#114: Crowdfunding, Covens and a Cyberclown

Hello dear readers!

Spring has very much sprung here at Penflower Ink HQ. The sun is shining, the trees are flowering, bumblebees are buzzing and – fortunately – my allergies haven’t acted up much. Yet.
Yes, the season of nature’s renewel has been very kind so far. I hope it has been kind to you all as well!

Albo News: A Very Successful Itch-Funding!

First, a little context.
Last week I received my second proof copy of Albo from Lulu. I had been eagerly awaiting its arrival, as it would mean I would have a copy without the page border designs, and that I could photograph for promotional reasons.
You can imagine my disappointment when, upon opening the box, I discovered those cumbersome border designs very much still present. I can only guess that I did not wait long enough after updating the print file before ordering a new copy.

At that point, after sulking for about 24 hours, I decided to just get on with it. Albo was ready, so I went ahead and published the digital version on itchio.
In an effort to both fund the purchase of a third (and hopefully final) proof copy, as well as cover the cost of the two previous copies, I set up an itch-funding sale.

I was incredibly surprised and heartened when the itch-funding goal was reached in the space of 2 hours!
I’m pretty certain that’s the fastest I’ve ever been able to itch-fund anything.
As a thank you for getting Albo to its goal so fast, I am keeping the sale going for another week.
What’s more, everyone who purchases the game during the sale will get a discount code to use when I eventually publish the print version.

Next Steps

• Wait for the third proof copy to arrive,
  
• Check that it’s ok,
  
• If it’s ok, take some nice promotional photos of it,
  
• Then set up a digital+print product page for Albo on my website.

At time of writing, the third proof copy has just been dispatched. With any luck it’ll arrive just in time for the itch-funding sale’s end date and I can finally get Albo published in its intended form.

Albo Addendum: At Last, a Play-test!

A quick update! Yesterday evening I was able to run a very impromptu one-shot of Albo with some friends.
I was very relieved to see that the system is indeed easy to pick up and does incentivise creative thinking and co-operation. Everyone had fun and I look forward to playing another game as soon as I can!

New Patreon Art Assets: Creatures from the Coven Kitchen!

Last month, the winning option on my Patreon art asset poll was “Fairy Tale Fantasy Creatures”.
However, a long-time patron and friend also suggested a set of baked goods assets.
I liked this idea a lot, and thought the two themes could be combined in the form of a witch’s kitchen, where the cakes, pies and other treats are all monstrous creatures.
I added a trio of mischievous kobolds to… “help” in the kitchen.
You can join my Patreon and claim these assets HERE.

Pictured above: a character vignette of the Coven Cook, and a selection of her witch-crafted creations.

Other Creative Projects: Website Revamp, Sculpting and Character Design!

A New Look Inspired by the Old Web

In my previous issue, I shared the new forum I built – here’s a link in case you missed it last time.
Since then, I was similarly inspired by the “web revival” movement to revamp my website’s appearance.
I’ve been browsing other forums and especially neocities a lot lately. Struck by how interesting and unique each of these websites is, I decided to add some of the same look and feel to my website.

Pictured above: a screenshot of my newly revamped website homepage. It now includes hand-illustrated navigation buttons, along with a link to the forum, and a curated list of recommended links.

At first I was just going to make new illustrated button icons for the homepage’s navigation.
Then I remembered something from the old days of the web, and that a lot of neocities sites have resurrected. That being outgoing links to other websites.

Back in the mid 2000s, when I was making my first tentative steps on the world wide web, I had a couple of blogs. These all included links to some of my favourite websites, as well as other blogs I followed.
To the best of my ability, I tried to replicate that with the Links page on my website.
I’ve created four categories: artists, TTRPG designers, musicians and video-makers. It was genuinely so much fun to compile these lists. As I continue exploring the internet, I’ll most likely be updating each of these lists.

I really like how my website looks now. It feels less boringly professional and more… me.

Sculpting My Very Own Ancient Eldritch Relic

Back in December 2025 I received two big packs of DAS modelling clay, terracotta style.
I finally got inspired to use them last week. Initially I was going to make a classic sun face – the kind you see hanging on garden walls, particularly in sunny warm countries.
However, I was feeling particularly eldritch, and decided to turn it into a kind of ancient tablet to a long-forgotten sun god. Add some tentacles, and a few extra eyes, and… voila’!

Pictured above: my tablet to an ancient and brooding solar deity.

The tablet took several days to fully dry, but I think it looks very effective.
Now I just need to decide how I’m going to paint it. Should I go for an ancient and moss-covered stone look? Or just embrace decadence and make it gold?

Send in the Cyberclown

I was listening to some cyberpunk vaporwave the other day and nodded off. While I slept, I dreamed of a hot cyborg clown lady. This was my feeble attempt at capturing her majestic beauty.

Pictured above: the one and only cyberclown. I have been told some find her simultaneously very attractive and deeply unsettling. Mission accomplished!

Other Creative Plans

While I wait until I can publish Albo’s print version, I have been hammering away at the first setting I want to release (and that I mentioned in my previous issue).

I’d love to eventually have a small catalogue of settings – that could be used with Albo and other systems – which I would collectively call the “Alboverse”.
The simplicity of Albo’s system means I don’t have to spend so much time worrying about stat boxes and additional rules. It’s emphasis on customisation also means I can get weird and wacky with each setting.

I’ve started a thread on the Alboverse over on the Pennyspace forum, if you’re interested in learning / discussing more about this idea.

Media Spotlight!

• Pine Shallows, a meddlesome kids game by Peter Eijk, is crowdfunding on Kickstarter! A delightful game (which I had the privilege of making some art for a few months ago.)
  
• Want to check out and stay up to date on a bunch of cool blogs? Check out the rootring!
  
• The TTRPGs for Trans Rights – Idaho is officially live on itchio! Get over 500 games for just $5 and support a great cause!
  
• Some more animated gems!
  – First up is Tulip, a felt-based stop-motion retelling of the Thumbelina fairy tale, by Andrea Love.
  – Next is this gorgeous animated music video for SIAMES’s “My Little One’, made by Mexican animation studio, KUKARI. Warning: might make you cry.
  – A heartwarming tale of a pirate captain and his new crew, from Mummy Joe: Ship’s Log.
  – Then there’s The Wickywock and the JubJub Berry, a delightfully funny, whimsical and unsettling puppet short by Cat Johnston and Joseph Wallace.
  
• Another excellent video essay by Lindsay Ellis on the often misrepresented and misremembered relationship between Disney’s (or rather Howard Ashton’s) Aladdin and Richard William’s The Thief and the Cobbler.
  
• And last, but never least, some Positive Leftist News from March!

That’s all for this issue!

As always, thank you so much for reading.

One last reminder that if you feel like supporting my work, you can buy something from my website or itchio, join my Patreon as a paying member, or commission me.

If none of the above are doable for you, please consider spreading the word about my work to your friends!

New subscribers to the Penflower Post get a special discount code to use in the shop, as a thank you.

Until next time,

– Penflower