I, Minotaur is a visually stunning, oversized graphic novel written and illustrated by James Ortega. By backing this campaign, we will be able to fund the production of Volume One, which contains the first two chapters of a 15-chapter epic. This seven-volume series is a profoundly introspective mythological blend of surrealism and ontological mystery.

If you delight in the philosophical weight of fabulists like Calvino and Borges, and relish when it harmonizes with handmade, sequential art, James' book will fulfill that yearning.

For an uncountable amount of cycles, the story has been the same: a brave hero, a clever princess, a ball of thread, and a mindless beast waiting in the dark.

But what if the beast was never mindless?

Asterion, the Minotaur, is a deeply sapient being trapped in an infinite, animate construct: the Daedalus Engine. He is torn between his bull nature and human soul, and constantly wrestles with the despair of a relentlessly perplexing captivity. He knows he is but a moving gear of a story: Theseus will always come, betray his equally conflicted sister, and Asterion cannot change the awful script before he is slain yet again. He mutely knows they are all only cogs in a meaningless narrative without the awareness needed to bear any agency upon the outcome.

I, Minotaur is Asterion's journey to understand the machine that holds them all and ultimately break the cycle and write his own fate.

It was important to us that the medium reflected the detail of the art. I, Minotaur demands a canvas large enough to capture its sprawling architecture and painterly style.

Across the chapters, the artwork evolves along with both the moody Labyrinth's shifting themes and Asterion's mind. Our protagonist struggles his way toward resolution, through expressionistic Minoan antiquity, to surreal mechanical speculations, and even sculptural worlds obviating words themselves.

To do justice to James' art, we are printing this as a massive, collector-grade object.

• Format: Oversized Hardcover (10.5" x 14")

• Pages: ~60 full-color high-quality illustrated pages

• Series Scope: Volume 1 includes chapters 1 & 2 of a 15-chapter saga spanning seven volumes.

• Cover: Premium hardcover with matte finish and UV spot gloss details

Since we're a small studio, we are keeping this campaign clean and focused on the book itself with minimal add-ons. We want to focus on the artwork and story, presented beautifully.

Tier 1: The Digital Labyrinth ($23.45)
A high-resolution version of I, Minotaur: Volume One delivered immediately on campaign end through BookFunnel (or a similar distribution platform). Perfect for those who prefer digital reading.

Tier 2: The Standard Hardcover ($56.78)
The physical book in all its oversized 10.5" x 14" glory, featuring a UV spot gloss cover and premium interior paper.

Tier 3: The Black Spine Limited Edition ($87.65)
LIMITED TO 100 COPIES
A beautiful edition for collectors. This includes everything in the Standard Hardcover, plus premium black-stained page edges.

Every copy in this tier also includes an exclusive signed and individually numbered metal bookplate by creator James Ortega.

Tier 4: The Artist's All-in Tier
LIMITED TO 25 COPIES

This tier is perfect collector who wants it all! This tier bundles the oversized hardcover with every add-on from the campaign, featuring a unique piece of original art from James Ortega for each patron.

The Centerpiece: An Original Minotaur Sketch
The heart of this collection is a one-of-a-kind, original 5" x 7" sketch of Asterion, hand-drawn by James Ortega. No two sketches are alike. This is accompanied by a personalized, hand-written thank-you note from James, acknowledging your pivotal role as a patron of this project.

James isn't going to offer hand-drawn art in future campaigns! This is a great opportunity to have very personal involvement in bringing this dream to life.

All patrons who pledge for a either the standard edition or black-spine editions will get a FREE "Ariadne's Thread" red ribbon book marker! See "add-ons" for more info!

"Ariadne’s Thread" Ribbon Marker - $5.79
A tactile tribute to the myth. This deep red silk ribbon bookmark features a custom-cast brass gear charm, ensuring you never lose your place in the shifting corridors of the Daedalus Engine.

Ariadne's Thread is available as either an Early Bird first 48-hour Patron Reward or a Post-Early-Bird Add-on:

The Surrealist Alternate Dust Jacket - $23.45
Protect and transform your volume. This premium, matte-finish dust jacket features exclusive alternate artwork from the book’s surreal architectural collage, offering a second, more abstract way to display your oversized hardcover.

The "Style Shift" Art Print Set - $19.82
A gallery for your walls. A set of three 8" x 10" high-resolution prints on heavy cardstock, featuring the book’s most dramatic "style-shift" moments—from the whimsical windmill plains to the rusted mechanical knights.

The "Daedalus Engine" Blueprint — $15.93
A structural look at the machine. This 11" x 17" aged-parchment print features a detailed technical schematic of the labyrinth’s inner workings, designed to feel like an artifact recovered from the architect’s own archives.

Artwork to be announced.


The "Labyrinth Fragment" Signed Print — $21.35
A unique piece of the story. James Ortega will select a single, striking panel from the book and print it as a high-quality 5" x 7" fragment. Every print in this tier is hand-signed by the artist. The panel you receive is randomized, making your fragment of the labyrinth truly unique.

We're proudly collaborating with ABLAZE's "Homer's the Odyssey & The Iliad Graphic Novel Set" campaign!

If you back both campaigns, you'll get an Odyssey/Iliad inspired signed print by James Ortega, AND a collaborator reward from ABLAZE!

If we pass our funding goal, we want to make the physical book even better for everyone.

• $12,000 Upgraded Paper Stock: We will upgrade the interior pages to an even heavier, gallery-grade art paper.

• $15,000 The Daedalus Pin: Every physical backer will receive a metal pin pinspired by the Daedalus engine.

• @200 Patron Social Shares: Ribbon Bookmark: We will add a sewn-in black ribbon marker to all hardcover copies.

James Ortega (1899 - ? ) was the only Cuban-American pilot known to have fought in the Great War. Apart from early surveillance missions flown into German territory and a leaflet drop over Meinz, his only memorable action was shooting down a booby-trapped observation balloon which nearly cost him his life. It was baited with a straw dummy and stuffed with explosives. Barely limping his crippled Nieuport back across the lines and crashing into a manure pile, he escaped with only a broken femur. A brave but mediocre pilot, he was nevertheless blessed with a fool’s luck and managed to survive two more engagements before the war ended. Afterwards falling for the allure of air racing, he competed in the Paris Open and Milan Piston Division, losing both times. He lost the Swiss cup to Doolittle in 1935 and moved to Barcelona where he continues stunt-flying for the pictures, illustrating escapist adventure fiction, and writing fictional biopics.

Studio Blink is the creative partnership of James and Jules Ortega. We make beautiful sci-fantasy art pieces that tell compelling stories and mentoring artists to scale their businesses beyond artist alley.

We successfully funded and fulfilled our previous Studio Blink campaign on Kickstarter, Mining the Mountain, and Jules has extensive experience managing large-scale crowdfunding fulfillment. As a former product manager, Jules know how to manage production timelines, communicate with patrons, and deliver premium products.

The artwork and writing for Chapters 1 and 2 are complete. The primary challenge with this project is the non-standard 10.5" x 14" trim size. Because this is an oversized book, it requires a specialized offset printing process.

We have already sourced quotes from reliable, crowdfunding-experienced printers who specialize in custom formats. Our funding goal accurately reflects the higher production and shipping costs associated with a book of this magnitude. If there are global shipping delays or paper shortages, we will communicate transparently and frequently with all backers.

Shipping Costs

Shipping estimates may change as our estimated fulfilment timeline is +3 months away. Costs may increase depending on how much is ordered, and how many stretch goals are unlocked (see Community Achievements section for more info).

As of September 2026
US Domestic (Media Mail) Estimate: $8.25 to $10.00
International Estimate: $35.00 to $75.00+ (Depending on the region).

The timeline depends on how successful this campaign is, how quickly the pledges clear our account, and how many books we end up needing to order. If we have to order a lot, they'll be coming from China and that may take 3 months to receive and then we will need to pack the orders once they get here. 

Our guess is 5 months turn-around on the low end, 7 months on the longer end! We will be communicating every step of the way, and has a great track record of sending out frequent updates in previous campaigns.

I, Minotaur is a lifelong project by James Ortega, and every panel of the graphic novel is written, hand-drawn, and painted without the use of AI. 

We have utilized AI tools only to generate the final tangible book product mockups and to edit the pre-written content shown on this BackerKit web page. We wanted to give a visual preview to patrons of how the final physical books will look. The story, writing, and artwork you are supporting are entirely the work of human hands, and beast-esque brain.