The Hearth and the Stone

by E.C. Ibes

Pakora has been summoned home for the Winter Harvest Festival. Her parents will be awaiting elegant offerings of spices, silks, gold, and copper to honor them. As a temple guard, Pakora has none of these expected riches. Only the Matriarch Goddess can help her now...

This Zoop campaign will bring this popular webcomic to print for the first time as a 200-page softcover graphic novel!

For fans of: a fantasy romance mix of “Ah! My Goddess” and “Spice and Wolf”

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PDF

PDF Copy of The Hearth and the Stone

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The Hearth and the Stone

Softcover copy of The Hearth and the Stone

$30

18

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Signed copy of The Hearth and the Stone

Softcover copy of The Hearth and the Stone signed by the author!

$40

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Signed copy of The Hearth and the Stone w/Sketch in book

Softcover copy of The Hearth and the Stone signed by the author with a small sketch

$35

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Travelers Bundle

Softcover copy of The Hearth and the Stone, along with 2 exclusive postcards

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The Whole Kit

Softcover copy of The Hearth and the Stone, 2 exclusive postcards, and 1 large sticker

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Sketch Commission

Digital full body sketch of an OC

$70

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Inked Commission

Digital black and white full body drawing of an OC

$100

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Colored Commission

Digital full colored drawing of an OC

Story

 

For most people the Winter Festival is a time of dancing, drinking, and merriment. Many travel back to their hometowns to attend to the festivities, bringing gifts of silvers, furs, spices and wines for their families. Pakora, a temple guard, does not have the expected luxuries her parents want from her. What’s worse, she has no partner to being with her to be wed during the winter wedding ceremonies. Pakora remains the only unwed daughter, and her parents are not about to let her forget what a disappointment she is for it.

After putting off going home for the holidays for a few years, Pakora receives a message demanding her to attend this year’s festivities in her hometown of Morin. Reluctantly she agrees to make the journey back home. She decides she may as well face her parents’ wrath this year instead of holding it off for longer. That doesn’t mean she is going to leave the temple without leaving a prayer at the Stone Pillar of the Matriarch Goddess. Pakora pours out her fears and idly wishes for a bride to bring back home with her.

When she takes the trip down the mountain pass the next day she is surprised to find she has a stowaway, the Matriarch Goddess Audra herself! And if that’s not shocking enough, she’s claiming to be Pakora’s winter bride. Pakora, unbelieving at first, goes along with it. Slowly though, she finds herself drawing closer to the goddess, and digging up some pieces of her past she would rather leave alone.

Even with Audra by her side Pakora can’t help but feel dread mounting at the idea of facing her parents after putting it off for so long. After all, who would believe that the prodigal daughter could ever bring home a bride, let alone a goddess?

 

The Hearth and the Stone is a graphic novel that explores the ideas behind family expectations and self worth. It draws heavy inspiration from historical Normandy, viking myths, and romance novels. With the help of supporters like you The Hearth and the Stone will be able to be put onto bookshelves as a graphic novel!

Preview

 

 

 

 

The Book

 

The Hearth and the Stone will be printed in this book in its entirety, so you won’t have to worry about any cliffhangers! It will be a black and white, soft cover 6' x 9' graphic novel, approximately 200 pages. It will have several book exclusive chapter illustrations; and if we reach our stretch goal will include an exclusive epilogue! 

 

Bio

E.C. Ibes is an illustrator and comic artist based in Minnesota. She’s been making webcomics since 2017, and has been published with Pomegranate Press and Tapas.io.

Testimonials

“EC Ibes is a master at building worlds that feel so real and expansive you feel like you could just drop into them. Her attention to detail in her art makes for a comic with absolutely stunning illustrations, and rich, gorgeous panels that you can admire long after reading the dialogue. The characters EC has brought to life are unique, full of humor and heart, and reflect in their designs the impressive historical research she has done to bring this comic to life. This webcomic is at the top of my bookmarks, and will be on my favorites shelf as a graphic novel!"
— Megan Comins, (Honey and Venom)
 

"E.C. Ibes has an incredible talent to intertwine the ordinary with the magical. All her stories manage to draw the reader in through relatable characters and worlds that feel inhabited and rich with life beyond what is drawn on the page. The Hearth and the Stone is no different. A story set in a world that seems rich with lore and myth, mixed with likable characters and an incredible attention to detail both in the character designs and the setting itself. E.C. Ibes writes stories that I want to linger in just a little longer than usual.

— Phineas Klier (Heirs of the Veil)


"E.C.Ibes is one of the most creative and talented comic creators I have ever worked with. It is always a pleasure to read her work, and The Hearth and The Stone is no exception. The Hearth and The Stone is a smart, funny, and sweet romance, and you will find yourself falling in love with the world and it's characters."

— Payton F (Help Wanted, Wola)

Stretch Goals

$4,600: New Merch, wooden pins

 

$5,600: Full color chapter covers

 

$6,600: Extra Chapter (Prologue)

Timeline

The Hearth and the Stone is a complete graphic novel. The last steps are to format the entire comic into a .PDF version that is accessible for both reading and printing. If the funding is completed I expect the .PDF version to be completed before the end of June.

 

Printing and mailing is a little more difficult to pin down due to COVID and possible delays due to shortages.

Frequently asked questions

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Cancellations of rewards or add-ons of $500 or more must be made before there are 72 hours left in the campaign. The reason for this is it can have a negative effect on the tally of the campaign. If it is a limited reward or add-on, there may not be sufficient time for someone else to purchase it, leaving the campaign possibly not funded. We ask for your courtesy of the people running the campaign when making these decisions.

Please use the notes section in the last checkout step or you could e-mail us at hello@wearezoop.com with that info during the campaign if you'd like to get it out of the way. Otherwise, we'll be reaching out to all supporters of rewards that require feedback shortly after the campaign is over.

If you want to make changes, you should first cancel your original order and then start over with a new one. If you don't do that and simply process an additional order, the way our system is currently set up you may end up being overcharged for shipping -- which we could remedy for you, but it just takes that extra step of catching it and crediting you back the extra shipping, so please try the prior way first.

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No - this is it! We're essentially your in-campaign pledge manager. If you are interested in supporting these creators, this is the time to do it!  And it's the exact reason we allow you to purchase as many rewards as you want during the campaign!