Kickstarter – Page 2

Smash Pages Q&A | Mike Del Mundo on his new art book from Clover Press

The innovative artist talks about his process and approach to creating some of Marvel’s most striking covers and artwork.

Mike Del Mundo has left a bold and imaginative mark on the world of comics through the use of vivid color palettes, surreal compositions and really cool, concept-driven covers.

Since his breakout run of covers for X-Men: Legacy, he’s brought his distinctive storytelling style to interiors on Elektra, Thor, Avengers and more, earning multiple industry nominations and awards along the way. Now, his career-spanning body of Marvel work is being collected in The Marvel Art of Mike Del Mundo, the latest high-end release in Clover Press and Marvel’s boutique art book series.

The Kickstarter campaign, which is now live, offers the 224-page hardcover alongside exclusive prints, posters, a special sketchbook showing his creative process and other collector’s items.

I caught up with him on the release of the book, his innovative approach to covers, the Three Worlds / Three Moons project and more.

Smash Pages Q&A | Craig Hurd-McKenney on ‘Curse of Dark Shadows’

The writer of the new graphic novel that dives back into the world of the cult classic supernatural soap opera discusses the project, which is currently up on Kickstarter.

Dark Shadows was a supernatural-themed daytime soap opera that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971, but still holds a place in the hearts of many fans. Barnabas Collins and his brood have lived on in books, movies and through streaming services over the years, bringing new fans to Collinsport, Maine — a city inhabited by vampires, zombies, werewolves, witches, warlocks and more.

Hermes Press has kept the story alive through a series of novels and reprints of previous comics, but now they’re returning to the world of Dark Shadows with an original graphic novel that moves the story into the present. Craig Hurd-McKenney, writer of the recent Station Grand from Oni Press, and Jok, artist of the under-appreciated In Hell We Fight with John Layman at Image Comics, are bringing these characters back to the forefront and continuing the drama that made the show so popular.

Here’s the description of Curse of Dark Shadows:

Carolyn Stoddard-Hawkes made a deathbed promise to her mother. But, in order for Carolyn to complete that promise, she must rely on the one person in the world she doesn’t want to see: vampire Barnabas Collins. His return home after an extended period away sets in motion a chain of events that will change the Collins family forever. Can Carolyn and her cousin David survive the newly-awakened CURSE OF DARK SHADOWS, or will Barnabas be the end of the Collins family line?

The project is currently up on Kickstarter, and Hermes Press has a small number of limited edition copies at the San Diego Comic-Con. They’ll also host a panel this afternoon at 3 p.m. Pacific at the con, featuring Hurd-McKenney and actress Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played Maggie on the show and will join the conversation remotely.

I spoke with Hurd-McKenney about the project, his history with the show and working again with his longtime collaborator Jok.

Help conjure Donya Todd’s ‘The Witch’s Egg’ through the magic of crowdfunding

Avery Hill launched a Kickstarter campaign today for the dark fairytale.

As part of their Fall 2025 line-up, Avery Hill Publishing plans to release Donya Todd’s new graphic novel, The Witch’s Egg — and you can help bring it to life through a Kickstarter campaign that will launch soon.

The Witch’s Egg is one part dark fairytale, one part apocalyptic love story, featuring the macabre, wonderful art of Todd. This is Avery Hill’s second book with Todd, following Buttertubs. Todd has also done work for Cartoon Network, Mercury Filmworks, Blank Slate Books, Guillemot Press, Image Comics and many others.

You can check out the publisher’s description and some pages from the graphic novel below.

Exclusive Preview | Check out the noir time-travel tale ‘Host Mortem’

The project is currently being crowdfunded through Kickstarter.

Courtesy of Clover Press, we’re pleased to present this exclusive preview from Host Mortem. The new graphic novel is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter.

Host Mortem is written by — and stars — Kevin Shinick, former host and time-traveling detective from the TV series Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego?, alongside actor/host Greg Lee. Both of them appear in the graphic novel, as an appearance at Comic-Con goes horribly wrong, and they find themselves transported back in time. After arriving in 1947, they find themselves involved in a murder mystery set against the Humphrey Bogart film The Big Sleep. When one of the stars winds up dead, Kevin and Greg’s knowledge of random trivia might be the key to solving this Hollywood caper.

“Between the two of us, Greg and I have hosted a number of game shows,” Shinick said. “As a result, we have a lot of random trivia floating around in our heads and I always wished I could put that knowledge to better use other than just, ‘Hey, did you know the singular of spaghetti is spaghetto?’ And since we both played fake detectives on Carmen Sandiego (me a time traveling detective and Greg a classic gumshoe detective) I got to wondering how we might fare with an actual murder? The ultimate question being, ‘Are hosts really smart? Or do they just have the answers?’”

The graphic novel is being brought to life by artists Damien Torres and Andrea Schiavone, colorist Pippa Bowland and letterer Taylor Esposito. Check out the preview and some of the variant covers available through the Kickstarter campaign below.

Alien Books will bring Zorro back to comics

The publisher will start by crowdfunding a hardcover collecting Alex Toth’s work on the pulp character.

Alien Books has announced they’ve acquired the license to publish comics featuring Zorro, the legendary swashbuckling rogue created by pulp writer Johnston McCulley more than 100 years ago.

They’ll start with a hardcover reprinting Alex Toth’s Zorro comic from 1958 with remastered colors and lettering, as well as a story by Howard Chaykin and Eduardo Risso, premiering for the first time in English. Toth first drew Zorro in Four Color #882, which was published by Dell and adapted the first two episodes of the Walt Disney TV series starring Guy Williams. Toth drew several other Zorro comics around that time, both for Four Color and for the Zorro title Dell published.

Alien will launch a Kickstarter for the deluxe hardcover on April 23.

Exclusive Preview | ‘The Mask of Haliya: Echoes of the Forgotten Past’ launches on Kickstarter

Check out some of the interior artwork for the new project from Kwento Comics and Clover Press.

For Women’s History Month, Kwento Comics and Clover Press is launching the second volume of their graphic novel series, The Mask of Haliya: Echoes of the Forgotten Past. This Young Adult urban fantasy is a powerful celebration of Filipino-American identity, mythology, and the transformative power of storytelling.

Written by Kaitlyn Fajilan and brought to life by the art team of Susan Bin and Vik Caedo, this graphic novel follows Marisol Reyes, a Filipina-American teenager navigating magical inheritance and personal discovery. As Mari grapples with an emerging power passed down through her great-grandmother, the narrative weaves together ancient mythology with contemporary coming-of-age struggles.

“In this latest volume, Mari’s emotional journey takes quite the turn. As someone who has always maintained a very guarded front, Mari starts to emerge from her cocoon under Bella’s tutelage,” Fajilan said. “Slowly, her internal perspective shifts from that of worrying that all she does is hurt people, to believing that harnessing her ‘true’ self can allow her to *help* people. She dares to hope that she can make real friendships, win her mother’s approval, perhaps even fall in love. However, as the girl comes more and more into her own, that new sense of self begins to splinter. A *second* Mari emerges–a darker one, one that is simultaneously tumultuous and composed. A persona that that may or may not be connected to the moon goddess Haliya. The formation of this new identity is sure to bring about further complications and revelations, culminating in a seismic battle that launches us into the second half of this arc.”

Now available on Kickstarter as a 192-page deluxe hardcover, The Mask of Haliya will be available for 21 more days and has a goal to raise $5,000.

“Kwento Comics is rooted in the Filipino word kwento, meaning ‘story,” said Kwento Comics co-founder and CEO Cecilia Lim. “We believe in the transformative power of storytelling to inspire, empower, and connect communities across the globe. Every story we tell, every panel we create, and every character we breathe life into reflects our mission: to uplift diverse voices and celebrate the richness of Asian heritage, culture, and identity.”

Check out our exclusive preview below.

Exclusive | Check out a clip from ‘Oddly Compelling,’ the documentary about publisher Denis Kitchen

Soren Christiansen and Ted Intorcio will crowdfund a look into the life, career and activism of the pioneering alt.comix creator and publisher.

Denis Kitchen founded and served as publisher for the pioneering publishing house Kitchen Sink Press for 30 years, starting in the heyday of alternative comix in 1969 and lasting until the end of the last century in 1999. Along the way, he published comics and graphic novels by Will Eisner, Howard Cruse, Trina Robbins, S. Clay Wilson, Harvey Kurtzman, Robert Crumb and many others; he founded the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund; and he amassed a collection of “oddly compelling” curiosities.

Now his career, activism and, yes, those curiosities will be the subject of a new documentary — Oddly Compelling, by filmmakers Soren Christiansen and Ted Intorcio.

“Who would’ve thought that in the 21st century the world would watch Americans ban books, challenge free speech, and threaten its own democratic principles,” said Christiansen. “We’ve had threats to our democracy before, and every time these threats occurred, it took people, like Denis, to stand up and fight for those inalienable rights. He may be the least appreciated of the underground legends, in part because he devoted a disproportionate amount of his career to publishing the work of others. He was there at the very beginning of the Underground Comix movement, and his contributions, starting with Mom’s Homemade Comics, Krupp, Distribution, and Kitchen Sink Press are responsible for bringing ground-breaking and much-loved content to a much wider audience.”

The filmmakers plan to crowdfund the documentary via Kickstarter, and we have an exclusive clip that shows off some of Kitchen’s collection:

Crowdpuncher | Derek Laufman returns to ‘Crimson Fall’

Check out crowdfunding campaigns you can support by Andrew Maclean, Erik Whalen, Mark Bertolini, James Boulton and more.

Welcome to Crowdpuncher, where we round up cool comics crowdfunding campaigns. If you’re looking to support a creator or project directly, you’ve come to the right place.

Derek Laufman, creator of the excellent RuinWorld and many other comics, shared a new webcomic called Crimson Fall: Lambs of God not too long ago. It’s about Sir Duncross, a former-knight-turned-mercenary who stands between the surface world and “what lurks beneath the surface of this horrid land.”

The comic can be read online or bought in print from Laufman’s store, and now he’s returning to this world for a new graphic novel that he’s crowdfunding: Crimson Fall: The Shore Tower.

Smash Pages Q&A | Fred Van Lente + Tom Fowler on ‘Gamemasters: The Comic Book History of Roleplaying Games’

The graphic novel that explores the history of all your favorite tabletop RPGs is currently funding on Kickstarter from Clover Press.

Fred Van Lente and Tom Fowler are no strangers to creating engaging comics that not only entertain, but also inform. Together they worked on the Re: Ignition, a tie-in of Nick Dragotta’s Howtoons series that encouraged kids to take part in do-it-yourself science projects. And Van Lente has been working for many years with artist Ryan Dunlavey on Action Philosophers and other non-fiction comics that use the medium in a fun, educational way.

Combine that with Fowler’s background in drawing for tabletop roleplaying games, and you’ve got the perfect team to create Gamemasters: The Comic Book History of Roleplaying Games. Clover Press launched a crowdfunding project for the graphic novel earlier this week, which you can find on Kickstarter.

“Fred and Tom are both hardcore gamers, and it shows in this meticulously researched history of the tabletop RPG,” said Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz. “Their passion for gaming comes through in their dramatic and often humorous take on how and why these games work, and why we love them so.”

The project has already blown past its goal like a fireball flying down a dungeon corridor, looking to roast a host of kobolds. But you can still get in on the fun; the crowdfunding project will run through Aug. 22.

I spoke with the two creators about the project, what attracted them to it and their own histories with RPGs.

Steven S. DeKnight goes all in on comics with two new graphic novel projects

‘Beneath’ will debut from Comixology in August, while ‘Hard Bargain’ from Humanoids kicks off a crowdfunding campaign today.

While Steven S. DeKnight is no stranger to comics, he’s probably best known for his TV work, on shows like Smallville, Daredevil, Spartacus and many others. But that perception could change, as DeKnight has not one but two new graphic novels coming up that were both announced today.

Now up on Kickstarter is Hard Bargain, which features artwork by Leno Carvalho and will be published by Humanoids.

“Hard Bargain has been a dream 30 years in the making. An idea that sprang from my love of two-fisted, hard-boiled detective stories and matinee creature-features of days gone by,” said DeKnight. “I’m thrilled to finally have that dream realized via the incredible artwork of Leno Carvalho and the good people at Humanoids.”

Exclusive: Clover Press brings back a popular tier for their ‘The Marvel Art of Michael Turner’ Kickstarter

The art book collects much of the work that the creator of ‘Fathom’ and co-creator of ‘Witchblade’ did for Marvel before his death in 2008.

Boutique publisher Clover Press has been working with Marvel to crowdfund high-end art books centered on some of their top artists, including David Mack, Alex Maleev, David Nakayama, Russell Dauterman and more. Their latest Kickstarter is for The Marvel Art of Michael Turner, and we’re pleased to share exclusively this morning that they’re bringing back a popular rewards tier to the campaign.

“The Ultimate,” as they billed it (AKA Tier K), included everything you’d find in previous tiers — including a slipcase edition of the hardcover book, art prints, metal trading cards, stickers, a puzzle and more. That includes everything being offered in the “Mystery” tier, so you get “get absolutely everything on the campaign (so far),” according to Clover Press.

It initially sold out in a few hours, so you’ll want to act fast if you’re interested.

“Michael Turner became a fast fan favorite, and this book is the clear evidence as to why,” said Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz. “We’re ecstatic to bring such a comprehensive collection of Turner’s Marvel work together in one volume.” The campaign surpassed its goal quickly, and right now is at over $160,000.

Here’s what you’ll find in the returning tier:

Tim Bird incorporates his mother’s paintings into the stunning ‘Adrift on a Painted Sea’

Check out our exclusive preview of the new graphic novel, which Avery Hill is currently funding through Kickstarter.

Courtesy of Avery Hill Publishing, we’re happy to present a preview of Adrift on a Painted Sea, a new graphic novel by Tim Bird that also features the paintings of his mother Sue Bird. It’s currently up on Kickstarter, with a campaign that runs through June 21.

Bird is an award-winning illustrator and comic artist based in Winchester, England; his graphic novel From the City to the Sea a British Comic Award in 2015. He’s published a number of comics through Avery Hill, including The Great North Wood and Infrastructure, but this latest one may be his most personal work yet.

Adrift on a Painted Sea is about the life of Bird’s mother, who passed away during the height of COVID. She was an amateur painter who created countless works of art — botanical art, landscapes, still lifes and painting of the sea. She never sold her paintings, but would give them away to family and friends, and hang them in her own home. Bird has brilliantly combined his own comics work with her paintings to capture her life, and also showcase her incredible work.

You can find our preview below, along with more information on the graphic novel.

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