An Update on Production and Our New Release Window

Hey everybody,

We wanted to take a moment to share an important update with you and give a little window into what has been going on behind the scenes at Dual Animal.

Last summer, over 200 of you came together and pledged $8,942 to help bring our maiden voyage graphic novel to life. That support continues to mean absolutely everything to us. You guys are seriously our heroes for supporting indie comics and encouraging our team that we can tell bold, weird, heartfelt stories while protecting our creator-owned model.

In the time since, we have been hard at work finishing Dual Animal Anthology Vol. 1 and making it the best possible brick of comics we can.

At the same time, the world around us has shifted quite a bit. Production and shipping costs have climbed, which has put some pressure on our initial budget. And like many independent creators, we have had to learn in real time how to navigate a fulfillment landscape that looks a little different than it did even seven or eight months ago.

In continuing to be thoughtful about how we use the funds you so graciously trusted us with, we decided to make a few small pivots to our timeline. As first-time publishers producing a pretty big book, we have had to adapt so we can stay on budget and keep everything sustainable for the long haul.

On a personal level, the state of this crazy world has affected some of our everyday lives as well. Some of you may have seen us mention on social already, but we recently made the decision to relocate our Dual Animal HQ (or the “Comic Book Crib”, as some of you in our DMs have continued to call it XD) to a new location on the US East Coast for more practical costs both personally, and professionally.

Strangely enough, that reset ended up being a healthy one. It gave us space to step back, refocus, and reconnect with why we started Dual Animal in the first place; projects like this one that support independent, free speech are more important than ever. And we take that responsibility very seriously.

So here’s the update regarding our timeline:

All physical rewards, including Dual Animal Anthology Vol. 1, will move from our original February 2026 release to August 2026, with digital packages now releasing in June 2026.

This delay, while not ideal, has given us the chance to restructure our approach, work more efficiently, and finish the book the right way and on budget.

In the meantime, we are kicking off a waterfall release for the Dual Animal Anthology Vol. 1: Official Companion Soundtrack, starting with “Sic Semper Draconis”, the main theme of Slayer Squadron:

This awesome fantasy metal track is composed by Austin Smith and features flutist Ember Belladonna, with stunning album art by Jordan Rodriguez featuring “The Troubadour":

Want to see some soundtrack behind the scenes? Click here to watch a peek into how Emma played a metal-ized glissando flute to capture the voice of the Slayer world!

Every month from now until the book is released we will be releasing new art and music to wet everyone’s whistle (or flute!) as we prepare for launch!

For those who backed the album tier rewards, please note that nothing changes. The full soundtrack, including the expanded tracklist and listening suites designed to read along with the comics, will remain a Kickstarter exclusive. The public releases will feature select main themes only, just enough to give you guys some much earned access to vibes and share our thanks for riding along with us on this journey.

We deeply appreciate your understanding and patience regarding this new release window as our team evolves along with the times and obstacles that come along with launching six comic series simultaneously. No one ever said it would be easy, but hey, nothing worth doing ever is.

~ Bobby & Walter