Army Ant and the Mutant Multiverse

🔥April Update🔥
12 months ago – Tue, Apr 15, 2025 at 10:03:40 AM

Greetings Backers!

It's update time, and we have a lot to cover here! Let's break it down 😎

The Comic: 

I'm thrilled to announce that award winning letterer Taylor Esposito has finished lettering the comic and Dan Berger is now formatting and prepping for print! 🔥

I'll be printing the comic in the USA and personally shipping each order. The estimated ship date from the start of the Kickstarter was April 2025. We're now halfway into April so depending on the print house turnaround time we might be looking at the first or second week of May for the comic ship date. (I'm optimistic for an end of April shipment but I'll most definitely keep everyone updated 😉)

More on the comic! So....the comic was originally going to be titled Mutant Multiverse - Shadow Line. However, it was recently brought to my attention that Image Comics has a publishing imprint called Shadowline. What's that mean? Well, for the toy line it's a completely different category so no lines crossed there, but it's a little more nuanced for printed material. I reached out to Jim Valentino from Image Comics to get his thoughts on the situation, super nice guy by the way. We came to the mutual conclusion that for the comic it might be best not to use Shadow Line on the cover to avoid any potential confusion. So...instead of Mutant Multiverse - Shadow Line, we're calling the comic "Mutant Multiverse"....which by the way I think the logo looks far more stunning than the Shadow Line logo we were originally going to use. 

But wait, there's more! The two Dan Berger covers seen above will be a Special Limited Edition cover! The retail sticker price for those two covers will be $19.99. Jim Lawson is wrapping up pencils for the standard "News Stand" released cover which Dan Berger will be inking and coloring. Look forward to that reveal on our Instagram and Facebook socials!

But what about Army Ant, Inferno, and the Backerkit addition of Sledgehog? What about the Tarrifs 😱😱😱

Ahhh, peace be unto you. One major advantage of going through an international broker is that situations like these are nothing new, this isn't their first rodeo! Enseng has a network of factories that spans multiple territories and countries so they're in a unique position to move final production around to mitigate any unforseen obstacles. So, with that said...all is well 😎

Further updates:

Army Ant: I received a photo of fine cut sample number one for Army Ant About a week ago with a classic 90s figure on the seat. A few more tweaks were needed for proper fitment of the rider and that fine cut sample is being made this very moment. (I'll wait to show you that photo once it's better balanced). This is what you might call the phase 2 fine tuning engineering stage before the iron molds are milled. This is also probably the most important stage because you want to make sure everything is just right as molds are crazy expensive! 

Inferno:

I recently received the injection molded test shots for Inferno after the factory finished those molds, and they are magnificent! I shared those photos from the factory in the last update. Once in hand I did a thorough inspection and for the most part everything was spot on! I did submit one fairly minor adjustment request for how the head was centered on the torso and they're adjusting that now! 

Sledgehog:

As you know, we didn't meet our funding goal to raise the necessary funds it would have taken to produce Sledgehog during the Kickstarter campaign, but...our investor gave the green flag and provided the needed funding for us to make it happen and it was included on Backerkit as an add-on option. That said, Sledgehog's 3d files underwent a lot of modifications in preparation for the molds. He has a lot of depth to his sculpt like the head spikes, beard, satchels, etc. and all of those things have to be separated for the various types of plastics used in the injection process. I recently received those revised files, gave my few edit requests, and the factory is now off to the races making that fine cut sample!

Phew...that was a lot! I think that just about sums everything up for now. Everything is moving along marvelously. The comic will ship very soon, and I'll keep everyone updated on the factory advancements.

As always...thank you for being the most amazing community of collectors and backers! This is all only possible because of YOU!

Sincerely,

Jonathon House 

Treasure Monster Toys 

🔥🔥March Update🔥🔥
about 1 year ago – Mon, Mar 17, 2025 at 08:37:06 AM

Hello to all of our amazing backers!

First, let me express how excited I am to share this update as it marks a major milestones in the journey and mission of Treasure Monster Toys!

1. The iron molds for Inferno are complete! This is a major breakthrough for our company and it's all thanks to this amazing community! Enseng shared photos of the first injection molded testshots which I've attached below! 

2. Enseng is currently working on the fine cut sample for Army Ant and Sledgehog! We'll be able to behold these beauties in all their glory very soon and I absolutely cannot wait!

3. Award winning letterer Taylor Esposito is currently working to finalize Shadow Line #1 which will be ready for print very soon! 

Thank you all for being the best community of backers and supporters as Treasure Monster Toys marches forward in our mission to create worlds that preserve the treasures of our past, the inspirations of our youth, and the stories that shaped us!

Cowabunga! 

Jonathon 

💥February Update💥
about 1 year ago – Tue, Feb 18, 2025 at 08:01:14 AM

Greetings, backers!

I wanted to share an update on our progress. I've been working nonstop behind the scenes, and everything is moving along beautifully!

Dan Berger has completed all the colors for the book, and lettering is up next. I’m thrilled to announce that award-winning letterer Taylor Esposito will be handling the lettering for Shadow Line #1!

A little about Taylor Esposito:

Achievements:

• 2022 Ringo Award Winner – Best Letterer

• 2022 Tripwire Award Winner – Best Letterer

• 2017 & 2019 Ringo Award Nominee – Best Letterer

Notable Works:

• Batman

• Batman Eternal

• Harley Quinn: The Animated Series

• Green Hornet

• Elvira

• Bettie Page

• Red Hood

• Constantine

• Red Sonja

• Grimm Fairy Tales

On the production side, factory workers have returned from the Chinese New Year holiday, and Enseng & Co. is actively preparing files and fine-cut samples of Army Ant and Sledgehog for mold approval. Inferno's fine cut sample has already been approved for molds.

Everything is progressing smoothly on schedule, and I couldn’t be more excited to deliver top-notch products to top-notch backers!

I hope everyone is doing great, and as always, thank you for making this dream a reality!

Warm regards,

Jonathon

Treasure Monster Toys

🔥Lets go 2025!🔥
about 1 year ago – Thu, Jan 16, 2025 at 03:54:31 PM

Greetings backers,

I wanted to share an update and let you know that everything is progressing smoothly on our end!

Dan Berger has inked all of Jim Lawson’s pencils for Shadow Line #1 and is now over halfway through coloring the pages. We’re right on track for the comic’s target release in April.

Enseng has received all of the files and Pantone colors for Army Ant, Inferno, and Sledgehog. Once the factories return from the Chinese New Year break, they’ll move straight into the iron mold process. Everything is perfectly on schedule for our September target!

A quick reminder to the 80 backers who haven’t yet completed their pledge surveys—please be sure to fill those out by January 25. We also have some exciting, top-secret projects brewing behind the scenes that I know you’re going to love!

On another note, I wanted to share something special. While it’s customary for artists to keep the original pencils for their work, Jim Lawson graciously offered me half of the 32 pages from Shadow Line #1. Without giving too much away, I thought it’d be fun to share a sneak peek of a few pages with you.

Thank you all for being such an incredible community. I’m beyond excited about everything we’re creating together and can’t wait to share more with you soon!

Wishing you all a fantastic start to 2025!

Warm regards,

Jonathon House

Treasure Monster Toys

Merry Christmas from Treasure Monster Toys! 🎄
over 1 year ago – Wed, Dec 25, 2024 at 08:28:18 AM

Dear Backers,

As the holiday season surrounds us with joy, warmth, and celebration, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to you—our incredible supporters. This year has been truly transformative for Treasure Monster Toys, and none of it would have been possible without your belief in our vision and enthusiasm for the Mutant Multiverse.

From the entire Treasure Monster Toys team, we wish you and your loved ones a holiday filled with happiness, love, and cherished memories. We’re so excited about the journey ahead and can’t wait to bring you even more updates and surprises as we move into 2025 together.

May your Christmas be as epic and fun as the Mutant Multiverse itself!

Warmest wishes,

Jonathon House & the Treasure Monster Toys Team