TenState Comic Book Kickstarter: Comic Station Interview

Kickstarter has made a home with independent artist from Movies, Games and Comic Books. TenState is one such kickstarter comic book. The premise is what initially grabbed me, an independent comic in the setting of a reality TV show where 10 members of different races and creeds are brought together to see if they can stand together, or fall divided. The next thing to stand-out were the talents behind the comic.

The artist behind the unique cartoonish look of TenState is the well-known artist, Len Peralta. Peralta has made a name for himself with his popular previous kickstarters, the Geek-A-Week trading card sets. His artstyle is instantly recognizable to those who know his previous works and already have a cartoon-comic mixture that makes this a logical step. The writer, Tom Merritt, is a well-known technology podcaster with a number of shows, a book published and other technology works; however, the closest previous work has been co-host of Geek and Sundry with Felicia Day. To say I was interested in what could bring these two people together would be an understatement.

Wonder where the inspiration came for some of the characters.

The plot behind TenState was something new, something a regular publisher might not have touched. It's an examination of the diversity of America, and possibility the world, born from observations of how people react in real life. With the help of Tom, TenState was made. An fake reality television show would be the setting to bring the ten people together. Each representing different segments of the population. The tensions that is inherent in the cohabitation of people so diverse is not the only driving force, there is something more behind the television program they are on as well. It's an intriquing idea, and a perfect example of the unique ideas that can be found thanks to Kickstarter.

Though their kickstater will be ending soon, on Wednesday April 10th 2013, I wanted to highlight TenState. While I hope to bring more attention to their I also encourage others to create or support independent comic book creators. To learn more about TenState, see our special Comic Station One-Shot interview with Tom and Len on their upcoming work below:

See all our other Comic Station coverage and stay tuned for when we mention this TenState Interview on Comic Station #15 this wednesday.

Control EVERYTHING in your house! - 3Days Left!

ONLY FOUR DAYS LEFT!!!

Kickstarter has introduced a number of forward thinking and potentially revolutionizing ideas. Many of these may never reach the consumer public. I have personally backed a number of these kickstarters. Not because I hope to make a profit or take any credit, but because I hope to encourage this potential.

One such project that has come to my attention is "SmartThings" by Alex Hawkinson. With this technology Hawkinson offers the ability to control and monitor almost every electronic in your house. With the use of this equipment SmartThings turns anything plugged into it to a wirelessly shared hub. Linked to the internet the product can be controlled wirelessly and behave according to information shared on the web.

In an interview with CNN, Hawkinson explains: "Imagine if you wanted to create a sprinkler that knows when it's going to rain," he says. "Amazing things become possible when you connect regular things to the Internet."

By starting small - outlet plugs - SmartThings hopes to build a foundation that third-party programmers and manufactures can build upon. To help get this foundation laid the Kickstarter has been priced to move: A basic kit - one hub and three Thing sensors - currently starts at $174 on Kickstarter. Add-on SmartThings cost $25 to $35 each. Hawkinson plans to eventually charge monthly fees of $5 to $10 for SmartThings' service, but Kickstarter backers will have those fees waived.

Read more about SmartThings and sign up here: SmartThings KickStarter. But be aware this is a limited number of "early adopter" discounts.