Indie and self-published comics are in a bit of a renaissance right now as the major comics powerhouses are on the decline and tools for independent creators are becoming much more plentiful and accessible. As a result, comic readers can find whatever niche comic they want to read just by going to Kickstarter or Zoop and pitching in a few bucks to whatever suits their fancy.
But, with thousands* of projects across multiple platforms, how does the average reader decide where to put their hard-earned money? Hopefully, this article will help narrow things down, starting with...
Editors: George O'Connor and Diana Porter
Campaign Ends: February 18th
Status: 85% funded
PITCH:
TODDLER-POCALYPSE is a 64-page trade paperback anthology featuring six stories about the true challenge of surviving the apocalypse—your kids. Toddler-pocalypse dives into the world of zombies, killer asteroids, alien invasions, and more with tongues firmly in cheek and parental hearts on sleeves.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
Anthologies, as I've noted many times in this column, tend to be hit or miss and difficult to gauge which it will be before you have it in your hands. The best indicator an anthology will be successful is an interesting theme, a good editor, and a killer creative team. With artists like Kath Lobo and Fernando Pinto behind the stories, a solid duo of writer/editors, and a unique twist on the post-apocalypse, it's check, check, and check for Toddler-pocalypse. This will be immediately appealing to anyone who has kids or, like me, are terrified at the prospect that they one day might have kids.
Writer: Juan Ponce
Artists: Gavin Guidry & Marco Finnegan
Campaign Ends: February 24th
Status: 50% funded
PITCH:
A middle-aged office drone and his dysfunctional family are confronted by his past; a league of genetically enhanced super assassins.
Thirty-Three is an over-the-top dark action-comedy and family drama. Think John Wick meets Raising Arizona, with a dash of Die Hard for good measure. Fans of Barry and WandaVision will feel right at home here, as will readers of Birthright and The Vision.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
Action comics are a dime-a-dozen and easy to mess up. Thirty-Three avoids many of those pitfalls by simply remembering to be about something more significant than "big people fight." It has character growth and nuance woven into its pages right beside some really impressive set pieces and dynamic action scenes. It's the comic for the thinking man that also occasionally likes to jump out of a helicopter with two machine guns and no parachute.
Writer: Phil Falco
Artist: Anna Wieszczyk
Campaign Ends: February 24th
Status: Fully funded
PITCH:
Wherever Bram goes, ghosts appear - restless spirits that attack the living viciously and without prejudice. Bram's spent his entire life turning a blind eye to the destruction and death caused by his strange ability. He didn't ask for this curse, so (by his logic, at least) none of it is his fault. But his recklessness finally catches up to him in the form of Deacon, a mysterious and vengeful man from his past. When Deacon corners Bram and Faith, a small-town girl with a tragic past, in Dusty Springs, Bram will finally be forced to learn that his actions have consequences... Whether he takes responsibility for those consequences is another question entirely.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
I have a soft spot for supernatural horror and Haunting delivers an interesting twist on demons, ghosts, and the humans that have to deal with them. Focusing on painful character growth and the reluctance of the main character, the comic manages to be restrained and mature in its subject matter, even as it has characters bursting in through windows to kick the crap out of each other.
Creator: Fell Hound
Campaign Begins: February 16th
PITCH:
In the war-torn future of 2x66, a young soldier lies dead on the battlefield, waiting to be buried in a mass grave with her platoon. Victim to a cruel and unending war, the only mark of her existence is her memory--slowly bleeding out onto the rotted Earth: The joy. The sadness. The excitement. The loneliness. The love. The fear. A lifetime of memories, bled out one by one, soon to be forgotten. Forever.
This is the life of Julie Rao.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
Fell Hound has been a breakout figure in indie comics over the last year or so, and her much-anticipated follow-up to Commander Rao promises to be every bit as sincere, inventive, and truly buck wild as we've come to expect from the young talent. Teeming with creative panelling choices and tight action scenes, it's impossible not to be excited about this comic. It only narrowly avoids the number 1 spot by virtue of not yet being an active campaign. Still, you should hit that "notify on launch" button ASAP.
Cartoonist: K. Kiomall-Evans
Campaign Ends: February 24th
Status: 20% funded
PITCH:
A Complex Magical Horror Coming-Of-Age Comic! XII: Of Magic and Muses has been published online as a webcomic since 2016 and this will be its final year, ending in September!
Our mousy protagonist Willow lives in a mundane and restricted school, which ends up being the worst place someone could get gifted a magical necklace. Desperately trying to contain the magic within, this act of futility seems to just make matters worse. As the necklace crumbles the school’s secrets around her, Willow is left to wonder if it was a gift sent by friend or foe?
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
This monstrous, 1000 page comic split across three books contains some truly gorgeous art and wonderful storytelling. You could simplify it down to "magical girls fighting nazis" and have reason enough to tear into this excellent story, but that doesn't do anything resembling justice to this wonderful webcomic. On top of all of that, K. has been a true friend to the indie comics community and a beacon of positivity in an otherwise unrelenting world. You couldn't find a better book to support with a creator that deserved the attention more.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
THE DANCER #1 & 2 by Kat Calamia
ROBO #1-4 by Jesse Keppler
DISCONAUTS #1 & 2 by Jonathan Stevenson
These are some fantastic comics that we've featured on past campaign lists. If you'd like to see more details, search Comic Book Yeti for their respective reviews!
*DISCLAIMER: Comics are selected from a very large pool of projects, some sent to us for review, some come across on the websites themselves. We tend to favor first issue comics by indie creators that haven't already hit their campaign goals 5 times over, so keep that in mind. While we feel this list is representative of projects most worth the time and money of a comic reader, it is by no means exhaustive and there are many, MANY more projects that you can and should explore on Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Zoop.
-Wells Thompson, Reviews Editor