Generation Z

Kingdom Tales Kickstarter CampaignWere you aware that there has been a 50% increase in the multiracial young population since 2000? The Website slideshare.net has released a comprehensive study of the age group they are tentatively calling Generation Z, those born in 1995 to the present. My wife, Karen, and I have conducted intensive research into the characteristics of the Millennial Generation—mostly because we are concerned with the fact that only some 15% of this group claim to be conservative Christians—and even many of those have little or limited connection with any local church. These are the young folk born in the years before 1995—specifically, sometime in the early eighties.

Interestingly enough, the Web site Slideshare.net makes the point in its study regarding the next generation (“Z”) following hard after the Millennials, “Modern families come in all colors and sizes. Long-standing views have been challenged by culture: celebrities, artists, politicians and athletes of mixed heritage have changed the discourse, along with trans-racial and international adoptions.”

In other words, the demographic for the coming generation is going to be a very mixed racial bag. This is one of the reasons Karen and I have decided to redesign and republish our award-winning children’s books, Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance and Tales of the Restoration—we want the artwork to reflect this interracial and multiethnic makeup of what will be the next generation of Americans (not to mention the children of the world).

The beautiful illustrations by Jack Stockman in the first two books don’t reflect the racial demographic of the members of our youngest society.

For the last four months, we have been working with the Pathmaker Marketing Group to design a Kickstarter campaign to re-illustrate, redesign and republish these books. Crowd-funding and crowd-sourcing are some of the exciting means that the Internet has evolved in recent days order to raise funds to launch new products or underwrite charitable projects. Our campaign to raise $22,500 by inviting backers to pre-order these newly reissued books can be viewed here. Check out some of the artwork we want to fund. Become a backer and receive a Kickerstarter Heritage Collectible Numbered Edition. Help us make these works visually accessible to the next really, remarkably mixed, culturally sophisticated young generation.

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS

Notice One

Kingdom tales Kickstarter CampaignOne never knows where a sermon series might go on its way out into the world—particularly when the preacher is married to a writer. Some 40 years ago, in a Teamsters Union Hall on the west side of Chicago, I preached a series to a young idealistic congregation eager to do God’s work in the world. That series was titled “The Christian, the Church and Society.” It has been the one sermon series, above any other in my five decades of ministry, that has received the most comments regarding its impact.

So much so that my wife, Karen, a young and idealistic pastor’s wife, took the main concepts and built three award-winning story books out of that preaching effort. It is now 30 years since the first book, The Tales of the Kingdom, was written. Within the next decade, two more books followed, completing the Kingdom Tales TrilogyTales of the Resistance and Tales of the Restoration.

The basic thrust of the series was: The Kingdom of God is any setting where Christ is recognized as King, His will is obeyed and obedient subjects reap the benefit of His rule. Quite a key Biblical truth to integrate into three award-winning illustrated storybooks. But then that’s the proof of an agile and creative writer; it’s someone who can take spiritual meat and transform it into classic children’s literature (think John Bunyan with Pilgrim’s Progress or C. S. Lewis and the Narnia series).

My word to the wise is this: Be careful what you preach (particularly if a spouse is listening). You never know what someone else will do with your words.

This week we are launching a Kickstarter campaign (this is a crowd-funding Web site), to redesign, re-illustrate and republish the three Kingdom Tales books for a new generation.

In a rapidly globalizing world, we as a nation are realizing that the world is a complex and shining (and often difficult) conglomerate of multi-cultures and diverse races and ethnicities. Due to this rising global sensitivity, we feel strongly that it is time to re-release the three books, but representing the above verities in the illustrations.

Will you check out the Kickstarter campaign and see if there are ways you would like to become a backer? The link is www.kingdomtales.com/kickstarter.

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS

Kickstarter Artist: Roni Nurak

Kingdom Tales Kickstarter Artist: Roni NurakWe found that when we put together our contest in 99Designs that we were working with artists from all over the world.  One such artist, Roni Yulianus Nurak, is a big fan of the Website, not only because he has an opportunity to win assignments, but also because he enjoys immersing himself in the huge community of designers it provides, allowing him to test and improve his skills.

“Too,” Nurak, who was born in Indonesia but now lives in Bandung, West Java,  added, “I have the opportunity to learn lessons from not only the artists in Asia, but from artists all over the world.”

Like so many of the artists who competed in the 99Designs contest regarding the Tales of the Kingdom Trilogy, Nurak has been pursuing his skills and talent in art since he was in elementary school.  While he enjoys working with pencil and paper, he also enjoys computer design.  In fact, he is most interested in discovering what new things can be accomplished with graphic design, illustration and animation.

“The Tales of the Kingdom project,” he shared, “allowed me to develop a project in my own unique style.”

One of his favorite parts of the assignment was the fact that Tales of the Kingdom is not only an excellent read, but so effectively brings the Christian message in a non-overbearing way.  He knew that his efforts would help to provide inspiration for all those who read it.

His challenge, as he worked, was to create a quality illustration that would correspond to the core story.  He accomplished this by first presenting the character, and then developing the “atmosphere” the illustration presents!

You can view Roni Nurak’s online portfolio and see his incredible illustration of Amanda and the Dragon, created for the 2015 Princess Amanda and the Dragon Wall Calendar, by going here.

When you Back Our KICKSTARTER Project you’ll RECEIVE 3 Award-winning CHILDREN’S BOOKS to READ & ENJOY WITH YOUR KIDS (or GRANDKIDS) — each story teaches character lessons for life, and comes fully Revised, Re-published in print and all eBook formats, and Re-illustrated with Captivating, Original Art!

If you would like to get the Wall Calendar and/or back our Kickstarter Campaign to revise, re-illustrate and re-publish the Kingdom Tales Trilogy, go here.

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Add to favorites
  • Email
  • RSS