Can a time-traveling secret agent get Leif, Thorn, and the rest through a day without any paradoxes, public health crises, or major character deaths? Harder than it sounds!
Leif & Thorn is an original, LGBTQ-centric, fantasy webcomic, about a magic knight trying to have a romance in his second language.
A magically-unmemorable time traveler has been lurking in the background since this comic launched in 2015. Now she's in the middle of the plot -- and stuck in a loop, until she can get through this one day with no history-breaking paradoxes or major character deaths.
Read Leif & Thorn online to get caught up with the backstory, then join us to print the next book!
This series is entirely produced by Erin Ptah - from the art to the writing to the print-volume layouts.
If you like Madoka Magica, in-universe parodies of fandom, the early seasons of Welcome to Night Vale, immortals with burnout, Groundhog Day, and/or that part in Evangelion where you knew it was serious because the animation itself started unraveling...there's something for you in this book.
The story so far:
The Time Mage has been reincarnating for thousands of years. She's in touch with her past and future selves. She has the power to shape the course of Ceannic history.
She also has massive burnout, and just wants to stay home with her cats! So she delegates.
Enter the Woman in Black. She's the agent who made sure Sir Thorn kept his job guarding the Sønheim Embassy. Smoothed the way for his bilingual romance with Leif. Steered Kale away from revealing his Dark Backstory to the world a few books early.
Everything was going great! Until it wasn't. Now she's stuck in a loop. Will Future Thorn (with his greying hair and obligatory eyepatch) be the key to getting out of it, or the glitch that breaks history forever?Â
A sparkly bilingual fantasy dramedy for teens & up. (Don't give this one to small children -- it includes mature topics like character death, emotional manipulation, kidnapping, serious illness, and internet trolls.)Â
Leif & Thorn Volume 6: Forget Me Not covers the daily strips from late 2021 to all of 2022. Along with info pages, side stories, and other bonuses.
Like Volumes 1-5, it'll be 8.25" X 10.25", full-color, with a wraparound cover and a bunch of exclusive art inside. Because we hit our first stretch goal, it'll be 192 pages!
A quick taste of the interior:
And here's a sampling of the storylines inside:
Ă IS FOR ĂVERWRITTEN - A dark magical girl clashes with the showrunner of a ripped-from-the-headlines procedural. She deserves better than a villain-of-the-week role, dammit.
LET ME IN - Thorn tries to manage a public-health crisis...with help from the Woman in Black, time loop already in progress.
CRACKING UP - The Woman in Black is magically-unmemorable. Ex-secret-agent Hermosa is always triple-checking for things he's forgotten. This might throw a wrench in her plans.
HI, UNMEMORABLE, I'M... - grizzled eyepatch-wearing Future Thorn is also trying to save the past. He doesn't actually know what's going on, but he'll probably catch up quick, right?
SEE HER AGAIN - The Time Mage has a minor existential crisis.
FINAL REST - "My work here is done." "But you didn't do anyth--" "The continued progression of time says otherwise!"
BONUS STRIPS - Alternate universes, worldbuilding tidbits, one-off jokes, and other fun extras.
Don't just take the artist's word for how Leif & Thorn is a delightful comic to read. Take the words of Actual Readers!
"Kinda torn between saying âSo sweetâ and just saying âAwwwwwwwww.â" ~Liz
"Iâm so excited for when these two confess/realize the big feelings between them, but also this slowish burn is beautiful, too" ~ollie
" âŚgreat, now itâs time travel *ethics* thatâs breaking my brain" ~Jay
"I like that Erin includes people trying their best- and after the Whispers or a magical girl attack sometimes you are not your best." ~Noxsora
"That was an extremely impressive time loop. Not just length wise, but it has some amazing reveals of how much stuff you planned ahead from almost the start of the comic to 2022!" ~Eva
*Sounds of Khyrin screaming into a pillow because itâs rude to wake people up at 23:22* ~Khyrin
"Thornâs bunny slippers were the best decision heâs made in this storyline, and itâs been all downhill from there. Heâs not back to bunny slippers yet, but this is at least a step in the right direction." ~Giacomo
"Go take a good long nap, WiB, you earned it. " ~Cal
The first 15 backers who pledge at least $50 get a Leif & Thorn bonus sketch.
These will be printed in the book, wherever I need to fill a patch of empty space in the layout. They're also never published online -- you'll need a copy of the book to get an exclusive look at the whole set.
Almost any characters, any scenario, canon or AU. The only restrictions are (a) the content has to be safe-for-work, and (b) it has to involve characters who appear in Leif & Thorn Volume 6.
Pledge Levels (Digital)
Pledge Levels (Paperback)
Add-Ons
Want an extra book? Got a friend, family member, and/or local library who would appreciate a copy? Or maybe you want more merch than I offered in any of the regular tiers.
Click "Back It" on the main tier you want, then pick more prints, books, pins, and more from the "Add additional items to your pledge" menu!
If you miss your chance to buy something during the course of the campaign, wait for the backer survey afterward to get another shot!
IMPORTANT: Shipping Info
Shipping to US backers is included in the tier price.
For everyone else, shipping costs are calculated after the campaign! They'll be charged when the packages go in the mail. Please keep that in mind when budgeting!
Estimated costs (based on current USPS rates, all prices are in USD):
Because I can't pull a couple thousand dollars out-of-pocket to do a print run (even knowing I can sell the books afterward). A crowdfunding campaign lets me bring a bunch of people together for pre-orders, so I can fund the printing upfront.
Also...it gives me an excuse to spend the whole month talking about how cool these books are.
I've used Kickstarter to fund the previous volumes. But for several years now, I've used BackerKit to send out post-campaign surveys and manage the rewards.Â
So when BackerKit announced they were beta-testing their own crowdfunding platform? I was really excited to give it a try.
Where exactly is the money going?Â
Mostly to printing Volume 6! Paper costs have gone up really steeply over the past few years.
Shipping outside the US will be charged after the campaign, but shipping to US backers is also built into the goal.
Other costs: custom prints; BackerKit and Stripe fees; emergency "something went wrong" cushion; celebratory "we got funded" pie.
How long will it take me to get my stuff?
Based on the first 5 Leif & Thorn campaigns, here's our estimated delivery timeline:
Digital rewards: December 2023-January 2024
Print books (US): April-May 2024
Print books (international): May-June 2024
Everything on my end is ready! The comics are 100% drawn; the print file is already laid out. It's just a matter of "final clean-up" and then "getting the money to pay the printer."
After the campaign, I'll post regular updates about the production process -- so even if there are unexpected delays, I'll keep you in the loop.
What happens if we make more than the goal?Â
Well, first of all, that means we have more backers than expected - so some of the extra cash goes toward making and shipping more rewards.
But if we seriously over-fund...that's where stretch goals come in!
Making the book is just the first step. Here's some bonuses we could add to it.
Details of future stretch goals will be revealed as the early goals are unlocked!
$3,212: More Book
If this first Leif & Thorn campaign on BackerKit outperforms the first one I did on Kickstarter, the page count will rise up from 180 to 192. Filled with more sketches, more bonus material, and - of course! - more comics.
$5,401: New Pin
The critter pins are adorable, but there's a different Leif & Thorn pin design I've been sitting on for a while. If we can outperform the last Leif & Thorn campaign, I'll make it!
???: Make It A Boxset
A cool custom slipcase for the first 5 Leif & Thorn books. (Based on my experience with the BICP box sets, this might be expensive enough that I should just launch a campaign just to fund the slipcases. We'll see.)
This has been Leif & Thorn Volume 6: Forget Me Not.
Keep up with Erin Ptah's other work on Tumblr, on Deviantart, or on Patreon. (Come for the public announcements, subscribe for the patron-locked bonus art!) Â
