It has been a few months since we did one of these columns but it is not for a lack of quality Kickstarter campaigns. In the last couple of years, as the publishing and distribution channels for independent comics have changed, independent creators have been finding their way to Kickstarter.com with some amazing comic book material. We will continue to highlight campaigns that we believe in through spotlight posts like this one and through creator interviews on our site and social media platforms.
Speaking of social media platforms reminds me to let everyone know that if you are looking for good Kickstarter campaign recommendations, besides following Pop Culture Squad, the @KickstarterReads twitter account is a great vehicle to get a heads up for worthy campaigns.
This month we have seven campaigns that we want to highlight for you. I did say there is a lot of quality content out there. Some are ending really soon and you definitely want to check them out and put your support behind these independent creators. We listed the campaigns below in order of the ending of the Kickstarter with the soonest coming first.
Outrage Volume 1
The print edition of the hit webcomic from Fabian Nicieza and Reilly Brown!
From <https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rocketship/outrage-volume-1>
This campaign ends today, so make sure you jump on it. It is the printed volume of the hit comic Outrage that first premiered on webtoon.com. It is written by Fabian Nicieza with art by Reilly Brown, Jay Leisten, Matt Herms, and lettered by Pat Brousseau. It is a modern day exploration of internet behavior and consequences. We were big fans of the series when it was released on webtoon but this campaign is allowing fans and new readers to put the book in their hands and on their shelf.
We also want to spotlight that Rocketship Entertainment, recently selected favorite Publisher at the 2021 Ringo Awards, is printing and fulfilling this project. Backers should find that to be a major positive aspect to this campaign.
There are some pretty cool physical book and art rewards available for this project. I will leave you with this teaser that gives you an idea of where this story will take you.
How many times have you wanted to reach through the Internet and strangle someone? Or, at the least, give `em a swift kick in the nuts? Yeah, everyone feels the same way. But… what if you could? Anonymously. Quickly. Violently. Would you…?
Campaign Ends: Friday, November 12, 2021 3:00 PM EST.
Click Here for More
Spider-Squirrel #2 — A Buddy-Hero Multiversal Adventure
In this penultimate issue, we wrap up the indiechronomultiversal crossovers, meet the bad guy, and set things up for the finale!!
This Kickstarter project is for issue #2 of this series and this is an example of creative teams using Kickstarter to fund books for the fans who want them. Spider-Squirrel is a superhero adventure story with plenty of humor from writer Charlie McElvy and artist DC Stuelpner. John Rauch does the colors, and HdE lettered the book.
There are plenty of interesting and affordable options for backer rewards on this project, both physical and digital. The synopsis that the creators provided plus the preview art has us looking forward to this campaign’s completion:
The main characters Spider-Squirrel and Trash Panda get into all sorts of seemingly random hijinks right out the gate. Well, right after dealing with some dating issues and checking out a local night club, then having Spider-Squirrel bounce around time and the indie comics multiverse while Trash Panda is stuck at home in Richmond (VA) fighting Ultra-Urbanite and then meeting the girl of his dreams…
Campaign Ends: Monday, November 15, 2021 9:30 PM EST.
Click Here for More
NARCO (original graphic novel) + PLASTIC: DELUXE EDITION
NARCO, a 136-page original graphic novel by Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard, and Dave Stewart + PLASTIC: DELUXE EDITION Hardcover
This is an interesting Kickstarter campaign from 12-Gauge comics. It is campaign to fund two projects at once. They are calling it a “Graphic Novel Double Feature”. The purpose of the Kickstarter is to fund a new graphic novel called Narco and the deluxe edition of Plastic, which was originally published in 2017. This special edition includes a new cover and an exclusive six-page bonus story.
According to the creators, the primary focus is to get Narco made. It is created by Doug Wagner and Daniel Hillyard, the same creators of Plastic and also Vinyl, with colors from Dave Stewart and letters by Ed Dukeshire. It has a pretty intriguing concept:
MARCUS WESPHAL suffers from severe narcolepsy. His condition is peculiar—if he gets overly excited or stressed, he passes out.
However, he’s adapted well. He has all his groceries delivered; he’s got good friends, he’s developed quite a following as an online sleuth, and he admires the girl of his dreams, JESSICA WRIGHT, through his front door peephole (he’s working up the courage to ask her out, OK?!). Marcus has crafted the perfect bubble for himself. But when he watches Jessica get murdered right before his eyes, helpless to do anything about it before passing out, that bubble bursts.
Marcus is now the prime suspect in Jessica’s murder. If he’s going to prove his innocence, he will have to leave the safety of his apartment and track down the real killer. Or, could he possibly be the killer and not even know it?
The new collection of the widely acclaimed Plastic series is just one of the multiple levels of backer reward options on this innovative campaign. There is a bunch of preview art on the project site that you can check out.
Campaign Ends: Wednesday, November 18, 2021 4:12 PM EST.
Click Here for More
Slice of Life #1 – Queer WEBTOON with an Anime Twist
Gritty anime protagonist, Lady Vengeance, comes to life and falls in love with a high school cheerleader.
If you are looking to back a Kickstarter whit lots of different and interesting backer rewards, this is the one. This campaign is to print the first volume of the webtoon comic Slice of Life in a forty-four page book. The comic is written by Kat Calamia and Phil Falco with art by Valeria Peri. The print edition is lettered by Taylor Esposito and the original webtoon version was lettered by Garth Matthams. What is this story about? Here it is in the words of the creators themselves:
Slice of Life is a queer romance that deconstructs the “slice of life” genre, unpacking the importance of everyday narratives to tell a larger story about the meaning of life from the point of view of a fictional character.
This is a very cool project and there are backer reward tiers for everyone.
Campaign Ends: Wednesday, November 18, 2021 4:12 PM EST.
Click Here for More
Stray: Volume 3 – Requiem (Issue 1)
The ongoing tales of the sidekick-turned-hero continue!
From <https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/incogvito/stray-volume-3-requiem-issue-1>
The character Stray, created by Vito Delsante and Sean Izaakse has been around for a while now and this Kickstarter campaign is to fund the creation of Issue #1 of the third volume of Stray, taglined Requiem. Marcello Mueller did the line art and Omi Remalante is doing the color work for this series. The fact that the book is almost complete for this issue makes this a no brainer to back. The plan for this rich comic superhero universe is super intriguing, and we are excited to see it come to fruition.
The backer rewards and stretch goals have something for everyone. The picture included here is a Kickstarter exclusive variant cover for the issue drawn by legendary comic artist Scott McDaniel.
We were able to talk to writer Vito Deslante about the history and plans for the future of Stray recently and you can check out that discussion here,
Campaign Ends: Wednesday, November 24, 2021 10:45 AM EST.
Click Here for More
Holiday Spirits – HORROR ANTHOLOGY – ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL!
Suspenseful and thrilling Christmas tales brought to you by 15 super talented indie creators.
From <https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bd4db-issue3/holiday-spirits?ref=profile_saved_projects_live>
This indie anthology has a lot of promise. There are six stories in the 80-page book that is being funded through this campaign. Fifteen creators are contributing to Holiday Spirits.
Creators involved in the book include:
Travis Gibb (Broke Down And Four Dead Bodies), Jonathan Hedrick (Recount), Kurt Belcher (Rottentail), Craig Florence (Always Punch Nazi’s) , Gabriel Elías Ibarra Núñez (The Recount), Robby Bragdon (Cthulhu Invades Oz), Don Nguyen (Pablo the Gorilla), and more.
Who doesn’t love a spooky holiday themed comic anthology?
Campaign Ends: Thursday, November 25, 2021 1:41 PM EST.
Click Here for More
‘A Trick of the Light’
A story inspired by British girls’ comics of the 1960s/70s.
From <https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alyfell/a-trick-of-the-light?ref=profile_saved_projects_live>
We are fascinated with this project. A Trick of the Light is a 40-page black and white comic from British creator Aly Fell. The preview art has some amazing design elements and definitely calls back to the era of the 60s and 70s. The story is about…
Ruth and Cynthia are two teachers at a country school somewhere in the UK. It’s a warm Summer morning like any other, and Ruth is driving them both to work. But as the day progresses she begins to fear she is developing a migraine, and her reality starts to shift. Can she still trust her perception?
Thanks sounds pretty cool to us, and it is important to note that while the project is based in the UK, it is available for worldwide shipping.
Campaign Ends: Friday, December 3, 2021 8:59 AM EST.
Click Here for More
