A Look Around Kickstarter Comics
Much has changed since we started crowdfunding in 2014
Hey Everyone,
Ray here, feeling a bit introspective this Saturday morning. Since completing the 1st draft of Glow #9 on Monday, I’ve spent my creative time the rest of the week picking away at some other projects, giving myself a bit of a spell from Glow. I started outlining Under the Starlit Sky, and some art / writing for Burning Man.
Outside of creative work, I’ve been, of course, gearing up for the Glow #7 launch on April 22nd, 2025.
As part of gearing up for the campaign, I usually find myself much more active on Kickstarter, looking at current projects to see what’s out there and what new trends there are, both in crowdfunding and the comics category in particular. I got to say, a lot has changed since we started publishing comics on the platform in 2014.
I think a lot of the changes are obvious to anyone who’s looking carefully, so rather than getting into what I don’t like about the current state of the crowdfunding ecosystem, I think I much rather just highlight a couple of projects that I think are great. Here we go…
Vital Function #01
This is a cool looking project by Zachary Wilson, a previously published artist and writer under Scholastic and Webtoons. It looks like his first solo project, and as far as I can tell, is about Kaiju?
Decades ago the Kastaros family stole the power of a timeless creature known as the Anthozoa and now they are plagued by its children, terrifying monsters that emerge from the sea to retrieve it. Lefteris Kastaros has arrived in the town of Ark in search of answers about his newly developing powers from his long lost father, instead he finds his family embroiled in a secret and unending conflict with the Anthrozoa and each other.
I love the art style - there’s an amazing sense of kineticism in the way Zach draws things. Looking forward to checking this one out.
Morgana Pendragon #1
Longtime friend Madeleine Holly-Rosling’s new project, Morgana Pendragon, is a modern interpretation of King Arthur’s sister:
Having lost her magic when she fled England twenty years ago, Morgana leads a mercenary team wherever the best paycheck is. All that changes when she receives a message to return—her brother, King Arthur, is dying. Now, she must not only face Mordred, the child she left behind, but a new threat which may forever change her and the future of her country.
Madeleine’s been on this crowdfunded comic journey with me since the beginning. Safe to say I wouldn’t really know where I would be without her guidance. It’s fantastic seeing her finally launch this series, which I know is a long time coming. Check it out here.
Wild Roses #1
A lovely looking love story from first time comic creator Karina.
Nastaran, a hot-headed warrior out for blood, will need to find a way to heal internally with the help of Layla, a psychic wise-for-her age teenage girl. Meanwhile, a evil djinni hunts them down. . .
Wild Rose is a webcomic come to print! Volume 1 contains issues 1-5 and is over 160+ pages. Inspired by 1001 Nights, it stars women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ characters.
Story and art all created by me, Karina! It's a one-woman show over here.
This one seems to be especially flying under the radar. The preview pages look fantastic, and it needs a little help getting over the finish line (with 5 days left as of writing). Check it out here.
For me, crowdfunding has always been about three things: original projects, breaking in new creators, and building community. I love seeing someone (or a team) with the artistic and entrepreneurial spirit to strike out on their own to make something, flat out. If you build it, they will come. Things have changed quite a bit since 2014, but there’s always room for new voices and perspectives in the world.
Ray