Help Bring Alyss Home & Continue The Looking Glass Wars

It has been almost 10 years since the talented writer, Frank Beddor, introduced fans to Alyss Heart and The Looking Glass Wars. A trilogy of novels that told the “true tale” of Wonderland, The Looking Glass Wars captured the imaginations of fans across the world with its brilliant new take on the Lewis Carroll classics. But Beddor pushed it further by entering the realm of sequential art with his Wonderland character, Hatter Madigan, a bodyguard of Alyss’ who was on a mission in our world to track down Wonderland’s lost princess. The comic series that accompanied the trilogy of prose novels was known as The Hatter M series, with the first volume featuring art by Ben Templesmith. So far The Hatter M comics have reached 4 volumes in length, with the last of which finding publication thanks to fans who helped Beddor fund the graphic novel through Kickstarter. Volume 4 of The Hatter M was successfully funded by fans on March of this years. But The Hatter M is not over yet, with one final volume needed to complete the story of Hatter Madigan. So now Frank Beddor turns once more to his fans, followers, and supporters for aid.

The Looking Glass Wars can continue with your help, and as you might’ve noticed in the video above it can continue in more ways than one. Fans who support the Kickstarter will not only get to see the end of Hatter Madigan’s story in the comics, telling us whether or not he finally finds Princess Alyss, but they will also get to see into his early life through a brand new prose novel that serves as a prequel to The Looking Glass Wars trilogy. That’s two books that can be funded in one Kickstarter!
In Hatter M volume 5: Love of Wonder, looking glasses shatter as our worlds collide and characters from Wonderland increasingly cross over to aid or block Hatter in his single-minded quest to find Alyss and bring her home. Redd’s Black Imagination has ruled Wonderland for 13 years without fear of reprisal and now the specter of Alyss’ return to claim the throne has unleashed a storm of paranoiac rage. Hatter Madigan is at the center of this crusade as he must simultaneously battle the enemies of wonder as well as his own beliefs and loyalties. All paths through time and space, through blood and steel, from his world to our world, have led Hatter Madigan to this moment — a life or death confrontation with the only warrior in the Looking Glass Wars universe capable of defeating him and destroying the love of wonder.

On the prose end, Millinery Academy starts a new prequel series of swordplay, newfound friendships, school bullies, budding love, self-serving rivals, scheming adults, and soulless rebel plotters. The novel follows Cadet Hatter Madigan, who has just entered Wonderland’s Millinery Academy as one of the freshmen ‘Brims’. Those born to be Royal Bodyguards are trained at one of the four academies (Heart, Clubs, Diamond, or Spade) linked to the royal houses. Cadets will study the mystic and martial arts, as well as the sometimes more difficult art of successfully dealing with others.

Both stories are exclusive to Kickstarter and need your help to see publication. But aside from donating as a means to guarantee your copy and see the story come into existence, Frank Beddor has provided a series of incredible donation perks. Obviously various donations provide backers with copies of the graphic novel and prose novel, but donators will also receive stickers and bookmarks, along with various other Looking Glass Wars items at varying donation levels. These rewards include prints, a glow-in-the-dark slipcase, original art, in-universe paraphernalia, and rare signed posters. You can click here to see all the rewards, learn more about the kickstarter, and donate. Currently the Kickstarter is over halfway to its goal, but still needs to reach the grand total of $29,000 by December 22nd. But before you rush off to donate or treat someone to an excellent holiday gift on The Looking Glass Wars Kickstarter, check out some of the stunning interior artwork from volume 5 of Hatter M, Love of Wonder, down below or read chapter 1 of Millinery Academy on Beddor’s website by clicking here.