Another Great Day in the Studio + some unexpected bonus content
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 29, 2022 at 12:14:31 AM

We've been having great fun in the studio these past few weeks, bringing GRAY to full throated life!

Sessions included a memorable and moving day with our Dorian, the astonishing Lara Pulver ( yea, she of SHERLOCK fame, amidst much else) as well as more work with Lexi as Speranza. 

But last week was especially wonderful because we got to combine in one session Neil Brown Jr. playing all 3 ages of Hank Wutan, and our director Milena Govich who is also inhabiting the role of the Baroness. 

These two have such amazing instincts, such gifted larynx  and are such wonderful people that I scarcely have words to describe the work. 

Not only did we knock out all their scenes in GRAY, but because we had some time at the end, we improved a little bedtime story for my daughter Odetta.  As Oscar put it, "all father's should write fairy stories for their children" - so we did.   & Here it is for you  - fully improvised and unmixed, so not to the standard that GRAY will hopefully reach, but nevertheless, it gave much joy to one 4 year old. 

 Listen by clicking on the dropbox link or on the photo.

Production on the AudioDrama is Underway!
almost 3 years ago – Sun, Feb 13, 2022 at 12:41:32 AM

Dear Friends & Lovers:

First, there was the Word... 

and how good it was.... 

On Friday, we commenced production on Ms. DORIAN GRAY which has become our working title for the audio-drama version of GRAY.  It was an enormously exciting day as the wondrously talented LEXI UNDERWOOD, star of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE and Showtime's forthcoming FIRST LADY and  Disney+'s SNEAKERELLA and I worked together to bring Gray to life. 

Now that requires quick a big foot note.   Lexi plays a character called SPERANZA (diligent Wildeans will know that was the pen name of Oscar's mother Lady Jane Wilde) who is the NARRATOR of our audio-drama.  Speranza is of course not a character who appears in Vol 1 (nor does she in Vol2, spoiler) - instead she is an entirely new character who is investigating the crimes of Dorian Gray from 20 years after the events of the graphic novel. 

We are so excited about this way of telling the story, which makes the audio drama a really stand-alone and original piece of drama and we are as excited about Lexi who is an extraordinary performer and human. 

We were recording in the storied Dennis Moody Studio, and in the photo above you can see me and Lexi pointing at awe to some of the Grammys and other awards won by Dennis Moody for his work with artists from Donna Summers to Missy Elliot.  May our own production follow in their footsteps! 

More news on Vol 2 to follow soon and we will be recording regularly now over the next month. 

Yours in Gray! -- Arvind 

Writing Done. Drawing Done.
about 3 years ago – Fri, Dec 03, 2021 at 03:53:29 AM

Arvind's done writing. Eugenia's done drawing

and I got to tell you, it was a beast.  if you were to design the two most completely opposite story-telling mediums you would pretty much come up with graphic novels (all about the visual) and audio drama (no visual, all about the sound).

The first time I wrote GRAY I was obsessed with taking full advantage of the comic medium - leaning into it and challenging my wonderful art team to push themselves and the form.  Which meant, most of the time, having the pictures do as much of the narrative work as possible, so the story would make sense even if you didn't read all the words. I'm insanely happy with the results in Volume 1 and even more so with Volume 2 - which Eugenia just this week finished her final pencils on. 

So the challenge with the audio drama was to completely reinvent how we told the story, whilst keeping the actual story the same . Not just to have the characters in the audio drama speak the lines from the book and to hope audiences would make sense of it without the pictures which so comprehensively re imagining a story so that it is genuinely native to its new millieu  - which is where we came up with the idea of TRUE CRIME PODCAST - but not just any True Crime Podcast, but one FROM THE FUTURE. 

20 years after the events of Gray, our narrator, the mysterious SPERANZA is investigating the truth behind Dorian Gray and her terrible crimes...  and the the things she learns will change her (drum roll..) FOREVER...   She gets to dive much deeper into the detail of character and motivation of our heroes and villains, because the plot of what they did is already well known, and in her past...  the result, hopefully is a story that compliments the graphic novel but also is its own self-sufficient narrative.  Not easy! 

Well, 118 pages of script later, I think I've done it.   In the months ahead, we'll all find out...  But THANK YOU for the support in getting us this far, a little extract below,  and can't wait to share more with you.   

all the best,  Arvind 

An update for November...
about 3 years ago – Sat, Nov 20, 2021 at 07:31:50 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Volume 1 Hardback is en route!
over 3 years ago – Sun, Sep 05, 2021 at 06:38:05 PM

Dear Lords, Ladies, and Lovers…

Volume 1 Hardback is here!

The time has come! Hot off the presses is the GRAY Volume 1 hardback!

If you have completed your survey, the book is en route to you!  See?! 

Early next week tracking numbers will be available via your BackerKit Survey. 

Wrapping up Pledges...

Still haven’t filled out your survey / didn’t receive?  It’s not too late - send us a message and we can share the link again. 

Has your address changed and we haven’t connected about it? Let us know ASAP!

Want to order more? Visit our pre-order store here- it's still live! 

If you pledged for Immortalization in the comic - check your inbox for an email from [email protected] - we need your photo ASAP!

If you pledged Immortalization in the audiodrama - we’ll be reaching out within the next month or so with information.

Did you pledge for the Jagged Little Pill VIP tier? We have already reached out about fulfilling your tickets,  and are slowly fulfilling.   But no rush - if you’re not ready to go back to the theatre, we can fulfill your tickets thru December 2021 or provide you a gift card good for a later date. 

Please see here for current COVID-19 restrictions on Broadway.  (You also should have received an email from [email protected] .)

Help us spread the word! 

We’d still very much appreciate reviews on Good Reads- help us spread the word!

Volume 2 + Audiodrama

Production on the audiodrama continues to charge forward - more there soon! 

Meantime, here’s some freshly colored pages from Volume 2 of the Graphic Novel… Hats off as always to Eugenia Koumaki, Diana Greenhalgh, and Joana Lafuente. ...and did we mention we’re working with a new Letterer for Volume 2?! The incredibly talented Taylor Esposito!

Thanks again for your support, we truly could not have done it without you!

-Brittany, Producer on Gray