2020 was a phenomenal year for comic book projects funded on Kickstarter, making 24 percent more than Kickstarter books and a grand total of $25 million. Things show no signs of stopping in 2021, with more comic projects being added to the platform on a regular basis.
With so many Kickstarter projects out there, it’s easy to miss a few, whether it’s from big-name professionals or up-and-comers. As crowdfunding continues to draw talent from all walks of life, offering them an unprecedented level of creative freedom (while offering consumers the chance to name their price), it’s worth taking a look at what Kickstarter has to offer.
7 The Owl: Osage Guardian #1 Brings A Native American Sensibility To The Pulp Genre
Blue Turtle Comics debuts its 1930s hero the Owl in The Owl: Osage Guardian #1, with the Osage Nation Foundation’s support. Written, colored and lettered by Skyler Ammons, and edited by Dante Biss-Grayson, both of whom are Osage, the Owl (himself Osage) hunting down the Vickers Gang, who’ve attacked and stolen from the Blackmoon family. Inspired by classic and new pulp characters alike, The Owl is set in the fictional Rogers City, located in the real home state of the Osage Nation, Oklahoma, and is pencilled and inked by Brazilian artist Huenito. The Owl #1 should reach backers by July-August 2021.
6 Wingless Comics Brings New, Diverse Voices To Comics
A relatively new company, Wingless Entertainment has already made a name for itself on Kickstarter, where it has successfully funded several comics projects from its Wingless Comics line. Headed by Brian J. Lambert and Malachi Bailey, Wingless Comics, like Milestone before it, places special emphasis on funding works featuring both diverse creators and characters.
The company's current and upcoming titles currently include Nightfall (a crossover mini-series with Constant Hustle Comics), Her and Justice, the last of which more than doubled its pledging goal for its second issue. A Kickstarter for Her #1 will be online by September of this year.
5 Asa Wheatley’s Sagas of the Shield Maiden Tells Viking Stories As Westerns
Sagas of the Shield Maiden Book Two continues writer Asa Wheatley’s Shield Maiden saga, exploring the heroine at various stages in her life. Described as a “Viking Western,” due to historical similarities between Scandinavia’s Christian conversion and the conflicts of the Wild West, the story incorporates both thematic and aesthetic elements of the Western genre. Drawn by Katie Fleming, Alex Moore, Fabi Marques, and Alex Schiltz, with a cover by Erica Henderson, Book Two comes in both digital and oversized physical format. Backers can also obtain Book One at certain tiers, along with many of Wheatley’s past comic projects, which will ship approximately December 2021.
4 Jim Calafiore Plays With Hellfire In The Supernatural Comedy Ned, Lord Of The Pit
Longtime artist Jim Calafiore continues the adventure for poor everyman Ned Hume, inheritor of his father’s own little corner of Hell in Ned, Lord of the Pit Volume 2. Written and drawn by Calafiore (as well as inked and colored by him), the second volume of Ned’s story promises to have the character gain a stronger footing over his unusual situation after dealing with all the paranormal shenanigans inadvertently gaining ownership over his father’s Hellpit has brought him... all while trying to stay alive. The 180-page graphic novel (along with Volume 1) comes in PDF and softcover formats, with a hardcover option as a stretch goal.
3 P. Craig Russell's Symbolist Fantasies and Other Things Reprints The Artist’s Original, Unaltered Artwork
Fans of the acclaimed artist and art aficionados, in general, would likely enjoy the Kickstarter for P. Craig Russell's Symbolist Fantasies and Other Things, an art book that reprints pages from various comic projects Russell has worked on straight from the artboards themselves.
The book includes Russell’s adaptations of operas, poems, and books, some in their entirety, and backers can even receive an original piece from the artist at certain tiers, as well as a recreated page from the landmark Sandman #50 by Russell and Neil Gaiman. The artbook will ship to donors in December 2021, though original art rewards would arrive circa April 2022.
2 Dead Beats 2: London Calling Is A Music-Inspired Horror Anthology With Stories By Many Well-Known Comics Creators
Take Tales from the Crypt and infuse it with the sensibilities of the UK music scene and you might get Dead Beats 2: London Calling. A sequel to the first Dead Beats graphic novel, also funded through Kickstarter, Dead Beats 2 again follows the otherwise unnamed “Shoppe Keeper,” who has opened up a new record store in London and, as always, has spine-chilling, music-influenced stories to share. Created by Tyler & Wendy Chin-Tanner and featuring stories from established names in comics like Ron Marz, Jody Houser, Jamal Igle, Nancy Collins, and William Messner-Loebs, Dead Beats 2 would arrive in October 2021, right in time for Halloween.
1 Acclaimed Editor Shelly Bond Gives Readers An Insider’s Look At Making Comics With Filth & Grammar
Shelly Bond of Vertigo Comics and IDW’s Black Crown fame has brought her wealth of editing knowledge to Kickstarter with Filth & Grammar: The Comic Book Editor’s Secret Handbook. Bond’s graphic novel promises to delve into every part of the comic book making process, making it indispensable for anyone working or interested in the field. Illustrated by Laura Hole, Sofie Dodgson, and Imogen Mangle (with a cover by Philip Bond), the book also features advice from big names in comics, including Vertigo luminaries like Mark Buckingham and Neil Gaiman, and comes in digital and various physical formats. Filth & Grammar ships to backers around March 2022.