The Black Sari: A Monk and a Bottomless Chai

All Books Have Shipped!
4 months ago – Wed, Nov 12, 2025 at 12:19:49 PM

Hello backers! If you filled out your reward survey, your rewards are in the mail (or have already arrived!). If you have not filled out your survey, please do so. The survey is basically an order confirmation and an address update. I can't send rewards without the survey.

If there's an issue with your rewards, please send me a message. We'll get it sorted out. :)

Please share your merch with your friends on instagram and tag me! @evanmcarpenter

Thank you everyone!

-Evan

Pre-order store is now open
5 months ago – Wed, Oct 08, 2025 at 03:35:52 PM

Hey everyone. The "pre-order store" is now open and "surveys" are going out soon! Everything to do with kickstarter has a weird name so let's define terms.

Anyone can go to the PREORDER STORE, but it's primarily for new backers. It's a way for people who missed the campaign to get involved before we ship.

The SURVEY is how we do fulfillment for the original kickstarter backers (you). Kickstarter doesn't do the best job of collecting data and sometimes people make mistakes choosing their rewards. Plus, rewards can change and many backers change addresses during the campaign. So this helps me finalize pledges/rewards and get addresses up to date. If you moved, don't worry; I'll get the info via the survey.

Everything in the preorder store is stuff you guys already purchased or can add on through the survey so you don't need the preorder store to get your rewards.

Follow me on instagram to get updates and stories about the book and its sequels @evanmcarpenter

If you have a friend you want to share this with, please send them to theblacksari.com And keep your eyes peeled for the survey. Thank you!

-Evan

Hey everybody, the survey is on the way soon!
6 months ago – Thu, Oct 02, 2025 at 12:46:25 PM

It's almost time! All rewards are ready and the survey is about to go out.

We're counting down days now! For a preview of the book and a peek at some of the other rewards (including a new reward not included in the campaign), please watch my new video.

As I say in the video, I'm offering new backers one more chance to get involved. The store isn't live yet, but the landing page is ready and packed with new info for old and new backers. Check it out at theblacksari.com

We're going to start shipping in two weeks! Message me if you have any questions. Thank you!

-Evan

A Long Overdue Update: The Truth About This Project
10 months ago – Fri, May 30, 2025 at 01:14:33 PM

Hello backers,

It's finally time for an update.

When I embarked on writing and illustrating my own graphic novel, I knew I had a lot to learn. But there are lessons taught with love and lessons taught with a merciless beating. This was the latter.

I could not have foreseen––at least I DID not foresee––how incredibly difficult making this would actually be. It was more challenging mentally, longer in terms of page count, more burdensome financially, and required more development as an artist than I expected or wanted to go through. After a while, my hands hurt. And so did my ego.

When I started, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. So I ran toward it with pure enthusiasm. But time and time again, I would work my ass off, think I was about to step into the warm sun, and look up to see the glowing speck at the tunnel’s exit seemingly no closer than a month before. I soon realized I lacked the ability to measure the distance to the light, and I had been unaware that the tunnel was full of twists, sudden drops, bills to pay, and plenty of reasonable but understandably pissed off kickstarter supporters reminding me I was failing. Eventually, I couldn’t see the light anymore. It was just darkness. I kept drawing, but I had no idea if or when I could actually do this. I stopped posting updates. I stopped replying to messages. I tried not to think about it.

I think you can see where I’m going with this. Some things just suck to do, even if you really want to do them. "The Black Sari" is one of these things. Even if it’s been my dream since 2012. Even if it’s more important to me than a lot of other things I’ve been doing. Even if it led me to the most important people in my life (I met my wife in Kathmandu while researching the book and we just had a baby). It’s hard and annoying, I didn’t get enough Kickstarter backers to break even financially, I don’t have time for it, and spending time on it usually makes me feel like I can’t draw for shit!

And yet, somehow I did it.

Somehow, I made a book. WE made a book.

Not only is the book finished, I have already printed it and shipped it to my home in San Antonio and there are copies of both versions sitting on my desk right now. Surprise!

Quite a journey, huh?

I’m not sure most of you care after seven or so years, but I hope at least one of you cares, and I hope this news finds all of you well just the same. :) In the coming month, I’ll share some more detailed posts about the different versions of the books. And I’m excited to show you how it came together, how the process changed my story and style, and all these cool things that can happen when a person tortures themselves creatively. Meanwhile, I’m currently finishing the other rewards including some previously unannounced rewards that you may really like. I will be sending out the survey soon.

Thank you for your support, your Kickstarter risk-taking, and, most of all, your patience. Sorry for requiring you to give so much of it.


-Evan

The Black Sari Fights On!
almost 6 years ago – Thu, Mar 26, 2020 at 03:51:44 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.