Save the Cthulhu?! 2nd draft….

PLEASE HELP SAVE CTHULHU!!!

I have revised my goals with this campaign on some good advice from some people who are in the know. I am hoping with this campaign to raise enough money to cover rent for a month while I catch up and stock this place with at least the product I would need to start doing three or four of the most profitable events a game store like this would normally have. Then things should start moving forward. The holidays coming up is the perfect time.

The Cthulhu I am hoping to save is in Mythos Games and Hobbies in Milwaukie Oregon. I had the idea for the art while at the H.P.Lovecraft film festival and Cthulhucon in the Hollywood theater here in Portland in 2013.

I found a great location in Milwaukie right on Main Street, next to a well known comic store and across from the movie theater and one of the busiest restaurants in town.

The location is within walking distance of everything in town. Including half a dozen large apartment complexes and two schools. Every first Friday the whole town turns into a street bazaar with goods for sale, food and live music. Recently the town has been connected to the Portland transit system and has more and more people coming to town every day.

But even with all that going on, at night there still isn't enough to hang out and DO in the evenings here that doesn't involve a bar. That's where a place like Mythos Games and Hobbies comes in.

The goal a year ago when I signed the lease was to offer a place to play, and learn how to play games and enjoy activities in real life across a table from other real people with similar interests. The plan was to offer games of course, Magic the Gathering, Heroclix, Dice Masters, Dungeons & Dragons, board games and anything else fun!

But also craft and modal materials, art supplies, books, outdoor activities like Frisbee golf and kite materials. Also toys, stuffed animals, puzzles and anything else that would make for a good gift Oh, and everything the H.P.Lovecraft historical society has to offer.

Most of all, I think of places like this as one of the few places left to have actual human interaction with real people on an even remotely intellectual level. Anyone reading this that has ever listened to a kid play Call of Duty online you know what I mean when I say people are forgetting how to socialize appropriately. It's our responsibility to bring it back. Cell phones are great! You can use them to talk to anyone! Unless they are within ten feet of you apparently.

Last year I had planned to open with at least $15,000 worth of product on the shelves six months before Chrismas. What happened instead was the construction and communication wiring installation took eight months and used up most of the money I had set aside for stock.

All the artwork I did inside only took about two weeks.

Since January I have been struggling just to keep the place. I've sold my car and most of my personal belongings to try to raise money to stock the shelves. In a few months I have cultivated a workable core group of regulars but without product it's not really helping.

The work being done outside the shop over the last few weeks has not been helping either. Yet another nail in the coffin.

That's the story of Mythos Games and Hobbies. If I can raise enough money for product before Black Friday I have a good shot at turning this place around. If not... I'll be out of business in a few months and everything I built will be torn down and painted over. That is the story of this Add campaign. Some good friends helped me find GoGetFunding. I get access to the donations shortly after they are made. It would be fun to update this campaign with news of things I started fixing right away.

If you have read this and wish to help, the only thing I can offer is art. I will create constellations on the night sky that covers the ceiling of Mythos for every donation. The size and location of which will be determined by the amount of your donation. Smaller donations will get stars in the constellations named for them. The largest donation will get a statue dedicated to them and their contribution built in the front window of the shop for everyone to see. A star chart with all the names and photos of everything will also be posted to the Facebook page as well. This one is for my mom.

Thank you for your time. And hopefully your help. -Jim