Australian author Travis Deverell, writing under the pen name Shirtaloon, has launched a crowdfunding campaign from Hobart to produce collector hardcovers for books one and two of He Who Fights With Monsters. The project passed its initial £37,367 funding goal within moments of opening, securing over £1,160,000 from 5,321 backers.
The campaign adapts the first two instalments of Deverell’s progression fantasy saga into physical volumes produced by Upside Go. The books track Jason Asano after he wakes in the fantasy world of Pallimustus, building magical abilities through systematic stat upgrades and tactical combat. Across fourteen volumes, the series has sold over five million copies worldwide.
Tabletop systems and physical production
The mechanics driving He Who Fights With Monsters borrow directly from tabletop roleplaying games. Asano measures power through defined tiers, starting at iron before climbing toward diamond ranks. Abilities operate with explicit cooldowns, status conditions, and party synergies that read like character sheet rules.
Tabletop roleplaying game publisher Catalyst Game Labs, known for Shadowrun, is currently adapting the property into an official tabletop roleplaying game. That tabletop connection fits the campaign’s stretch-goal progression, which framed funding milestones as an adventuring-party quest to attain “Iron Rank”. Backers achieved all eleven objectives, securing painted book edges, interior colour art, and ribbons matching Asano’s robes.
The books are 6-inch-by-9-inch hardcovers with Smyth-sewn binding and 90 gsm acid-free paper. Dust jackets feature gold foil stamping and spot-gloss finishes over illustrations by Jeff Brown. Direct hard-case prints show textless cover art, while the interior features a world map by Jack Shepherd, plus chapter headers and illustrations by Ren Lee. Deverell confirmed the entire project remains 100 per cent human-made, with no generative AI tools.
Pillowcases and reward tiers
Beyond reading material, the campaign offers an eccentric spread of merchandise, including character aprons and clothing. The official sexy Gary body pillowcase, which took top honours for 2026’s “Most Unexpected Kickstarter Reward”, celebrates Asano’s leonid companion with unabashed indulgence.
- Pledge $13 (approx. £10): Outworlder. Access to campaign add-ons alongside a single Jason enamel pin.
- Pledge $90 (approx. £68): Adventurer. One copy of the Book 1 Special Edition and a digital thank you.
- Pledge $169 (approx. £127): Reaper. Both Book 1 and Book 2 Special Editions, bundled at an $11 discount.
- Pledge $229 (approx. £172): Collecting Books is Your Thing. Lower-48 US exclusive tier with both special editions, hardcover reservation vouchers for books four and five, and a signed bookmark.
- Pledge $250 (approx. £187): Chef Bundle. Both special editions, a Gary cooking apron, two shot glasses, recipe cards, and stickers.
- Pledge $258 (approx. £193): Gary’s Bundle. Both special editions, an apron, the sexy Gary body pillowcase, an enamel pin, and a Weapons Drawn shirt.
- Pledge $289 (approx. £216): Familiars Bundle. Both books, an Onslow plush toy, a familiar-themed pin set, stickers, and a Stash shirt.
- Pledge $533 (approx. £399): Jason’s Bundle. Both books, multiple shirts, desk mat, body pillowcase, recipe cards, cloth map, spirit coins, pins, and an authentic wool-blend Cloak of Night.
- Pledge $777 (approx. £581): Diamond Ranker. The complete campaign library, including both special editions, four shirts, plush toys, desk mats, a body pillowcase, a cloth map, spirit coins, a cloak, and an audio message from narrator Heath Miller.
Kickstarter’s instalment option lets backers split payments into three monthly charges. The all-or-nothing campaign ends on Saturday, 21 November 2026 at 02:00 UTC. Physical production and fulfilment are scheduled to ship out in November 2027.
