1992 MARVEL MASTERPIECES 30th Anniversary Book

[bub838]

Happy September 1st!

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by bub838

Happy September 1st!

Curious to see what they say, if anything, in an update. The radio silence in the kickstarter pages all through this month was odd. People did get those address survey emails, but like others, will only believe I have the book when it’s here, nothing at all prior to that. No words or updates or surveys mean anything at this point.

[Fenian95]

New update. I'll believe when I hold the book.

Then they are getting quite a comment.

It's the moment we have ALL been waiting for...Starting this week, shipping of the books begins!!! Packages will roll out daily, and email notifications containing tracking information will be sent as they go.

We cannot wait for you to receive them!!! And, we want to say it one last time: Thank you, everyone, for your support!

THANK YOU,
THANK YOU,
THANK YOU!!!

[HiltonL]

If shipping is really happening, we should start seeing reports of people receiving actual books by Wednesday, since the Hulk/Spidey/Psylocke metal slabs were received by folks in the Pennsylvania area super-fast.

My hopes are rising, but still skeptical

[DynaEtch]

One person posted in the Kickstarter comments they got a tracking number email. Curious to hear if anyone in here gets one. I wonder if it’ll be like the bronze slabs and they go up the tiers in order, so signed and OA tiers get a later shipment

[Fenian95]

Latest report is their package is coming from England?

All tracking so far is Parcels2go so that checks out as that is a British shipping company.

If I have to pay duties I will not be happy.

What is going on? All that wait for the books to wind up in in the UK first? Where is FPG located?

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by Fenian95

Latest report is their package is coming from England?

All tracking so far is Parcels2go so that checks out as that is a British shipping company.

If I have to pay duties I will not be happy.

What is going on? All that wait for the books to wind up in in the UK first? Where is FPG located?

I don’t know but that doesn’t make sense at all if it’s coming from UK. They are in US, and said the books were already ‘here’ back on Aug 1st….

When you say all tracking, how many are reporting it? Is it possible the single person in the comments saying Parcels2go had it confused with some other shipment they got? Or are a lot saying the same thing elsewhere. We already had multiple ‘false alarms’ just last month, many people getting tracking out of PA, me mixing up the tracking with the UD shipment etc.

[HiltonL]

Curiouser and curiouser...

[DynaEtch]

Did anyone think even after it being said shipping literally this week, it would be a simple, smooth thing? Expecting more radio silence for the rest of the month just like august, then an Oct 1st update saying books are shipping yada yada, and then some more ‘woot woot’s’ from the usual crowd, and then rinse and repeat (welcome to the twilight zone).

Either the person is confusing the parcels2go tracking with another package, or it doesn’t make any sense.

[DynaEtch]

Fenian, looks like the backer who posted that said it was for a different Kickstarter they backed, that was the confusion. Soo…I guess no one got a tracking notification yet this week, despite it being said they are rolling out this week.

[fabiani12333]

Is it possible that Marvel hasn't approved publishing of the book? Maybe FPG's hands are tied.

The Punisher and Red Skull weren't included in Marvel Masterpieces XL, implying Marvel didn't approve their inclusion. They of course have cards in MM92. Perhaps the "sensitivity readers" at Marvel objected to their publication and now the book is limbo.

[Xazark]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Is it possible that Marvel hasn't approved publishing of the book? Maybe FPG's hands are tied.

The Punisher and Red Skull weren't included in Marvel Masterpieces XL, implying Marvel didn't approve their inclusion. They of course have cards in MM92. Perhaps the "sensitivity readers" at Marvel objected to their publication and now the book is limbo.

I doubt that is the case, if they were able to blame it on someone other than themselves they would have done it already. Nothing to this point is their fault.

[glorbgorb]

Yeah, I don't think they would have gotten this far without Marvel input and approval.

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Is it possible that Marvel hasn't approved publishing of the book? Maybe FPG's hands are tied.

The Punisher and Red Skull weren't included in Marvel Masterpieces XL, implying Marvel didn't approve their inclusion. They of course have cards in MM92. Perhaps the "sensitivity readers" at Marvel objected to their publication and now the book is limbo.

What makes this hard for me to believe is the company just said this week the books are being sent out this week. Putting yourself in their shoes if they couldn’t get approval….I mean that would be pretty bold to be saying a complete lie like that….and why? It’s one thing to say the books will be ship at the end of the month every month this summer and not come through, it just seems weird to lie the same week it’s going on…..I mean people should figure this out real fast if the books don’t start shipping? And yet here we are towards the end of the week and looks like nothing shipped so I put nothing past anyone at this point.

[DynaEtch]

So no one got a tracking number then? Radio silence from fpg in the comments...

June 1: These are shipping out the end of the month!
July 1: We have confirmation these will be shipping end of July.
August 1: They’re here! You’ll get the book in 3-4 weeks.
September 1: It’s shipping time! starting mailing out this week and tracking numbers rolling out daily.

What company does this? Whoever was defending it above, I’m just curious if you are still defending these repetitive lies. It’s getting bolder and bolder too- they can blatantly say they are shipping out this same week, then just not do it, respond to nothing, and then act like nothing happened (and many of the backers will then also act like nothing happened and the inevitable ‘ra ra’ comments next month, further encouraging it).

How much bolder will this get? Will there be an Oct 1st update saying “Books are shipping right now! Today!”…..and then just not? Will there be “woot woot’s” after that too? Remember…according to the company these books already arrived Aug 1st. And they aren’t being shipped. Why?

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

So no one got a tracking number then? Radio silence from fpg in the comments...

June 1: These are shipping out the end of the month!
July 1: We have confirmation these will be shipping end of July.
August 1: They’re here! You’ll get the book in 3-4 weeks.
September 1: It’s shipping time! starting mailing out this week and tracking numbers rolling out daily.

What company does this? Whoever was defending it above, I’m just curious if you are still defending these repetitive lies. It’s getting bolder and bolder too- they can blatantly say they are shipping out this same week, then just not do it, respond to nothing, and then act like nothing happened (and many of the backers will then also act like nothing happened and the inevitable ‘ra ra’ comments next month, further encouraging it).

How much bolder will this get? Will there be an Oct 1st update saying “Books are shipping right now! Today!”…..and then just not? Will there be “woot woot’s” after that too? Remember…according to the company these books already arrived Aug 1st. And they aren’t being shipped. Why?

I think they're just hoping backers give up and stop caring. They know anyone who has been following along with their updates knows they've repeatedly deceived and lied to backers. They don't want to admit the books aren't getting made, so they keep regularly giving "updates".

At least we got the digital version of the book and the cool metal cards.

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

I think they're just hoping backers give up and stop caring. They know anyone who has been following along with their updates knows they've repeatedly deceived and lied to backers. They don't want to admit the books aren't getting made, so they keep regularly giving "updates".

At least we got the digital version of the book and the cool metal cards.

It really doesn’t make sense though why be so specific in the lies? Couldn’t they just not say anything or be much more vague (“project is severely delayed, we don’t know when it’ll be shipped”). Idk something about all this is just hard for me to believe. Like if a company knew the book was not gonna be made/shipped to go to these lengths with a charade….that would be really weird. Not only going to those lengths but saying they’re shipping this week.

I mean imagine how that’s gonna look if it’s Jan, 2025 and still no books….”um you said they were being shipped out first week of September?” How bad is that gonna look for the company? It sounded like they were planning more projects after this….imagine how much this hurts the company’s image. This project is also becoming a case study in how short (or nonexistent) peoples’ memories can be. Why express jubilance at any statement or update at all anymore after the 10th+ consecutive false update? It’s like a 2 year, ongoing, boy who cried wolf thing….just strange.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

It really doesn’t make sense though why be so specific in the lies? Couldn’t they just not say anything or be much more vague (“project is severely delayed, we don’t know when it’ll be shipped”). Idk something about all this is just hard for me to believe. Like if a company knew the book was not gonna be made/shipped to go to these lengths with a charade….that would be really weird. Not only going to those lengths but saying they’re shipping this week.

I mean imagine how that’s gonna look if it’s Jan, 2025 and still no books….”uhh you said they were being shipped out first week of September?” How bad is that gonna look for the company? It sounded like they were planning more projects after this….imagine how much this hurts the company’s image. This project is also becoming a case study in how short (or nonexistent) peoples’ memories can be. Why express jubilance at any statement or update at all anymore after the 10th+ false update? It’s like a 2 year, ongoing, boy who cried wolf thing….just strange.

I think it's because they're trying to be transparent by making it clear they're lying -- if that makes any sense. Kickstarter expects campaigns to give updates and FPG doesn't want to admit the project won't get fulfilled. So they lie in a way that should be obvious to those who have been following along -- it's a wink, wink, nod, nod.

Something happened to derail this project. Did they go way over budget? Is Marvel stopping them from publishing?

We know Joe Jusko completed his part in the book last year because we got the digital versions with his words at the start of the year.

Weird stuff, man.

[bub838]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

I think it's because they're trying to be transparent by making it clear they're lying -- if that makes any sense. Kickstarter expects campaigns to give updates and FPG doesn't want to admit the project won't get fulfilled. So they lie in a way that should be obvious to those who have been following along -- it's a wink, wink, nod, nod.

Something happened to derail this project. Did they go way over budget? Is Marvel stopping them from publishing?

We know Joe Jusko completed his part in the book last year because we got the digital versions with his words at the start of the year.

Weird stuff, man.

To continue off of this leads me to the worst case scenario- books are never being released and they don’t have the funds to refund so they’re just going to delay/lie forever. They wouldn’t be the first.

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by bub838

To continue off of this leads me to the worst case scenario- books are never being released and they don’t have the funds to refund so they’re just going to delay/lie forever. They wouldn’t be the first.

Well that’s one way to plummet into the ground whatever reputation a company has left, I suppose. This still all sounds ludicrous to me, brazenly lying…again if a company was gonna lie and stall, they could at least still do that without saying they are shipping literally this week. There were months and months of false updates that were a little more vague- ‘ships out in 3 months, ships out in a month’, why not just keep playing that game ad infinitum. Instead of backing yourself into a total corner which will happen here when books don’t start shipping soon.

Whatever the case is, and hopefully it’s not this bad, the transparency has been awful…backers are being told nothing about what’s going on besides being given a false date every month. Nothing about what’s causing the delays, nothing about if there are problems, nothing about which country it was printed in. I have also noticed there has been less interaction/fielding questions (read: basically none) by fpg in the comments anymore, that is very curious. Can’t be bothered to even address why the things they’re saying are demonstrably false.

If it weren’t for the paintings and bronze cards already delivered, I would be wondering if it’s an outright scam at this point. The sole thing that makes me think it’s not is that those other things were delivered.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

There were months and months of false updates that were a little more vague- ‘ships out in 3 months, ships out in a month’, why not just keep playing that game ad infinitum. Instead of backing yourself into a total corner which will happen here when books don’t start shipping soon.

Because updating backers with the same vague lie over and over again wears thin and doesn't show progress. Kickstarter wants creators to show backers that progress is being made on projects, or to be upfront about them falling through:

Regular Updates: Post regular updates to keep backers informed about progress. Even small updates can help reassure them that the project is moving forward.

In some cases, problems might be severe enough that fulfilling the project becomes impossible. Here’s what to do in such scenarios:

Offer Resolutions: Offer refunds or other forms of compensation to your backers. This gesture shows that you are taking responsibility and valuing their support.
Detail Fund Usage: Provide a detailed account of how the funds were used. Transparency in financial matters helps backers understand the challenges you faced and where their money went.

https://updates.kickstarter.com/what...their-project/

If FPG just said the project was three months out over and over again, there would be more and more pressure on them to come clean about what's going on. By lying so blatantly and obviously, they know backers will eventually get the hint and eventually stop asking for updates.

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Because updating backers with the same vague lie over and over again wears thin and doesn't show progress. Kickstarter wants creators to show backers that progress is being made on projects, or to be upfront about them falling through:

https://updates.kickstarter.com/what...their-project/

If FPG just said the project was three months out over and over again, there would be more and more pressure on them to come clean about what's going on. By lying so blatantly and obviously, they know backers will eventually get the hint and eventually stop asking for updates.

Am I the only person who thinks this would be absolutely ludicrous lol. So there won’t be pressure to come clean if they just tell us it’s shipping out this past week and then nothing for many more months if ever? That’ll be a great way to get the backers off their case and stop asking questions….just say they are shipping out right now and then nothing. That’s backing themselves into a corner more than any other possible update could, including a truthful one saying the books just aren’t coming.

It’s true though nothing…absolutely nothing would surprise me with the project at this point (excepting perhaps the books actually showing up). Note those other things that Kickstarter recommends creators do to instill confidence- list of financial stuff, where funds used, basic transparency etc…nowhere in sight.

If I’m a betting person, here is my guess: they do plan on shipping these out. But any info given thus far: books were finished back in Dec, they arrived Aug 1, etc…none of that need be true and in fact most of it probably isn’t. They did send the surveys out the second time around. I think they’ll be shipped, but as usual their updates/forecasts are just way too optimistic/not true just to get backers briefly off their case. And why not since there is little pushback. It is true when a slew of backers will respond ‘ra ra’, ‘woot woot’, no matter how many times they were lied to, there is little reason not to just give fake estimations. So I do think it’s entirely possible some people might start getting tracking numbers even by next week, but certainly not holding my breath.

[PurplesaurusRex]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

If FPG just said the project was three months out over and over again, there would be more and more pressure on them to come clean about what's going on. By lying so blatantly and obviously, they know backers will eventually get the hint and eventually stop asking for updates.

Lol what? Not sure where this information is coming from but no sane person would believe it. You think people will stop asking for updates?

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by PurplesaurusRex

Lol what? Not sure where this information is coming from but no sane person would believe it. You think people will stop asking for updates?

They are under no legal obligation to fulfill orders. If they lie repeatedly to you, what's the point of asking for another update? You'd eventually just accept that it's a lost cause.

You have no recourse in the event a Kickstarter campaign doesn't get shipped.

It would be illogical to keep hitting a dead horse.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

Am I the only person who thinks this would be absolutely ludicrous lol. So there won’t be pressure to come clean if they just tell us it’s shipping out this past week and then nothing for many more months if ever? That’ll be a great way to get the backers off their case and stop asking questions….just say they are shipping out right now and then nothing. That’s backing themselves into a corner more than any other possible update could, including a truthful one saying the books just aren’t coming.

The updates were a progression. First, it was several months out. Then, it was maybe a couple of months. Then it was a month. Finally the books were ready to ship, implying they would ship any day.

It's very much a passive-aggressive approach -- they don't want to come out and say the books wont ship, so they play games with their backers by telling them provably false information. They want you to take a hint.