Category: Crowdfunding

Pop Culture Squad > Comics > Crowdfunding
Special SquadCast Interview with Geezer Creators Philip Bond and Will Potter

Special SquadCast Interview with Geezer Creators Philip Bond and Will Potter

Posted on by Bob Harrison

We are great supporters of independent and, especially, crowdfunded comics. One of the best individual new comics that we read last year was Geezer #1, which was funded on Kickstarter and published by Off Register Press.

Geezer tells the story of the almost remembered and not quite successful Britpop band Geezer. It is brilliant concept that writer Will Potter and artist Philip Bond have rendered into a uniquely sized comic book. The misadventures of this imaginary band dovetail perfectly with real life events and style choices that put the story squarely in the timeline of the height of popularity of real bands like Blur and Oasis. There is a terrific cast of characters and Bond’s visually artistry is magnificently displayed in a seven inch square format to match the size of vinyl record single.

Issue number two of this series, which expected to be a five-issue event, is nearing the end of its crowdfunding run on Kickstarter. We had the opportunity to talk to both Will and Philip about the project. There are some fantastic stories in this SquadCast about the origins of the project and what they hope for the future of the series.

The campaign ends noon Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday April 15th. That is plenty of time to back this project and listen to this fun interview with a great pair of blokes. We hope you enjoy the conversation and check below to see more about the campaign.

GEEZER #2
Cheap thrills, dodgy pills, and unexpected trysts as Britpop washouts GEEZER go Stateside.

http://kck.st/3z2eHK5

Ending: Sat, April 15, 2023 12:00 PM EST. Continue reading “Special SquadCast Interview with Geezer Creators Philip Bond and Will Potter” →

Spotlight SquadCast Interview with Russell Nohelty and Laurie Foster about Cthulhu Is Hard to Spell

Spotlight SquadCast Interview with Russell Nohelty and Laurie Foster about Cthulhu Is Hard to Spell

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Our latest SquadCast interview takes place with a pair of comic creators working to fund their latest project, and it is a great concept.

For several years now, writer and editor Russell Nohelty has been working on the multiple volumes of his anthology series Cthulhu Is Hard to Spell for a few years now, and as the project transitions to the next phase he has partnered with Laurie Foster and Unlikely Heroes Studios to repackage the books in an even more accessible format with added material.

The crowdfunding campaign for this special release is running on Backerkit until March 21st.

We spoke with both Russell and Laurie about the project, H.P. Lovecraft and the challenges that his legacy presents in the current social climate, and a whole bunch of other cool stuff.

Russell is an author with credits such as Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter, The Godsverse Chronicles, and The Obsidian Spindle Saga, as well as being the editor for the Cthulhu is Hard to Spell anthology series. He has also contributed to a bunch of anthologies including:  Cthulhu Invades Oz, Monsters and Other Scary Shit, Parallel Worlds, The Edgar Allan Poe Chronicles to name a few.

Laurie is an editor, inker, publisher, cosplayer, and pretty much everything else that you can think of. She runs Unlikely Heroes Studios and if the day has a Y at the end, she is probably running a crowdfunding campaign somewhere.

This conversation focused on the campaign for the excellent Cthulhu Is Hard to Spell, but it also ventured into the realms of the horror genre in general, representation in publishing, and nerdy favorites.

We hope you enjoy the conversation:

What is Cthulhu is Hard to Spell?

Continue reading “Spotlight SquadCast Interview with Russell Nohelty and Laurie Foster about Cthulhu Is Hard to Spell” →

Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – February 2023 Edition

Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – February 2023 Edition

Posted on by Bob Harrison

With the holiday shopping season in the rear view mirror, it seems that everyone has come out with a project that they are looking to get crowdfunded. We waded through the list of 255 live campaigns in the Comics category to find the ones that we need to boost. There are definitely a few campaigns on this list that you will want to check out.

Kickstarter is a platform available at Kickstarter.com where creative individuals have the ability to design and run a crowdfunding campaign. The concept is that individuals pledge to support the project, and if the project reaches the planned goal of pledge money in the time that campaign is running, then the project will get made. There are usually many various tiers of backer pledges, and different pledge levels come with different backer reward items. It is a fantastic way for creators to fund the projects that they love and want to create while getting new interesting things into the world.

The campaigns we highlighted for this month are in various states of funding. Some are fully funded and into the state of trying to hit stretch goals that come with even more cool stuff for backers and some are still in need of backers to hit their goal and get their project made.

Some of these projects are being run by well established entities and others are entries by much smaller and newer creators. All the campaigns have been chosen because we want them to succeed, and because we see something special in the product. Here are the fourteen that we think you should check out!!!

The projects are listed below in chronological order of the end of the campaign. So, the ones that end soonest come first. Make sure you click on the Campaign Links for each campaign to get all the detailed info about the rewards and creators. We feel there is something for everyone on this list. Enjoy!

 

The Switch: Electricia
The remastered “ELECTRIFYING EDITION” of the Switch Graphic novel- in softcover for the first time!

http://kck.st/3CSuuNI

Ending: Tue, February 14 2023 12:00 PM EST.

PCS Thoughts: We are exited to see this creator owned property in a remastered collection and are equally excited for the next volume. Continue reading “Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – February 2023 Edition” →

Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – November 2022 Edition

Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – November 2022 Edition

Posted on by Bob Harrison

This month we have a bunch of campaigns available to support on Kickstarter. As you are planning that Holiday Shopping list, there are definitely a few campaigns on this list that you will want to check out.

Kickstarter is a platform available at Kickstarter.com where creative individuals have the ability to design and run a crowdfunding campaign. The concept is that individuals pledge to support the project, and if the project reaches the planned goal of pledge money in the time that campaign is running, then the project will get made. There are usually many various tiers of backer pledges, and different pledge levels come with different backer reward items. It is a fantastic way for creators to fund the projects that they love and want to create while getting new interesting things into the world.

The campaigns we highlighted for this month are in various states of funding. Some are fully funded and into the state of trying to hit stretch goals that come with even more cool stuff for backers and some are still in need of backers to hit their goal and get their project made.

Some of these projects are being run by well established entities and others are entries by much smaller and newer creators. All the campaigns have been chosen because we want them to succeed, and because we see something special in the product. There are over 3000 live Kickstarter campaigns right now and over 260 comic based projects. Here are the 11 that we think you should check out!!!

The projects are listed below in chronological order of the end of the campaign. So, the ones that end soonest come first. Make sure you click on the Campaign Links for each campaign to get all the detailed info about the rewards and creators. We feel there is something for everyone on this list. Enjoy!

Slice of Life #1-3 – Queer WEBTOON with an Anime Twist
Gritty anime protagonist, Lady Vengeance, finally realizes her romantic feelings for the girl next door.

Campaign Link: http://kck.st/3N7vBNp

Ending: Tue, November 22 2022 10:00 PM EST

PCS Thoughts: This story from Kat Calamia and Phil Falco is one that we get very excited to see on Kickstarter. It is an excellent story and these folks do a great job with presentation and fulfillment. If you are mildly interested in the content of this book, you will be very happy as a backer of this project!!

From the Campaign:

When gritty anime protagonist, Lady Vengeance, is brought to the real world by a super fan, she’ll learn there’s more to life than darkness and revenge…and she’ll find love with the super fan’s twin sister – a kind-hearted cheerleader.

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.

In this next installment of Slice of Life, Yuriko starts to find her place in this new world and finally realizes her romantic feelings, all while Lucy goes through her own gay self discovery journey.

Slice of Life #3 will be collecting Chapters 12-18 from WEBTOON in a new sequential format. The 56-page comic book will also contain a 3-page EXCLUSIVE story (featuring Yuriko and Lucy as a couple) not available on WEBTOON/Tapas!

The story takes place in the future and sees Yuriko helping Lucy with a college English course.

Love and Capes: Home for the Holidays
We’re making a Love and Capes Christmas Special comic!

Campaign Link: http://kck.st/3z9Rd5W

Ending: Wed, November 23 2022 1:22 PM EST

PCS Thoughts: Love and Capes is one of my favorite comics because it takes the ultra serious and fairly ridiculous genre of superhero comics and flips it on its head into a rom-com / family sit-com. The evolution that Thom Zahler has developed over the last few years has really opened up the world of the Crusader. This project will be more than worth your while, and time is running out on this opportunity.

From the Campaign:

Let’s do a Christmas Special!

First published in 2006, Love and Capes is the Ringo and Harvey-nominated, heroically super situation comedy about Mark Spencer, the world’s greatest superhero, the Crusader, and his girlfriend (now wife), bookstore owner Abby. Together, they have navigated dating, marriage and parenthood. Now have two kids, James and Hayley, and are having brand-new new adventures.

Love and Capes: Home For the Holidays started as a Patreon-only webcomic continuation of the Love and Capes series. Picking up a year or so after the last collection, “In the Time of Covid”, it shows our heroes enjoying the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

What we’re making is the print collection. Fifty-plus awesome pages of Love and Capes heart and humor. A complete story. In a high-quality, square bound collection (similar to the issues of The Dark Knight or Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty. It’s what they used to call “prestige format”.)

Of course, as with any Kickstarter, it’s not just the comic. At different reward levels, you can get sketches, original art, and even appear at Charlotte’s New Year’s Party. And who would throw a better New Year’s Party than Charlotte?


Continue reading “Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – November 2022 Edition” →

With Further Ado #223: Omari Malik and BlackTooth Battalion

With Further Ado #223: Omari Malik and BlackTooth Battalion

Posted on by Ed Catto

Comics can be creative and can be entrepreneurial. Sometimes we get excited by the content, and sometimes we get excited by the efforts of the people making it happen.

Omari Malik is a driven creator launching a new anthology comic on Kickstarter, with three stories and three distinct styles. He reached out to me, and I was so impressed with his focus, drive and upbeat attitude.

The three stories in his anthology include:

Adastra

Continue reading “With Further Ado #223: Omari Malik and BlackTooth Battalion” →

Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – October 2022 Edition – Part 2

Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – October 2022 Edition – Part 2

Posted on by Bob Harrison

You have found Part 2 of our supersized list of campaigns available to support on Kickstarter for October. (Part 1 is here) This part of the list end in November but you need to check them out now find the ones that you want to back.

Kickstarter is a platform available at Kickstarter.com where creative individuals have the ability to design and run a crowdfunding campaign. The concept is that individuals pledge to support the project, and if the project reaches the planned goal of pledge money in the time that campaign is running, then the project will get made. There are usually many various tiers of backer pledges, and different pledge levels come with different backer reward items. It is a fantastic way for creators to fund the projects that they love and want to create while getting new interesting things into the world.

The campaigns we highlighted for this month are in various states of funding. Some are fully funded and into the state of trying to hit stretch goals that come with even more cool stuff for backers and some are still in need of backers to hit their goal and get their project made.

Some of these projects are being run by well established entities and others are entries by much smaller and newer creators. All the campaigns have been chosen because we want them to succeed, and because we see something special in the product.

The projects are listed below in chronological order of the end of the campaign. So, the ones that end soonest come first. Make sure you click on the Campaign Links for each campaign to get all the detailed info about the rewards and creators. We feel there is something for everyone on this list. Enjoy!

Sharp Wit & the Company of Women
A comic anthology about strong women with weapons across a wide spectrum of genres, created by and for LGBTQIA+ creators and audiences.

Campaign Link: http://kck.st/3DVj9hh

Ending: Thu, October 27 2022 12:00 PM EDT

PCS Thoughts: If you like supporting independent creators who are creating stories that matter to them, then you must back this anthology. It promises to be both gorgeous and fascinating. That Tula Lotay cover is worth becoming a support all on its own. Just imagine how much more there will be. Check the campaign page for the amazing array of creators who are contributing to this book. 

From the Campaign: 

Across millennia, society has preserved tradition through the use of storytelling. Our perception of the world, and each other, is held together by the glue of apocryphal heroes, villains, and larger than life figures that stand somewhere in-between.

Many tales that endure to this day begin and end at the point of a blade.

There’s something about a hand-wielded weapon that invigorates the imagination. From the depths of antiquity, female heroes captivated the minds of those reading and listening. Women were leaders and keepers of wisdom. In many cultures, they were warriors of strength, will and acumen. In a time where the rights and autonomy of all women are threatened, this legacy must be reclaimed.

  • It is time for women to be represented for the heroes & champions they are.
  • It is time to dispel notions that any gender is lesser than another.
  • It is time for more stories.

SHARP WIT & THE COMPANY OF WOMEN (SWATCOW) is a 150+ page comic anthology comprised of 19 stories ranging in page size from 4 to 6 pages. SWATCOW will focus on stories about women contextualized through whatever lens teams felt met the standards of strength, power and agency. As the second volume of works from Extra Pages Press, these stories will be fully conceived and created by teams comprised entirely of LGBTQIA+ identifying writers and artists.

We hope you join us once more in this shared endeavor of championing queer voices across a spectrum of intersectionality coming together to tell stories of empowerment.

Trick ‘r Treat 15th Anniversary Omnibus Collection
From the deliciously dark imagination of Trick ‘r Treat creator Michael Dougherty

Continue reading “Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – October 2022 Edition – Part 2” →

Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – October 2022 Edition – Part 1

Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – October 2022 Edition – Part 1

Posted on by Bob Harrison

This month we have a special supersized list of campaigns available to support on Kickstarter. So many in fact that we couldn’t fit them all in one post. Part 2 will be posted tomorrow.

There are a bunch of projects on this list that have a horror or spooky theme that fits the time of year, and we fit most of them in this first post.

Kickstarter is a platform available at Kickstarter.com where creative individuals have the ability to design and run a crowdfunding campaign. The concept is that individuals pledge to support the project, and if the project reaches the planned goal of pledge money in the time that campaign is running, then the project will get made. There are usually many various tiers of backer pledges, and different pledge levels come with different backer reward items. It is a fantastic way for creators to fund the projects that they love and want to create while getting new interesting things into the world.

The campaigns we highlighted for this month are in various states of funding. Some are fully funded and into the state of trying to hit stretch goals that come with even more cool stuff for backers and some are still in need of backers to hit their goal and get their project made.

Some of these projects are being run by well established entities and others are entries by much smaller and newer creators. All the campaigns have been chosen because we want them to succeed, and because we see something special in the product.

The projects are listed below in chronological order of the end of the campaign. So, the ones that end soonest come first. Make sure you click on the Campaign Links for each campaign to get all the detailed info about the rewards and creators. We feel there is something for everyone on this list. Enjoy!

Frankenstein the Unconquered #1 & 2: An Action-Horror Comic
Frankenstein’s monster thaws from the ice 500 years in the future to find a bombed out apocalypse as hideous and broken as he is.

Campaign Link: http://kck.st/3Sk8pwD

Ending: Wed, October 19 2022 9:30 PM EDT.

PCS Thoughts: This campaign is ending soon. It looks like a great story and has very reasonably structured backer reward tiers. Looking forward to getting a hold of this.

From the Campaign:

What is Frankenstein the Unconquered?
Frankenstein the Unconquered is a 20 page full color comic about violence as a mode of survival, the destructive inertia of revenge, and how toxic masculinity damages individuals and the environment around them. It’s a love letter to pulpy adventure comics and films like Conan the Barbarian and Mad Max as well as Universal Horror Monsters and the literature that inspired them.

This is our 5th Kickstarter campaign and we’re going all out to make sure we make the best comic we can with the best experience possible for our backers! You can expect clear, frequent communication, quick delivery, and a badass comic from this team!

What’s it About?
500 years in the future, the arctic thaws and the Beast awakens to a bombed out post-apocalypse as hideous and hostile as he is. Seeing an opportunity to reinvent himself and live the peaceful life he always wanted, the Beast attempts to settle down and live simply with villagers who are unafraid of his ghastly appearance. But when soldiers come to collect their due, violence is the only answer the Beast can come up with, and his dream of living simply is ripped away.

Having followed his war path to its bloody conclusion, the Beast was exiled to the stars, his legacy tarnished, his family flayed before his eyes. For thirty years, the world has known an uneasy peace, but the Beast never stopped fighting for control and now, on the dawn of the 200th year, the sky explodes and the Beast, bathed in the cosmic blood of stars and comets, has returned. God help anyone who stands in his way.

Chapter One shows Frankenstein monster’s return to the Earth after his exile in the stars and explains how he ended up in this post apocalyptic future.

Chapter Two introduces two pivotal characters, The Wolfman and The Bride. In the present, Frank discovers a massacre and a lone survivor welcomes him into his home, offering the beast food, comfort and hospitality…until the sun goes down and the full moon rises. Meanwhile, in the past, Frank is attacked by a warlord and must work with his Bride to fight his way out. They’re outnumbered, but far from outmatched. Carnage, anger, and loss permeate comic with consequences that will walk with the Beast for the rest of his unnatural life.

POPEYE VARIATIONS Art Book by 75+ Cartoonists
Featuring Jeffrey Brown, Roz Chast, Kelley Jones, Shing Yin Khor, Jorge Guitierrez, Roger Langridge, R. Sikoryak & more!

Continue reading “Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – October 2022 Edition – Part 1” →

Live SquadCast with Comic Creator Thom Zahler

Live SquadCast with Comic Creator Thom Zahler

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Join us live as we talk to cartoonist and comic creator Thomas Zahler.  Thom is currently running a Kickstarter campaign for print edition of Cupid’s Arrows Season 2. That comic was originally published on Webtoons.com and delves deeper into the mythos of the covert teams of “cupids” who ensure that the right people fall in love with each other. It is a funny and heartfelt property that explores the nature of love and destiny through the lens of romantic comedy.

Thom is also running a Patreon page where he regularly updates new pages of the latest volume of his long running magnum opus Love and Capes. The latest collection will be called Love and Capes: Home For the Holidays and is a follow-up to last year’s Ringo Award Nominated Love and Capes: In the Time of Covid.

We hope you enjoy the conversation and check out the Kickstarter campaign for Cupid’s Arrows.

Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – September 2022 Edition

Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – September 2022 Edition

Posted on by Bob Harrison

This month we found a bunch of crowdfunded campaigns available to support on Kickstarter. This is a pretty interesting group of projects. They range from new comic material, to art books, to collections, to figurines? Yep. A lot of cool things.

Kickstarter is a platform available at Kickstarter.com where creative individuals have the ability to design and run a crowdfunding campaign. The concept is that individuals pledge to support the project, and if the project reaches the planned goal of pledge money in the time that campaign is running, then the project will get made. There are usually many various tiers of backer pledges, and different pledge levels come with different backer reward items. It is a fantastic way for creators to fund the projects that they love and want to create while getting new interesting things into the world.

The campaigns we highlighted for this month are in various states of funding. Some are fully funded and into the state of trying to hit stretch goals that come with even more cool stuff for backers and some are still in need of backers to hit their goal and get their project made.

The projects are listed below in chronological order of the end of the campaign. So, the ones that end soonest come first. Make sure you click on the Campaign Links for each campaign to get all the detailed info about the rewards and creators. We feel there is something for everyone on this list. Enjoy!

 

STANDSTILL THE SURVIVAL HORROR COMIC BOOK 1-12
The complete season 1 of Standstill!

Campaign Link

Ending: Thu, September 8 2022 12:09 PM EDT

PCS Thoughts: We are fans of this series that Justin Gray has been working on for quite a while and the opportunity to get the whole thing is very cool. Hurry up this one ends really soon!!

From the Campaign:

This Kickstarter is for the complete season 1 of the survival horror sci-fi comic for mature readers including previously unreleased issues #11 and #12.

We have 12 issues worth of content well over 300 pages. This comic has been a passion project that I first conceptualized in 2015 but wasn’t really able to get it to where I needed it to be until 2020. These 12 issues would not have been possible without Kickstarter backers just like you coming back time and time again to show your support even after a nearly 4 year hiatus. That support has allowed me to tell the story my way including mature content that might have otherwise been watered down or removed. I didn’t go into this story thinking about TV or film deals or anything other than doing work I’m proud of in a way that gave me total creative freedom in the medium I love.

Intoximancy: A boozy wizard subclass for 5e
Your guide to becoming a drunken master of the mystic arts! Plus new spells, items, and creatures! #ZineQuest4

Campaign Link

Ending: Thu, September 8 2022 10:00 PM EDT

PCS Thoughts: This is a great get for fans of D&D. There are some really cool included things in the guide book and also with the stretch goals. Steve Conley never lets you down with the package you receive from his Kickstarter Campaigns.

From the Campaign: 

What’s in the Book?

  • Rules for the Intoximancer wizard subclass: a fun, powerful, and playable subclass for fifth edition
  • A guide for creating each Intoximancer’s unique Flagon – a magic drinking vessel which levels up and gains powers as the Intoximancer does
  • Variant rules for those wizards who prefer pipeweed over ale
  • New spells and cantrips like Cheers and Blackout Drunk
  • New magic items like the Beard of Holding and the Crapulancer’s Great Staff
  • New creatures like the Hobgoblet and the fire-breathing Pseudoflagon

Both the zine and the hardcover editions will be printed at A5 size – this is about 5-7/8 x 8-1/4 inches in size. The book will be a minimum of 32-pages.

The Intoximancer mini will be approximately 32mm “heroic” miniature scale with a 1-inch round base. The mini will be a high-quality, ready-to-assemble figure.

Continue reading “Kickstarters You Should Be Backing – September 2022 Edition” →