The Eisner-winning writer of Punisher Max, Preacher, The Boys, Battlefields, Hellblazer and Hitman, Garth Ennis has taken to the crowd-sourced fundraising platform Kickstarter to secure financing for his latest project, ERF, which is not a hard boiled and darkly comic story of revenge, war, brutality or depravity, but rather an illustrated book for children. The "evolutionary tale" follows four primordial animals as they emerge from the ocean and embark upon a journey through the ancient world. The writer's first work of this kind, ERF is to be illustrated by Rob Steen, best known for his work on Ricky Gervais' Flanimals series.

ERF is the story of four friends at the dawn of time; Figwillop, KWAAAH!, the Booper, and Erf himself, and their adventures in the primordial world of long ago. The four take their first nervous steps out of the ocean and onto the shore, and are soon exploring the exciting new lands beyond. But danger lurks in the prehistoric jungle, and soon our heroes come face to face with the mighty and terrifying Colossux . . . An evolutionary tale of love and loyalty for children aged four and up.

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As an established and successful writer for adults, this is Garth Ennis's first foray into the world of children's books. Fans of his comics may be surprised to find his strength for writing about friendships and loyalty translates into a perfectly age-appropriate and touching children's book.

Information on ERF's Kickstarter page indicates that Ennis and Steen chose to reject existing publishers and pursue the project with total creative freedom. To that end, they are seeking $12,000 to fund the printing of at least $1,500 48-page hardcover books, with any excess funds going towards the production of additional copies. Ennis and Steen say the script is done as are five pages of artwork, with more in various stages of completion.

Cool rewards for ERF backers come with fairly small pledges, relative to some Kickstarter comics anyway. A mere $15 pledge entitles the backer to a copy of ERF with their name in the "Special Thanks" area, while other projects ask for much more to get an actual copy of the book in question. A $50 pledge gets you a signed copy of the ERF script by Garth Ennis, and 8.5" x 5.5" signed print, a signed and numbered copy of the book, and your name on the "Special Thanks" page.

This Kickstarter project seems straightforward and no-nonsense. If you're so inclined, check out the project page for more information on rewards and how to support ERF.

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