Category: Crowdsourced Projects

Kickstarter & Indiegogo werewolf projects that rely on contributions from fans like you.

“Walpurgis Night” promises all practical effects in a “sleek new” wolfman movie

Last week, filmmaker and makeup effects artist Eric Yoder launched an Indiegogo campaign for Walpurgis Night, a “disturbing new twist to the classic werewolf story”. This is the continuation of a vision that started with his successful 2019 Kickstarter campaign for The Legend of El Hombre Lobo.

The main thing this time around is the emphasis on practical effects to realize the wolfman and the wolfman-associated carnage. “There won’t be any CGI in this film,” the campaign page promises. “EVERY EFFECT WILL BE PRACTICAL!! This includes over FOUR transformation scenes: each more horrifying than the last.”

The design and implementation of the werewolf effects are displayed prominently in the campaign video and still images, and I will say, under the copious amounts of glycerine drool, I like what I see.

Walpurgis Night is a “loving tribute and reimagining” of the Waldemar Daninsky story.

A wealthy couple, Imre and Justine, are visiting the deep forests of Romania and find themselves at the mercy of Waldemar Daninsky, THE WEREWOLF. The wolf terrorizes the countryside, killing anyone in its path. But Waldemar desperately seeks a cure to his lycanthropy. After a horrific tragedy strikes, Waldemar and Justine travel to London to seek the help from of Dr. Jekyll’s grandson. But when the full moon rises… The werewolf becomes loose in London! Justine and Jekyll must quickly find a way to end this horrible curse.

The campaign offers the usual range of rewards for backers, from tip jar to a copy of the completed film to a starring role. You can also get a “custom werewolf mask” or a “costume”, but I didn’t see any specifics about what those mean, exactly. Yoder’s a very talented monster maker, though, so I imagine the rewards will be pretty impressive.

I am excited at the prospect of practical effects, especially in the execution of werewolf creature design and transformation scenes. I am less excited that these effects are in service of another “tribute to monster films from the past”. I appreciate that it’s easier to focus on your show-stopping creature effects if you’re dropping them into a story where much of the narrative is ready-made, but I can guarantee that Paul Naschy references are not what most modern werewolf fans are looking for.

Then again, it’s clear from the El Hombre Lobo Kickstarter text that Yoder is a huge Naschy fan, and he firmly believes in the value of modernizing Waldemar Daninsky’s story. This campaign has already reached 115% of its funding goal in its first week, so the promise of “a disturbing new twist” to a story from 50 years ago is certainly appealing to some! I will likely back this for the sake of the creature effects. If you want to jump on board, the campaign will be running until March 17th.

Omega Studios Werewolf Figures

Got some bare shelves and some disposable income? Friend of the site PenningtonBeast found a good way to solve both conditions. Omega Studios is preparing to release a line of nine original werewolf (and werewolf-inspired) figures under the banner “Dawn of Monsters”. They’re billed as action figures and “collector’s items suitable for all ages”. Each is 9″ tall, with 20 points of articulation. The initial round of figures was funded by a Kickstarter project that received 978% of its goal, and now the line is being distributed exclusively through BigBadToyStore.

Here’s the lineup, with selected images to follow. Note that there aren’t any official images of the Mid-Transformation Werewolf or the Undead Werewolf, and that Garm the Cursed is a CG render. Presumably their designs were still being finalized when BigBadToyStore set up the products.

  • Fenrir
  • Hati
  • Skoll
  • Garm the Cursed
  • Undead Werewolf
  • Anubis
  • Cerberus
  • Mid-Transformation Werewolf
  • Werepups

Fenrir, Hati and Skoll were part of the initial campaign. There’s an attempt to tie them into a flimsy story concept, but it looks like Omega dropped that pretense once the stretch goals unlocked the other characters. I think that’s a good idea – the designs are cool enough that we don’t need a retread of the “alpha / alpha’s mate / alpha’s grudging nemesis” thing.

BigBadToyStore lists the figures as being available in February 2021, so if you missed your chance to pledge to the Kickstarter campaign, here’s your chance to get one or some or all of these werewolf action figures!

Join the “Full Moon Club” with this werewolf-survivor denim jacket

Let’s get right to it because there’s less than a week to go on the campaign: this “Full Moon Club” denim jacket kicks ass, and I want its Kickstarter to succeed. I might even need it to succeed. I’ll have to check, but I think my denim vest is out of room for new pins and patches, so this would add some much-needed real estate.

The campaign details are simple: if you want this jacket, pledge to get it. If you want two or three, pledge more. No stretch goals, no extra swag. They’re focused on making one thing: a very good jacket that shows you got initiated into the Full Moon Club by surviving a werewolf attack.

Here are the details (although really, this is selling past the close, since a single glimpse at the photos above should be enough to show you how powerful this garment is):

This jacket is loaded with details, and the techpack alone is heavily detailed to ensure YOU get more bang for your buck! (Sorry Deers). This jacket is HEAVY, averaging 1.1kg [2.4 pounds] across all sizes, this is a jacket that’ll make sure you have something for the colder days and the adjustable zips allow more room for when you want to wear a hoodie under it.

  • 100% Denim with faded areas.
  • 100% Inner polyester lining with inner pocket and diamond stitching.
  • Inner polished chrome metal coat hanger chain. (Will be added on bulk production)
  • Werewolf claw rips on the rear, with screen printed text.
  • Men’s/Unisex fit.
  • Front body, pockets, side and cuff polished metal chrome zips. (Polished chrome zips will be added on bulk production)
  • Branded debossed polished chrome rivets.
  • Finishing V-Art swing tags and poly bags

If you want to show off your lycanthrope love with a garment but you don’t want another black t-shirt, this jacket is just the ticket. Check it out before the campaign ends on Wednesday March 4th!

Help turn the first 5 issues of WEREWOLVES VERSUS into a book!

You may not know that in addition to running Werewolf News, I’m the editor of WEREWOLVES VERSUS, a (previously) digital-only anthology project that collects art, comics, stories and all kinds of other great content about werewolves. We’ve done seven issues so far, with another four on the way, and I’m proud to announce that we’ve teamed up with Make That Thing and launched a Kickstarter to turn the first five issues into a giant 780-page book!

Here’s the campaign video:

This book has been four years in the making, and it shows off the incredible work of literally dozens of amazing creators. I’m thrilled at the chance to put it on shelves! Here’s a mockup of what the final book will look like:

That’s a Photoshop render, but if you want to see how big this monster really is, check out the “blank” the printing company sent me as a proof. This has all the properties of the final book – page count, dimensions, and stock. It’s huge.

Three inches thick, six inches wide, nine inches tall! AirPods case for scale.

In addition to the book, backers will also receive some rad rewards created especially for this campaign by WEREWOLVES VERSUS contributors. We’ve got stickers, an enamel pin, a bandana, a new and extremely rowdy song by Colin Janz, and a print of the amazing cover art by John Keogh (whose work you may remember from this stunning poster he did for The Mountain Goats). Have a look at these rewards:

I’ve worked harder on the contents of this book than just about anything else in my life. It’s absorbed a lot of my attention (including time I would have otherwise spent posting stuff here!), and I’m incredibly proud of it. If you like WEREWOLVES VERSUS or just want more great werewolf content in your life, consider checking out the campaign. If you’re not in a position to make a pledge, even just sharing the link is a huge help. Thanks so much!

Indie slasher film “Bonehill Road” is out

When I posted about crowdsourced werewolf movie Bonehill Road last year, I had the usual mix of high hopes and low expectations. Now it’s out, and according to Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB reviews it’s… actually pretty good!

To be fair, most of the positive reviews are from people who were hoping for low-budget indie schlock featuring lots of gore and a guy in a werewolf suit, and most of the negative ones are from people who apparently don’t know that’s basically writer/director Todd Sheets’s whole thing.

My policy for movies that lean into the low-budget thing is to cut them some slack if they’re upfront about what they’re making, and everyone seems to be having fun. If you’re making a 90-minute tax write-off where everyone’s miserable, we can tell. But I’ve watched the official trailer below a few times, and yeah, it’s cheesy, and sure, there’s a guy (and maybe a gal?) in a bespoke werewolf suit, but that transformation shot, the synthy score and the slasher title splash at the end get me every time.

You can buy Bonehill Road on Amazon, in Walmarts and other physical goods retailers around America, and also directly from Todd himself, who says:

In addition to DVDs I have a few Blu-rays left and two or three VHS is left from the original Indiegogo. All items purchased from me are autographed by members of the cast and crew as well.

You can reach him through the Bonehill Road Facebook page.

Only 6 days left for the wildly successful GROWL card game Kickstarter

The Kickstarter for Joey Vigour’s “turn everyone into a werewolf” card game has been funded 16 times over, and there’s still almost a week left! You can check out the post I wrote about GROWL a few months ago for details about how the game works, and here’s a recap from the campaign page:

There are werewolves among us! We’ll stab each other and try to avoid getting bitten, but when a human receives their third bite, they secretly become a wolf and turn against us!
GROWL is like Werewolf (aka Mafia), but as a quick 10-15 minute card game for 4-10 players of all ages

  • The cards in your hand reveal whether you are a human or a werewolf
  • Humans turn into werewolves if they get bitten 3 times!
  • Everyone gets to bite, stab, heal, and give gold, so we all have power, not just the loud people
  • Doesn’t require a moderator or phone app

There’s a lot going on with this campaign. There were 2o stretch goals, all of which have been obliterated, a bunch of add-ons, and a social engagement aspect called “The Wolf Hunt” that seems way too complicated for me, but which obviously works, given how well things are going. If you just want the game, you can sidestep the shenanigans and go directly to the $16 or $24 dollar tiers.

Congrats to Joey and his team for what looks like a super successful project! If you want to get a copy for yourself, head this way.

“Typecast” returns with a new goal and the same pissed-off werewolf actress you know and love

After a few months off to recalibrate their goal and bury the corpses, Mac Beauvais and Ben Paddon are back with a new and improved IndieGoGo campaign for their “monsters are real and they hate shitty Hollywood gigs” web series Typecast.

They cancelled their initial campaign last year when they realized that November is a bad time to ask people for a bit of their disposable income. They’ve also moved from Kickstarter’s all-or-nothing system to a platform that will allow them to keep whatever funds they’re able to raise, even if they don’t make it all the way to their $50,000 USD goal. I think that’s a good approach: I’d take fewer episodes of a good show over no show at all!

I’ve never met Mac (Hit Girl, The Gloaming, tons of amazing cosplays) or Ben (PortsCenter, Boomer’s Day Off) but I’ve known about them since the early days of Werewolf News. If anyone’s capable of making this series and doing it right, it’s them. Please check out the campaign, the press release (below) and the campaign video (also below). If you can pitch in, you’ll be helping make a good and funny show with practically-created monsters, and if you can’t, please consider sharing the campaign with your pals on Facebook, Twitter and whatever Discord and Telegram groups you’re a part of.

Typecast: A Monstrous Movie Tale

Hollywood may be the land of dreams and opportunity, but it’s not all red carpets and martini lunches when you’re an actual monster.

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA – From writer/comedian, Ben Paddon (PortsCenter, Boomer’s Day Off), writer/actress, Mac Beauvais (Hit Girl, The Gloaming), and featuring director Justin Zagri (Severus Snape and the Marauders) comes TYPECAST, a comedy of horrors about just how truly monstrous Hollywood can be.

TYPECAST is an original eight part web series about actual flesh and blood monsters stuck in an endless parade of sci-fi shlock and horror films. Most actors dread being trapped in the same kinds of roles project after project, but as bad as that may be for humans, it’s an absolute nightmare when you’re a real monster.

The show, described as one half ‘Being Human’ and one half ‘Extras’, follows the trials and tribulations of Tony, a bog monster, who dreams of playing the lead in a drama instead of generic beasts in lame sci-fi horror films; Abby, a werewolf, who wants to ditch her regular gig as a breakfast cereal mascot; and Leeroy, a zombie, who just wants people to take the living-impaired seriously, which would be easier if he didn’t have to keep gluing his ear back on.

But TYPECAST is not just about snappy dialogue and Hollywood commentary, it will also highlight a staple of classic filmmaking: practical makeup effects. The makeup department, headed by two-time Emmy-nominated entertainment veteran, Michael Spatola (Tales from the Crypt, Return of the Living Dead, Iron Man 2), will bring these characters to life using traditional techniques and application. A sample of his work on TYPECAST can be seen in the trailer on their IndieGoGo page, which features a live-action kids’ breakfast cereal commercial and subsequent epic meltdown from the werewolf, Abby: “Who are you? Who put you in charge?”

TYPECAST is currently seeking $50,000 in funding for its first season via the crowdfunding platform, IndieGoGo. This will cover costs of makeup, crew, and locations, as well as donor rewards that include downloads of the ‘Full Moon Flakes’ cereal box, a cereal perfume (yes, really!), and even an opportunity to be put in full monster makeup and appear in a scene during filming.

With the deadline for funding this truly original take on Hollywood closing on May 11th, the time to donate is now. Unless, of course, you’re okay with annoying a werewolf.

Vote for “Timber”, a Storyhive project that pits lumberjacks against werewolves

Want to help bring a new werewolf web series to life? Starting today and running through Friday the 9th, werewolf fans can visit the Storyhive campaign page for “Timber” to cast one vote per day (no registration required). Those votes will comprise a large part of the decision-making process that will award 15 projects $50,000 each to fund a full series.

“Timber” is being pitched as “Lumberjacks Vs Werewolves” by its creative team. Here’s the synopsis:

In 1920’s Canada a doctor visits her estranged brother while he is working at a lumber camp. When she gets there she is shocked to learn that the lumberjacks are hiding the dark secret that werewolves are real, and she must discover who is and isn’t infected before it’s too late.

I’m writing this post on the 4th, before the big push for votes starts, and there’s already a ton of video and production stills on Timber’s Storyhive page and Facebook page. Watch the pilot episode below!

I asked Peter Kominek, one of the experienced filmmakers behind the project, about their plans for the werewolf design. I’m always interested to hear how the werewolf for a given project is going to be built, and here’s what he wrote me:

Our werewolf is going to walk on all fours, it is going to be a ferocious beast/hell hound rather than a wolfman type werewolf. Our intention is to make it hairy, and if possible have the face be completely hairy/flocked, unlike a lot of other movies. We are going to have arm extensions and make an animatronic head. There will probably also be a separate puppet head for maximum chomping. Our instagram has a couple sketches from our designer up on it, and there is also a short video about the history of our project.

“Maximum chomping”. Those two words alone are worth the 10 seconds it’ll take you to cast a vote.

Update 12:27: this post previously incorrectly stated that Timber was in the running for a $10k prize to fund a pilot; in fact, it has already won that prize and is now in the final phase of the competition.

“Typecast” werewolf loses it on set in the best Kickstarter video I’ve seen

I’m very excited about this Kickstarter campaign for Typecast, an 8-episode horror-comedy web series from creators Ben Paddon (PortsCenter, Boomer’s Day Off) and Werewolf New friend Mac Beauvais (Hit Girl, The Gloaming) about a trio of monsters tired of being boxed into unfulfilling careers.

An ambitious web series to be sure, we decided to take the struggling/disenfranchised actor trope and turn it on its head by imagining a world where all the creepy crawlies you’ve ever seen on the screen were played by actual monsters. If you need the elevator pitch (that’s Hollywood-speak for please compare your stuff to other people’s stuff), it’s a bit of Being Human meets Extras.

We’ve written a first season arc consisting of 8 episodes, all aiming to be around 6-10 minutes in length, telling the story of these actors and their journey. We want to deliver the best quality possible, and that requires great locations, crew, catering and, of course, some truly monstrous makeup.

They’re looking to raise $52,000 to pay for the production (including copious practical makeup effects by Michael Spatola) and they’re well on their way, with $4,615 as of this post and 28 days to go. Rewards include thanks in the credits, HD downloads of the episodes, Full Moon Flakes / “Moony the Werewolf” cereal box art and fan club merch (including perfume!), and even a chance to be made up as a monstrous extra.

Here’s the pitch video, which starts off with a proof-of-concept mini-episode featuring a fantastic, profanity-laced on-set freak-out from werewolf Abby (played wonderfully by Beauvais).

I’m hyped about this project – it’s got a great cast and crew from top to bottom and I want very much for it to succeed, so check it out!

Now’s your chance to get this “Mordeō” werewolf & vampire art book

Here’s a Kickstarter project that I think is well worth the help it needs to reach its goal.

[Mordeō is] An original illustration artbook dedicated to vampires and werewolves. A total of 36 artists had the opportunity to depict such creatures in different ways, from historical and classic examples to more modern interpretations of the species. The book will be 6 x 9 in in size, 50+ full colour pages in total, printed in a hardcover bound book and stamped with gold foil in the front.

With five days to go and $5,000 CAD raised so far, I think this book is still very much in the “feasible” zone. Pledge a buck if you can spare it and you like the idea, or pledge more to get a copy of the book, original art, some postcards, patches, and beautiful glow-in-the-dark enamel pins. You can also follow the project’s development (and maybe get in on some give-aways) on the Mordeō Twitter account and Tumblr site.

Here’s a list of the artists involved:

Andy Lee / annerdraws / arurelius / Asundances / CINAMONCUNE / Daniela Viçoso / DOXOlove / Erion Makuo / Eva Lynch / Faye / Fiend / Grace Zhu / Hanna Schroy / hawberries / JAUNE / JuHi / Karehng / Kel / Kiyami Omotayo / KLsloth / Lane / Margo Sikes / Mell / Milo Johnston / Mric / Noble Demons / P-RO / phi / POP / Rauviel / Ronnie G / sangcoon / Stephanie Escalona Morales / Tabita / Wrathes / Xaien

And here’s a mockup of the book cover and a look at some of the extras, including those gorgeous pins.