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 and pitching in a few bucks to whatever suits their fancy.
But, with over 10,000 projects* running at any given point in time, how does the average reader find the right Kickstarter to support? Hopefully, this article will help narrow things down, starting with...
Writer: Mike Gibson
Artist: Riely McFarlane
Campaign Ends: November 14th
Status: Funded!
PITCH:
When a going-nowhere garage band is gifted magical masks that possess the wearer with otherworldly spirits of rock & roll vigilantism, they heed the call and join the battle against a world of evil monsters and bad vibes. But who's really in control... the band members or the spirits?
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
Here is a comic that knows exactly what it is: Big, loud, a little dumb, but too much fun to care. With a wonderfully zany art style, an infectious energy, and unique musical rewards for backing, this feels like exactly the kind of romp you need to unwind after a stressful Thanksgiving with the family.
Writer: Phil Falco & Kat Calamia
Artist: Valeria Peri
Campaign Ends: November 19th
Status: Fully Funded, 2 stretch goals unlocked
PITCH:
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.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
I guess we all just have to accept two truths about comics going forward: webtoons are taking over the medium and Kat Calamia is the undisputed queen of Kickstarter. And I, for one, welcome our new bisexual overlords. In all seriousness, this project is a genuine, heartfelt labor of love that subverts tropes of anime, webtoons, and queer romance even as it celebrates them, and that's worth a few bucks to me.
Writer: Eastin DeVerna
Artist: Shawn Daley
Campaign Ends: November 24th
Status: Fully funded, halfway to first stretch goal
PITCH:
On the night of her coronation, Princess Casci Capricor was murdered. Now, astray in the afterlife and with the aid of a mysterious deceased sea captain named Skipper Vermagutt, Casci must complete three trials given to her by Death, in order to solve the mystery of her murder and retrieve the missing piece of her fractured soul, lest it remain forever lost.
Along the way, Casci will encounter outlandish obstacles and brutal enemies -- not the least of which is Sharagio Gelatrucxie . . . the greatest cat-chef in the afterlife, and . . . the APOCAMECH -- a mystifying and gargantuan, world-ending mech.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
If there's a theme to this month's Kickstarter list, it's "simple premise, BIG idea." I don't think there's a better example of this than Lost Souls, which uses a dead simple "three trials" narrative to build a wildly imaginative and endlessly intriguing world to explore. It's fun, it's nostalgic, it's from the creators of a comic called Samurai Grandpa. What's not to love?
Editor: Nathan Kempf
Campaign Ends: November 15th
Status: 40% funded
PITCH:
Anything can be an adventure. From the little things in life like trying to find your favorite dessert or questing for the perfect gift to the more imaginary, like crossing dimensions to save the galaxy, it can all be an adventure if you put your heart into it.
Adventures Everywhere is a 100+ page comic-book anthology for kids and younger teens (or even older people who are adventurous at heart!), daring them to explore and discover the world through their own eyes.
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
With an anthology, you need three things to know it's going to work: A solid theme, a stellar creative team, and a hard working editor. Adventures Everywhere has all of these in spades, promising an incredible collection of imaginative and joyous all-ages stories. This is the only entry on this list proper that isn't fully funded, so, if you only support one project, it should definitely be this one.
Cartoonist: Gustaffo Vargas
Campaign Ends: November 19th
Status: Funded, 3 stretch goals unlocked
PITCH:
Discover a world where robotics and bio-technology are accessible to many, where corrupt governments and crime organisations are clashing constantly in disputes over power.
Lila, our main character, is trapped in a tight spot that is beyond her limits. Meanwhile, in the Peruvian highlands a big army marches to capture a precious fugitive asset... and that's where things will get explosive!!
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
I have nothing to say. If you don't think that Peruvian Cyberpunk dystopia is a cool enough premise to destroy your mouse clicking the pledge button, then you need to look inward and figure out what's wrong with you. Vargas is a well-established talent with books like Lima and Trujillo blazing a trail for this insane trilogy of graphic novels, and it's clear from the preview art that he intends to end his story in style. Hop on while you still can.
Writer: Blake McCarthy
Artist: Chris Sassman
Campaign Ends: November 24th
Status: 60% funded
WHY SHOULD I BACK IT?
We put Territory #1 at the second position on our list way back in May of this year, and honestly, not much has changed about our opinion. It's still great, you should still back it, and if you need more detail, check out the previous article.
*DISCLAIMER: Comics are selected from a very large pool of projects, some sent to us for review, some come across on the site itself. 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 Kickstarter.
–Wells Thompson, Content Editor
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