About five years ago, I was privileged enough to make the acquaintance of an artist named Martha Hull. Quiet and unassuming, in cat-rim glasses and an oversized blazer, she appears to stand on the sassy side of ordinary.
One visit to her underground studio, however, was enough to prove that she is anything but ordinary - even by Portland standards.
Martha's work is colourful, vibrant, playful and macabre.
She's the day-glo step child of Edgar Allen Poe - the very rare kind of artist who can give Tim Burton and Edward Gorey a little art envy.
Martha's studio was filled with paintings of abandoned toys and darling monsters, with robot sculptures and discarded doll parts.
It is lucky someone handed this lady a paintbrush, and not a machete!
The one project that she shared that most captured my heart was an 8-inch square-format book, with images painted in dreary shades of blue grey, streaked here and there with a shock of pink.
Held together with gluestick and dreams, the book told the story of Death's Daughter, four adorable kittens, and the sudden death of all mankind.
At the time, the book was made up of rough sketches and a few gorgeous, full-colour plates. And it was enough to make me fall head-over-heels.
For me? Death's Daughter was love at first sight.
I have been wishing and hoping (and yes, begging) the illustrious Ms. Hull to finish this book ever since. It's a huge project to take on. Four months and 64 pages of solid painting, professional art scanners, and then the cost of printing a high-quality, full-colour art book.
Yep....following a chat with YOU (I'm pointing to CatDad but how do we profile link on new SG??) about kickstarter prizes, I talked Ms. Martha into adding some of her art as kickstarter prizes. Because these are pretty amazing: 
And who doesn't want a guilded robot doll looking down on them as they sleep?
It all comes down to this, kids:
Death's Daughter and the Basket of Kittens is up for funding via kickstarter. The project has two harrowing days to pull together the last of its funding. So if you know any adults, or children, or well-trained monkeys who might like to own a darling little book about the apocalypse, please share the love.
In this case, love is measured in dollar bills and social media sharing.
There are only two days left to make the illustrated book of all your dreams.
And perhaps your nightmares.
Do it for the kittens!
Or....if kittens aren't enough for you? Do it for Naked Robots!
