So, does this mean that these are finally being printed? It's been almost a month since there was a Kickstarter update, and I've been seeing other decks getting printed in the meantime.
Yeah Dcell, These are "supposed" to be being printed within the next month. As far as going without an update I think some perspective is needed here.
I feel that there is a misconception people have about just what it takes to get a deck produced. My artwork has been in USPCC's hands since the day the Kickstarter for the Black and Whites ended. From that point it's been pretty much out of my hands. Now, it doesn't help that when their pre-press department is backed up with a little over 15 decks, that they get files that are as complicated and delicate as mine. You see, I am not printing "normal" decks, I have a lot of anti-counterfeit measures that I build into the files that have to be handled in very specific ways. Then, with my artwork being so specific, if they send me things and they are wrong, I have an obligation to the people who are buying my decks to send them back to fix it. I do that, at the risk of making people upset for waiting, but let's say for instance that I, being in a rush to get these cards out, had said "just get the damn things printed!" The Artist's Edition would have been printed on a stock of paper so dark that you couldn't even make out the gears on the front. The backs of the cards themselves would not have had metallic gears, and oh yeah, my favorite little incident, we would have backwards cards on the uncut sheets that weren't meant to be backwards.
Designing, and producing your own deck is no "walk in the park", it requires a lot of things to fall into place in certain ways, and sometimes (as in this case) they are out of your control. I thought, hey, Kickstarter ended, they've got artwork, in a month I'll have the decks... (boy was I mistaken) <------ That's my fault for not realizing the scope of work necessary for them to prep two more variants of my decks. It's OK, because I have learned much from this entire endeavor, and I will be much better prepared for the next deck I release as will Russell, Alex, and anyone else who has gone through the same funding method and processes with USPCC.
It doesn't mean that I am lazy and not updating you guys, I have nothing to update you with. When USPCC says you'll have something in a week, and it's 3 weeks later that you finally receive it, who's fault is that? It's not really anyone's fault. I assure you that USPCC has been working on my files since I sent them in, and they have had a very difficult time making things to my specifications. I'm not making just any old decks here; I am making delicate pieces of art that cost tens of thousands of dollars to produce, and I'm not going to accept anything less than the best for your guy's sake. I suppose this is why the big dogs: E and T11 keep things under wraps until they release a deck. There is no real way to say "This deck is going to be printed on this date and that's that!.....". It just doesn't work that way, and they keep it quiet until the decks are in their hands. People who have publicly funded a deck don't have that luxury, you see when the Kickstarter ends, and you start a mental timer. You're a consumer it's in your nature, and I understand, because I started that same mental timer. In my mind this deck is far too late, but I'm not going to rush it just for the sake of having them done. That's just not my style.
I do thank you for your patience as always, and anyone is always welcome, if they are getting antsy to contact me and ask for a status update. Often there are really no updates of substance and that's why I am not posting. I am reminded here of when De'vo was first printing his blades, he was making post after post, telling everyone, next week I'll have cards. Next week I'll have the cards; the cards are finally being printed; they said next week my cards will be done finally. This went on for months and he looked like a schmuck for not delivering. That was not his fault. He was bringing the news that was brought to him. If I had made updates telling you guys every time I was told something was going to happen "next week", I'd probably have a lot more dissatisfied people flagging me down asking for their money back. Instead I put things simply, as soon as I know something more concrete, everyone else will too.
Pay very close attention. I am not throwing USPCC under the bus. Those guys bust their asses to make sure we have some crazy looking cards that handle well for you guys. You have to realize though, we (Aether, Circle City Cards, Lance Miller Decks) are not their only customers, and in the grand scheme of things we are their smallest customers. Therefore, it stands to reason, if one of their bigger clients has an issue, they drop what they are doing on our projects and quell the fire. They have deck after deck that they print and manage and they never stop working. It's crazy how they handle the work that they do and still sound jovial when you talk to them, but they do, and I am thankful to work with such a great bunch of people.
Sorry for my soapbox here, but it stands to reason that, if I don't educate you guys and just leave you in the dark you'll get frustrated at me even more so and think I am not holding up my side of the bargain from my Kickstarter.
- Lance
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