Welcome to Crowdpuncher, where we round up cool comics crowdfunding campaigns. If you’re looking to biy from or support a creator directly, you’ve come to the right place.
If there are two axioms about comics that you hear over and over, it’s that they’ll break your heart and that they’re dying. Writer Louis Southard is taking one of those axioms and running with it in the anthology Comics Are Dying: The Comic.
For the better part of a century, people have said that comic books are dying. Crisis after crisis, the comic book industry has survived and lives to this day. So, to celebrate its harrowing journey into the 21st century, a satirical OGN about the history of comic books has taken shape. Introducing the ironically named Comics Are Dying: The Comic – a brief history and celebration of the comic book industry!
Southard has written 100 single-page stories about the comics industry that are being drawn by artists like Roger Langridge, Jacob Edgar, Beetle Moses, Ben Matsuya, Andrew Farago, Angela Wu and more.
“I was incensed and motivated at the end of 2023 following me witnessing bullies, fanatics, and con men abusing this industry online and in real life. I felt that I wanted–or needed-to do something about it and put some much needed optimism into the world of comic books. More importantly, I didn’t want to just talk. I needed to do something more tangible. I wanted to help the industry by giving people jobs and a chance to show off their artistic merit. It’s a personal and financial gambit on my end, but I care about the comic book industry and I believe the people who keep it alive must be treated well, paid on time, and given the opportunity to shine. If I can do that on my own as an independent creator, there’s no real excuse for any other larger entity not to. These are some of the best people working today and, without them, we have nothing but words,” Southard said.
What’s the deal?
A digital copy of the anthology will cost you $12, while print copies start at $23.
Creators: Louis Southard and a whole bunch of artists:
Platform: Zoop
Deadline + Goal: May 3, $5,000 (fully funded)
Visit Zoop for more information or to make a pledge.
Vampires on Mars
The road to Mars, as the saying goes, is also paved with good intentions. When a billionaire promises to get the first human to Mars but can’t seem to figure out the formula, he turns to a mysterious woman to make the dream come true.
George O’Connor and Fernando Pinto team up for the first issue of a series where the first human on Mars may not exactly be human. The 28-page comic, described as a science fiction/dark comedy hybrid, will also include an interview with Phil Plait, aka The Bad Astronomer, on the current challenges facing manned missions to Mars and new technology being developed that could help. I’m going to assume/hope that the new tech has nothing to do with the undead.
Here’s a preview:
What’s the deal?
A PDF of the issue will cost you a $5 pledge, while print copies are $25. Other tiers offer variant cover editions, pins, original sketches and more.
Creators: George O’Connor, Fernando Pinto, Ellie Wright, Justin Birch.
Platform: Kickstarter
Deadline + Goal: April 26, $6,000
Visit Kickstarter for more information or to make a pledge.
Tanga vs the Kaiju of Cammera
Tanga was a character Kevin Maguire wrote and drew for DC’s Weird Worlds anthology circa 2011, right before the New 52 initiative hit, and then in the My Greatest Adventure anthology right after the New 52 arrived. It was a weird time at DC, where new ideas were being tossed out left and right, genres they hadn’t really published in many years were getting another chance and creators who hadn’t worked at the publisher in awhile or even ever were coming on board. So it’s easy to see how a back-up feature in anthologies where Lobo and a new take on Robotman were the leads could have gone unnoticed by many fans at the time.
Now Tanga is back — and apparently under the control/ownership of Maguire, who is crowdfunding a trade paperback collection of Tanga’s adventures.
“The fine and very organized folks at Rocketship Entertainment and I are doing this Kickstarter to finally, FINALLY put the TANGA tale in a collected edition, all for your reading pleasure,” Maguire said on the Kickstarter page “Now, of course, I want everyone to come along, but I know that’s asking too much. But if you’re reading this, I sincerely hope you DO give it a go. We’ve also added a few fun bells and whistles in the hopes it will whet your appetites.”
Kevin Maguire’s Tanga vs the Kaiju of Cammera will collect the material that appeared in both DC anthologies, by the man you remember from Justice League International, Defenders and many other titles.
What’s the deal?
For a $12 pledge, you can get Kevin Maguire’s Tanga vs the Kaiju of Cammera in a digital format, while a softcover copy will cost you $24. There’s also a $99 hardcover tier with a slipcase and some other perks.
Creators: Kevin Maguire, with help from Rocketship Entertainment
Platform: Kickstarter
Deadline + Goal: May 17, $3,000 (fully funded)
Visit Kickstarter for more information or to make a pledge.
A Ghost Arm Made of Angry Ghosts
Some projects jump out of you because of the creators, the art or the premise. This one had me at the title. “A Ghost Arm Made of Angry Ghosts.” Since the comic is set against the D.C. punk scene of the 1990s, I thought maybe it was a reference to a song, so I went looking for one on YouTube. All I found was this great video by the comic’s writer/colorist, Oliver Mertz, talking about the project, where he calls himself by the wrong name in his introduction — which won me over as well.
Anyway, the comic is about “a group of awkward punk teenagers who stumble upon a super-powered murder mystery,” so kind of like Scooby Doo by way of Fugazi, with maybe a little bit of Powers thrown in. The art is by Alex Diotto, who worked with Curt Pires on Youth and Olympia, which brings the right kind of vibe to the project. This is the first, double-sized issue will include 58 pages of story + 10 pages of “extra” process content.
What’s the deal?
For a $10 pledge, you’ll receive a digital copy along with a copy of the script. A print copy will cost you $14, with your choice of covers. Other tiers offer T-shirts and script reviews.
Creators: Oliver Mertz, Alex Diotto, Taylor Esposito
Platform: Kickstarter
Deadline + Goal: May 9, $3,800 (fully funded)
Visit Kickstarter for more information or to make a pledge.
Super Kaiju Rock N Roller Derby Fun Time Go
So if you visit the Kickstarter page for this one, there’s a comic strip explaining what this one is about — and does it in such a fun way I was tempted just to lift it and drop it in here. But to give you the TL;DR version, this is a comic about a roller derby team that forms a band and then has to fight a kaiju. So, yes, everything listed in the title is represented in the story.
This one is written by David Hedgecock, a former editor in chief for IDW, with art by Rolo Mallada. Ron Marz of Silver Surfer and Witchblade fame is editing it. They’re crowdfunding 48-page, square-bound hardcover, which will include a lead story, two bonus stories, and “a host of pinups and added material from some of the best working artists in the graphic novel industry today!”
What’s the deal?
You can get a digital copy for a $10 donation, while the print copy will cost $30. There’s a also a “behind the scenes” comic you can buy directly or add to different tiers. There are also several variant cover editions you can choose from.
Creators: David Hedgecock, Rolo Mallada, Justin Birch, the Xong Brothers, Ron Marz
Platform: Kickstarter
Deadline + Goal: May 7, $6,000 (fully funded)