Re-Introducing the Weird Accordion to Al Kickstarter 2.0: Re-Loaded!

Last Tuesday something amazing and unexpected happened. I launched the Kickstarter for the book version of the Weird Accordion to Al column that has been a fixture of this website from its very inception. I went into the project feeling like I had worked very hard on the project for a long time and had a very solid spiel to offer patrons and readers. 

But you never know. Time and experience has taught me not only the wisdom but the necessity of having reasonable expectations so your life doesn’t constitute one long chain of crushing disappointments. 

I was cautiously optimistic about the Weird Accordion to Al Kickstarter. I set what I felt was a very low, but very reachable goal of 2000 dollars and was surprised and then shocked to see it beat that goal pretty much the first day. It was 100 percent funded and then 200 percent funded and then 300 percent funded and then 400 percent funded. 

As I write this on March 25th, the project is 456 percent funded. That is fucking amazing. I am so unbelievably appreciative of everyone who pledged and everyone who shared the news of the Kickstarter on social media and everyone who has believed in this project and its literary potential. 

We’ve done so well that a week in we’ve nearly sold out our “Best of Both Worlds!” Tier offering a bundle of Weird Al: The Book and The Weird Accordion to Al both autographed by me for 50. We started with 100. We’re down to 20. 

We very much want to keep the momentum going so we are re-introducing the campaign for Digital Wednesday, which is both my hacker name and hopefully a big push that will put a whole new wave of cash into the Happy Place coffers. 

Felipe Sobreiro, who did the cover and is doing the inner illustrations, has designed an awesome tee-shirt based on his cover for The Weird Accordion to Al that y’all can buy in a bundle with the Weird Accordion to Al book for fifty dollars! It is the first piece of Nathan Rabin’s Happy Place ever! How exciting is that? If you’re me, the answer is VERY exciting.

During my research on Weird Al: The Book and The Weird Accordion to Al, as well my travels on Al’s big tour I noticed that everybody seems to have a photograph of themselves with “Weird Al” Yankovic that they use as their Facebook or Twitter avatar. It’s a regular rite of passage for geeks. 

This could be you!

Alas, Al cannot be personally photographed with everyone so we have whipped up the best possible substitution: for 65 dollars, Felipe will do a lovely digital, one-of-a-kind print of a portrait of yourself with Al, plus an autographed copy of the Weird Accordion to Al book. AND because we are silly, silly human beings, and our audience/readership are very silly as well, we’re offering an upgrade where, for 85 dollars, you can get a digital portrait of yourself with “Weird Al” Yankovic AND Gary Busey (which also comes with an autographed book) Why? I’m not entirely sure. The idea just amused me so I figured we would go for it. Just send us a photo of yourself and Felipe will make the magic happen.

You’re with Busey. AND Al!

Everyone has a “Weird Al” picture for their social media avatar. To say that a portrait of yourself with Al and national treasure Gary Busey would be a conversation starter would be an understatement. 

For those who can’t afford the print copy of The Weird Accordion to Al we’re now offering an electronic version for 13 dollars.

To make all of this even more appealing, we’re introducing a pair of stretch goals. If we hit 12,000 I will write about every episode of The Weird Al Show for patrons. If we hit 15,000, meanwhile, I’ll write up Al’s entire season as the bandleader/co-host on Comedy Bang Bang for a special bonus section of the book I’ll deliver in either PDF or Kindle form sometime around the turn of 2020. That’s a measure of how deeply invested we are in this project, and also how badly I need a little money to offset the lost income from the many outside columns I’ve had cancelled over the past few years. 

So please do head over to my campaign and give it a gander. I felt like we came in with a strong pitch that resonated with readers and fans. Now a very good deal has become even better so hop onboard the joyous Weird Accordion to Al train as we blast off into the stratosphere, to mix a metaphor or two. 

You can also give me money here as well: https://www.patreon.com/nathanrabinshappyplace

but, obviously, the emphasis is on this particular campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/weirdaccordiontoal/make-the-weird-accordion-to-al-book-a-ridiculous-r?ref=user_menu