Ax-Wielder Jon is a new graphic novel by Nick Pitarra, artist of The Manhattan Projects, The Red Wing and more, and just a few days into its crowdfunding campaign it has more than doubled its stated goal of $25,000.
The graphic novel is currently available through the comics crowdfunding Zoop, where it has raised more than $65,000. The 148-page graphic novel is complete, according to the campaign page, and it’s about “a ruthless killer in a world of monsters and mayhem” who “makes a precious discovery and learns what a man is willing to lose to protect what he loves most.”
Pitarra’s hyper-detailed art is a thing of beauty, and this project looks like it puts it under a much-deserved spotlight.
“Ax-Wielder Jon is my passion project and I can’t thank you all enough for your support,” Pitarra said. “Jon came to me when I needed a hero most, when my daughter was in the hospital. People would basically say you have to give it over to God, or trust the doctors, and you do, but there is still a big part of you that wants to make things better yourself, and you can’t no matter how hard you wish you could. I thought it’d be cool to have a character be put in that same situation, albeit a sci-fi fantasy setting. Basically an overdetermined, pig-headed character that always fixes his problems his way, and his way is wielding axes. But, if you then give him somebody else’s problem to fix, a problem where chopping it in two won’t make it go away, now you have the seed of a story. When I started this book I knew I wasn’t going to ask for permission to make it. I’ve spent the last year and a half writing and drawing it while assembling what I believe is the perfect creative team and funding the book myself. I wanted to bring this product directly to the fans and Zoop’s crowdfunding platform, with their printing, distribution, and support built-in, was the perfect choice.”
Here are some preview pages:
For $18, you can get a digital copy, while a hardcover print copy starts at $40. Other tiers/add-ons offer signed copies, trading cards, an Ax-Wielder Jon M.U.S.C.L.E. figure and the opportunity to obtain original art from the project. You can visit the campaign page for more information.