Kickstarter Spotlight: Brothers Uber - Once Upon A Time, A Bit Earlier

By: ScarletteIn the latest Kickstarter project from Brothers Uber, "Once Upon a Time, A Bit Earlier", we explore a world where the Queen's evil Magic Mirror wishes to distort the history and outcome of fairy tales. A continuation of their earlier work, written by Erik Peterson and illustrated by Meredith Moriarty, the project is in its final stages. With just over a day left in the project, I decided to chat with Logan Uber, who's heading up the project, about its significance, and what comes next.

Scarlette: Tell us about yourself/selves (the email reads as Brothers Uber, I would assume your project is a dual effort?), what are some previous projects that you have worked on?

Logan: The Brothers Uber is a publishing company focusing on children’s books. Previously published titles include “The Dragon and the Princess” by Erik Peterson with illustrations by Mina Sanwald, “S is for Ska” and “Dungeon Raiders” by Geoff Munn, “Ladies in Waiting” by Sara Catlett, “Critters Fantastique” by Dusty Catlett, and “Once Upon a Time… A Coloring Book” by Meredith Moriarty.

S: Tell us about Once Upon a Time- what made you want to create a book like this?

L: “Once Upon a Time” is an alphabet book featuring fairy tale characters from around the world with one page telling who each character is and their story. Since my undergraduate work I have been fascinated with fairy tales, the cultural exchanges that surrounded their spread, and the insights they give into each culture. The book came about as a means to be able to share those characters and their stories.

S: Who works on what parts of the project?

L: For “Once Upon a Time” I did the research into what characters would be chosen for each letter and then writing about each character. Meredith Moriarty did the illustrations for the book, as well as page layout design, finding a character for the letter “X” and writing the summary for the Match Girl.

S: Are you thinking about branching out with Once Upon a Time? Or will it strictly stay as a single book?

L: I am looking to expand upon “Once Upon a Time” and do a more in-depth encyclopedia of fairy tale characters, talking about each character, their various stories, and a summary of their archetypes, as well as including illustrations from another of artists and illustrators.

S: Why do an ABC book on  around the world myths and fairy tales?

L: Since my undergraduate work I have been fascinated with fairy tales, the cultural exchanges that surrounded their spread, and the insights they give into each culture. The book came about as a means to be able to share those characters and their stories.

S: Who was the targeted audience for Once Upon a Time?

L: “Once Upon a Time” has multiple target audiences. One of those audiences is parents with young children because it allows for the book to be used for bedtime stories with each character being a different night. The beautiful illustrations allow the children to remain entertained, while the single page length of each story allows for a quick read. As children grow older they are then able to read and appreciate the stories for themselves. And finally, adults who enjoy fantasy and the realm of fairy tales make up the final segment of the target market, as they get introduced to fairy tales from around the world.

Want to hear more? Take a listen to our full interview below:[iframe id="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QxHgM6SfeqM"]Interested in supporting the project? There's just over a day left, so head over to their Kickstarter page and back the project!For more from Brothers Uber, check out their site!