BroadSword Comics has long celebrated the Winter Solstice with Krampus, the horned, anthropomorphic figure in Alpine folklore who during the Christmas season, scares children who have misbehaved, as an assisting to Saint Nicholas. For the first time, all the wonderful Krampus tales are collected in one trade paperback. Jim stopped by First Comics News to let his fans know what to expect from The Krampus Khronicles Kickstarte.
1st: You have a Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose… The Krampus Khronicles Kickstarter starting today. For comic fans who aren’t familiar with Krampus, who is Krampus?
Jim Balent: In simplest terms… the Krampus is a European Alpine Austrian Creature/ Entity that comes on the night of December fifth to punish Children who have not been good that year. This Punishment can take the form of just a bit of a whipping or pulling of the ears… to the Krampus taking the children and killing them. There is also a bit of drinking, roughhousing, and flirting of town maidens that is part of his character as well. Basically, it’s a legend created to keep the children in line during the year. The Krampus popularity has grown both in Europe and the US in recent years.
1st: How does your Krampus differ from the traditional companion to Saint Nicholas?
Jim: In the Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose… The Krampus Khronicles… I focus mainly on the characteristic of the Krampus that is delivering the punishment and his flirtation side. Saint Nicholas in the legends is the one that comes after the Krampus and delivers the gifts to the good boys and girls. Tarot is more concerned with the Krampus because she being a Witch and a Swordmaiden to the Goddess, is charged with keeping the balance between man and Magick.
1st: What stories are included in this trade?
Jim: The first five appearances of Tarot meeting the Krampus. (Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose # 84,89,95,101 and 107.) These single issues have been sold out in stores the first week and sometimes the first day they hit the shelves! So now those hard to get issues are all collected into one adventure-filled trade.
1st: Which Tarot characters are in the trade?
Jim: Tarot, the Swordmaiden to the Goddess, of course. Then we have fan-favorite Raven Hex, the Shadow Path Witch, and older sister to Tarot.
Next, we have The Skeleton Man, Jon Webb who is Tarot’s husband and Cemetery worker/ Grave Digger, or as he puts it “The Graveyard Guardian.” And finally the super fan-favorite Boo Cat! The fun-loving, sex-driven Werecat who was the bisexual Lover to Tarot. And in Boo Cat’s mind… still is her Lover.
1st: What makes May the right month to release a Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose, The Krampus Khronicles trade paperback?
Jim: The Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose, The Krampus Khronicles Kickstarter is happening today and ending mid-February… we are not that far from the Yuletide season that past, and since the Krampus is so popular … the book hitting stores in May doesn’t matter that it’s not Christmas Time. In fact, it will make the Trade stand out on the shelves even more.
1st: You are running the Kickstarter at the same time as Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose: The Krampus Khronicles TPB is being offered by Diamond. What is the difference between the Kickstarter version and the Diamond version?
Jim: The difference is, like all our Broadsword Comics Kickstarters, is… the supporters of this Kickstarter will get EXCLUSIVE items that are NOT found in stores.
1st: What incentives are you offering with the Kickstarter?
Jim: Some of the EXCLUSIVE ITEMS we have for this Kickstarter are… Exclusive Covers, Tee Shirt, Glow in the dark Krampus Tote Bag, for the first time …Three coins featuring Tarot, Raven Hex, and the Krampus, Original Art, a Divination pledge Level where Holly will do a Live Tarot reading for you and send you a quick original sketch, a Commission Level for both Holly and Myself. I never take commissions during the year and it’s only through our Kickstarter that I offer this, which there are only 5 slots open! A Hard Cover Artbook… Plus all the cool Stretch Goals we offer that you will have to participate in to receive! So there’s a lot of fun exclusive stuff coming your way when you support this Kickstarter.
1st: What add-ons are you planning?
Jim: Well a lot of the items I already mentioned. The Art Book, Tee Shirt, a Glow in the Dark Enamel Pin… I forgot to mention that one.
Exclusive Pencil Cover… in fact all the Covers… Store edition Covers, the Skyclad Covers, and the Exclusive Kickstarter cover! We found early on in past Kickstarters that our Readers enjoyed not only the Pledge levels but to build their own Pledge level as well.
1st: What is the minimum pledge for a digital copy of Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose: The Krampus Khronicles TPB?
Jim: We do not offer a Digital copy. I’m the type of guy who likes to hold a book in his hand when reading it.
1st: What is the minimum pledge for a print copy of Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose: The Krampus Khronicles TPB?
Jim: For $20 you will receive a copy of the Trade with ALL the items that were unlocked during the campaign.
1st: How much is it for a copy from Diamond of Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose: The Krampus Khronicles TPB?
Jim: $24.99… So there’s another incentive to jump on board and support this Kickstarter… it’s cheaper and you receive more goodies!
1st: What makes Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose, The Krampus Khronicles so much fun that no true comic fans should miss this trade?
Jim: Hahaha! Well if you are a Krampus fan…The trade is filled with great fun sexy stories… and sometimes a horror story… of the Krampus!
Fans of Tarot who missed these issues now have their chance to read/ own them and for those who already have these issues, this is the first time these sold-out issues are collected into a trade… which will also have a gallery of Art in the back pages. People who are new to the series will also want to have this collection in their library. Tarot is a voluptuous Witch who is the Swordmaiden to the Goddess, charged with keeping the balance between Man and Magick. The trade is filled with adventure, great stories, and art… and there is nudity in the book because Tarot is a practicing Skyclad Body Positive Witch. So this trade is a Mature Readers book… and that label doesn’t only mean Mature of Age… but also Mature of mind as well.
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