By Henry Barajas
Kickstarter has become an avenue for cartoonist to get funding for their projects. Lately more and more working professionals have taken full advantage of this major platform. Here are some projects that are promising and deserve support.
Project: Wild Blue Yonder
Days to Go: 16
Goal: $12,000
Talent/Project Manager(s): Mike Raicht writer; Zach Howard artist; Nelson Daniel colorist
The song and dance: The song and dance: Talk about talent, the creators on this project includes include Zach Howard. Howard has worked for all the major companies and is doing stellar work on the IDW title, The Cape. Zach did provide art for the first four part ‘Cape’ series but only provided the first page of the first issue for the now running prequel ‘Cape: 1969’ The book is written by veteran comic book writer Mike Raicht. Raicht wrote Army of Darkness, Dark Shadows and co-wrote the Russ Manning nominated series Stuff of Legends. The colorist, Nelson Daniel, has worked on numerous IDW projects including, The Cape.
The story centers around Cola, a teenaged girl fighter pilot and her family fight to protect The Dawn. The book is set to release $50 gets you the entire five issue series and they are offering 90 limited edition Kickstarter exclusives. The variants are signed, numbered and include a digital download. The creators have offered their expert knowledge as incentives to help get the book funded. If you’re seeking the help and guidance from on a personal project, then you should kick in $150 for a script review with Raicht. If you’re an artist looking for a serious critique there is a $200 Pledge that gets you an hour portfolio review with Howard. Currently this project is sitting at $5,595 and needs another $6,405 to go.
Project: THE CARTOON ART OF MIKE DEODATO, JR. Volume 1
Talent/Project Manager: Mike Deodato, Jr.
Days to Go: 29
Goal: $10,000
The spiel: One of the industry’s top talents for the last decade, First professional American work in 1993; Mike Deodato, Jr. apparently has a cartoony side he’s dying to show us. The book is offered digitally but the print edition will be a wide and slim saddle stitched 11” x 8.5” on card stock in full color. This project was inspired by personal greeting cards he makes for his family. Incentives include personalized signed copies, rare WOLVERINE Origins prints, custom cartoon sketches and for a small $10k donation you get an appearance by Mr. Deodato, Jr. to your next con or store signing. Currently the project is just sitting just under $5,700 dollars and on target to hit the goal.
Project: Flaming Carrot Hardback & Digital Comics Talent/Project Manager: Bob Burden
Days to Go: 47
Goal: $12,500
The pitch: This project has already met its goal but I think it’s worth mentioning. Comic legend, Bob Burden used Kickstarter to self-publish a super deluxe, signed and numbered hardback collection The Flaming Carrot: The Wild Should Wild Remain. Burden is also offering the 250 page series in a digital format for only $10 and if you kick in $15 you also get the 130 page Flaming Carrot: Man of Mystery in addition. There are also other incentives that include signed books and rare Flaming Carrot action figures and a new 8 page story exclusive to this project. If you are an original follower or a new fan, you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity.
It’s not a Kickstart requirement to be a big time creator to start a campaign but that’s what you’re going up against. One of the reasons why this is the best time in comics is because the caliber is so great; it weeds out all the weaker books. In my next article I will cover more projects and provide updates on the previously reported titles.
I love Bob Burden. Ran into him and James O’Barr down the aisle from me at last year’s NY Comic Con. Took a while to realize that the two were booth squatters — they had showed up at the con, found an empty booth, took the poster board sign and flipped it over and written their own names on it and set up shop for a few days. I was in awe of what con at the con they had pulled off.
I really like the Wild Blue, but 50$ for 5 issues (plus shipping I guess) is waaaaaay too much. For the same amount I will get the Cyberforce in HC and Silvestri has a whole new deal in the works.
Pitty, I might get the issues if some other people back this up.
Great!
Another bubble about to burst, this Kickstarter thing.
As more and more mainstream authors jump on, the less space will be for the guy who’s just hoping for a… kick-start of his career.
@CitizenCliff They are indie comics. I couldn’t pass the opportunity. The entire series on my iPad? Sold!
Jee-zus, the level of detail on those Wild Blue Yonder pages is just remarkable. Wonderful job on inks and color.
The recent news has been highlighted with American Flagg!, Cerebus, Flaming Carrot and Love and Rockets all being brought back via digital distribution. It’s like 1983 all over again.
Kickstarter bubble will never burst…since individuals get to pick and choose to support only what interests them and only a few hundred people can get a book supported, rather than dealing with publishing where thousands are needed.
With all do respect Mr. Palmiotti, I think what Mr. Menezes is implying is if you have 1000 kickstarter projects all by the likes of Jim Lee, yourslf, Frank Miller, insert-another-established-if-not-big-name-here and a 1000 projects by not so big names the 1000 projects by the not so big names are most likely going to get overlooked or ignored because fans will put their money with the big names first, leaving no money for those hoping for a career kickstart and not just a project kickstart.
I tend to agree with him but my opinion is irrelevant, the market dictates what sells and kickstarter is no different. If fans want Flaming Carrot over first time cartoonist foray into the field that’s what the fans will get.
It’s just a shame that some truly talented unknown’s will get passed over in the process…
As they say…there is only just so much money to go around…
How tuned out is this industry that a book like Flaming Carrot needs a kickstarter project to get funding? How well did the Milk and Cheese or Reid Fleming editions sell?
Ron: Flaming Carrot has been at several publisher sin the last decade or so including a collection from Dark Horse. I think Bob prefers to control his own publishing future, however.
@ The Beat. Ah! My bad!
Always wonders just why Flaming Carrot has been criminally out of publication for so long. It’s well deserving of the over-sized limited edition hardcover treatment much like The Goon Fancy Pants editions. I assume publishers just weren’t offering Bob what he wanted?
Good luck Bob! Hope you sell a million copies!
The only reason a truly talented artist will be ignored in kickstarter is if he can not show his talent among all the other not so talented projects there.
You got to have some marketing skills, talent or no talent.