As crowdfunding continues to be a viable method for creators to fund their creative endeavors and connect directly with fans, comic-related projects flourish on sites like Kickstarter, Patreon and IndieGoGo. Here’s a look at a few recent campaigns that caught our eyes.
Niobe: She is Life hardcover & She is Death #1
Creators involved: Sebastian Jones, Amandla Stenberg, Ashley Woods, Sheldon Mitchell and Darrell May, plus a host of cover artists
Deadline: June 25
Goal: $21,500 (Funded!)
What to know: This fantasy tale is set in a shared world called Asunda, published by Stranger Comics; you can find other books set in that world here. The title character has appeared in other books, including The Untamed, which was kickstarted last year. As the new campaign describes it: “Between two warring nations, in the heart of Western Ujoa, there is a haven to those who have lost their way. Some say you can rebuild your mind and spirit upon the mountains of Ugoma. For a Half-Elven (Sin-Galemren) girl with off-colored eyes, it is a chance to flee a dark past, and rest safely within the secret monastery of her ancestors. But you cannot run from destiny, or hide from the Devil. Set within the original fantasy world of Asunda, Niobe: She is Life is a coming of age Beauty and the Beast love story threaded with murder and mystery that leads to all out war.”
Check out some of the artwork:
What’s the deal? For $15 you can get digital editions of both books, and for $35 you can get the print editions — one hardcover, one comic book — plus the digital editions. Go higher for a variant cover by Jae Lee, autographed editions, prints and a Pathfinder RPG supplement featuring the characters. Also, jewelry and backpacks! Since it has passed its initial goal, the project is currently in the “stretch goal” phase, as they attempt to fund more pages, trading cards and more.
Comics for Choice: Anthology for Abortion Rights
Creators involved: Hazel Newlevant, Whit Taylor and Ø.K. Fox are editing the anthology, which features comics by 60 creators.
Deadline: June 16
Goal: $50,000
What to know: Comics for Choice is a benefit anthology, with proceeds going to the National Network of Abortion Funds. “This is a scary time for reproductive freedom in America. Around the country hundreds of thousands of people are denied their legal right to abortion because of politically motivated insurance coverage bans. The new administration is doing their best to make abortion care even harder to access, threatening to defund and close hundreds of clinics. Now is the time for us to use our art to fight stigma and raise money to protect this crucial right,” their IndieGoGo page reads.
Creators involved include: Ahmara Smith, Ally Shwed, Anna Bongiovanni, Anna Sellheim, Bree Jordan, CB Hart, Claudia Berger, Emily Lady, Erin Lux, Gianna Meola, Hallie Jay Pope, Jaz Malone, Jennifer Camper, Julia Krase, Kat Fajardo, Kate Kerns, Katie Fricas, Kendra Josie Kirkpatrick, Kennedy Tarrell, Kriota Willberg, Kris Louis, Laura Lannes, Laura Martin, Leah Hayes, Lilly Taing, Lucy Haslam, Mick Moran, Nomi Kane, Rachel Hays, Rachel Merrill, Sage Coffey, Sarah Crowe, Sarah Mirk, Sharon Rimann, Sophia Foster-Dimino, Steph Kraft Sheley, Stephanie Rodriguez, Tatiana Gill, Vreni, and Wren Chavers
And writing the comics are “activists, historians, and reproductive justice experts,” including: Andrew Carl & Katie Brown (abortion provider), Anise Simon (We Testify), Benita Ulisano (The Clinic Vest Project), Brittany Mostiller (Executive Director, Chicago Abortion Fund), Cathy Camper (Lowriders in Space), Candice Russell (We Testify), Dr. Cynthia Greenlee (Senior Editor, Rewire), Daniela Diaz (We Testify), the Plan C Team, Heidi Williamson (Senior Policy Analyst, Center for American Progress), Lindsay Rodriguez (Communications Manager, NNAF), Mallory McMaster (Board Member, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio), MJ Flores (We Testify), Michelle Kinsey Bruns (clinic escort and organizer), Rachel Wilson (writer, Broadly), Renee Bracey Sherman (Program Manager, We Testify), Rickie Solinger (Reproductive Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know), Samantha Romero (We Testify), Tanya DePass (Director, I Need Diverse Games), and Yamani Hernandez (Executive Director, NNAF)
What’s the deal? $10 gets you a PDF of the 250+ page, 6″x10″ black & white comics anthology. $25 gets you the PDF plus a print copy ($40 for international backers), and for larger contributions you can get canvas patches or retailer bundles.
A Flower in a Field of Lions
Creators involved: Tyler Button and Ryan Cody
Deadline: July 1
Goal: $8,000
What to know: This 120+ page graphic novel will tell the story of Joan of Arc, a teenage girl who “lifted a siege, crowned a king, was captured, betrayed, and executed all before her 20th birthday.” A Flower in a Field of Lions tells the story of Joan of Arc from her perspective as she testifies at her own trial.
I’ve always been a fan of Ryan Cody’s artwork:
What’s the deal? $5 gets you a PDF of the book, while for $15 you’ll get the digital and print versions. A “classroom” set of books is also available.
As the Crow Flies: Volume One
Creators involved: Melanie Gillman
Deadline: June 14
Goal: $25,000 (Funded!)
What to know: This campaign will bring Gillman’s Eisner-nominated webcomic to the printed page, courtesy of Iron Circus Comics. It tells the story of “a queer, black teen girl at an all-white Christian summer camp.”
“I’m a queer, nonbinary person, I was raised Christian, and I was packed off to Christian youth camps (backpacking and otherwise) all throughout my childhood,” Gillman told Comics Worth Reading. “The characters and events themselves in As the Crow Flies are pretty much all fictional, though — I’m not retelling a particular camp memory of my own, so much as revisiting an environment I’m very familiar with and crafting a new story around it.”
What’s the deal? $13 gets you a digital copy, while a print copy is $25. Gillman is also offering book plates and custom commissions.
Quick hits
Dynamite Entertainment’s successful Swords of the Swashbucklers campaign, which recently concluded on Kickstarter, has returned, this time on IndieGoGo. The rewards look to be pretty much the same as they were on Kickstarter, so this is as second chance for folks who missed it the first time. (via)
Steve Ditko’s Mr. A returns with a 24th issue for the character’s 50th anniversary. Check out the Kickstarter here.
Following his issues with the IRS, writer Peter David has set up a Patreon where he’s offering sneak peaks of new stuff, behind-the-scenes content, advice on writing and more, depending on your level of contribution.
Sunnyvale, California-based comic shop Comics Conspiracy needs to relocate, and has started a GoFundMe campaign to helps with costs.