Malandros: stretch goals + progress update

With some relief I see that the Malandros Kickstarter has reached the first two stretch goals featuring writers who aren't me. It wouldn't be the end of the world if we didn't get to them, of course, but when you approach people and they are kind enough to agree to write something for your project - not for free, granted, but still - it would seem a shame not to be able to follow through on it.


Funded stretch goals
Mark Galeotti will write Aluminium Wars, an alternate setting for the game based in 1990s Russia. It's all about the gangster-capitalists, crooked cops and politicians of the post-Soviet era in Krasnoyarsk, then the biggest centre of the aluminium industry in the world.

I have to confess to being rather nervous when I contacted Mark to ask if he'd like to write something for Malandros. If you read anything at all about Russian geopolitics, security and/or organised crime, you'll know he's kind of a big deal in those circles. So I felt like emailing him was kind of a long shot. You can imagine the warm approval-derived feelings I had when he replied with a 'this looks fun' message.

Paula Dempsey, whose to-be-named Victorian East End setting funded yesterday, is no less a big deal, of course. The Gold ENnie award-winning Paula Dempsey, I should say. But I have known Paula for quite a long time, so I knew I probably wouldn't get shot down for my temerity in asking.

This is the first time Paula and I will have worked together on a game product. I'm looking forward to it.


Upcoming stretch goals

£1400: Other Borders by Tod Foley

£1600: Gangs of Titan by Stras Acimovic

£TBA: Kingsport Shore by Steve Dempsey


Haven't backed yet? Now is a great time to do so!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1690011586/malandros-tales-from-the-streets-of-old-rio


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In artwork news, Claytonian has been enthusiastically researching and sketching all kinds of Brazilian legends for the Supernatural Creatures supplement. For Josephe's Rio map, I am going through my files to collate various references and prepare an art brief. After the Kickstarter concludes I will be able to put in confirmed orders for the colour artwork and licensed photos. 

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In terms of text and existing content, backers will get the PDF of the "basic" edition shortly after the Kickstarter closes. So I'm busy putting in the material that I wrote as a result of playtesting, as well as tidying up the layout so there are no more big "put artwork here" boxes on various pages.

Malandros update: Sydney unlocked & questions of photography

We've reached the £750 mark, which means all backers will now get a bonus PDF supplement: The Sydney Razor Gang Wars.

The razor gangs of 1927-31 were led by two different but equally powerful and fearsome women. Tilly Devine was known as the Queen of Woolloomooloo. She ran a string of brothels centred around Darlinghurst and the Cross. Kate Leigh, 'the Queen of Surry Hills’, was a sly-grogger (unlicensed booze-seller) and fence for stolen property.

The rivalry between these two women reached a peak in 1929, when their gangs fought pitched battles in the streets. Over a period of years, their ongoing turf war left many dead, disfigured or imprisoned.

So what's next?
At £1000, every backer will receive a free bonus PDF supplement written by Mark Galeotti called Aluminium Wars. You can read more about it on the main page of this Kickstarter (keep scrolling down!).

About photographs

A friend (who is also a backer - thanks, mate) has suggested I tell you a little about what's going on with photo licensing for Malandros.

In short: the Pierre Verger Foundation has given me a tough time over using several images, and I love them for it.

For most images in the archive, the Foundation functions much like a normal photo agency. You send them an order form and some money, then they let you use the image. But an important part of Pierre Verger's work was documenting and helping the wider world to better understand the cultures of Africa and the African diaspora.

Because of this, if you want to use a Pierre Verger photo showing Afro-Brazilian religion (which I do), the Foundation is very strict. You have to show your layout and explain the context in which the image will appear. A number of other restrictions apply. You're not allowed to crop out certain religious objects, for example, or cover parts with text or other layout elements.

Throughout our discussions, the staff at the Foundation have been really supportive and helpful. They are even helping me to find better ways to explain Afro-Brazilian religions in that section of the book's text. When I sent them my first mock-up layout, they asked if I could use a different image to one I had selected, to better show the importance of community - they were right. The book will now literally give a better picture of this aspect of Brazilian culture.

I will put in a final order for the photo licences after the Kickstarter concludes, subject to approval. I look forward to being able to share the finished product with everyone, and I know that the Foundation's diligence has already made Malandros a better book.