed a family of five. Speaking of which, let The Family Bonds warm your heart & spice up your life. We have 13 days to reach our funding goal. Please back the campaign if you haven’t already. Whether or not you’ve backed the campaign, please spread the word. Thanks. 😉Remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯 - B

09/16/2022

Last week I got engaged. You know what would be a GREAT engagement gift? Backing out Kickstarter campaign! 😆 Help me prove to my bride-to-be that I am a man of means. 😉 We’re at 61% funded with 14 days to go. Remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯 - B

09/14/2022

Huzzah! We’re at 50% funded!!! Thank you all for the support. There is still more work to do, so please keep spreading the word about The Family Bonds Kickstarter campaign (link in bio). If you haven’t backed the project, yet, there is still time. We still have 16 days to go. I promised I would show you a character based on me once we reached the 50% funded threshold. Scroll through the images to see the dimensional-hoping secret agent, Ray Gunn. Ray was rendered by the immensely talented Dean Harper who can be found on IG under the moniker . Give them a follow. They’re work is excellent. As always, please Like 💛, Follow 🐝, and Share 🍯. - Dutch

09/11/2022

We hosted a wedding in our backyard today. Of course I forgot to take any pics, so this stock image will have to do. 😅 A wedding is the ceremony recognizing a joyful union. Want to know what another joyful union is? Your support & our Kickstarter campaign. Help us get to the 50% funded threshold before the weekend comes to a close. We’re at the 46% funded mark. Also, If you can avoid it, don’t host a wedding in your backyard. 😉Remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯 - B

09/09/2022

What is The Family Bonds? The Family Bonds comes from a reoccurring theme regarding the perceived lack of comics that appeal to younger readers. As a comic book fan and aspiring writer, I challenged myself to come up with an idea that would appeal to younger readers, but also more seasoned comic book readers. I turned to Pixar films and cartoons from my childhood as inspiration. I also wanted to showcase characters that looked like me, my family, and my friends. I wanted to show a loving family that is not without drama, but a family we know will stick by each other in spite of life’s turmoil. The Family Bonds sat on the shelf for well over ten years before a random conversation with my friend and business partner, (Mike), pulled the idea to the forefront. In a short amount of time we went from a general idea to receiving interior pages from .nissi. We intend for this title to be an ongoing series with planned breaks in-between story arcs. We hope you enjoy the first issue when it releases in October. Please help us reach that goalpost by backing the Kickstarter campaign & spreading the word (link in bio). As always, remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯. Thanks. - B

09/07/2022

Thank you all for a great first week. Let’s make the second week even better! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thefamilybonds1/the-family-bonds-1 Remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯 these posts. - B

09/06/2022

Of equal importance to the story as the mystery surrounding the powers the Bonds family acquires is the family dynamics. In The Family Bonds, we strive to show a loving Black nuclear family who deal with the ups & downs life has to offer. The acquisition of powers may amplify the craziness of their lives, but the Bonds family still have to deal with normal family drama such as first crushes, teen peer pressure, job pressures, and the like. We hope you are as smitten with the family as we are, and can relate to the interpersonal relationships on display in the book. This image was mocked up by the designer of The Family Bonds logo, Tim Harris when presenting the final logo design. Please visit our Kickstarter campaign (link in bio), and support if you can. Also, please share the link to theKickstarter campaign on your social media feeds. Thanks. Remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯 these posts. - B

09/04/2022

Welcome back, hoomans. I promised you a sneak peek of the villain of this arc, and I am nothing if not a dog of my honor. Scroll through the images to see General James Issa! Eee-Sssa. I like the way it flows off the tongue. Please back The Family Bonds campaign. I’ll pop in later to check on you all. Don’t forget, once we reach $750, I’ll show you an image of a character based on me. Remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯 these posts. - Dutch

09/03/2022

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You! Yeah you. Have you backed my dad’s project, The Family Bonds? No? Get to it. It’s an all-ages adventure of a Black family that gains powers. POWERS! You get to follow along and see what the Bonds family does with their powers. Hint…good things. Come back tomorrow and I’ll show you a sneak peek of the bad guy who shows up in issue number 2. That’s right. The crew is hard at work on issue number 2. Here’s a little incentive: once we reach $750, I’ll show you an image my dad commissioned of a character based on me. That’s right, me. Dutch. If you’ve already backed the project, please share 🍯 the link with your followers. See you tomorrow with the sneak peek. Please remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯! - Dutch

09/02/2022

Day 1 was a HUGE success! Thank you to all who contributed and all that helped spread the word. The journey to 100% funded has just begun, though. Please continue to share the link to the Kickstarter campaign so we can reach our goal of raising $1500. Our first stretch goal amount is $2500. After we’re 100% funded, we’ll announce the first Stretch Goal Reward. Please remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯! Thanks again for all your support. - B

09/01/2022

We’re live! Please visit our Kickstarter campaign and contribute if you can. It’s always free to share the link. Be prepared for a lot of posts related to our campaign. We greatly appreciate all the support you’ve shown us thus far. There is a clickable link in our bio. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thefamilybonds1/the-family-bonds-1 - B

08/30/2022

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Let’s continue to meet the parents. Today we meet the matriarch of The Family Bonds, Alexandra. Alexandra was born and raised in Durham, NC. Both of her parents are retired teachers. Her father was a primary social studies teacher. Her mother was a sociology professor at Duke University. Alexandra is both the heart of the family and the disciplinarian. Through hard work and extensive extracurriculars, Alexandra was admitted to Harvard where she earned dual degrees in History & English. Alexandra met Frederick in a sophomore Sociology class. They bonded over a shared sense of humor and a drive to help people. After they married, Alexandra was eager to join the Hawthorne organization with Frederick.

Alexandra felt her children would be best served by learning about various cultures first-hand. It was she who brought up the idea of returning to their life abroad with the twins. Her specialty is to help improve (or establish) the educational system in underdeveloped regions. She also researches and chronicles the history of each area for the Hawthorne Industries archives. - B

08/29/2022

Meet the parents. First up, papa Frederick. Frederick was born and raised in Manhattan. His father was a moderately successful investment banker. His mother worked for nonprofits, specializing in fundraising. Frederick was a multi-sport athlete growing up and played college lacrosse. He earned a degree in Social Anthropology from Harvard. It was during his junior year when he met the woman who would become his wife, Alexandra. He’s always felt slightly ashamed of his family’s financial security, and this shame in turn lead him towards humanitarian work. He first joined the Peace Corps, spending two years in Bolivia immediately after graduating from Harvard. On a return trip to Harvard to recruit students for the Peace Corps, he met Warren Hawthorne, CEO of Hawthorne Industries, Inc. Mr. Hawthorne comes from “old money,” and famously redirected the resources of his company to focus on the betterment of the planet when he took over the family business. Mr. Hawthorne convinced Frederick & Alexandra to join the philanthropic arm of his company. Frederick and Alexandra agreed and their adventures together began. The couple married while abroad. When Alexandra became pregnant with the twins, the couple returned to the States. The family of four settled in the East Village (New York). When the twins were still toddlers, the couple decided to return to their mission of humanitarian work and research.

Fredrick loves a good “dad joke,” much to the chagrin of his family. He is good with his hands, and loves to read both history texts and pulp detective novels. Due to his good nature and warm smile, most people feel comfortable calling Frederick, “Freddy.” Frederick is not a fan of this nickname, but does not want to offend anyone by correcting them. This is his nature.

Frederick can be a little impulsive, and easily distracted by interesting facts & discoveries. He is the heart of the family; a big teddy bear of a man who loves his kids and adores his wife. He is constantly hugging, high-fiving, hair tussling those he loves. - B

08/28/2022

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Let’s continue to meet the family. Today we have Nadia. Nadia was born in New York two minutes ahead of her twin brother Aidan. When the family left the United States to resume their global humanitarian efforts, Nadia adjusted rather quickly. Nadia has stepped up recently by taking care of their home and being the guiding voice to her siblings, as their parents are often away all day working.

When Aidan would take his frustrations out on their little brother Gabe, Nadia would offer comfort. Though they cannot see it for themselves, Aidan and Nadia are very much alike. They are both stubborn as well as athletically gifted: Aidan with soccer, Nadia with track & field. Nadia is often the first person awake in the family and uses this time to go running. She is both immensely proud of her twin and very protective. When Aidan’s anxiety prevents him from exerting himself, Nadia will step in to assist. She often tries to bring him into conversations with their peers. Nadia knows she will deeply miss the people she has met during her 10 years abroad, but that pain is not enough to sway her from looking forward to returning to the States permanently. - B

08/27/2022

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Aidan was born New York. He is the younger of the twins by two minutes. His first love is soccer, but he is learning to love basketball as he prepares to return to the States. For years, Aidan and his twin sister Nadia have yearned for a more “normal” life. They both love visiting their grandparents in the US. They were envious of the lives of their cousins and peers in the US. Their parents made an agreement with the twins when they were 11: when it was time for them to start high school, the family would return to the US for good.
Aidan was so excited when he found out he was going to have a little brother (Gabe). That excitement waned as the boys aged. Gabe worshipped his older brother and always attempted to go everywhere with his hero. Aidan, annoyed by the ever-present nature of his little brother, began to call him, “Gabby.” Gabe hates that nickname.

Aidan and Nadia are very much alike. They are both stubborn. They both are athletically gift; Aidan with soccer, Nadia with track & field. The one way they differ is Aidan is more timid. He suffers from anxiety. He is a little envious of Gabe’s ability to quickly make friends. Even with his interests and acumen in sports, Aidan has difficulty bonding with his peers so he turns to art for comfort. - B

08/26/2022

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Let’s meet The Family. Today we have Gabriel/Gabe. Born in Rio de Janeiro to American parents, Gabe, as he is mostly called, has spent most of his life traveling with his family on humanitarian missions. Gabe attends local schools when his family is stationed on a longer assignment, but he & his siblings are primarily educated by their mother, Alexandra. Gabe is very outgoing and personable. He makes friends everywhere he goes and always keeps in touch with them with either email messages or physical letters/packages. Gabe is on the shorter side of kids his age, but he makes up for his lack of height with enthusiasm and tenacity. Gabe is very conscious to dress in attire appropriate to his local whenever possible. Remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯. -B

08/25/2022

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Hey there. It sure would make me happy if you supported my hooman’s campaign. The Family Bonds will be your new favorite comic book! I’m a dog, so I can’t lie. 🐶 The KS launches September 1st. If for no other reason, you should back this campaign to see more pictures of me. Remember to Like 💛 Follow 🐝 and Share 🍯 - Blu

08/17/2022

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Our Kickstarter will launch on September 1st. We’re so excited (and I’m a nervous wreck). Our team is assembled and were down the home stretch in terms of production. We’ve hit several bumps along the way, a big one we’re trying to resolve as I type this entry. When we’re a little further down the line, I’ll share some of the trials and tribulations we’ve experienced during our first publishing endeavor. For now, keep following, liking, and sharing these posts. It really helps. - B TheFamilyBonds LaunchDate

08/11/2022

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This post should really get everyone buzzing. The creation of The Family Bonds was strongly influenced by cartoons of the 80s. Today’s post are a few of the direct and indirect influences on The Family Bonds. Check out today’s story/reel for the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION EVER! - B TheFamilyBonds

08/08/2022

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After hiring our wonderful interior artist .nissi, we were lucky to find .art to color Gabriel’s pages. Nimesh has added a wonderful “pop” to the pages giving them a feeling of animation, reminiscent of the 80s cartoons that inspired the creation of The Family Bonds. Take a look at some before & after pages, and your first preview of issue 1 of The Family Bonds. - B TheFamilyBonds

08/05/2022

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At HIVE Comicade, we’re all about buzz. So today’s post is a shameless attempt to generate more 🐝. What we have today is the variant cover to issue 1 of The Family Bonds penciled, inked, and colored by . I’ve been lucky enough to have a few commissioned pieces rendered by Felipe. As great as I know he is I’m always amazed at how much better his pieces are than I anticipated. I think my only direction was we wanted a striking group shot. As you can see, a striking group shot is what we received. Scroll through the slides to see some other pieces to which has graced me. - B TheFamilyBonds

08/03/2022

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The quest to create one comic book that lead to the creation of a totally separate comic book allowed us to hire the talented .nissi as our interior artist. Nissi provided the pencils & inks for the interior pages of The Family Bonds, as well as the pencils, inks, & colors for the principle cover for issue one of The Family Bonds. We put out an announcement for a sequential artist of a few FB groups & Nissi rose to the top for us. Check out some of the samples he provided that won us over. - B TheFamilyBonds

Mahogany Vista Media